•' 


THE 

;.4-7- 


GREAT  REBELLION; 


A  HISTORY  OF  THE 


Ciyil  War  in  the  United  States. 


BY   J.   T.    HEADLEY, 

AUTHOR  OF   "NAPOLEON  AND  HIS  MARSHALS,"    "WASHINGTON  AND  HIS  GENERALS," 
"SACRED  MOUNTAINS,"  ETC.,   ETC. 


WITH  NUMEROUS  FINE  STEEL  ENGRAVINGS. 


AMERICAN  PUBLISHING   COMPANY, 

BRANCH    OFFICE,    COLUMBUS,   OHIO. 

R.  C.  TEEAT,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 

SOLD  BY  SUBSCRIPTION  ONLY. 
1866. 


ENTERED  ACCORDING  TO  ACT  OF  CONGRESS,  IN  THE  YEAR  1866,  BY 

AMERICAN  PUBLISHING   COMPANY, 
IN  THE  CLERK'S  OFFICE  OF  THE  DISTRICT  COURT  OF  CONNECTICUT. 


PREFACE. 


THE  earth  has  been  cursed  with  civil  wars  from  the  earli 
est  times  in  which  we  have  records  of  the  race  Though 
characterized  by  more  or  less  ferocity,  and  assuming  various 
shapes,  they  all  may  be  divided  into  two  general  classes. 
Those  that  occur  under  a  despotic  form  of  government, 
spring  from  oppression  which  the  people,  no  longer  able  to 
bear,  venture  all  the  terrible  hazard  of  a  revolution  to  throw 
off.  Those  that  take  place  under  a  democratic  form  of 
government,  are  brought  about  by  a  few  ambitious  men, 
who  seek  by  faction  to  obtain  power.  Those  of  the  former 
class  possess  dignity  and  grandeur,  from  the  fact  that 
they  are  based  on  the  great  doctrine  of  human  rights.  Man 
asserting  his  inherent,  God-given  rights  on  the  battle  field 
against  overwhelming  odds,  is  a  sublime  spectacle. 

The  latter  are  based  on  falsehoods,  and  kept  alive  by  de 
ception.  Such  were  the  civil  wars  of  the  early  republics. 

In  the  time  of  Cromwell,  both  religious  and  civil  liberty 
were  the  grand  prizes  of  the  struggle ;  and  whether  we  look 
at  Hampden,  calmly  suffering  for  the  sake  of  liberty,  or  at 
Cromwell's  Ironsides,  sweeping  like  a  thunder  cloud  to  battle, 
Tith  the  fearful  war  cry  "  RELIGION"  on  their  lips,  our  deep- 


10  THE    GREAT    REBELLION. 

est  sympathies  and  admiration  are  excited,  and  we  forget  the 
horrors  of  the  carnage  in  the  mighty  stake  at  issue.  So  in 
the  bloody  revolution  of  France;  though  the  views  of  the 
masses  were  vague,  and  their  speech  often  incoherent,  yet 
when  we  behold  inscribed  on  their  banner  the  great  charter 
of  human  rights,  and  the  head  of  a  king  thrown  down  as  the 
gage  of  battle,  we  no  longer  see  the  crimson  field  with  its 
"  garments  rolled  in  blood,"  we  see  only  the  divine  image  of 
human  liberty  hovering  over  't. 

Ours  is  of  a  mixed  character,  and  hence  in  some  respects 
unlike  all  others  that  have  preceded  it ;  but  like  all  civil  wars 
in  republics,  it  sprung  from  a  faction  who  sought  only  polit 
ical  power.  Those  make  a  great  mistake  who  suppose  it 
grew  out  of  a  desire  merely  to  perpetuate  slavery.  Slavery 
was  used  as  a  means  to  an  end — a  bugbear  to  frighten  the 
timid  into  obedience,  and  a  rallying  cry  for  the  ignorant,  de 
luded  masses.  The  accursed  lust  of  power  lay  at  the  bottom 
of  it. 

The  entire  north,  including  the  Republican  party,  had 
repeatedly  declared,  in  the  most  emphatic  manner,  that  it 
had  no  intention  to  interfere  with  slavery  in  the  states  where 
it  existed ;  for  they  had  no  right  to  do  so  under  the  Consti 
tution.  Its  perpetuity  there  was  conceded,  until  the  states 
themselves  should  get  rid  of  it.  Hence,  the  southern  con 
spirators  had  no  fear  on  that  point,  but  they  knew  they 
could  not  carry  the  people  with  them  unless  they  convinced 
them  that  slavery  was  to  be  assailed  in  their  very  homes,  to 
be  followed  by  a  servile  insurrection.  They  desired,  of 
course,  to  extend  slavery,  because  in  that  way  alone  the}' 


PREFACE.  11 

could  extend  their  power.  The  perpetuity  of  slavery  was 
a  necessary  consequence  of  all  this ;  because  the  power  they 
sought  to  obtain  was  founded  on  it — it  was  the  chief  corner 
stone.  Here  is  where  the  mistake  is  made  in  getting  at  the 
true  cause  of  the  rebellion. 

The  whole  question  may  be  stated  thus :  southern  politicians 
saw  in  the  rapid  increase  of  the  free  states,  both  in  number 
and  population,  and  the  deep  hostility  to  the  admission  of 
any  more  slave  states,  that  the  power  they  had  so  long 
wielded  in  the  Government  would  be  broken. 

The  only  course  left  them  was  to  set  up  an  independent 
government.  Though  they  might  be  weak  at  first,  slave 
states  could  be  added,  as  circumstances  should  determine. 
To  effect  their  purpose  they  would  seize  on  the  tariff  or 
slavery,  or  any  thing  else  that  would  unite  the  South.  Cal- 
houn  tried  the  former  and  failed,  they,  the  latter  and  succeed 
ed.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  perpetuity  and  extension 
of  slavery  is  a  necessary  consequence  of  the  present  rebellion, 
if  successful ;  not  its  first  cause, — -just  as  free  trade  would 
have  followed  the  attempt  of  Calhoun  to  take  the  South  out 
of  the  Union,  had  it  succeeded. 

The  great,  moving  cause  ivas  the  desire  of  power — slavery 
the  platform  on  which  they  worked  their  diabolical  ma 
chinery. 

This  was  unquestionably  the  view  taken  by  our  Govern 
ment,  and  the  cause  of  its  extreme  leniency  at  first,  which 
so  many  condemned.  It  sought  to  disabuse  the  people  of 
the  idea  that  we  meant  to  attack  their  peculiar  institutions, 
and  hoped  they  would  see  that  they  were  being  duped  and 


12  THE   GREAT   REBELLION. 

led  into  ruin  by  -desperate,  unscrupulous,  ambitious  men. 
So  also  did  the  mass  of  the  northern  people  view  it,  and 
hence  rushed  to  arms,  feeling  but  little  animosity,  except 
towards  the  leaders.  The  "  CONSTITUTION  "  was  their  rally 
ing  cry — the  preservation  of  the  Government  the  sublime 
motive  that  sent  them  to  the  field  of  carnage. 

On  the  one  hand  the  world  saw  men  crowding  to  battle, 
pretending  to  fight  for  the  very  freedom  which  they  were  all 
the  time  in  the  full  enjoyment  of — on  the  other  hand  more 
than  a  million  of  citizens  rising  in  arms,  with  no  object 
beyond  the  desire  to  see  their  enemies  secure  in  that  very 
freedom. 

The  future  historian  will  stand  amazed  at  this  strange  spec 
tacle.  No  wonder  European  nations  are  puzzled  as  they  con 
template  us  from  beyond  the  ocean.  They  can  understand 
the  struggle  of  a  brave  people  to  overthrow  a  government 
that  robs  them  of  liberty,  but  not  one  to  destroy  the  very 
charter  of  human  liberty. 

True,  there  has  become  mixed  up  with  the  determination 
of  the  North  to  uphold  the  Constitution,  a  desire  to  strike  a 
deadly  blow  at  slavery.  Forbidden  by  this  very  charter  to 
touch  it  in  the  states  where  it  existed,  many  believe  the  re 
bellion  has  cancelled  all  obligations  growing  out  of  the  pro 
visions  it  contained,  and  that  in  its  wasting,  bloody  track, 
it  will  sweep  that  relic  of  barbarism  from  the  bosom  -of  the 
republic. 

Clouds  and  darkness  wrap  the  future,  and  we  are  safe  only 
as  we  look  up  to  the  Throne  that  is  founded  in  "  Justice  and 
Judgment." 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

VOLUME  I. 


1.  PORTRAIT  OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN, Frontispiece. 

2.  BOMBARDMENT  OF  FORT  SUMTER, Vignette  title  page. 

PAGE. 

3.  PORTRAIT  of  Major-General  GEORGE  B.  MCCLELLAN, 29 

4.  "  "  AMBROSE  E.  BURNSIDE, 29 

5.  "  "  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT, 29 

6.  "  "  FRANZ  SIGEL, 29 

7.  "  "  DAVID  HUNTER, 29 

8.  "  "  IRVINE  McDowELL, 29 

9.  "  «  JOHN  E.  WOOL, 29 

10.  "  "  BENJAMIN  F.  BUTLER, 29 

11.  «  "  HENRY  W.  HALLECK, 29 

12.  ATTACK  ON  THE  MASSACHUSETTS  TROOPS  IN   BALTIMORE, 71 

13.  GENERAL  LYON'S  CHARGE  AT  THE  BATTLE  OF  WILSON'S  CREEK, ..129 

14.  PORTRAIT  OF  JEFFERSON  DAVIS,  President  of  the  so  called  "Con 

federate  States," 147 

15.  PORTRAIT  of  General  P.  T.  G.  BEAUREGARD, 147 

16.  "  "       J.  E.  JOHNSON,.  . , 147 

17.  «  "       A.  S.  JOHNSTON, 147 

18.  "  "       R.  E.  LEE, 147 

19.  "  "       S.  B.  BUCKNER, .  .147 

20.  "  "       BRAXTON  BRAGG, , -.147 

21.  "       Commodore  HOLLINS, 147 


14  THE    GREAT   REBELLION. 


FAGS. 


22.  DEATH  OF  COLONEL  BAKER  AND  BATTLE  OF  BALL'S   BLUFF,(.  . . .  .173 

23.  BOMBARDMENT  AND  CAPTURE  OF  FORTS  WALKER  AND  BEAUREGARD 

AT  PORT  ROYAL  HARBOR.. 191 

24.  PORTRAIT  of  Major-General  WINFIELD  SCOTT, 197 

25.  CHARGE  OF  THE  IOWA  TROOPS  AT  FORT  DONELSON, 269 

26.  LANDING   OF   TROOPS    OF   GENERAL  BURNSIDE'S  EXPEDITION  AT 

ROANOKE  ISLAND, . . 277 

27.  BATTLE  BETWEEN  THE  MONITOR  AND  MERRIMAC — FIRST  CONFLICT 

BETWEEN  IRON-CLAD  VESSELS, 297 

28.  PORTRAIT  of  Rear-Admiral  A.  H.  FOOTE, 829 

29.  "  "  S.  F.   DUPONT, , 329 

30.  "  "  L.  M.  GOLDSBOROUGH, 329 

31.  "  "  D.  G.  FARKAGUT,..  , 329 

32.  "  Commodore  DAVID  D.   PORTER, 329 

33.  "  "  CHARLES  H.   DAVIS, 329 

34.  Lieutenant  JOHN  L.  WORDEN, 329 

35.  BATTLE  OF  PITTSBURG   LANDING, 347 

36.  GREAT  NAVAL  BATTLE — UNION  FLEET  PASSING  THE  FORTS  BELOW 

NEW  ORLEANS, 369 


CONTENTS. 

VOLUME   I. 


CHAPTER    I. 

PRIOR  TO  1861.  pAOE 

Causes  of  the  .Rebellion — Danger  of  Sectional  Parties — History  of 
Slavery  in  the  Government — Causes  of  Hostility  between  the  North 
and  South — Missouri  Compromise — Hostile  Legislation  of  the  States — 
Congress — The  Whig  and  Democratic  Parties — Necessity  of  a  New 
Party  in  the  place  of  the  Whig— The  Republican  Party — Southern 
Conspirators — Their  Plan — Election  of  Lincoln — First  Steps  to 
wards  Disunion. .  , 31 


CHAPTER    II. 

DECEMBER,  1860-APR1L,  1861. 

South  Carolina  takes  the  Lead — Reception  South  of  its  Act  of  Seces 
sion — Anderson  in  Fort  Sumter — Distraction  of  the  Government — 
Resignation  of  Southerners — The  North  Divided — Progress  of  Dis 
union  South — Seizure  of  National  Property — Star  of  the  West — 
Scenes  in  Congress — Rights  of  the  People — Right  of  Secession — 
Lincoln's  Passage  to  Washington  and  Inauguration — His  Cabinet — 
Virginia — Southern  Commissioners — Fort  Sumter — Preparations  for 
its  Bombardment 41 

CHAPTER    III. 

APRIL,  ISffl. 

First  Shot  at  Fort  Sumter — Its  fearful  Significance — The  Bombard 
ment — Surrender  of — Exultation  of  the  People  of  Charleston — Re 
ception  of  the  News  North — Union  of  all  Parties— Proclamation  of 


16  THE   GREAT   REBELLION. 

PAGE. 

the  President  calling  for  Seventy-five  Thousand  Troops — Response 
of  the  North — Reply  to  it  by  Southern  Governors — Enthusiasm  of 
the  North — Delusion  of  both  Sections — Davis  calls  for  Southern 
Volunteers  and  for  Privateers — Virginia  Secedes — Embarrassments 
of  the  Government — Surrender  of  Norfolk — Surrender  of  Harper's 
Ferry  and  the  Burning  of  the  Arsenal 55 

CHAPTER    IY. 

APRIL,  1861. 

Enthusiasm  of  the  People  and  Baseness  of  Contractors — March  of  the 
Regiments — The  Massachusetts  Sixth  Attacked  in  Baltimore —  . 
Departure  of  the  Seventh  New  York — Enthusiasm  South — Fears  of 
the  People  and  Mayor  of  Baltimore — Collision  prevented  by  the 
Troops  going  by  way  of  Annapolis — Their  arrival  at  Washington — 
Defection  in  the  Army  and  Navy — Robert  E.  Lee — Effect  of  the 
States'  Rights  Doctrine — Great  Union  Meeting  in  New  York — 
Its  Reception  South — Proclamation  of  the  President  Increasing  the 
Standing  Army — Tennessee  joins  the  South — Action  of  the  Govern 
ment — Suspension  of  the  Writ  of  Habeas  Corpus — Mistake  in  not 
calling  Congress  together  sooner 70 

CHAPTER    Y. 

MAY-JUNE,  1861. 

Public  Expectation — Position  of  the  Forces  in  Front  of  Washington — 
Appointment  of  Generals — Occupation  of  Alexandria — Murder  of 
Colonel  Ellsworth— Effect  on  the  North— Fight  at  Big  Bethel- 
Feeling  of  the  People  respecting  it — Captain  Lyon  at  St.  Louis — 
Refuses  to  obey  the  Public  Commissioners  of  the  City — Takes  the 
entire  Force  of  Governor  Jackson  and  General  Price,  Prisoners — 
His  Troops  Mobbed — Pursues  Jackson — Fight  at  Booneville — Gen 
eral  Harney — His  vacillating  Course — McClellan  made  Major-Gen 
eral  and  sent  to  Western  Virginia — His  Past  Career — Harper's 
Ferry  Evacuated — Concentration  of  the  Rebels  at  Manassas  Junc 
tion — Fight  at  Phillippi— Kelly  Wounded — Schenck  Surprised  neai 
Vienna — The  Question  of  Fugitive  Slaves — Capture  of  the  First  ^ 
Rebel  Privateer  Savannah — The  Privateer  Suinter  at  Sea. 83 


CONTENTS    OF   TOLUME   I.  17 

CHAPTER    VI. 

JUNE,  1861. 

PAGE. 

McClellan  Takes  Command  of  the  Army  in  Western  Virginia — Ad 
vances  on  the  Enemy — Battle  of  Rich  Mountain — Gallant  Action  of 
Rosecranz — Of  Lander — Defeat  of  Pegram  and  Capture  of  his 
Forces — Pursuit  of  Garnett — Action  of  Carrick's  Ford — A  Terrible 
March — Death  of  Garnett — Defeat  of  his  Forces — Cox  on  the  Kan- 
hawa — Action  of  Barboursville — Retreat  of  Wise — Close  of  the 
Campaign  in  Western  Virginia — Sigel  in  Missouri — Battle  of  Car 
thage — His  Admirable  Retreat — State  of  Kentucky — Unionism  in 
Eastern  Tennessee 92 

CHAPTER    VII. 

JULY,  1861. 

Meeting  of  Congress — President's  Message — Chief  CommandersTon  bpth 
sides  at  this  time — The  "  On  to  Richmond  "  Cry — The  Question-  of 
Funds — Lack  of  Statesmen  in  Congress — The  Radical  Element — 
Increasing  the  Navy — An  Onward  Movement  resolved  upon — 
Reasons  for  it — Johnston  and  Patterson — McDowell  to  Command  the 
Army — Its  Departure  for  Manassas — Splendid  Appearance  of — 
Artillery  Fight  at  Blackburn's  Ford — Advance  of  the  Army  from 
Centreville — Plan  of  the  Battle — Hunter  and  Heintzelman — Battle 
of  Bull  Run— The  Defeat— The  Rout— Danger  of  the  Capital- 
Effect  of  the  News  on  the  North — Causes  and  Lesson  of  the  Over 
throw — Surrender  of  Fort  Fillmore  in  New  Mexico 105 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

JULY-AUGUST,  1861. 

State  of  the  Army  after  Bull  Run — Its  Disappearance  from  the  Field — 
A  New  Army  to  be  Raised — Greatness  of  the  Task — McClellan  Sum 
moned  to  the  Capital  to  take  Chief  Command — Banks  and  Fre 
mont — The  Latter  sent  to  St.  Louis — The  Enemy's  Outposts  in  Sight 
of  the  Capital — Rising  of  the  North — Lyon  Advances  on  McCul- 
loch — Kentucky  votes  to  remain  in  the  Union — Fremont  in  St. 
Louis— Battle  of  Wilson's  Creek  and  Death  of  Lyon — Retreat  of 
the  Union  Army — Public  Feeling  on  the  Death  of  Lyon — Diaboli 
cal  Spirit  of  the  Southern  Clergy 123 


J 


18  THE    GREAT    REBELLION. 

CHAPTER    IX. 

AUGUST,  1861. 

PAGE 

Action  of  the  General  Government — Arrests — Confiscation — Refuses  to 
Exchange  Prisoners — Retaliation  by  Davis — McClellan  Quells  a 
Mutiny  in  the  Seventy-ninth  Regiment-^Southern  Privateers —  ^ 
Wreck  of  the  Jeff.  Davis — Surprise  of  Tyler  at  Summerville — Wool 
sent  to  Fortress  Monroe — Foote  ordered  West  to  take  Charge  of  Gun 
Boats — Naval  Attack  on  Cape  Hatteras — Error  of  the  Secretary  of 
the  Navy — Proclamation  of  Fremont — Effect  of — President  Requires 
him  to  Modify  it — The  Rebels  Occupy  Columbus  and  Hickman — 
State  of  Affairs  in  Western  Virginia — Battle  of  Carnifax  Ferry  and 
Retreat  of  Floyd 137 

CHAPTER    X. 

SEPTEMBER,  1861. 

Lexington  attacked — Repulse  of  Rains — Distress  of  Mulligan — Heroism 
of  his  Brigade — Fall  of  Lexington — Fremont  Blamed  for  it — Char 
ges  against  him — He  takes  the  Field — Attitude  of  Kentucky — Its 
Legislature  Order  the  Rebel  Forces  to  Leave  the  State — McGoffin — 

O 

General  Lee  sent  to  Western  Virginia — Fight  at  Cheat  Mountain 
Pass — Defeat  of  Lee  at  Elk  Water — Death  of  John  Washington— 
Position  of  the  Armies  on  the  Potomac — Fortifications  around 
Washington — Occupation  of  Munson's  Hill — Observance  of  the 
National  Fast 146 

CHAPTER    XI. 

OCTOBER,  1861. 

Position  of  the  Two  Great  Armies — Expectations  and  Feelings  of  the 
People-^Gallant  Naval  Exploit  at  Pensacola — Destruction  of  the 
Privateer  JudahpX>ccupation  of  Ship  Island — Western  Virginia — 
Fight  at  Green  Brier  Creek — Attack  of  the  Enemy  at  Cape  Hat 
teras — Surprise  of  the  Wilson  Zouaves  at  Santa  Rosa  Island — 
Attack  of  the  Blockading  Fleet  at  the  Mouth  of  the  Mississippi  by 
the  Ram  Manassas- — Fight  at  Lebanon,  Missouri — Fight  at  Frederick- 
town — Fight  at  Blue  Mills  Ferry — Battle  of  Wild  Cat  Camp,  Ken- 
tucky 158 


CONTENTS   OF    VOLUME   I.  19 

CHAPTER    XII. 

OCTOBER,  1861 

PA  as. 

Affairs  on  the  Upper  Potomac — Fight  at  Bolivar — A  Gallant  Action — 
Reconnoissance  across  the  River — Battle  of  Ball's  Bluff — Death  of 
Baker — Heroic  Devotion — Strange  Conduct  of  General  Stone — Indig 
nation  of  the  People — McClellan  Hurries  to  the  Scene  of  Action — 
Colonel  Lander  takes  the  place  left  vacant  by  the  Death  of  Baker — 
Is  Wounded — Affairs  in  Missouri — Gallant  Charge  of  Fremont's  Body 
Guard, , 172 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

NOVEMBER,  1861. 

General  Dissatisfaction — Public  Expectation  of  an  Advance  from  the  Poto- 
mac — Blockade  of  the  Capital — Feeling  at  the  West — Great  Secret 
Naval  Expedition — Overtaken  by  a  Storm — Joy  of  the  South  and 
Fear  of  the  North — Description  of  the  Wreck — Arrival  at  Port  Roy 
al,  Hilton  Head  and  Bay  Island — Preparations  to  Attack  Them — 
Grand  Appearance  of  the  Vessels — The  Attack — The  Victory — Ter 
ror  of  the  People  of  Charleston  and  Savannah — Strange  Inactivity  of 
the  Land  Forces — Proclamations — Timidity  and  Weakness  of  the 
Government — Retirement  of  Scott  from  Public  Life — McClellan  Takes 
his  Place — Public  Confidence  in  him — Grand  Review  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac 185 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

NOVEMBER,  1861. 

Expedition  from  Cairo — Battle  of  Belmont — Criticism  upon  it — Nelson's 
Expedition  to  Piketon — A  Long  March— The  Battle — Rout  of  the 
Enemy — Nelson's  Order — Adjutant-General  Thomas  sent  West  to 
Investigate  the  Charges  against  Fremont — His  Report — Its  In 
justice — Conduct  of  the  Secretary  of  War — Removal  of  Fremont — 
Hunter  Appointed  in  his  place — Superseded  by  Halleck  and  sent  to 
Kansas — Reconstruction  of  the  Western  and  South- Western  Depart 
ments — Dix  Sends  an  Expedition  into  Eastern  Virginia — Capture  of 
Mason  and  Slidell — Exultation  of  the  People — Creates  a  Storm  of 


20  THE    GREAT   REBELLION. 


PA  OB. 


Indignation  in  England — War  Threatened — Their  Surrender  De 
manded — Is  Complied  with — Wilkes's  Course  clearly  Unjustifiable- 
Sinking  of  Stones  in  Charleston  Harbor — The  Tuscarora  and  Nash 
ville  in  an  English  Port — Conduct  of  the  British  Authorities —  (I 
McClellan's  Stringent  Orders  to  the  Army — The  Negroes  and  Cot 
ton  of  Port  Royal 200 


CHAPTER    XY. 

DECEMBER,  1861. 

Opening  of  Congress — Aspect  of  Affairs— President's  Message — The 
Question  of  Finance — Tax  Bill-CArmy  and  Naval  Force  of  the  /> 
Country — Drafting  in  the  South— 'The  Iroquois  and  Sumter — Pope 
and  Halleck  at  the  West — The  Indians  take  part  in  the  Rebellion — 
A  Battle  between  them — Affairs  in  Missouri — Battle  of  Milford — 
General  Curtis — Fight  at  Mount  Zion — Fight  at  Rowlett's  Station, 
Kentucky — Western  Virginia — Battle  of  Camp  Alleghany 213 

CHAPTER    XYI. 

DECEMBER,  1861. 

Battle  of  Drainsville — The  "  Stone  Fleet " — Correspondence  concerning 
it  between  Lord  Lyons  and  Mr.  Seward — Dupont's  Operations  on  the 
Coast  of  Georgia  and  South  Carolina — The  Army  of  the  Potomac 
in  Winter  Quarters — Release  of  Mr.  Ely  from  Prison  in  Richmond — 
Dissatisfaction  with  McClellan's  Inaction — Division  in  Congress  re 
specting  the  Manner  of  Carrying  on  the  War — Danger  of  these  Con 
flicting  Views — Firmness  and  Integrity  of  the  President 224 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

JANUARY,  1862. 

Opening  of  the  New  Year  around  Washington — Fight  at  Pensacola — 
Bombardment  of  Fort  Pickens — Fight  of  Port  Royal  the  same 
day — Expedition  by  Milroy  in  Western  Virginia — Jackson  Advances 
to  the  Potomac  and  tears  up  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Rail  Road — 
Fight  opposite  Hancock — Fight  at  Blue's  Gap — Battle  of  Middle 
Creek,  Kentucky,  and  Victory  of  Garfield — Pope  in  Missouri 233 


CONTENTS    OF   VOLUME   I.  21 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 

JANUARY,  1862. 

Position  of  Affairs  in  Kentucky— General  Thomas  moves  against  Zolli- 
coffer's  Camp  on  the  Cumberland— Battle  of  Mill  Springs— A  Sunday 
Battle— Bayonet  Charge  by  Me  Cook— Death  of  Zollicoffer— The 
Enemy  Routed — The  Victory — Importance  of  it — The  Cairo  Expe 
dition—Movements  East— Disaster  to  Burnside's  Expedition — Opera 
tions  on  the  Savannah—Fort  Pulaski  cut  off— Resignation  of  Came 
ron — Launch  of  the  Monitor 243 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

FEBRUAY,  1862. 

The  Opening  of  February — Kentucky — The  Enemy's  Line  of  Defense  to 
be  Broken  on  the  Tennessee  and  Cumberland — Forts  Henry  and  Do 
nelson — Expedition  against  the  former — Capture  of  it  by  Foote  with 
Gun  Boats — Description  of — Expedition  up  the  Tennessee  undei 
Lieutenant  Phelps — Grant  advances  across  the  country  and  Invests 
Fort  Donelson — Attack  by  Foote  with  Gun  Boats 252 

CHAPTER    XX. 

FEBRUARY,  1862. 

Fort  Donelson — The  Enemy  Attempt  to  Cut  their  Way  out — Partial  Suo 
"cess — Prevented  by  General  Wallace — Grant  Arrives  on  the  Field — • 
A  General  Assault  Determined  upon — Success  of  Wallace's  Division 
on  the  Right— Gallant  Exploit  of  Smith  on  the  Left — The  Night— 
Bravery  and  Endurance  of  the  Troops — Surrender  of  the  Fort — • 
Johnston  Receiving  the  News  near  Nashville — It  Reaches  the  City  At 
Church  Time — Terror  of  the  Inhabitants — Scene  of  Pillage — Flight 
of  the  Rebels  Southward — Curtis  Drives  Price  out  of  Missouri 262 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

FEBRUARY,  1862. 

Burnside  Advances  with  his  Fleet  to  Roanoke  Island — Its  Splendid  Ap 
pearance — The  Attack — Landing  of  the  Troops — The  Advance 
Against  the  Enemy's  Works — Gallantry  of  a  Chaplain — Of  Midship- 


22  THE    GREAT    REBELLION. 


PAOB. 


man  Porter — The  Victory — Attack  on  the  Rebel  Fleet  at  Elizabeth 
City  by  Captain  Rowan — A  Fierce  Combat — Gallantry  of  Assistant 
Gunner  Davis — Capture  of  Edenton — Wmton  Burned — Inauguration 
of  Davis  at  Richmond — Reading  of  Washington's  Farewell  Address 
at  the  North  on  his  Birth  Day — Battle  near  Fort  Craig  in  New 
Mexico — Gallantry  of  Captain  McRae 2*75 

CHAPTER    XXII. 

MARCH,  1862. 

The  Nashville  Runs  our  Blockading  Squadron — Rebel  Battery  Destroyed 
at  Pittsburg  Landing — Death  of  Lander — His  Last  Gallant  Action — 
Capture  of  Fernandina  and  Fort  Clinch — Race  between  a  Gun 
Boat  and  Rail  Road  Train — The  Merrimac  makes  her  Appearance — 
Her  Approach  to  the  Cumberland — The  Combat — The  Cumberland 
Goes  Down  with  her  Flag  Flying— The  Congress  Strikes  her  Colors — 
Attack  on  the  Minnesota — Gloomy  Feeling  at  Fortress  Monroe — 
Arrival  of  the  Monitor — Burning  of  the  Congress — Battle  between 
the  Merrimac  and  Monitor — Defeat  of  the  Former — Feeling  of  the 
Public  Respecting  it 288 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 

MARCH,  1862. 

Battle  of  Pea  Ridge — A  Forced  March — Skill  and  Bravery  of  Sigel — Cuts 
his  way  through  the  Enemy — Disciplined  Valor — A  Cavalry  Fight—* 
Gallant  Defense  of  Carr— Death  of  Me  Culloch— The  German  Camp 
at  Night — Second  Day's  Fight — The  Final  Charge — The  Victory — 
Death  of  Mclntosh — Johnson  made  Governor  of  Tennessee — Concen 
tration  of  the  Rebel  Army — Foote  moves  against  Island  Number  Ten 
— The  Mortar  Boats— Pope's  Victory  at  New  Madrid— The  Enemy 
shut  up — Poor  Prospect  of  Reducing  the  Island 302 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 

MARCH,  1862. 

Capture  of  Newborn  by  Burnside — The  March— The  Attack— The  Vic 
tory — Action  of  the  Fleet — Feeling  of  the  People— Burnside's  Dis 
patch — The  President  Assumes  Active  Command  of  the  Army  and 


CONTENTS   OF   VOLUME   I.  23 

PAGE. 

Orders  a  General  Advance— An  Important  Epoch  in  the  History  of 
the  War — Fremont  in  Command  of  the  Mountain  Department — Ma- 
nassas  Evacuated — Chagrin  of  the  People — Jackson  beyond  the  Blue 
Ridge — Pursued  by  Banks — Trap  set  for  him  by  Shields — Battle  of 
Winchester— Pound  Gap  in  East  Tennessee  Taken  by  Garfield — 
The  Nashville  Escapes  from  Beaufort — The  President's  Message 
Concerning  Emancipation  in  the  States 314 

CHAPTER    XXV. 

APRIL,  18G2. 

Island  Number  Ten — Channel  Cut  Around  it  by  Colonel  Bissell — Diffi 
culties  of  the  Undertaking — Transports  got  Through — Buford's  At 
tack  on  Union  City — Colonel  Roberts  Spikes  the  Upper  Battery  of 
the  Island — A  Daring  Exploit — The  Carondelet  Runs  the  Batteries 
in  a  Terrific  Thunder  Storm — The  Pittsburg  Follows — Pope  Moves 
his  Army  Across  the  Mississippi  and  Captures  the  Enemy — Island 
Number  Ten  Surrendered  with  all  its  Armament 328 

CHAPTER    XXYI. 

APRIL,  1862. 

Battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing — The  Surprise  of  Sherman's  and  Prentiss* 
Divisions — Capture  of  the  Latter — The  Retreat — Gallantry  of  Sher 
man — Arrival  of  Grant^— Gloomy  Prospect — The  Last  Onset — Arri 
val  of  Nelson — The  Gun  Boats  Tyler  and  Lexington  take  part  in  the 
Fight: — Buell  Reaches  Savannah — Hastens  to  Pittsburg  Landing — 
Scene  at  the  Wharf— Arrival  of  Troops— Night  after  the  Battle 339 

CHAPTER    XXVII. 

APRIL,  1862. 

Second  Day's  Battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing — Formation  of  Buell's  Divi* 
ion — Nelson — A  Desperate  Rally — Crittenden — McCook — A  General 
Advance — Wallace — Smith — Sherman's  Attack — McClcrnand— Hurl- 
burt — The  Enemy  Driven  Back — Our  Camps  Recovered — Aspect  of 
the  Battle  Field — Sufferings  of  the  Wounded — Sanitary  Commission 
— Halleck  takes  Command — Mitchell  in  Alabama..  .  .355 


24  THE  GREAT   REBELLION. 

CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

APRIL,  1862. 

PA  OB. 

Expedition  against  New  Orleans — The  Fleet — The  Forts  and  Obstructions 
in  the  Mississippi  to  be  overcome — The  Bombardment  of  the  Forts — 
Fire  Rafts — Row  Boat  Fleet — Farragut  determines  to  run  the  Batte 
ries — A  Desperate  Battle — Captain  Boggs  of  the  Varina — A  Gallant 
Boy — The  Victory — New  Orleans  Surrendered — State  of  Feeling 
there — Farragut's  Order  directing  Thanks  to  be  offered  to  God  for 
Success — Butler  Occupies  the  City — Porter's  Letter  concerning  the 
Bombardment,  and  the  Rams 364 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

APRIL,  1862. 

Success  along  the  Atlantic  Coast — McClellan  with  his  Army  at  Fortress 
Monroe — How  the  News  was  received  by  the  Public — General  Plan 
of  the  War — Plan  of  the  Peninsula  Campaign — How  broken  up — The 
Army  Advances  to  Yorktown — Escape  of  the  Nashville — The  Sumter 
Blockaded  at  Gibraltar — Vessels  Running  the  Blockade  at  Charleston 
— Progress  of  the  Siege  at  Yorktown — Fremont  in  the  Mountain  De 
partment — Augur  Advances  to  Fredericksburg — The  Siege  and  Cap 
ture  of  Fort  Pulaski — Battle  of  Apache  Pass — Reno  sent  to  Elizabeth 
City— Defeats  the  Enemy 379 

CHAPTER    XXX. 

APRIL,  1862. 

Siege  of  Fort  Macon — Difficulties  attending  it — The  Bombardment — Its 
Surrender — Fighting  at  Yorktown — Attack  on  Lee's  Mills — Bayonet 
Charge  of  the  Eleventh  Massachusetts — Halleck  before  Corinth — 
Mitchell  in  Alabama — Congress — The  Emancipationists — Hunter's 
Proclamation — Dignified  CouVse  of  the  President — The  Question  of 
Slavery  in  Congress — The  Secretary  of  the  Navy  Empowered  to 
Build  Iron-clad  Vessels — Report  of  Committee  on  Treatment  of  our 
Dead  at  Bull  Run — Views  of  Foreign  Countries  respecting  us — Na 
tional  Debt  at  the  End  of  the  Year  of  War.  .  . .  391 


CONTENTS   OF   VOLUME   I.  25 

CHAPTER    XXXI. 

MAY,  1862. 

PAGE. 

An  Approaching  Crisis — Public  Feeling — The  Two  Great  Armies — 
McClcllan  ready  to  Commence  the  Bombardment  at  Yorktown — 
The  Enemy  Evacuate  it — Scene  at  the  Evacuation — The  Pursuit — 
The  Battle  of  Williamsburg — Bravery  of  Colonel  Dwiglit — Berry 
comes  to  the  Rescue — Kearney  Follows — Heroism  of  the  Eleventh 
Massachusetts — Hancock's  Gallant  Bayonet  Charge — Inspiring  Effect 
of  Martial  Music — Heintzelman  amid  the  Raining  Bullets— Hooker's 
Unconquerable  Brigade— The  Night  after  the  Battle— Franklin  arrives 
at  West  Point,  and  Engages  the  Enemy 402 

CHAPTER    XXXII. 

MAT,  1862. 

Our  Gun  Boats  Ascend  the  James  River — Surrender  of  Norfolk — Destruc- 
tion  of  the  Merrimac — Gratification  of  the  People — Attack  on  Fort 
Darling — Repulse  of  the  Fleet — McClellan's  Advance  on  Richmond — 
General  Stoiieham's  Cavalry  in  Advance — The  Chickahominy  Reach 
ed — A  Bold  Expedition— A  Gloomy  March — Battle  of  Hanover  Court 
House — Rail  Road  Destroyed — Porter's  Skill — Flight  of  the  Enemy 
— The  Victory — The  Road  Opened  for  McDowell  to  Advance — Rich 
mond  not  to  be  Taken  unless  he  does — Dissatisfaction  and  Unreason 
ableness  of  the  Public — A  Dear  Experiment. 412 

CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

MAY,  1862. 

A  Flood  in  the  Chickahominy — McClellan's  Forces  Separated  by  it — 
The  Enemy  resolves  to  Attack  the  Portion  Across  the  River  and  De 
stroy  it — Battle  of  Fair  Oaks — Rout  of  Casey's  Division — Heintzel 
man  Comes  to  the  Rescue — Kearney's  Division — Berry's  Brigade — 
Jamieson's  Veteran  Brigade — A  Fearful  Fight — Balloon  Reconnois- 
sance — Telegraphing  to  Head-Quarters — Sumner  succeeds  in  Crossing 
—The  Field  at  Night— THE  SECOND  DAY'S  BATTLE— A  Fearful  Sun- 
day — 'Bravery  of  the  New  Jersey  Regiments — Bayonet  Charge  of  the 
Second  Excelsior — A  Frightful  Struggle — McClellan  on  the  Field— 
The  Enemy  Repulsed — The  Victory — Appearance  of  the  Field — • 
McClellan's  Dispatch 423 


26  THE    GREAT   REBELLION. 

CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

MAY,  1862. 

PAOB. 

McDowell  About  to  Join  McClellan— Shield's  Division  Detached  from 
Banks — Jackson  Resolves  to  Attack  Banks — Gallant  Defense  of 
Kenley  at  Front  Royal — Banks  Resolved  to  Fall  Back  to  the  Poto 
mac — The  Rear  Guard  Cut  Off— Panic  in  the  Train — A  Critical 
Situation — Battle  at  Winchester — The  Retreat  Continued — A  Sad 
Sunday— The  Army  Reaches  the  Potomac  in  Safety  and  Crosses  into 

Maryland — Banks  as  a  General — Fright  of  the  Secretary  of  War 

The  Militia  Called  Out — Success  of  Jackson's  Plan— McDowell  and 
Fremont  Ordered  to  Intercept  Jackson's  Retreat 438 

CHAPTER    XXXY. 

MAY,  1862. 

Quiet  Along  the  Coast — Pensacola  Evacuated — Halleck  at  Corinth — The 
Enemy's  Communications  Cut  Off— Naval  Action  at  Fort  Wright — 
Repulse  of  the  Rebel  Fleet— Fight  at  Farmington,  Near  Corinth — 
Gallant  Cavalry  Charge — Corinth  Evacuated — Elliot's  Cavalry  Expe 
dition — Butler  at  New  Orleans — His  Various  Orders — Mitchel  in 
Alabama — State  of  Affairs  at  the  Close  of  the  Month — Importance 
of  a  Victory  before  Richmond — Anxious  State  of  the  Public  Mind.. 450 

CHAPTER    XXXYI. 

JUNE,  1861. 

Movements  at  the  West — Evacuation  of  Memphis — Naval  Action  Before 
^i  it— Total  Wreck  of  the  Rebel  Fleet— Expedition  up  the  White 
River — Explosion  on  Board  the  Mound  City — Fort  at  Saint  Charles 
Captured  by  Colonel  Fitch — Butler  at  New  Orleans — Pierre  Soule 
Sent  North  Under  Arrest — Chatanooga  Taken — Buell  Supposed  to  be 
Advancing  to  the.  Relief  of  East  Tennessee — Gratification  of  the 
People — Sufferings  of  the  Unionists  there — Parson  Brownlow — 
Keeps  the  Old  Flag  Flying — Heroism  of  his  Daughter — Relieved  and 
Comes  North — His  Story  of  the  Barbarities  of  the  Rebels — His  Re 
ception  in  the  Northern  Cities — Governor  Johnson  at  Nashville — 
Morgan  Seizes  Cumberland  Gap 461 


CONTENTS    OF    VOLUME    I.  27 

CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

JUNE,  1862. 

PA  OB. 

Fremont  Starts  in  Pursuit  of  Jackson — His  Energy — His  Cavalry  Am 
bushed — Battle  of  Cross  Keys — Retreat  of  Jackson  and  Attack  on 
Shields'  Advance,  at  Port  Republic — Abandonment  of  the  Pursuit — 
Public  Disappointment  at  Jackson's  Escape — Object  of  his  Raid — 
Perplexity  of  Government — The  President  Reorganizes  the  Virginia 
Department — General  Pope  Placed  in  Command — His  Address  to  the 
Army — Movement  Against  Charleston — Battle  of  James  Island — He 
roism  of  the  Eighth  Michigan  and  Seventy-ninth  Highlanders — Our 
Defeat — Cause  of — Disgrace  of  Benham . .  ^ 469 

CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 

JUNE,  1862. 

McClellan  Before  Richmond — Labor  of  the  Soldiers — McClelland  Ad 
dress  to  the  Army — McDowell  Expected — Rebel  Knowledge  of  his 
Plans — McCall's  Division  Sent  to  his  Support — The  Force  Left  with 
which  to  Attack  Richmond — Anxiety  of  McClellan — Insufficiency  of 
his  Force  to  Protect  his  Right  Flank — Stuart's  Cavalry  Raid — Encir 
cles  our  Entire  Army — Attacks  a  Rail  Road  Train — Attempts  to 
Cross  the  Chickahominy — Its  Return  to  Richmond — Effect  on  the 
Rebel  Army — Balloon  Ascension  in  View  of  the  Rebel  Capital — • 
Movements  and  Rumors — Rebel  Plan  to  Destroy  McClellan's  Army..  483 

CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

JUNE,  1862. 

Proximity  of  our  Earth  Works  to  those  of  the  Enemy — Character  of  the 
Ground  between  them — McClellan  Resolves  to  Seize  it — Arrange 
ments  for  the  Battle — Heintzelman's  and  Kearney's  Divisions — 
Hooker's  Brigade— The  Battle— McClellan's  Arrival  on  the  Field — 
His  Enthusiastic  Reception — Takes  Personal  Command — Gallant  Ef 
fort  of  Captain  Dusenbury — The  Enemy  Beaten  at  all  Points — Mo 
Clellan's  Dispatch  to  Washington — Public  Expectation — Preparations 
to  Celebrate  the  Fall  of  Richmond — Perplexity  of  our  Government — 
Great  Plan  of  the  Rebel  Leader,  Lee— McClellan  Informed  that  Mc 
Dowell  would  not  be  Sent  to  his  Aid— Effect  of  the  News — Trying 
Situation — Final  Determination — Its  Discovery  by  the  Enemy.... 495 

NOTE.     Exchange  of  Prisoners 503 


THE  GREAT  REBELLION. 


CHAPTER    I. 

PRIOR  TO  1861. 

CAUSES    OP   THE    REBELLION DANGER    OF    SECTIONAL     PARTIES HISTORY    OF 

SLAVERY  IN  THE  GOVERNMENT CAUSES  OF  HOSTILITY  BETWEEN  THE  NORTH 

AND  SOUTH MISSOURI  COMPROMISE HOSTILE  LEGISLATION  OF  THE  STATES 

CONGRESS THE    WHIG    AND    DEMOCRATIC     PARTIES NECESSITY    OF    A    NEW 

PARTY  IN  THE    PLACE    OF    THE    WHIG THE    REPUBLICAN   PARTY SOUTHERN 

CONSPIRATORS THEIR     PLAN ELECTION      OF      LINCOLN FIRST     STEPS     TO 
WARDS    DISUNION. 

THE  Rebellion  of  1861  stands  out  unique  and  extraordi 
nary,  in  all  the  features  that  compose  it.  Whether 
viewed  in  its  colossal  proportions — suddenly  summoning  to 
the  field  nearly  a  million  of  men — or  the  purely  imaginary 
evils  that  produced  it,  or  the  benign  and  equitable  form  of 
government  sought  to  be  overthrown,  or  the  state  of  civili 
zation  and  Christianity  in  which  it  occurred,  or  the  totally 
visionary  good  it  proposed  to  obtain,  or  the  frightful,  appall 
ing  evils  which  were  sure  to  follow, — it  forms  one  of  the 
most  extraordinary  chapters  in  human  history  that  the  pen 
of  the  historian  was  ever  called  upon  to  record.  States 
having  a  common  interest  and  origin,  baptized  in  the  same 
patriotic  blood,  were  arrayed  against  each  other  in  deadly 
strife — families  divided,  parents  against  children,  and  broth 
ers  against  brothers — churches  with  a  common  faith  and 
communion  split  asunder,  and  ministers  and  people  who  had 
wept  at  the  same  altar,  suddenly  began  to  pray  each  for  the 
other's  discomfiture;  and  the  happiest  land  the  sun  ever 


32  CAUSES    OF    THE   REBELLION. 

shone  upon  became  drenched  in  fraternal  blood,  and  filled 
with  sighs  and  lamentations ;  and  posterity  will  ask  for  what  ? 
Volumes  will  unquestionably  be  written  on  the  causes  that  led 
to  these  appalling  evils,  and  the  guilt  be  placed  upon  this  or 
that  class  or  section,  according  to  the  peculiar  views  or  prej 
udices  of  the  writer.  The  time  has  not  yet  come  for  the 
people  to  receive  a  just,  dispassionate  account  of  them.  A 
generation,  at  least,  must  pass  away,  before  this  can  be  done. 
With  the  frightful  catastrophe  which  has  overtaken  us,  full 
in  view,  no  section  or  party  is  willing  to  accept  the  responsi 
bility  of  its  existence.  All  know  the  immediate  cause  of  it. 
The  north  and  south  were  at  length  arrayed  against  each 
other  in  two  great  political  parties  on  the  question  of  slavery. 
The  northern  party  triumphed,  and  though  no  illegal  act 
was  charged  against  it,  and  no  pretense  offered  that  it  had 
not  succeeded  in  a  legitimate,  constitutional  way,  the  de 
feated  southern  party  refused  to  accept  the  decision  of  the 
ballot  box,  and  rushing  into  open  revolt,  proceeded  to  organ 
ize  a  government  of  its  own.  Unreasonable,  unnatural,  and 
criminal  as  this  course  appears,  it  was  in  perfect  keeping 
with  the  history  of  former  republics,  and  an  event,  which 
every  one  not  blinded  by  fanaticism,  or  selfishness,  or  igno 
rance,  or  contempt  of  the  past,  could  easily  have  foretold 
without  any  spirit  of  prophecy.  It  makes  no  difference 
what  the  cause  may  be,  whether  slavery,  unequal  legislation, 
or  imaginary  evils;  whenever  east  and  west,  or  north  and 
south,  shall  now,  or  hereafter,  stand  arrayed  against  each 
other  in  hostile  political  parties,  if  the  attitude  is  main 
tained,  peaceful  dissolution  or  civil  war  must  follow.  It  was 
in  view  of  this  possible  calamity,  that  Washington,  in  his 
farewell  address,  used  the  following  language:  "In  contem 
plating  the  causes  that  may  disturb  our  Union,  it  occurs  as 
matter  of  serious  concern,  that  any  ground  shall  have  been 
furnished  for  characterizing  parties  by  geographical  discriuii- 


DANGER  OF  SECTIONAL  PARTIES.         33 

nations,  Northern  and  Southern,  Atlantic  and  Western, 
whence  designing  men  may  endeavor  to  excite  a  belief  that 
there  is  a  real  difference  of  local  interests  and  views." 

This  advice,  it  is  the  historian's  imperative  duty  to  impress 
on  the  public  mind,  let  whatever  party  or  section  of  the 
country  be  guilty  of  political  factions,  based  on  geographical 
lines.  How  much  it  may  be  the  duty  of  one  portion  to  suf 
fer  from  the  aggressions  of  another,  before  it  ought  to  stand 
up  in  its  own  defense,  is  strictly  another  question — the  great 
truth  which  should  be  engraven  as  with  the  point  of  a  dia 
mond  on  the  public  heart,  is  this:  ivhenever  the  position  is 
taken,  let  it  be  assumed  with  the  full  understanding  and  con 
sent,  that  it  shall  end  in  peaceful  separation  or  open  war. 
Let  the  people  never  again  be  deluded  by  ignorant,  selfish 
leaders,  into  the  belief  that  it  can  be  done  without  danger. 
Whenever  the  first  step  is  taken  towards  the  arraying  of  one 
section  of  this  country  against  the  other,  in  a  political  con 
test,  let  every  one  who  engages  in  it,  make  up  his  mind  to 
go  to  the  bitter  end,  and  not  delude  himself  and  others,  by 
the  contemptuous  cry  of  uno  danger."  Boastful  and  proud 
as  we  as  a  people  undoubtedly  are,  we  shall  always  find  in 
the  end,  that  we  form  no  exception  to  the  history  of  nations. 
What  has  wrecked  other  republics,  if  persisted  in,  will  assur 
edly  wreck  us.  Our  advanced  civilization  and  Christianity, 
cannot  avail  us  to  escape  their  doom,  except  as  they  enable 
us  to  avoid  their  errors  and  crimes. 

But  though  the  time  has  not  yet  come  for  a  calm  and  dis 
passionate  discussion  of  all  the  causes  that  brought  about  this 
rebellion,  certain  historical  events  may  be  given  as  the  found 
ation  for  our  own  judgment.  This,  too,  is  necessary  to  any 
right  understanding  of  it.  When  we  had  achieved  our  inde 
pendence  of  Great  Britain,  and  our  patriotic  sires  assembled 
to  lay  the  foundation  of  the  new  government,  they  found 
themselves  confronted  with  a  glaring  inconsistency,  which 


34  SLAVERY EMANCIPATION COTTON. 

they  could  see  no  way  to  avoid  incorporating  into  the  very 
structure  itself — viz.,  slavery.  Right  in  the  face  of  the  decla 
ration  of  independence,  by  which  the  rebellion  had  been 
justified,  and  on  which  the  battle  had  been  fought  and  won, 
they  had  to  accept  human  slavery  as  one  of  the  strange 
features  of  the  new  republic.  To  us  it  seems  a  singular 
providence  that  fastened  this  necessity  upon  them.  They  felt 
the  embarrassment  it  produced,  and  feared  the  evils  that 
would  result  from  giving  such  an  incongruous,  demoralizing 
thing  a  place  in  the  temple  of  liberty.  They  solaced  them 
selves,  however,  with  the  hope  that  it  would  gradually  dis 
appear  under  the  benign  influence  of  free  institutions,  and 
the  palpable  advantages  of  free  labor.  Their  anticipations 
were  to  a  certain  extent  realized,  and  state  after  state  released 
itself  from  the  curse  of  slavery,  until  emancipation  reached 
nearly  to  the  parallel  of  thirty.  Here  its  progress  was 
arrested ;  though  in  Maryland,  Virginia,  and  Kentucky,  influ 
ences  were  at  work,  which  promised  before  long  to  place 
them  beside  the  free  states  of  the  north.  Bills  were  intro 
duced  into  their  legislatures,  looking  to  gradual  emancipa 
tion;  and  the  subject  was  publicly  and  fully  discussed  within 
their  borders  till  it  looked,  for  a  time,  as  though  the  problem 
of  slavery  was  to  have  a  peaceful  and  happy  solution.  In 
dependent  of  moral  considerations,  on  the  score  of  economy 
alone,  it  was  plain  that  these  states  should  range  themselves 
on  the  side  of  freedom.  But  just  at  this  critical  period,  a 
few  violent  abolitionists  commenced  a  fierce  crusade  against 
slavery  and  slaveholders.  This  alarmed  the  timid,  lest 
emancipation  should  end  in  insurrection;  and  enraged  oth 
ers,  who  would  not  be  driven  by  vituperation  into  any  meas 
ure,  until  all  thought  of  gradual  emancipation  was  dropped. 
Added  to  this,  the  cultivation  of  cotton  rapidly  acquired 
prominence  as  a  source  of  wealth,  and  the  importation  of 
slaves  being  prohibited,  the  value  of  those  in  the  country 


MISSOURI    COMPROMISE.  35 

who  were  needed  for  its  production,  necessarily  became  very 
much  enhanced.  Thus  the  hope  of  the  extinction  of  slavery, 
which  most  looked  to  at  some  future  period,  was  gradually 
abandoned  by  the  southern  states,  and  it  was  accepted  as  a 
permanent  institution.  It  then  became  necessary  to  defend 
and  strengthen  it.  To  do  this,  it  must  have  its  proportion 
of  the  new  states  that  were  constantly  asking  for  admission ; 
for  the  moral  sense  of  the  north  was  becoming  more  and 
more  averse  to  a  system  fraught  with  every  abomination  that 
disgraced  the  darkest  days  of  feudalism.  Here  was  the 
starting  point  of  the  collision  between  the  north  and  the 
south,  which  finally  resulted  in  an  appeal  to  arms.  To  let 
slavery  extend  itself,  and  move  pari  passit  beside  freedom 
in  the  enlargement  of  the  Republic,  was  revolting  to  civiliza 
tion  and  Christianity,  as  well  as  clearly  contrary  to  the  pur 
pose  and  expectations  of  the  framers  of  the  constitution. 
Still,  neither  of  the  great  political  parties  would  incorporate 
this  sentiment  into  their  platforms,  and  the  warfare  betAveen 
freedom  and  -slavery  assumed  a  desultory  character ;  and 
various  propositions  and  compromises  were  offered  to  get  rid 
of  the  vexed  question,  till  finally  the  ''Missouri -Compro 
mise,"  fixing  the  southern  boundary  of  that  state  as  the  line 
beyond  which,  southward,  freedom  should  not  go,  and 
beyond  which,  northward,  slavery  should  not  be  extended, 
seemed  to  make  a  final  disposition  of  it ;  for  no  one  proposed 
to  interfere  with  slavery  in  the  states  where  it  existed.  But 
the  tide  of  emigration,  rolling  westward,  peopling  with  mar 
vellous  rapidity  our  wild  territory,  soon  revealed  the  start 
ling  fact,  that  in  a  short  time  the  free  states  would  greatly 
outnumber  those  in  which  slavery  could  be  established. 

The  south,  naturally  became  alarmed  at  the  prospect  of 
thus  being  put  in  a  hopeless  minority,  and  proportionably 
bitter  in  its  feelings  towards  the  north.  The  repeal  of  this 
compromise  awakened  a  feeling  of  intense  indignation 


36  HOSTILE    LEGISLATION. 

throughout  the  north,  and  had  it  been  exclusively  a  southern 
measure,  might  have  been  attended  by  disastrous  conse 
quences.  But  being  introduced  by  Mr.  Douglas,  a  northern 
man,  and  voted  for  by  many  northern  democrats,  it  could 
not  wholly  be  charged  on  the  south.  In  the  mean  time,  the 
fertile  plains  of  Kansas  had  attracted  settlers  into  it,  and  it 
was  seen  that  a  new  state,  which  lay  mostly  north  of  the  line 
which  the  Missouri  compromise  prohibited  to  slavery,  would 
soon  ask  to  be  admitted  into  the  Union.  Immediately  there 
arose  a  fierce  struggle  between  the  north  and  south,  respect 
ing  the  future  status  of  the  state  on  the  subject  of  slavery. 
It  is  now  evident,  that  had  it  been  let  alone,  the  character 
of  the  emigrants  would  have  settled  it  without  bloodshed. 
But  as  it  was,  the  young  and  struggling  territory  became  the 
theater  of  a  terrible  strife,  which  shook  the  nation  to  its 
center. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten,  that  during  these  years  of  in 
creasing  excitement  and  danger  to  the  Republic,  though  the 
general  government  stood  uncommitted  to  either  section  of 
the  country,  the  states,  north  and  south,  in  their  sovereign 
capacity,  legislated  against  each  other,  and  intensified  the 
bitter  hatred,  the  end  of  which  every  patriotic  statesman 
trembled  to  contemplate.  Freedom  was  declared  in  some 
states  to  belong  to  every  slave  brought  northward  by  his  mas 
ter,  while  fugitives,  whose  rendition  was  commanded  by  the 
Constitution,  could,  in  many  places,  no  longer  be  recovered 
with  any  certainty,  or  if  so,  at  an  expense  that  discouraged 
the  attempt.  On  the  other  hand,  pains  and  penalties  were 
inflicted  on  u  abolitionists,"  as  all  were  termed  who  dared  to 
express  sentiments  condemnatory  of  slavery,  by  the  southern 
states,  and  men,  and  even  women,  were  subjected  to  treat 
ment  that  would  disgrace  barbarians.  These  acts,  in  turn  ex- 
exasperated  the  north,  and  the  feeling  of  indignation  was 
intensified  still  more,  by  lecturers,  who  carefully  collated  all 


POLITICAL    PARTIES.  37 

true  and  reported  instances  of  cruelty  to  slaves  ,and  retailed 
them  to  northern  audiences.  Thus  the  breach  between  the 
north  and  south  gradually  widened,  till  without  some  radical 
change,  it  became  apparent  that  a  separation,  or  an  attempted 
separation  was  inevitable.  Scenes  were  enacted  in  every 
Congress  that  did  not  tend  to  allay  the  excitement,  and  we 
gradually  became  more  hostile  in  feeling  and  sentiment  thaq 
any  two  entirely  separate  nations  in  the  civilized  world.  In 
this  state  of  the  public  mind,  the  whig  party,  which  with  the 
democratic,  had  by  turns  ruled  the  nation,  fell  into  a  hopeless 
minority.  The  United  States  bank,  tariff,  subtreasury,  etc., 
which  had  furnished  its  platform,  were  finally  disposed  of. 
The  American  party  completed  its  demoralization,  and  there 
was  nothing  left  for  it  to  rally  on.  In  this  emergency,  some  of 
its  old  leaders  cast  about  for  something  on  which  to  reorganize 
a  new  party,  and  seeing  how  deep  and  wide-spread  was  the 
anti-slavery  sentiment  of  the  north,  determined  to  make  it, 
in  some  form,  its  platform.  This  was  the  first  great  step  to 
wards  placing  the  north  and  south  face  to  face  to  each  other 
in  a  struggle  for  the  control  of  the  government.  In  ordinary 
times,  the  advice  of  Washington,  which  the  people  had  been 
taught  to  revere,  and  their  common  instincts,  would  have 
rendered  this  attempt  powerless  to  do  evil.  But  the  outrages 
committed  in  Kansas  on  free  citizens,  by  lawless  ruffians,  who 
proclaimed  themselves  champions  of  slavery,  and  the  worse 
than  brutal  attack  on  Mr.  Sumner,  in  his  seat  in  the  Senate, 
awakened  such  a  feeling  of  indignation  at  the  north,  that  it 
threatened  for  a  time  to  overleap  every  obstacle,  and,  if  need 
be,  rush  to  arms  to  avenge  the  insults  and  wrongs  heaped 
upon  it. 

The  election,  however,  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  the  Re 
publican  party,  and  election  of  Mr.  Buchanan,  and  all  imme 
diate  danger  of  a  disruption  of  the  Union  seemed  to  be  over. 
It  would  have  been,  but  for  some  few  southern  conspirators, 


38  THE    REPUBLICAN    PARTY. 

who  for  many  years  had  plotted  the  overthrow  of  the  gov- 
eminent,  and  only  waited  a  favorable  opportunity  to  give 
success  to  their  schemes.  They  had  been  able,  under  the 
excitement  of  the  political  canvass  through  which  they  had 
passed,  so  to  educate  and  poison  the  public  mind  of  a  portion 
of  the  south,  that  they  saw,  with  skillful  management,  they 
could  make  the  future  triumph  of  the  republican  party  a 
pretext  on  which  they  could  raise  successfully  the  flag  of 
secession ;  and  from  that  moment  their  dark  and  hellish  pur 
pose  was  taken.  The  north  little  dreamed  of  this,  and 
meditating  no  disloyalty  against  the  government,  did  not 
imagine  those  political  leaders,  though  bold  and  unscrupu 
lous,  would  dare  raise  their  parricidal  hand  against  it. 

Buchanan's  administration,  though  characterized  by  imbe 
cility,  and  a  disregard  of  the  grave  responsibilities  of  his 
high  position,  was  quietly  acquiesced  in,  and  the  freedom 
of  Kansas  being  secured,  the  public  feeling  of  the  north 
became  more  calm.  At  the  next  election,  in  1860,  though 
the  republicans  took  the  bold,  unprecedented  step  of  select 
ing  both  their  candidates  on  the  electoral  ticket  from  the 
north,  thus  inevitably  making  a  direct  sectional  issue,  very 
little  apprehension  was  excited.  All  our  wide  domain,  except 
the  territory  of  New  Mexico,  was  disposed  of,  and  that,  as  far 
as  it  could  be,  by  any  immediate  action  of  the  government ; 
and  there  seemed  nothing  to  contend  for  but  political  suprem 
acy,  for  its  own  sake.  The  southern  conspirators  were 
perfectly  aware  of  this,  and  knew  that  if  the  southern  states 
went  together  in  a  solid  body,  they  could  carry  enough  north 
ern  ones  to  secure  the  election.  The  nomination  of  Douglas, 
they  knew,  and  all  knew,  would  be  equivalent  to  his  election. 
They  were  satisfied  also,  that  under  his  administration  they 
would  suffer  no  invasion  of  their  rights.  But  they  had  got 
beyond  the  desire  to  control  the  government — they  deter 
mined  to  have  an  independent,  southern  one.  To  effect  this, 


ELECTION    OF    LINCOLN.  39 

they  resolved  to  sow  division  in  their  own  ranks,  and  thus 
secure  the  success  of  the  republican  party.  They  did  so, 
and  leaving  the  campaign  to  its  inevitable  result,  spent  their 
time  and  efforts  in  preparing  for  a  revolution.  Yancey  and 
Davis  were  outwardly  the  leaders  in  this  foul  conspiracy, 
while  Floyd  and  Thompson,  members  of  Buchanan's  cabinet, 
were  secretly  using  their  official  positions  as  members  of  the 
government,  and  perjuring  themselves  in  the  presence  of 
Heaven  and  the  civilized  world,  to  carry  it  on.  The  former, 
as  Secretary  of  War,  had,  as  far  as  lay  in  his  power,  so 
arranged  the  commands  of  the  different  forts,  and  distributed 
the  army,  and  accumulated  arms  at  the  south,  as  to  cripple 
the  incoming  administration,  and  render  it  powerless  to  assert 
the  rights  of  the  government. 

The  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln  took  place  early  in  November, 
and  almost  immediately  the  extreme  south  set  in  motion  the 
already  prepared  scheme  of  dissolution.  Though  the  false 
hoods  that  had  been  freely  circulated  respecting  the  designs 
of  the  republicans — which  they  said  were  to  emancipate,  the 
slaves  and  arm  them  against  their  masters, — and  the  triumph 
of  a  northern  party,  naturally  excited  indignation  and 
alarm ;  yet,  when  the  hour  came  for  the  final  blow  to  be 
struck  which  should  dismember  this  great  Republic,  even  the 
hardened  leaders  trembled.  Northern  fanatics  and  southern 
conspirators  had  for  years  talked  about  disunion  with  a  light 
ness  that  seemed  close  akin  to  madness,  and  laughed  at  the 
fears  and  warnings  of  statesmen,  whom  they  stigmatized  as 
"  Union  savers."  Yet  they  hesitated  when  they  stood  on  the 
brink  of  the  yawning  abyss,  whose  mysterious  depths,  not 
withstanding  their  vaunted  confidence,  they  feared  to  try. 
The  people,  especially,  started  back  from  so  hazardous  an 
experiment.  In  this  crisis,  the  southern  leaders  tried  in 
various  ways  to  defend  their  own  course,  or  to  satisfy  the 

people  it  was  safe  and  right.     To  the  timid  they  declared 
3 


40  FIRST   STEPS   TOWARDS   SECESSION. 

that  no  'war  would  follow  the  act  of  secession,  for  a  large  por 
tion  of  the  north,  they  alleged,  sympathized  with  them,  and 
denounced,  as  bitterly  as  they  did,  the  sectional,  aggressive 
action  of  the  republicans,  and  would  never  permit  them  to 
hold  their  power  by  force  of  arms.  This  was  unquestionably 
true  at  the  time.  To  all  they  said  that  submission  now  was 
vassalage  forever.  Meanwhile  the  whole  south  was  tossed  on  a 
sea  of  agitation,  some  wishing  to  delay  final  action  till  there 
could  be  a  convention  of  all  the  southern  states,  so  as  to  secure 
harmony,  others  declaring  that  delay  would  give  the  north 
time  to  organize  and  consolidate  its  power. 


CHAPTER    II. 

DECEMBER,  1860 -APRIL,  18GL 

SOUTH    CAROLINA    TAKES    THE    LEAD RECEPTION    SOUTH    OF    ITS    ACT    OF    SE 
CESSION — ANDERSON   IN    FORT  SUMTER DISTRACTION    OF    THE    GOVERNMENT 

THE    NORTH    DIVIDED PROGRESS    OF    DISUNION    SOUTH SEIZURE    OF    NA 
TIONAL    PROPERTY SCENES  IN  CONGRESS RIGHTS    OF  THE    PEOPLE RIGHT 

OF    SECESSION LINCOLN^     PASSAGE    TO     WASHINGTON    AND     INAUGURATION 

HIS    CABINET VIRGINIA SOUTHERN     COMMISSIONERS FORT      SUJaTER 

PREPARATIONS    FOR    ITS    BOMBARDMENT. 

SOUTH  CAROLINA,  with  her  accustomed  arrogance  and 
pride,  cut  the  Gordian  Knot,  and  in  the  latter  part  of 
December,  declared  herself  a  free  and  independent  State. 
When  the  news  was  received  at  Mobile,  a  hundred  guns  were 
fired,  and  a  military  parade  ordered  in  honor  of  the  event. 
At  New  Orleans,  the  thunder  of  cannon,  singing  of  the 
Marsellaise,  and  the  unfurling  of  the  Pelican  flag,  attested  the 
excitement  of  the  people  ;  while  secession  flags  were  hoisted 
and  meetings  held  over  all  the  south.  The  State  immedi 
ately  took  steps  to  get  possession  of  the  national  forts  in  its 
borders. 

In  the  mean  time,  Major  Anderson,  commander  of  the  forts 
in  the  Charleston  harbor,  having  but  a  handful  of  men  under 
him,  and  seeing  that  fort  Moultrie,  in  which  the  garrison  was 
quartered  could  not  resist  an  attack  of  land  forces,  quietly 
withdrew  on  the  night  of  the  28th  of  December,  and  took 
possession  of  fort  Sumter,  situated  on  an  island  near  Jby,  and 
considered  well  nigh  impregnable.  Great  fears  before  this 
had  been  entertained  for  his  safety — some  even  doubting  his 
loyalty,  he  being  a  Kentuckian.  This  masterly  move  electri 
fied  the  nation,  while  its  open  confession  that  civil  war  was 
inevitable,  created  the  most  profound  sensation  throughout 


42  RESIGNATION    OF    SOUTHERNERS. 

the  country.  The  south  was  loud  in  its  denunciations  of  this 
act,  declaring  that  he  was  guilty  of  inaugurating  hostilities, 
while  from  the  north,  one  shout  of  approval  went  up,  show 
ing  the  readiness  of  the  people  to  sustain  the  government  in 
defending  its  rights.  John  B.  Floyd  immediately  resigned 
his  position  as  Secretary  of  War,  on  the  ground  that  the  Pres 
ident  had  broken  his  promise,  that  no  movement  should  be 
made  in  Charleston,  while  negotiations  were  pending  for  the 
adjustment  of  difficulties. 

The  South  Carolina  troops  then  took  possession  of  the 
arsenal  of  the  city,  containing  many  stand  of  arms  and  a  large 
quantity  of  military  stores,  while  strong  fortifications  were 
ordered  to  be  erected  around  fort  'Sumten 

The  new  year  opened  gloomy  enough.  Southern  members 
of  Congress  had  begun  to  resign  their  seats- — the  wildest 
excitement  was  sweeping  the  Gulf  states,  and  before  the  ris 
ing  storm,  the  general  government  seemed  crumbling  to- 
atoms.  Buchanan  having  surrounded  himself  with  southern 
advisers,  and  lacking  both  the  firmness  and  resolution  neces 
sary  to  a  chief  executive  in  such  trying  circumstances,  vacil 
lated,  temporised  and  delayed — thus  strengthening  the  con 
fidence  of  the  conspirators,  and  discouraging  the  loyal  men 
of  the  north.  Added  to  all  this,  the  feeling  of  the  north  was 
divided.  The  exasperated  feelings  that  had  attended  the 
campaign  of  the  fall  previous,  had  not  yet  subsided,  and 
thousands  were  willing  that  an  administration,  which  they  as 
serted  was  coming  into  power  on  a  sectional  issue,  and  which 
had  been  pushed  directly  in  the  face  of  the  very  troubles 
which  now  threatened  the  Republic,  should  be  hampered  and  if 
needs  be,  overthrown.  All  was  confusion,  doubt,  and  anger, 
and  the  nation  reeled  to  and  fro  on  the  surging,  conflicting 
elements  of  popular  passion. 

Between  those  at  the  north,  anxious  only  for  the  preserva 
tion  of  party,  and  those  reckless  of  consequences  in  their 


U.    S.    MINT   AT   NEW   ORLEANS.  43 

fierce  indignation  against  those  who  from  mere  political 
ambition  they  said  had  brought  about  this  appalling  state  of 
things,  and  those  who  had  foreseen  and  foretold  all  this,  and 
now  looked  on  in  still  despair,  there  seemed  no  hope  for  the 
Republic.  South,  also,  there  was'  almost  equal  distraction  and 
division ;  for  between  the  better  class  of  people,  still  adhering 
to  the  old  government,  or  at  all  events  unwilling  to  hazard 
the  experiment  of  inaugurating  a  new  one,  and  those  intent 
on  dissolution,  there  seemed  to  be  an  irreconcilable  antago 
nism.  The  southern  leaders,  alone,  appeared  calm  and  reso 
lute,  and  pursued  the  course  they  had  marked  out  with 
unfaltering  determination. 

In  the  mean  time,  troops  were  drilling  in  the  various 
southern  states,  and  state  after  state  went  out  of  the  Union, 
and  ranged  itself  under  the  leadership  of  South  Carolina, 
The  Governor  of  North  Carolina,  celebrated  the  incoming 
year  by  the  seizure  of  fort  Macon  at  Beaufort,  the  forts  at 
Wilmington,  and  the  United  States  arsenal  at  Fayetteville ; 
and  the  Governor  of  Georgia  by  the  seizure  of  fort  Pulaski. 
Southern  Gommiasioners  were  sent  to  Washington  to  consult 
with  the  government,  and  to  the  border  states  to  secure  their 
co-operation.  The  North  Carolina  troops  took  possession  of 
forts  Caswell  and  Johnson,  and  Secretary  Thompson  resigned 
his  seat  in  the  Cabinet.  The  Mississippi  state  convention 
passed  the  ordinance  of  secession,  followed  by  Florida,  and 
fort  Barrancas,  and  the  navy  yard  at  Pensacola  fell  into  the 
possession  of  the  state  troops.  Louisiana  soon  followed,  com 
pleting  her  ignominy  by  seizing  the  United  States  mint,  and 
subtreasury  at  New  Orleans,  in  which  were  a  half  a  million  of 
dollars.  In  the  mean  time,  the  steamer  Star  of  the  West,  sent 
to  reinforce  fort  Sumter,  was  fired  into  in  the  bay  of  Charleston, 
and  was  compelled  to  return  amid  the  suppressed  murmurs  of 
the  people.  The  Little  Hock  arsenal  with  its  munitions  of  war 
Was  seized  by  the  state  troops  of  Arkansas,  and  by  the  latter 


44  THE    NORTH   DIVIDED. 

end  of  February,  a  Southern  Confederacy  was  formed  and  a 
provisional  government  established  at  Montgomery,  Alabama, 
at  the  head  of  which  was  placed  Jefferson  Davis  as  President, 
As  the  time  drew  near  for  the  inauguration  of  Mr.  Lincoln, 
and  the  assumption  of  the  government  by  the  republican 
party,  the  southern  conspirators  seemed  to  redouble  their 
energy,  for  they  knew  that  their  career,  which  thus  far  had  been 
smooth  and  unobstructed,  would  meet  with  a  sudden  check. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Holt  of  Kentucky, 
as  Secretary  of  War,  and  Mr.  Dix  of  New  York,  of  the  Trea 
sury,  in  the  places  of  Thompson  and  Floyd,  arrested  the  gov 
ernment  in  its  downward  rush,  infused  some  little  life,  and 
seeming  patriotism  into  Mr.  Buchanan,  and  erected  a  sort  of 
breakwater,  to  check  the  devastating  flow  of  the  waves  of 
sedition.  General  Twiggs,  commanding  the  department  of 
Texas,  was  dismissed  from  the  United  States  service,  for  hav 
ing  surrendered  the  military  posts  and  other  property  under 
his  charge  to  the  state  authorities,  and  the  most  peremptory 
orders  were  issued  by  Mr.  Dix  to  national  officers  in  the 
southern  states. 

The  revolt  of  South  Carolina,  at  the  first,  had  awakened 
very  different  feelings  in  different  classes  at  the  north.  The 
more  thoughtful  saw  in  it  the  beginning  of  evils,  the  end  of 
which  no  man  could  foresee.  Others,  wfio  had  learned  to  des 
pise  this  splenetic,  captious,  and  disloyal  state,  only  laughed 
at  it,  as  an  ebullition  to  be  expected,  and  that  would  soon 
subside.  But  as  the  revolt  rapidly  spread,  all  saw  that  an 
abyss  was  opening  under  the  nation,  which  would  require  the 
most  consummate  prudence  to  span. 

It  is  necessary  now  to  go  back  a  little  to  the  meeting  of 
Congress  in  December.  Most  of  the  southern  members  took 
their  seats  as  usual.  It  was  evident,  however,  that  they  had 
done  this,  not  to  allay  excitement,  or  adjust  difficulties,  or  even 
to  obtain  redress  of  grievances  ;  but  to  endeavor  to  influence 


MASON — SLIDELL — WIGFALL.  45 

public  opinion  in  their  favor,  alarm  the  government  into  sub 
mission,  and  render  the  final  act  of  separation  more  imposing 
and  formal.  Specious  arguments,  heartless  propositions,  and 
threats  were  used  by  turns.  Mason  from  Virginia,  Slidell, 
and  Benjamin  from  Louisiana,  and  Wigfall  from  Texas,  were 
the  leading  spirits  in  the  Senate.  The  former  was  haughty, 
malignant,  and  cautious.  Slidell,  artful  and  hypocritical,  and 
Wigfall  open,  specious,  and  daring.  The  arguments  used 
were  various,  and  calculated  to  influence  different  classes, 
north  and  south.  To  day  it  was  an  appeal  to  the  north  to 
let  the  south  go  peaceably  and  without  resistance.  They 
said  "  you  hate  us  and  we  hate  you — our  social  systems  are  en 
tirely  opposite, — and  can  never  harmonize.  You  declare  that 
slavery  is  repugnant  to  free  institutions,  and  a  disgrace  to  the 
Republic — now  as  you  cannot  get  rid  of  it,  let  us  go  by  our 
selves,  and  bear  the  obloquy  alone.  If  we  cannot  live  to 
gether  peaceably,  let  us  separate  amicably,  and  form  treaties 
of  friendship  like  foreign  nations.  Why  insist  on  a  union 
that  is  only  so  in  name  ? "  etc.  To-morrow,  it  was  a 
long  recapitulation  of  the  wrongs  heaped  on  the  south  by 
the  north.  u  They  had  been  assailed  in  every  form,  and 
the  north  was  determined  to  deprive  them  of  their  share  of 
the  territory  which  had  been  won  by  common  valor,  or  been 
paid  for  from  the  common  fund.  The  rights  guaranteed  by 
a  common  Constitution,  such  as  the  return  of  fugitive  slaves 
had  been  struck  down,  and  a  compact  broken  in  any  partic 
ular  was  abrogated  all  together.  It  was  the  height  of  Injus 
tice,"  they  claimed,  uto  rob  them  of  the  protection  guar 
anteed  by  that  instrument,  and  yet  demand  of  them  contin 
ued  allegiance  to  it."  There  was  a  semblance  of  truth  in 
some  of  these  allegations,  and  thgugh  laughed  at  and  ridi 
culed  in  the  excitement  of  a  political  campaign,  now  that  the 
Union  was  confronted  with  serious  danger,  various  plans 
for  an  adjustment  of  the  difficulties,  and  to  guarantee  rights 


46  SCENES   IN    CONGRESS. 

in  the  future,  were  freely  offered.  At  length,  a  commit 
tee  of  forty  members  of  Congress,  with  Corwin  of  Ohio  at 
its  head,  was  appointed  to  report  some  basis  of  settlement. 
But  a  spirit  of  acrimony  and  hostility  governed  the  majority 
of  both  parties,  and  it  was  soon  apparent  to  a  calm  looker- 
on,  that  nothing  would  come  of  it.  Besides,  it  was  plain 
that  the  leading  conspirators  wished  for  no  adjustment. 
Their  complaints  and  harangues  were  designed  solely  to 
strengthen  the  opposition  party  at  the  north,  and  to  draw 
the  reluctant  border  states  into  their  schemes.  A  conven 
tion  of  the  states  which  was  called  to  meet  at  Washington  at 
this  time,  to  take  into  consideration  the  causes  of  disagree 
ment,  proved  equally  powerless  to  effect  any  good. 

Among  the  many  propositions  offered  in  Congress  and  out 
of  it,  which  those  making  them  hoped  would  prevent  a  colli 
sion  of  the  states,  there  was  one  by  Mr.  Crittenden  restoring 
the  Missouri  Compromise  ;  another  by  Mr.  Adams  of  Massa-. 
chusetts — which  placed  in  effect  the  vexed  question  of  sla 
very  out  of  the  reach  of  the  federal  government.  Mr. 
Seward,  in  the  Senate,  made  a  third,  which  was  not  very 
definite.  These  two  latter  gentlemen  showed  themselves  to 
be  not  only  patriots  but  statesmen ;  and  could  they  have 
carried  their  party  with  them  a  very  different  result  would 
have  been  reached.  They  might  not  have  prevented  the  re 
bellion,  but  they  would  have  arrested  its  headway  and  dis 
comfited  its  leaders.  But  the  statesmanship  of  both  availed 
nothing  against  party  clamor,  and  their  lofty  patriotism  could 
not  stem  the  tide  of  fierce  indignation  that  had  been  aroused 
by  the  haughty,  defiant  tone  of  the  south. 

One  other  course  only  remained :  to  submit  the  whole 
question,  in  some  form,  to  the  people.  Ours  is  a  govern 
ment  of  the  people — on  them  fall  the  burdens  and  horrors 
of  war,  and  on  them  directly  should  rest  the  sole  responsi1 
bility  of  inaugurating  it,  especially  if  it  be  a  civil  one. 


FALLACY  OF  SOUTHERN  ARGUMENTS.       47 

All  efforts,  however,  proved  abortive  ;  and  the  ship  of 
state,  reeling  on  the  turbulent  waves  of  passion,  drifted 
steadily  towards  the  vortex  of  disunion. 

The  chief  defense  made  by  the  south,  was  the  right  to 
secede  from  the  confederation,  which  the  several  states  re 
served  to  themselves  when  they  entered  it,  if  at  any  time 
they  thought  fit  to  do  so.  A  great  deal  of  able  yet  useless 
argument  was  wasted  on  this  question*  It  was  denied  on 
the  part  of  the  north,  for  they  asserted  that  such  a  right 
made  the  Union  a  rope  of  sand,  and  the  government  guilty 
of  providing  for  its  own  destruction.  Besides,  said  they, 
Louisiana  cost  us  $15,000,000,  Florida  $5,000,000,  to  say 
nothing  of  $40,000,000  expended  in  driving  the  Indians 
from  her  swamps,  and  Texas  directly  and  indirectly  more 
than  $200,000,000,  and  to  suppose  that  these  states,  as  soon 
as  they  had  pocketed  the  money  of  the  government,  could 
withdraw,  and  set  up  for  themselves,  was  the  climax  of  ab 
surdity.  More  than  this,  to  whom  did  the  Mississippi  river 
belong  if  it  did  not  to  the  whole  Union  ?  The  whole  dis 
cussion,  however,  was  a  waste  of  breath,  for  the  doctrine  of 
secession  as  explained  by  the  south  was  never  acted  upon  by 
them.  They  advocated  it  to  justify  rebellion.  The  right 
of  rebellion  under  unbearable  oppression,  can  never  be 
vitiated  by  former  compacts,  however  strong,  nor  by  favors 
how  great  soever  they  may  have  been.  If  the  right  of 
secession  be  granted,  it  can  take  place  only  in  the  form,  and 
by  the  legal  process  that  characterized  the  formation  of  the 
compact.  The  state  wishing  to  withdraw,  must  present  her 
self  before  the  confederation,  and  proceed  with  the  same 
formality  and  respectfulness  she  did  when  she  entered  it, 
and  be  bound  by  the  same  decision  of  the  parties  concerned. 
If  her  claim  is  refused  she  must  acquiesce,  no  matter  how 
great  the  wrong  done  her,  or  then  fall  back  on  the  right  of 
secession.  This  the  south  never  proposed  to  do,  and  to  say 


48  NO    GROUND    FOR    SECESSION. 

that  any  state,  when  she  entered  the  confederacy,  reserved 
to  herself  the  right  whenever  she  saw  fit,  to  rush  to  arms, 
seize  the  forts  and  soldiers,  and  post-offices,  and  mints,  and 
ships  of  the  United  States,  is  a  falsehood  on  the  face  of  it,  too 
gross  to  need  a  reply.  And  yet  this  is  just  what  the  southern 
states  did.  It  is,  therefore,  as  before  remarked,  a  waste  of 
breath  to  argue  a  question  on  which  no  action  wa«s  ever  taken 
— to  discuss  a  right  it  was  never  proposed  to  claim.  The 
south  rushed  into  rebellion,  and  unless  their  act  can  be  justi 
fied  on  the  ground  that  they  were  grievously  oppressed,  and 
had  exhausted  every  peaceable  means  to  obtain  redress,  as  we 
did  previous  to  our  revolt  against  the  mother  country,  even, 
as  we  asserted  u  prostrating  ourselves  at  the  foot  of  the  throne" 
in  vain  appeals,  they  stand  convicted  of  a  crime  too  heinous 
to  be  expressed  in  language,  and  which  will  grow  blacker 
with  the  lapse  of  time  till  "the  memory  of  the  wicked  shall  rot/' 

If  the  above  succinct  narrative  of  events  be  correct,  it  is 
easy  to  see  that  it  will  be  vain  for  either  the  north  or  south 
to  prove  itself  entirely  guiltless  before  impartial  history. 
The  great  moral  difference  between  them  is — the  former  was 
contending  against  a  giant  wrong,  and  the  latter  defending 
it — the  former  never  contemplated  lifting  its  hand  against 
the  government,  while  the  latter  deliberately  precipitated  us 
into  all  the  horrors  of  civil  war.  The  former  were  unwise  in 
their  action  and  reckless  in  the  manner  in  which  they  carried 
out  their  political  schemes — the  latter  were  traitors  in  heart, 
conspirators  while  professing  loyalty,  and  open  rebels  at  last 
This  statement  of  course  refers  to  the  leaders.  The  major 
ity  of  the  southern  people,  were  doubtless  deceived,  and- 
believed  they  were  in  danger  of  subjugation,  and  all  the 
horrors  attending  a  sudden  emancipation  of  the  slaves. 

To  return  to  our  summary  of  events,  which  brought  us  to 
the  close  of  February,  when  a  southern  confederacy  was 
formed,  and  the  border  states  were  vacillating  between  the 


r"          PRESIDENT  LINCOLN'S  JOURNEY.  49 

north  and  south,  we  come  to  the  arrival  of  President  Lincoln 
in  Washington,  February  23,  to  be  inaugurated  President  of 
the  United  States. 

When  he  left  Springfield,  111.,  the  place  of  his  residence,  a 
large  crowd  assembled  to  witness  his  departure,  and  express 
their  sympathy  with  him  in  the  perilous  duties  before  him. 
In  a  short  speech,  he  expressed  his  thanks,  and  desired  their 
prayers,  to  which  their  hearty  response  was,  u  we  will  pray 
for  you."  'The  eyes  of  the  Nation  were  turned  towards 
him  in  his  progress,  and  every  word  he  uttered  to  the  dif 
ferent  assemblages  on  the  way,  was  carefully  noted  down, 
and  commented  on.  He  spoke  confidently  and  hopefully, 
saying  all  the-  disturbance  visible  was  u  only  an  artificial 
excitement"  His  utterances,  though  pleasing  to  many,  gave 
rise  to  gloomy  forebodings  in  the  more  thoughtful,  who  had 
been  anxiously  waiting  for  one  to  assume  the  reins  of  gov 
ernment,  that  had  measured  the  length  and  breadth  and 
depth  and  heighth  of  the  gigantic  rebellion,  who  would 
treat  it  as  a  terrible  reality. 

In  the  mean  time  rumors  had  been  circulated  that  he 
would  be  assassinated  on  the  way,  or  if  he  succeeded  in 
reaching  the  Capital,  an  organized  mob  would  prevent  his 
inauguration  and  seize  the  city.  General  Scott,  in  command 
there,  had  been  informed  of  the  plans  of  the  conspirators, 
and  took  measures  to  defeat  them. 

The  President  elect,  however,  had  considered  these  rumors 
as  exaggerations,  and  proceeded  with  his  family  without 
anticipating  any  trouble.  But  when  he  reached  Philadel 
phia,  he  entered  a  different  atmosphere,  and  began  to  awake 
as  from  a  dream.  His  honest  heart,  incapable  of  guile,  or 
even  of  conceiving  such  monstrous  atrocity,  was  compelled 
at  last  to  admit  the  terrible  truth,  that  A-merican  citizens 
sought  his  life,  for  no  other  crime,  than  that  of  obeying  the 
voice  of  the  people,  and  assuming  the  office  to  which  their 


50  INAUGURATION MESSAGE.  « 

votes  had  elected  him ;  and  when  he  reached  Harrisburg  he 
left  his  family  behind  him,  and  anticipating  the  train  which 
was  to  take  him,  proceeded  in  disguise  by  a  special  train  to 
Washington.  That  a  constitutionally-elected  President  of  the 
United  States,  should  be  compelled  to  steal  into  the  Nation 
al  Capital,  like  a  criminal,  in  order  to  enter  upon  his  office, 
smote  every  loyal  citizen  like  a  personal  disgrace.  Had  it 
been  fully  believed  beforehand,  a  half  a  million  of  men  would 
have  volunteered  to  escort  him  there. 

The  fourth  of  March,  1861,  came  without  violence,  and 
Abraham  Lincoln  was  inaugurated  President  of  the  United 
States.  His  message  was  every  where  read  with  the  deep 
est  anxiety.  Its  moderate  tone  gratified  reasonable  men, 
though  many  felt  the  want  of  any  stirring  appeal  to  the 
patriotism  of  the  people.  Still,  the  closing  paragraphs,  "  I 
am  loth  to  close.  We  are  not  enemies  but  friends.  We 
must  not  be  enemies.  Though  passion  may  have  strained,  it 
must  not  break  our  bonds  of  affection.  The  mystic  chords 
of  memory  stretching  from  every  battle  field  and  patriot's 
grave  to  every  living  heart  and  hearthstone,  all  over  this 
broad  land,  will  yet  swell  the  chorus  of  the  Union,  when 
again  touched,  as  surely  they  will  be,  by  the  better  angels  of 
our  nature,"  struck  a  chord  of  sympathy  in  every  heart. 
Still,  kind  and  appealing  as  these  words  were,  it  showed, 
that  he  had  not  yet  comprehended  the  full  measure  of  hu 
man  wickedness  connected  with  the  rebellion.  This  is  per 
haps  not  strange,  for  the  same  delusion  seemed  to  rest  on 
those  who  were  to  be  his  chief  advisers.  Mr.  Seward  as 
late  as  the  latter  part  of  December,  had  said  that  in  "sixty 
days"  we  should  have  a  "brighter  and  more  cheerful  atmos 
phere."  Those  who  designed  to  inflict  no  wrong,  and  be 
guilty  of  no  injustice,  could  not  comprehend  the  existence 
of  such  madness  and  ferocity  as  seemed  to  characterize  the 
southern  disunionists. 


THE    CABINET.  51 

Three  days  after,  Peter  G.  T.  Beauregard,  late  major  in 
the  engineer  corps  of  the  United  States,  was  ordered  by  the 
southern  confederacy,  to  take  command  of  the  forces  in 
Charleston,  destined  to  act  against  fort  Sumter ;  and  two 
weeks  later  the  supplies  were  cut  off  from  fort  Pickens, 
Florida, 

The  President  in  forming  his  cabinet,  seemed  not  to  com 
prehend  the  extent  of  the  danger  that  threatened  the  Repub 
lic.  The  selection  of  Mr.  Seward  as  Secretary  of  State,  was 
regarded  as  a  wise  measure.  But  Mr.  Cameron's  claims  to 
the  responsible  position  of  Secretary  of  War  were  based  prin 
cipally  on  political  considerations.  Mr.  Holt  had  manfully 
stood  between  the  country  and  ruin,  and  was  well  qualified 
for  the  duties  of  that  position.  The  President,  in  his  trying 
situation,  needed  the  sympathy  of  all  parties,  and  should 
have  disregarded  the  clamor  that  sought  only  party  ends ; 
and  would  have  been  justified  in  retaining  Mr.  Holt.  The 
united  patriotism  of  the  north,  and  a  change  in  the  course  of 
the  administration,  alone  saved  the  country  from  the  incal 
culable  evils  which  would  otherwise  have  resulted  from  a 
misconception  of  its  true  condition,  and  the  distribution  of 
political  rewards. 

In  the  mean  time  a  state  convention  of  Virginia  had  been 
called,  to  take  into  consideration  the  proper  course  for  her 
to  pursue  in  the  pending  crisis,  and  commissioners  were  ap 
pointed  to  confer  with  the  President  on  his  future  policy. 
The  southern  confederacy  had  also  sent  commissioners  to 
propose  terms  of  adjustment,  without  resorting  to  war.  To 
the  former  the  President  made  a  short  reply,  doing  little 
more  than  reaffirming  the  policy  he  had  proclaimed  in  his 
message.  The  latter  he  refused  to  receive  in  their  alleged 
capacity  as  commissioners  from  an  independent  government, 
for  it  would  be  recognizing  the  southern  confederacy  of 
seven  states, 


52  'SOUTHERN  CONSPIRATORS. 

The  southern  leaders  had  managed  their  cause  with  a 
great  deal  of  adroitness.  To  the  extreme  south,  they  had 
spoken  in  glowing  terms  of  the  advantages  of  an  indepen 
dent  confederacy.  To  Virginia  they  had  described  the  evils 
she  would  suffer  in  case  of  a  civil  war,  which  was  sure  to 
follow  should  the  general  government  attempt  coercion  of 
the  revolted  states,  until  she  insisted,  that  the  only  condi 
tion  on  which  she  could  stand  by  the  Union  was,  that  no  co 
ercion  should  be  attempted.  The  conspirators  knew  this 
would  never  be  granted.  To  Kentucky,  they  pointed  to  the 
rejected  resolutions  of  Mr.  Crittenden,  looking  to  a  peaceful 
solution  of  the  difficulties.  To  Maryland — which  more  than 
any  other  state  had  cause  to  dread  a  civil  war,  should  she 
join  her  fortunes  with  the  south — the  commissioners  from 
Mississippi  used  the  following  mild  language.  "  Secession 
is  not  intended  to  break  up  the  present  government,  but  to 
perpetuate  it.  We  do  not  propose  to  go  out  by  way  of 
breaking  up  or  destroying  the  Union  as  our  fathers  gave  it 
to  us,  but  we  go  out  for  the  purpose  of  getting  further  guar 
antees  and  security  for  our  rights ;  not  by  a  convention  of 
all  the  southern  states,  nor  by  congressional  tricks,  which 
have  failed  in  times  past  and  will  fail  again.  But  our  plan 
is  for  the  southern  states  to  withdraw  from  the  Union  for  the 
present,  to  allow  amendments  to  the  Constitution  to  be  made, 
guaranteeing  our  just  rights;  and  if  the  northern  states  will 
not  make  those  amendments,  by  which  these  rights  shall  be 
secured  to  us,  then  we  must  secure  them  the  best  way  we 
can.  This  question  of  slavery  must  be  settled  now  or  never," 
etc.  Nothing  could  have  been  more  plausible  or  apparently 
just  than  this.  It  is  not  surprising  that  the  people  of  Mary 
land  were  deceived  by  %  these  representations,  for  many 
northern  men  were.  The  truth  was,  the  southern  disunion- 
ists  did  not  wish  war,  and  they  did  not  believe  it  would  hap 
pen.  The  state  of  their  finances  would  not  sanction  it,  to  say 


THEIR    MANAGEMENT.  53 

nothing  of  the  dubious  result  of  a  collision  with  the  colossal 
power  of  the  north,  backed  by  her  navy.  The  surest  way  to 
prevent  this,  they  believed,  would  be  to  make  the  contest 
appear  equal  as  possible,  by  getting  the  entire  south  to  act 
in  unison.  Then  the  north  would  shrink  from  the  appalling 
evils  of  a  civil  war,  and  grant  them  their  independence.  To 
secure  this,  they  were  willing  to  stoop  to  any  deception,  and 
apparently  consent  to  any  measure  the  border  states  might 
propose.  But  events  were  rapidly  hastening  to  a  crisis. 
Major  Anderson  stubbornly  refused  to  strike  his  flag  to  the 
southern  confederacy.  It  is  true,  starvation  would  soon 
compel  the  humiliating  act.  But  whether  Davis,  impelled  by 
an  insane  spirit  of  revenge,  or,  foreseeing  that  war  was  inevi 
table,  concluded  it  was  best  to  precipitate  it  at  once  ;  or 
whether  the  blustering,  arrogant  spirit  of  South  Carolina 
forced  him  to  the  measure,  or  whether  he  feared  our  fleet, 
which  had  arrived  off  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  might  force 
a  passage,  we  know  not ;  he  refused  to  wait  the  sure  and 
speedy  work  of  famine,  and  determined  to  open  his  guns 
upon  it.  Notwithstanding  the  state  had  openly  revolted,  Mr. 
Buchanan  had  allowed  the  most  formidable  works  to  be  con 
structed  around  the  fort,  refusing  to  give  his  sanction,  to 
Maj  or  Anderson  to  prevent  their  completion.  With  his  heavy 
artillery,  he  could  easily  have  kept  the  surrounding  shores 
clear,  but  not  a  shot  was  permitted  to  be  fired.  This  brave 
commander,  with  his  little  garrison  of  seventy-five  men,  saw 
month  after  month  the  frowning  batteries  rise  around  him, 
preparatory  to  opening  their  concentrated  fire  upon  him. 
The  batteries  lining  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  had  long 
since  cut  him  off  from  all  hope  of  reinforcements  and  supplies 
by  sea,  while  not  a  pound  of  food  could  reach  him  from  the 
hostile  shore.  Without  orders  to  abandon  it,  and  without 
permission  to  stop  the  preparations  going  on  for  his  over 
throw,  he  had  been  compelled,  day  after  day,  and  week  after 


54    ,  ANDERSON'S  TRYING  SITUATION. 

week,  to  sit  still,  and  watch  the  steadily  rising  fortifications  des 
tined  to  effect  his  humiliation.  A  more  trying  and  cruel  posi 
tion  a  commander  could  not  be  placed  in.  At  length  the  work 
of  preparation  was  completed — the  bomb-proof  batteries  at 
fort  Moultrie  and  on  Sullivan's  Island  ready,  and  the  floating 
battery  in  its  place,  with  their  grim  columbiads  pointing  on 
the  devoted  garrison— and  with  that  patience  and  serene  confi 
dence  springing  from  the  consciousness  of  having  dis« 
charged  his  duty,  and  a  firm  reliance  on  Heaven,  which  had 
characterized  him  throughout,  he  now  waited  the  coming 
storm.  To  the  summons  of  Beauregard  to  surrender,  he  re 
turned  the  calm  reply  that  neither  his  "  sense  of  honor"  nor 
" obligations  to  his  government"  would  permit  him  to 
comply.  Knowing  that  in  a  few  days,  famine  would  compel 
the  surrender  of  the  fort,  Beauregard,  under  instructions  from 
L.  P.  Walker,  the  rebel  Secretary  of  War,  proposed  to  refrain 
from  bombarding  it,  if  he  would  fix  a  day,  when  he  would 
evacuate  it.  Bold  and  bad  as  he  was,  he  hesitated  to  open 
a  war  which  should  drench  the  nation  in  blood.  Anderson, 
looking  over  his  scanty  supply  of  provisions,  replied  that  if 
no  supplies  reached  him,  or  no  orders  to  the  contrary  were 
received  from  his  government  by  the  fifteenth  (his  letter  was 
dated  April  twelfth),  he  would  then  surrender  the  fort.  Not 
liking  the  conditions  attached  to  this  promise,  though  it  was 
difficult  to  see  how  the  beleaguered  little  garrison  could  get 
either  orders  or  provisions,  Beauregard,  the  same  day,  at 
half-past  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  sent  word  that  in  one 
hour  he  would  uopeu  the  fire  of  his  batteries  on  fort 
Suniter." 


CHAPTER    III. 

•  APRIL,  1861. 

FIRST    SHOT  AT  FORT  SUMTER ITS   FEARFUL  •  SIGNIFICANCE THE  BOMBARD' 

MENT SURRENDER  OF EXULTATION    OF   THE  PEOPLE  OF  CHARLESTON 

RECEPTION  OF  THE  NEWS  NORTH UNION  OF  ALL  PARTIES PROCLAMATION 

OF  THE  PRESIDENT  CALLING  FOR  SEVENTY-FIVE  THOUSAND  TROOPS RE 
SPONSE  OF  THE  NORTH REPLY  TO  IT  BY  SOUTHERN  GOVERNORS ENTHUSI 
ASM  OF  THE  NORTH DELUSION  OF  BOTH  SECTIONS DAVIS  CALLS  FOR 

SOUTHERN  VOLUNTEERS  AND  FOR  PRIVATEERS VIRGINIA  SECEDES EMBAR 
RASSMENTS  OF  THE  GOVERNMENT SURRENDER  OF  NORFOLK SURRENDER 

OF  HARPER'S  FERRY  AND  THE  BURNING  OF  THE  ARSENAL. 

IT  was  fit  that  a  deed  so  monstrous  as  the  commencement 
of  civil  war  should  have  been  committed  in  darkness. 
Treason  shuns  the  light  of  day,  and  even  the  conspirators, 
though  steeped  in  crime,  were  in  haste  to  begin  their  ac 
cursed  work  before  the  bright  sun  should  rise  to  throw  his 
light  upon  it. 

As  soon  as  Anderson  received  the  message  of  Beauregard, 
he  ordered  the  sentinels  to  be  removed  from  the  parapets  Of 
the  fort,  the  posterns  closed,  and  the  flag  that  had  been  low 
ered  with  the  coming  on  of  night,  flung  to  the  breeze,  and 
then  sat  down  in  the  darkness  to  wait  the  coming  shock. 
It  was  a  mild  spring  night,  and  not  a  sound  disturbed  the 
quietness  that  reigned  over  the  peaceful  waters  of  the  bay. 
Nature  gave  no  sign  of  the  dread  event  so  near  at  hand, 
which  should  summon  a  million  of  men  to  arms,  and  send 
state  dashing  on  state  in  fierce  collision,  drench  the  land  in 
fraternal  blood,  and  unsettle  the  civilized  world.  At  half- 
past  four  o'clock,  before  the  full  dawn  could  reveal  to  them 
the  flag  under  whose  folds  they  had  so  long  lived  in  peace 
and  prosperity,  the  first  shot  was  fired.  The  deep  thunder 


56  FIRST    SHOT   AT   FORT   SUMTER. 

woke  the  morning  echoes,  and  rolled  away  over  the  trem 
bling  waters  of  the  bay.  At  that  moment  the  great  dock 
of  destiny  struck  its  warning  note.  No  single  cannon  shot 
before,  ever  bore  such  destinies  on  its  darkened  flight.  It 
shivered  the  mightiest  republic  the  earth  ever  saw  into 
atoms,  arrested  the  onward  march  of  civilization,  and  chang 
ed  the  history  of  man.  A  few  moments  of  dead  silence 
followed  this  first  explosion,  as  if  all  nature  paused  at  the 
awful  deed — and  then  came  the  earthquake.  From  fort 
Moultrie,  Point  Pleasant,  fort  Johnston, — the  floating  bat- 
ery — Cumming's  point  and  Sullivan's  island,  the  well  trained 
batteries  poured  in  their  concentric  fire,  till  sea  and  shore  shook 
to  the  fierce  reverberations.  A  line  of  volcanoes  seemed  ,ud- 
denly  to  have  opened  in  the  sea,  and  the  broad  glare  from 
the  blazing  guns,  and  bursting  shells  traversing  the  air  in 
every  direction  and  crossing  in  a  fiery  net  work  over  the 
doomed  fort,  heralded  in  the  day.  Anderson  and  his  little 
band  sat  quietly  within  their  stronghold,  listening  unmoved 
to  the  wild  hurricane  without,  till  the  sun  had  climbed  the 
heavens.  The  ponderous  balls  of  the  enemy  were  knocking 
loudly  for  admittance  without,  but  not  a  shot  had  been  firod 
in  return.  At  half-past  six,  the  mere  handful  within  sat 
quietly  down  to  their  breakfast,  and  finished  their  meal  as 
leisurely  as  though  preparing  for  a  parade.  They  were  then 
divided  into  three  reliefs — the  first  under  command  of  Cap 
tain  Doubleday — and  the  men  ordered  to  their  places.  Soon 
the  order  to  fire  was  given,  and  the  ominous  silence  that  had 
so  long  reigned  round  that  dark  structure  was  broken,  and 
a  sheet  of  game  ran  along  its  sides.  Gun  now  answered  gun 
in  quick  succession,  and  for  the  next  four  hours,  the  heavy, 
deafening  explosions  were  like  a  continuous  clap  of  thunder. 
Forty-seven  mortars  and  large  cannon  directed  their  fire 
against  the  fort,  and  shot  and  shell  beat  upon  it,  and  burst 
Within  and  over  it  incessantly.  The  heavy  explosions  called 


BOMBARDMENT  OF  FORT  SUMTER.         57 

out  the  inhabitants  of  Charleston  in  crowds,  and  the  house 
tops  and  shores  were  lined  with,  excited  spectators,  gazing 
earnestly  over  the  water,  where  the  tossing  clouds  of  smoke 
obscured  the  sky.  Every  portion  of  the  fortress  was  search 
ed  by  the  enemy's  fire,  and  loosened  bricks  and  mortar  were 
soon  flying  in  every  direction.  It  was  impossible  to  serve 
the  guns  en  barbette,  arid  they  were  knocked  to  pieces  one 
after  another  by  the  shot  and  shells  that  swept  the  crest  of 
the  ramparts.  These  were  the  only  guns  that  could  throw 
shells,  and  hence  Anderson  was  able  to  reply  to  the  enemy 
only  with  solid  shot.  These,  in  most  cases,  thundered  harm 
lessly  on  the  solid  works  of  the  enemy,  or  glanced  from 
their  iron  sides.  The  barracks  again  and  again  caught  fire, 
but  each  time  were  extinguished,  chiefly  through  the  energy 
and  daring  of  Mr.  Hart,  a  New  York  volunteer.  The  car 
tridges  were  soon  exhausted,  when  the  men  made  them  of 
their  shirt  sleeves.  Noon  came,  and  the  soldiers  were  served 
with  their  meagre  dinner  at  the  guns,  snatching  a  hasty  bite 
of  the  last  of  their  hard  biscuit  and  salt  pork,  and  then  calmly 
went  to  their  work  again.  During  this  tremendous  can 
nonading,  Major  Anderson  and  his  officers  coolly  watched 
through  their  glasses  the  effect  of  the  shot,  and  ever  and 
anon  turned  their  eyes  anxiously  towards  the  mouth  of  the 
harbor,  where  our  succoring  fleet  lay,  not  daring  to  run  the 
gauntlet  of  batteries  that  stretched  between  them  and  the 
fort.  Thus  the  toilsome  day  wore  away,  and  as  darkness 
enveloped  the  scene,  Anderson  being  no  longer  able  to  ob 
serve  the  effect  of  his  shots,  ordered  the  port  holes  to  be 
closed,  when  the  firing  ceased  and  the  men  lay  down  to 
rest.  The  enemy,  however,  did  not  remit  his  attack,  and  all 
night  long  his  ponderous  shot  kept  smiting  the  solid  walls 
of  the  fort,  and  his  shells,  whose  course  could  be  seen  by 
their  long  trains  of  light,  dropped  incessantly  around  and 
within  the  silent  structure.  Early  on  Saturday  morning, 


58  DEFENSE  OF  FORT  SUMTEK. 

the  little  garrison  were  again  at  work,  and  gun  answered 
gun  in  quick  response.  The  barracks  for  the  fourth  time  took 
fire,  but  the  attempts  to  put  it  out  as  before  were  soon  found 
to  be  fruitless,  for  the  hot  shot  of  the  enemy,  dropping  inces 
santly  among  the  combustible  materials,  kept  the  flames 
alive,  and  in  a  short  time  the  raging  conflagration  within 
became  more  terrible  than  the  hurricane  of  shot  without. 
The  whole  garrison  was  called  from  the  guns  to  save  the 
magazine,  and  barrels  of  powder  were  rolled  through  the 
smoke  and  embers  to  a  place  of  safety.  Ninety-six  barrels 
had  been  thus  removed  when  the  heat  became  too  great  to 
continue  the  work,  and  it  was  abandoned,  and  the  magazine 
locked  to  await  its  destiny.  The  fire  now  raged  uncontrolled, 
and  the  smoke,  driven  downward  by  the  wind7  filled  all  the 
interior  of  the  fort,  so  that  the  men  could  no  longer  see  each 
other.  Choked  by  the  stifling  air,  they  flung  themselves  on 
the  ground,  and  throwing  wet  handkerchiefs  and  cloths  over 
their  mouths  and  eyes,  lay  and  gasped  for  breath.  The  last 
biscuit  had  been  eaten  the  day  before — the  walls  were 
crumbling  around  them — the  main  gate  had  been  burned 
down,  leaving  an  open  passage  to  an  advancing  force,  and 
it  was  evident  to  all,  that  the  contest  was  a  hopeless  one. 
Still  Anderson  stood  unmoved  amid  the  wreck,  and  refused 
to  strike  his  colors.  The  cartridges  were  nearly  exhausted — 
the  magazine  could  not  be  reached  for  more  powder,  yet 
now  and  then  a  shot  was-  fired  to  let  the  fleet  outside  and 
the  enemy  know  they  had  not  surrendered.  To  add  to  the 
horrors  of  their  position,  the  shells  and  ammunition  in  the 
upper  service  magazine  caught  fire  and  exploded  with  a 
frightful  crash,  sending  splintered  beams  and  blazing  frag 
ments  in  every  direction,  and  adding  tenfold  to  the  terror 
of  the  conflagration  that  was  raging  in  every  part  of  the 
inclosure.  This  went  on  hour  after  hour,  the  men  compelled 
to  work  with  wet  cloths  over  their  mouths.  At  length  the 


WIGFALI/S    WHITE    FLAG.  59 

fire  approached  the  men's  quarters  where  the  barrels  of  pow 
der  that  had  been  taken  from  the  magazine  lay  exposed. 
The  soldiers  rushed  through  the  flames  with  wet  blankets, 
and  covered  them  over ;  but  the  heat  soon  became  so  in 
tense,  that  it  was  feared  they  would  take  fire  and  blow  up 
the  fort,  and  they  were  rolled  through  the  embrasures  into 
the  sea,,  till  all  but  three  were  gone,  which  were  piled  over 
thickly  with  wet  blankets.  Only  three  cartridges  were  now- 
left,  and  these  were  in  the  guns.  At  this  crisis  the  flag-staff 
was  shot  away.  The  flag  wras  brought  in,  after  having  been 
shot  down,  by  Lieutenant  Hall;  but  was  afterwards  (by 
order  of  Major  Anderson)  planted  on  the  rampart  by  Lieu 
tenants  Snyder  and  Hart,  who  nailed  it  to  the  flag-staff, 
where  it  continued  to  wave  defiantly.  A  few  minutes 
after  this  occurred,  a  man  was  seen  at  an  embrasure,  with  a 
white  flag  tied  to  his  sword.  It  was  Wigfall,  late  senator 
froni  Texas,  who  had  come  from  fort  Moultric,  and  now 
desired  admittance.  Entering  through  into  the  casemate, 
he  exclaimed  in  an  excited  manner,  that  he  came  from  Gen 
eral  Beauregard,  that  he  saw  the  flag  of  the  fort  was  down, 
adding,  "  let  us  stop  this  firing.17  "  No  sir,"  replied  Lieuten 
ant  Davis,  "  the  flag  is  not  down,  step  out  this  way  and  you 
•will  see  it  waving  from  the  ramparts."  General  Wigfall 
then  asked  that  some  one  should  hold  his  white  flag  outside 
the  walls,  "  No  sir,"  replied  the  gallant  lieutenant, ."  we  don't 
raise  a  white  flag,  if  you  want  your  batteries  to  stop,  you 
must  stop  them  yourself."  Wigfall  then  held  the  flag  out 
of  the  embrasure.  As  soon  as  he  did  so,  Lieutenant  Davis 
ordered  a  corporal  to  relieve  him,  as  it  was  not  the  act  of 
the  fort,  but  of  Wigfall.  But  the  cannon  balls  continuing 
to  strike  around  the  corporal,  he  exclaimed  with  an  oath, 
"I  won't  hold  that  flag,  they  don't  respect  it."  Wigfall  re 
plied,  "They  fired  at  me  three  or  four  times,  and  I  should 
think  you  ought  to  stand  it  once."  He  then  placed  the  flag 


60  SURRENDEROFFORTSUMTER, 

outside  of  the  embrasure  and  sought  Major  Anderson.  Wig- 
fall  introduced  himself  by  saying,  "  I  am  General  Wigfallr 
and  come  from  General  Beauregard,  who  wishes  to  stop 
this."  Anderson,  whose  usually  quiet  blood  had  in  the  terrific 
bombardment  of  these  two  days  got  fairly  roused.r  rose  on 
his  toes,  and  as  he  came  down  with  a  sudden  jar  on  his  heels, 
replied,  "Well  sir!"  " Major  Anderson,"  said  the  former, 
u  You  have  defended  your  flag  nobly,  sir — you  have  done- 
all  that  is  possible  for  men  to  do,  and  General  Beauregard 
wishes  to  stop  the  fight.  OB  what  terms  will  you  evacuate 
this  fort  ?" 

u  General  Beauregard  is  already  acquainted  with  my  only- 
terms,"  was  the  calm  reply. 

uDo  I  understand,"  replied  Wigfall,  "that  you  will  evac 
uate  upon  the  terms  proposed  the  other  day  ?  " 

u  Yes,  sir,"  said  the  Major,  "and  on  those  conditions  only." 

"  Yery  well,"  Wigfall  replied,  and  retired. 

A  short  time  after,  a  deputation  of  four  officers  arrived,  sent 
by  General  Beauregard,  and  asked  foran  interview  with  Major 
Anderson ;  when  it  turned  out,  that  Wigfall  had  acted  en 
tirely  on  his  own  responsibility,  and  without  even  the  knowl 
edge  of  Beauregard.  The  latter  seeing  the  fort  on  ire,  they 
said,  had  sent  them  over  to  inquire  if  any  assistance  could  be 
rendered.  They  were  amazed  when  Anderson  informed 
them  that  he.  had  just  agreed  upon  terms  of  capitulation 
with  General  Wigfall,  acting  under  orders  of  General  Beau- 
regard.  Seeing  the  state  of.  things,  Major  Anderson  re 
marked  that  it  put  him  in  a  peculiar  position,  and  the  flag 
must  be  hoisted  again.  After  some  conversation,  however, 
they  requested  him  to  put  in  writing  what  Wigfall  had  said 
to  him,  and  they  would  lay  it  before  General  Beauregard. 
}  Ie  did  so,  but  before  the  statement  reached  the  rebel  gen 
eral,  he  had  sent  the  Adjutant-general,  and  members  of  his 
staff,  to  propose  the  same  terms  on  which  Major  Anderson 


EXULTATION  OF  CH  A  RLESTONI  AN  S.        61 

had  consented  to  go  out,  with  the  exception  of  being  allowed 
to  salute  his  flag.  They  asked  him  if  he  would  not  dispense 
with  the  salute.  He  replied  u-No," — he  would  however  leave 
the  question  open  for  conference.  They  returned  with  the 
reply,  and  shortly  after  an  officer  came  over  saying  that  the 
terms  first  proposed  were  accepted. 

What  motive  had  prompted  General  Wigfall  to  volunteer 
iiis  services,  and  take  upon  himself  the  responsibility  of  ne 
gotiating  for  Beauregard,  is  not  known.  It  is  but  charita 
ble,  however,  to  suppose  that  the  feelings  of  a  man  had  been 
aroused  in  him  at  sight  of  that  burning  fort,  within  which 
a  mere  handful  of  men  had  for  thirty-four  hours  borne  the 
concentrated  fire  of  four  powerful  batteries,  and  which, 
though  unable  to  return  only  an  occasional  shot,  and  wrap 
ped  in  a,  fierce  conflagration,  still  refused  to  yield.  ]  t  was  a 
sight  to  move  the  pity  of  any  thing  human. 
^  Thus,  fell  fort  Sumter ;  and  the  opening  act  of  the  most  fear 
ful  tragedy  the  world  has  ever  seen,  had  closed.  The  people 
of  Charleston  seemed  utterly  oblivious  of  the  true  character 
and  swift  results  of  this  first  act  of  violence,  and  were  wild 
with  enthusiasm  and  joy.  Beauregard  was  a  hero — indeed 
all  were  heroes.  They  had  succeeded  in  firing  the  train,  and 
now  danced  in  the  flickering  light  it  emitted,  unconscious 
that  the  fitful  blaze  was  on  its  way  to  a  magazine,  the  explo 
sion  of  which  would  shake  the  continent.  The  Roman 
Catholic  bishop  ordered  a  Te  Deum  to  be  chanted  in  honor 
of  the  victoryr  and  the  Episcopal  bishop,  though  blind  and 
ieeble,  declared  that  the  resistance  was  obedience  to  God. 

On  Monday  morning  preparations  for  the  evacuation  com 
menced.  But  first,  the  only  man  killed  during  the  terrible 
bombardment,  a  private  by  the  name  of  Daniel  Hough,  who 
lost  his  life  by  the  bursting  of  a  cannon,  was  buried  with 
military  honors.  When  this  was  done,  and  the  baggage  all 
on  board  the  transport,  a  portion  of  the  little  band  who 


62  UNION    OF    ALL   PARTIES. 

stood  under  arms  within  the  battered  fort,  were  toled  off  as 
gunners,  to  fire  the  one  hundred  guns  as  a  salute  to  the  flag. 
At  the  fiftieth  discharge  a  premature  explosion  killed  one 
man,  and  wounded  three  more — one  seriously.  When  the 
last  gun  was  fired,  the  handful  of  heroes  marched  out,  the 
band  playing  Yankee  Doodle  and  Hail  to  the  Chief)  Yast 
crowds  were  collected  in  the  vicinity  to  witness  this  last 
ceremony,  little  dreaming  what  it  foreboded.  That  night 
the  troops  remained  on  board  the  Isabel,  and  the  next  morn 
ing  were  transferred  to  the  Baltic,  and  started  for  New  York. 
Though  South  Carolina  had  long  before  declared  herself 
out  of  the  Union,  both  postal  and  telegraphic  communica 
tion  was  kept  up  with  Charleston,  and  never  did  the  electric 
wires  of  the  country  quiver  with  news  so  pregnant  with  the 
fate  of  a  great  nation,  as  those  which  kept  registering  the 
progress  of  the  bombardment.  And  when  at  last  the  news 
came  that  the  stars  and  stripes  had  been  lowered  to  the  inso 
lent,  rebellious  state,  the  nation  was  struck  dumb  with  indig 
nation  and  amazement.  The  first  effect  was  stunning,  par 
alyzing1  ;  and  the  north  seemed  to  hold  its  breath  in  suspense. 
But  it  was  the  slow  settling  back  of  the  billow,  as  it  gathers 
to  break  in  thunder  on  the  shore.  The  north  had  hitherto 
been  divided.  The  democrats,  and'  those  opposed  to  the 
republican  party  had  sympathized  with  the  south  in  their 
indignation  at  the  triumph  of  a  faction,  whose  battle  cry 
had  been  hostility  to  an  institution  that  was  inwoven  into 
the  very  structure  -of  its  society.  Every  where  threats  had 
been  heard  that  if  the  republican  party  endeavored  by  any 
unconstitutional  act  to  carry  out  its  hostility  to  slavery,  there 
would  be  an  uprising  at  the  north.  So  bitter  was  this  feel 
ing,  that  many  rejoiced  at  the  serious  difficulties  and  embar 
rassments  their  sectional  victory  had  involved  them  in. 
Indeed,  it  wa^s  clear  to  the  careful  observer,  that  if  the 
couth  managed  discreetly,  the  party  would  have  more 


"BLOODY  WAR. "  63 

trouble  at  the  north  than  at  the  south.  What  course  would 
this  powerful  opposition  take  now,  was  a  question  fraught 
witli  life  and  death  to  the  administration.  But  there  was 
no  time  given  for  arguments  and  appeals  and  attempts  to 
conciliate.  Political  animosities  vanished — party  lines  dis 
appeared  and  all  opposition  went  down  like  barriers  of  mist 
before  the  rising  patriotism  of  the  people.  Though  the 
democrats  believed  the  spirit  of  the  compact  originally  made 
between  the  north  and  south,  had  been  broken  by  the  form 
ation  and  success  of  the  republican  party,  and  that  its  very 
existence  was  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the  constitution,  and 
a  violation  of  good  faith — though  they  felt  it  meditated  a 
great  wrong  on  the  weaker  portion  of  the  republic,  they 
suddenly  forgot  it  all.  The  flag,  our  boast  and  pride,  the 
emblem  of  our  nationality  and  record  of  our  glory,  had 
been  assailed  by  traitorous  hands,  and  trailed  in  the  dust  at 
their  bidding.  All  minor  differences  disappeared  before 
this  gigantic  wrong ;  and  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  broad 
prairies  of  the  west,  there  went  up  one  loud  cry  for  ven 
geance.  The  President,  who  with  his  administration  had 
seemed  to  be  laboring  under  a  strange  incredulity,  see 
ing  state  after  state  throw  off  its  allegiance,  and  forts  and 
arsenals  one  after  another  seized  by  the  rebels,  with  a  calm 
composure,  as  though  all  those  high-handed  acts  were  mere 
parts  of  a  stage  play,  and  meant  nothing  more  than  the  talk 
about  secession  and  a  bloody  revolt,  that  had  characterized 
the  political  campaign  of  the  autumn  previous — was  at  last 
aroused  by  the  thunder  of  cannon  at  fort  Sumter.  The 
President  at  length  saw  that  this  was  not  merely  an  u  ar 
tificial  excitement;"  and  the  "sixty  days"  which  the  Sec 
retary  of  State  prophesied  were  to  bring  a  more*  "cheerful 
state  of  things,",  had  instead  brought  "bloody  war." 

The  very  next  clay  after  fort  Sumter  had  surrendered,  the 
President   issued   a   proclamation,   calling   for   seventy-five 


64  PRESIDENT'S  PROCLAMATION. 

thousand  volunteers,  for  three  months,  to  protect  the  capital, 
and  secure  the  property  of  the  government  seized  by  the 
rebels ;  and  commanding  all  those  in  arms  to  return  to  their 
homes  in  twenty  days.  It  also  summoned  congress  to  meet 
on  the  4th  of  July.  It  was  calm  in  its  tone,  and  reserved  in 
the  claims  put  forth.  It  contained  no  appeal  to  the  patriot 
ism  of  the  people,  being  almost  exclusively  confined  to  » 
statement  of  the  rights  of  the  general  government  over  its 
©wn?  property,  which  it  would  be  the  duty  of  the  army  to 
take  from  the  rebels  after  the  safety  of  the  Capital  was* 
secured.  It  was  fortunate  that  the  aroused  people  of  the- 
north  needed  no  stimulus,  and  their  instincts  no  instructions 
respecting  the  true  issue  that  had  been  forced  upon  them.. 
This  proclamation,  which  could  not  have  been  more  carefully- 
worded,  or  have  said  less,  was  received  throughout  the  south 
as  a  declaration  of  war.  At  the  north,  although  it  was'  a 
confession  that  civil  war  had  commenced,  it  was  received 
with  one  loud  shout  of  approval,  that  showed  that  the  Union 
was  not  to  be  destroyed  without  a  struggle  that  sh-Qiild 
drench  the  land  in  blood.  Enthusiastic  meetings  were  held 
in  every  part  of  the  north — the  calls  of  the  respective  gov 
ernors  for  troops  were  responded  to  with  an  ardor  that* 
showed  that  five  times  seventy-five  thousand  men  could  be 
had.  At  Philadelphia,  New  York,  Boston,  Cincinnati,  Pitts 
burgh,  and  almost  every  large  placer  money  was  raised  for 
the  volunteers  and  their  families.  Legislatures  made  large 
appropriations,  and  abundant  means  seemed  at  the  disposal 
of  the  general  government  to  put  a  speedy  end  to  the 
rebellion. 

The  call  on  the  slave  states,  still  in  the  Union,  for  their 
proportion*  of  the  army  of  seventy-five  thousand  men,  was 
received  in  a  very  different  spirit.  Governor  Magomn  of 
Kentucky  replied,  "  Kentucky  will  furnish  no  troops  for  the 
wicked  purpose  of  subduing  her  sister  southern  states, rj 


RESPONSE   TO    THE    PROCLAMATION,  65 

Governor  Letcher  of  Virginia — "the  militia  will  not  be  fur 
nished  to  the  powers  of  Washington  for  any  such  use  or  pur 
pose  as  they  have  in  view."  Governor  Ellis  of  North  Carolina, 
in  a  more  guarded  tone,  telegraphed  to  the  President  that 
he  could  not  respond  to  the  call,  as  he  had  doubts  of  his 
authority  under  the  constitution  to  make  it.  Similar  re 
sponses  came  from  Tennessee,  Arkansas,  and  other  states. 
Maryland  and  Delaware  were  the  only  exceptions  to  a  per 
emptory  refusal.  Governor  Bieks  of  the-  former  state,  would 
raise  troops  only  for  the  defence  of  Washington,  and  not  for 
any  other  purpose.  Little  Delaware  took  her  place-  without 
hesitation  beside  the-  loyal  states.  Throughout  the  north  the 
lave-  of  the  old  flag  suddenly  became  a  passion,  and  the  stars- 
and  stripes  draped  every  street,  and  waved  from  every 
church  spire.  Patriotic  songs  were  in  every  mouth,  and  the 
regiments  gathering  to  their  places  of  rendezvous,  or  stream 
ing-  through  the  cities  towards  Washington,  were  greeted  by 
shouting  crowds ;  and  the  general  feeling  was  like  that 
which  accompanies  a  triumphal  march.  Civil  war  was  an 
evil  we  had  never  contemplated— besides,  we  had  been 
taught  so  long  to  regard  it  as  a  political  bugbear,  a  mere 
party  menace,  that  we  looked  upon  it  with  little  or  no  alarm. 
More  than  this,  the  north  had  been  told  so  long  by  unscru 
pulous  politicians,  that  the  south  dare  not  fight,  that  at  the 
first  call  to-  arms  the  slaves  would  rush  into  insurrection, —that 
it  really  believed  at  the  first  show  of  determination,  the 
south  would  decline  the  contest.  The  people  at  the  south 
had  been  beguiled  in  the  same  manner  by  their  lead 
ers — they  had  been  assured  over  and  over  again,  that 
the  money  loving  north  would  never  go  to  war  with  the 
source  of  their  wealth — a  race-  of  shop  keepers  would  never 
fight  for  a  sentiment,  and  if  they  attempted  it,  would  be 
crushed  at  the  first  onset  by  the  chivalrous,  warlike  south. 
Thus  the  two  sections  were  hurried,  through  ignorance  and 


66    SOUTHERN   PRIVATEERS. VIRGINIA    SECEDES. 

blind  presumption,  towards  all  the  untold  horrors  of  civil 
war.  It  was  plain  to  every  one  who  had  studied  the  history 
of  nations  carefully,  that  this  blind  confidence  on  both  sides 
was  doomed  to  a  terrible  disappointment. 

The  proclamation  of  the  President  was  met  on  the  part  of 
Davis  of  the  Southern  Confederacy  by  one  calling  on  the 
southern  states  for  volunteers,  and  also  for  persons  to  take 
out  letters  of  marque  as  privateers,  to  prey  on  the  commerce 
of  the  north.  The  call  for  volunteers  was  responded  to 
with  the  same  alacrity  as  that  of  President  Lincoln  had  been, 
and  the  same  enthusiasm  was  exhibited.  Like  the  north, 
they  thought  there  might  be  some  conquering,  but  there 
would  be  but  little  fighting.  With  many,  however,  especi 
ally  the  more  religious  class,  a  different  feeling  prevailed. 
They  had  been  told,  and  they  believed,  that  the  seventy-five 
thousand  men  summoned  to  the  field  by  Mr.  Lincoln,  were 
not  designed  for  the  defence  of  Washington,  but  to  com 
mence  the  work  of  emancipation  by  direct  invasion  of  theii 
soil,  and  hence  rushed  to  arms  under  the  full  belief  that  they 
were  called  upon  to  defend  their  homes,  and  firesides,  and 
all  they  held  dear. 

Immediately  on  the  issue  of  the  President's  proclamation, 
Virginia,  which  had  long  been  wavering,  through  her  con 
vention  elected  to  determine  the  matter,  declared  herself  out 
of  the  Union.  It  is  more  than  probable  that  this  was  done 
by  direct  fraud — at  least  intimidation  was  used.  Her  best 
men,  and  among  them  John  Minor  Botts,  fought  against 
it  to  the  last.  It  is  difficult  to  •  say  what  motives  promp 
ted  the  leaders  in  this  state  to  such  a  suicidal  course.  The 
western  part  was  known  to  be  loyal,  and  certainly  a  large 
minority  of  the  eastern.  Besides,  in  the  issue  of  war, 
which  ever  side  should  succeed,  site  was  certainly  to  consti 
tute  the  chief  battle  ground,  and  must  be  ruined  in  .the  con 
test.  It  is  probable,  that  proud  from  her  traditions,  and 


EMBARRASSMENT  OF  THE  GOVERNMENT.      67 

overestimating  her  importance  in  the  Union,  she  really 
believed,  that  by  casting  her  lot  in  with  the  southern  con 
federacy,  she  secured  the  co-operation  of  every  southern 
state,  and  thus  made  the  contest  so  even,  that  the  north 
would  not  attempt  coercion;  while  the  magnitude  of  the 
rebellion  would  secure  at  once  the  recognition  of  foreign 
powers.  Thus  civil  war  would  be  prevented  altogether. 

The  government,  at  this  crisis,  was  surrounded  with  diffi 
culties  calculated  to  bewilder  the  strongest  minds.  Treason 
was  on  every  side,  and  it  knew  not  where  to  strike,  nor  had 
it  the  means  to  plant  the  blows  it  knew  should  be  given. 
Every  thing  had  been  thrown  into  chaos,  and  in  the  whirl 
pool  of  conflicting  elements,  neither  the  President  nor  his 
Cabinet  seemed  to  know  what  to  do.  It  was  a  state  of  things 
never  anticipated,  and  hence  wholly  unprovided  for.  Mr. 
Lincoln  felt  himself  wholly  at  sea,  while  unfortunately  the 
two  Cabinet  officers  on  whom  the  nation  must  chiefly  rely 
had  not  been  selected  for  their  fitness  to  meet  such  a  crisis. 
Mr.  Cameron,  the  Secretary  of  War,  soon  proved  this  to  the 
satisfaction  of  the  country  and  the  President.  The  Secre 
tary  of  the  Navy,  though  a  man  of  probity  and  true  patriot 
ism,  could  not  be  expected  from  his  limited  experience  in 
naval  matters  to  give,  at  once,  this  arm  of  the  government 
its  full  efficiency.  At  all  events,  he  was  much  blamed  for  a 
heavy  disaster  following  the  fall  of  fort  Sumter.  The  navy 
yard  at  Norfolk,  was  the  largest,  and  the  most  important  one 
in  the  country.  To  the  rebels  it  was  of  vital  importance,  for 
notwithstanding  the  thefts  of  Floyd,  while  Secretary  of  War,- 
the  south  was  deficient  in  heavy  cannon,  and  here  were 
gathered  a  vast  number,  some  of  them  of  the  largest  caliber. 
Virginia  had  seceded,  and  her  Governor  had  summoned  the 
people  to  arms,  and  it  was  plain  to  the  simplest  mind,  that 
the  navy  yard  located  on  her  soil  would  be  the  first  object 
she  would  attempt  to  grasp,  and  yet  sufficient  precaution  was 


68      SURRENDER   OF    NORFOLK HARPER'S    FERRY. 

not  taken  to  prevent  the  catastrophe.  The  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  seemed  to  think  its  surrender  a  foregone  conclusion, 
and  intent  only  on  saving  the  vessels  there,  ordered  Commo 
dore  McCauley  to  remove  them  to  a  place  of  safety. 

When  he  found  it  was  not  done  he  despatched  Commo 
dore  Paulding  to  take  his  place.  When  the  latter  arrived 
he  found  that  they  were  being  destroyed,  the  Merrimac  and 
other  ships  having  already  been  scuttled.  Seeing  this  would 
not  prevent  their  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  he 
applied  the  torch  to  them  and  to  what  other  public  property 
he  could,  and  abandoned  the  place.  The  Cumberland, 
towed  down  by  the  tug  Yankee,  escaped  only  eventually  to 
meet  a  worse  fate  than  burning,  from  her  former  consort  the 
Merrimac.  The  country  enraged  asked  why  the  ships 
did  not  shell  the  batteries  the  enemy  were  erecting  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  the  place  itself,  and  leave  them  a  heap 
of  smoking  ruins,  and  destroy  the  guns.  Instead  of  this,  we 
succeeded  in  scuttling  and  firing  the  Pennsylvania,  Delaware, 
and  Columbus,  each  seventy-four  guns;  the  Merrimac  and 
Columbia,  forty-four ;  the  Raritan,  forty-five ;  the  sloops-of- 
war  Germantown  and  Plymouth,  each  twenty-two  guns ;  the 
brig  Dolphin,  a  powder  boat,  and  the  frigate  United  States, 
(in  ordinary.)  Of  these,  the  Merrimac  was  to  be  heard 
from  again.  The  value  of  the  property  was  estimated  at 
fifty  millions  of  dollars.  This,  however,  was  a  small  matter 
compared  to  the  advantage  we  gave  the  enemy  by  supply 
ing  him  with  hundreds  of  cannon. 

Two  days  before,  Lieutenant  Jones,  commanding  the  arsenal 
at,  Harper's  Ferry,  hearing  that  twenty-five  hundred  Vir 
ginians  were  advancing  to  seize  it,  set  it  on  fire,  destroying 
it  with  all  its  arms  and  munitions  of  war.  Why  these  had 
not  been  removed,  when  it  was  only  some  thirty  miles  to  a 
place  of  perfect  safety,  the  public  was  not  informed.  But 
for  the  gallant  conduct  of  Lieutenant  Jones,  the  arms  so 


INACTIVITY    OF    THE    GOVERNMENT.  69 

much  needed  by  the  rebels,  would  have  fallen  into  their 
hands. 

These  apparently  unnecessary  disasters,  produced  an  out 
burst  of  indignation  from  those  who  had  been  the  warmest 
friends  of  the  administration,  and  for  a  time  shook  seriously  the 
confidence  of  the  people.  .It is  true,  Gosport  navy  yard  was 
^  surrendered  five  days  after  the  proclamation  of  the  Presi 
dent  on  the  15th  of  April,  and  Harper's  Ferry  on  the  18th. 
Events  were  marching  with  fearful  rapidity,  the  hands  of 
the  government  were  tied  for  the  want  of  means  to  carry 
out  its  plans,  and  it  knew  not  where  to  look  for  loyal  menN 
But  with  six  weeks  (the  time  since  the  inauguration  of  the 
President)  in  which  to  gather  its  energies,  it  might  have 
done  something.  The  fault  was,  that  those  six  weeks  had 
been  wasted  in  listening  to  the  claims  of  politicians  greedy 
of  places.  With  the  lightning  rending  the  clouds  that  were 
rolling  up  the  angry  heavens,  and  the  thunder  breaking  on 
every  side,  the  administration  calmly  devoted  itself  to  the 
filling  of  offices.  All  this  time  the  rebels  were  at  work. 


CHAPTER    IY. 

APRIL,  1861. 

ENTHUSIASM  OF  THE   PEOPLE  AND  BASENESS   OF  CONTRACTORS MARCH  OF  THE 

REGIMENTS THE      MASSACHUSETTS     SIXTH     ATTACKED     IN     BALTIMORE DE 
PARTURE  OF  THE  SEVENTH  NEW  YORK ENTHUSIASM  SOUTH FEARS  OF  THE 

PEOPLE  AND  MAYOR  OF  BALTIMORE COLLISION  PREVENTED  BY  THE    TROOPS 

GOING  BY  WAY    OF  "ANNAPOLIS — THEIR    ARRIVAL    AT    WASHINGTON DEFEC 
TION  IN    THE    ARMY    AND    NAVY— -ROBERT    E.    LEE—  EFFECT    OF    THE    STATES* 

RIGHTS  DOCTRINE GREAT  UNION    MEETING    IN    NEW    YORK ITS    RECEPTION 

SOUTH PROCLAMATION     OF     THE     PRESIDENT     INCREASING     THE     STANDING 

ARMY TENNESSEE     JOINS     THE     SOUTH ACTION     OF     THE      GOVERNMENT 

SUSPENSION    OF    THE    WRIT    OF    HABEAS    CORPUS — MISTAKE    IN    NOT    CALLING 
CONGRESS  TOGETHER  SOONER. 

WHILE  indecision  wa  i  thus  characterizing  the  govern 
ment  at  Washington,  patriotism  and  a  stern  determi 
nation  to  settle  the  quarrel  by  the  bayonet,  were  rousing  the 
people  of  the  north,  and  it  was  soon  evident  that  a  power 
was  gathering  that  the  government  must  control  and  let 
loose  on  the  rebellion,  or  it  would  go  down  before  it.  To  a 
thoughtful  man,  this  indecision  of  the  administration  on  the 
one  hand,  and  this  tremendous  energy  and  purpose  of  the 
people  on  the  other,  were  calculated  to  awaken  serious  alarm. 
The  people  had  forgotten  politics,  and  were  fully  aroused 
to  the  danger  of  the  country.  The  regiments  kept  pouring 
in,  but,  relying  on  the  government  to  provide  for  their  wants, 
were  ill  supplied  with  the  things  necessary  to  their  comfort 
and  efficiency.  Seeing  this  state  of  things,  a  Union  Defence 
Committee  was  formed  in  New  York  to  supply  the  troops 
with  necessary  means.  But  politicians,  greedy  of  gain,  soon 
assumed  control  of  its  affairs  in  order  to  fill  their  own  pockets. 
General  Wool,  who  came  to  New  York  to  direct  matters, 
attempted  to  put  a  stop  to  the  wasteful  extravagance,  but 


MARCH    OF    THE    GATHERING    HOSTS.  73 

through  the  efforts  of  these  same  politicians,  who  had  an 
influence  with  the  government  at  Washington, 'was  sent  home 
to  Troy  in  disgrace.  Contractors  all  over  the^country  took 
advantage  of  the  general  enthusiasm  to  rob  the  public  treas 
ury,  and  unmolested  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  expe 
rienced  no  difficulty  in  amassing  wealth  out  of  the 
public  necessities.  The  people  had  no  eyes  for  these  gi 
gantic  swindling  operations — they  saw  only  their  country's 
flag  in  danger,  and  were  pressing  to  its  defense.  From  east 
to  west  arose  the  murmur  of  gathering  hosts.  Massachusetts 
and  Rhode  Island,  Ohio,  Illinois,  and  Indiana,  and  the  far 
west  moved  simultaneously.  The  Massachusetts  Sixth  led 
the  van,  and  four  days  after  the.  President's  proclamation 
was  issued  were  entering  Baltimore.  Threats  had  been  ut 
tered  that  northern  troops  should  not  be  allowed  to  pass 
through  the  city  to  the  Capital,  which  was  now  threatened 
on  every  side.  Patrols  were  kept  up  night  and  day  over  the 
long  bridge — cannon  commanded  its  passage — the  govern 
ment,  under  the  veteran  and  patriot  Scott,  was  securing  itself 
as  best  it  could  with  its  limited  means,  anxiously  looking 
northward  for  the  troops  hastening  to  its  defense.  The 
Massachusetts  Sixth,  occupying  eleven  cars,  reached  Balti 
more  on  the  19th  of  April,  and  proceeded  quietly  through 
the  streets,  drawn  by  horses,  to  the  (Jepot  on  the  farther  side. 
As  they  advanced,  the  crowd,  which  had  been  collected, 
steadily  increased,  so  that  the  horses  could  hardly  effect  a 
passage  through  it.  Soon  shouts  and  yells,  mingled  with 
threats,  arose,  on  every  side,  followed  by  stones,  brick-bajs, 
and  other  missiles,  which  rained  in  a  perfect  shower  on  the 
cars,  smashing  the  windows  and  wounding  the  soldiers  within. 
The  latter,  however,  made  no  resistance,  but  kept  quietly  on 
their  way,  and  nine  of  the  cars  reached  the  depot  in  safety, 
and  started  for  Washington.  The  two  remaining  cars,  car 
rying  about  one  hundred,  were  thus  cut  off  from  the  main 


74  MASSACRE    IN    BALTIMORE. 

body,  and  hemmed  in  by  some  eight  thousand  infuriated 
men.  At  this  moment  news  came  that  the  Pennsylvania 
volunteers  had  arrived,  and  were  about  to  follow  the  Massa 
chusetts  regiment.  This  increased  the  excitement,  and  the 
Massachusetts  troops,  rinding  the  cars  could  not  go  on,  came 
out,  and  forming  in  a  solid  square,  with  fixed  bayonets,  and 
at  the  double-quick,  began  to  advance — the  Mayor  of  Balti 
more,  who  had  in  vain  endeavored  to  keep  the  peace — at 
their  head.  This  was  the  signal  for  a  storm  of  brick-bats, 
stones,  and  clubs,  varied  with  an  occasional  shot  from  a  re 
volver  or  musket.  The  soldiers  suffered  severely,  but  bore 
the  indignity  and  violence  with  a  forbearance  that  was  won 
derful.  The  firing  increasing  in  severity,  and  one  after 
another  of  the  soldiers  falling  wounded,  and  two  being  killed, 
their  companions  became  exasperated,  and  leveled  their  miis- 
kets  at  the  crowd.  No  order  was  given  to  fire,  nor  was  there 
any  platoon  firing — the  shots  that  were  delivered  were  scat 
tering,  being  fired  by  a  few  whose  forbearance  was  not  equal 
to  such  a  trial — and  thus,  struggling  through  the  crowd,  they 
at  length  reached  the  depot  with  two  killed  and  eight 
wounded,  and  embarked  for  Washington.  Seven  of  the 
rioters  were  killed,  and  several  wounded.  No  other  but  New 
England  troops  (with  loaded  muskets  in  their  hands)  would 
have  borne  that  attack  with  such  moderation.  The  com 
manding  officer  would  have  been  perfectly  justified  in  order 
ing  a  general  volley  into  the  crowd,  and  then  a  charge  of 
bayonet,  which  would  have  left  the  streets  of  Baltimore 
slippery  with  the  blood  of  its  lawless  citizens.  The  news  of 
this  murderous  outrage  filled  the  north  with  boundless  rage, 
and  the  universal  cry  was,  to  lay  the  city  in  ashes,  if  neces 
sary,  to  secure  a  safe  transit  for  our  troops.  The  mob  im 
mediately  took  possession  of  Baltimore,  and  the  President 
was  notified  by  the  Mayor  and  Governor  that  no  more  troops 
be  allowed  to  pass  through  the  city.  But  the  stop- 


ENTHUSIASM    OF    THE    PEOPLE,  75 

page  of  the  direct  route  to  the  Capital  was  not  to  be  enter 
tained  for  a  moment.  If  troops  could  reach  the  seat  of 
government  in  no  other  way,  they  must  do  it  over  heaps  of 
dead  and  smouldering  ruins.  The  news  reached  New  York 
just  before  the  Seventh  Regiment — the  favorite  regiment  of 
the  city,  composed  of  some  of  the  most  intelligent  and 
wealthy  young  men  of  the  metropolis,  and  perfect  in  its  ap 
pointments  and  drill — set  out.  This  superb  body  of  men 
heard  it,  and  took  forty -eight  rounds  of  cartridge  to  clear  a 
passage  for  themselves.  Other  regiments  followed,  and  a 
bloody  fight  was  expected  in  Baltimore, 

Massachusetts,  in  six  days,  responded  to  the  President's 
proclamation  with  five  full  regiments  of  infantry,  a  batallion 
of  rifles,  and  a  fine  corps  of  flying  artillery.  The  south  was 
equally  alert  in  answering  the  call  of  Davis  for  volunteers,  and 
even  Alabama,  in  the  same  short  space  of  time,  had  five 
thousand  ready  to  march  for  the  seat  of  war.  The  same  en 
thusiasm  attended  the  passage  of  troops  from  both  sections  of 
the  country.  Crowds  were  gathered  to  witness  theii  depart 
ure  and  herald  their  progress  through  the  various  towns. 
Flags  were  presented,  patriotic  speeches  delivered,  and 
»  shouts  and  words  of  greeting,  and  waving  of  handkerchiefs, 
and  flaunting  of  streamers,  made  their  march  one  great  ova 
tion.  To  a  spectator,  these  hostile  forces  appeared  as  if  they 
were  gathering  to  some  grand  and  peaceful  review,  instead 
of,  being  citizens  of  the  same  republic,  hastening  to  imbrue 
their  hands  in  each  other's  blood. 

In  the  mean  time,  all  eyes  at  the  north  were  turned  to 
wards  Baltimore,  in  expectation  of  a  bloody  battle  in  its 
streets.  A  delegation  from  the  young  men's  "  Christian  As 
sociation"  of  the  city  waited  on  the  President,  and  Governor 
Hicks  presented  a  communication,  asking  that  the  troops 
might  not  pass  through  Maryland,  and  for  a  cessation  of  hos 
tilities  till  a  reference  of  the  national  dispute  could  be 


76  ARRIVAL   OF   TROOPS  IN   WASHINGTON. 

made  to  Lord  Lyons,  the  British  Minister  to  the  United 
States,  at  Washington.  The  President,  through  the  Secre 
tary  of  State,  replied  that  our  troubles  could  not  be  referred 
to  a  foreign  arbitrament,  and  that  the  Commander-in- Chief 
had  decided  that  the  troops  must  come  through  to  Washing 
ton — there  was  no  alternative. 

The  dreaded  collision  was  prevented  by  the  troops 
stopping  at  Havre  de  Grace,  and  taking  steamers  for  Annap 
olis.  General  B.  R  Butler  had  taken  his  regiment  by  this 
route,  and  there  the. New  York  Seventh  joined  it,  and  were 
placed  under  the  command  of  that  officer.  We  had  the  Naval 
Academy  here,  and  the  old  frigate  Constitution,  with  cadets 
aboard,  was  attached  to  it.  This  the  rebels  had  planned  to 
seize,  but  were  prevented  by  the  prompt  action  of  Butler. 
This  officer  then  seized  the  railroad  leading  to  Washington — • 
relaid  the  track  that  had  been  torn  up — took  possession  of 
the  hights  around  Annapolis,  and  hurried  on  the  troops  to 
the  menaced  Capital.  .Marching  through  the  darkness  along 
the  uneven  trackT  expecting  every  moment  to  be  greeted 
with  hostile  vollies  from  the  woods  that  lined  the  deep  cuts 
in  the  way,  the  New  York  Seventh,  tired  and  worn  out,  at 
length  reached  Washington,  and  marched  up  Pennsylvania 
avenue  to  the  President's  mansion.  Shcuts  and  the  waving 
of  handkerchiefs  greeted  them,  and  the  hearts  of  the  loyal 
men  of  the  city  were  relieved  of  the  heavy  fears  that  had 
oppressed  them.  A  feeble  effort  was  made  by  Governor 
Hicks  to  prevent  troops  from  crossing  the  state  by  this  route, 
but  a  passage  had  been  cleared,  and  it  was  resolved  that 
nothing  should  close  it  Regiment  after  regiment  was  now 
hurried  forward,  and  though  much  privation  and  suffering 
were  endured,  owing  to  the  want  of  proper  preparations, 
which  there  had  been  no  time  to  make,  yet  no  murmuring 
was  heard.  Both  chambers  of  Congress,  all  the  public 
squares,  and  even  the  President's  house,  were  filled  with 


DEFECTION    IN    THE    ARMY    AND    NAVY.  77 

troops,  till  Washington  looked  like  a  besieged  city.  Arms 
were  stacked  in  the  Rotunda  of  the  Capitol,  fire  Zouaves 
lounged  in  the  cushioned  seats  of  members  of  Congress,  and 
the  building  itself  was  turned  into  a  fortification.  General 
Scott,  though  past  his  three-score-and-ten,  seemed  endowed 
with  the  energy  of  youth,  and  immediately  set  on  foot  meas 
ures  for  the  security  of  the  national  Capital  The  nation 
breathed  free  again,  for  the  seat  of  government  was  safe. 
The  south  had  threatened  to  seize  it,  and  its  possession  by 
them,  it  was  felt,  would  be  an  advantage  at  the  outset  not 
easily  overcome.  Had  Virginia  been  the  first,  instead  of 
among  the  last  to  have  joined  the  southern  confederacy,  it 
would  easily  have  fallen  into  their  hands.  A  few  heavy  guns, 
planted  on  Arlington  Eights,  would  have  rendered  it  un 
tenable. 

Now  commenced  defections  in  the  army  and  navy,  and  it 
was  impossible  to  tell  whom  to  trust.  A  large  portion  of 
the  officers  in  both  branches  of  service  were  natives  of  the 
south.  Since  the  war  with  Mexico,  resignations  of  officers 
of  the  army  belonging  to  the  north,  in  order  to  accept  more 
lucrative  civil  positions,  had  been  numerous,  while  those  from 
the  south  had  retained  their  places.  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee, 
connected  with  the  family  of  Washington,  and  a  great  favor 
ite  of  Scott's,  and  who  stood  high  in  the  public  estimation, 
hesitated  long  before  he  cast  his  lot  in  with  the  rebels.  As 
he  sat  on  his  piazza  at  Arlington  House,  and  gazed  off  on  the 
Capital,  he  shed  bitter  tears  while  he  revolved  the  painful 
question  in  his  mind  whether  he  should  stand  by  the  Union  or 
go  with  his  native  state,  but  finally  felt  it  his  duty  to  cast  his 
fortunes  in  with  the  latter.  In  this  crisis  of  our  affairs,  we 
first  felt  the  full  evils  of  the  states'  right  doctrine,  so  long  and 
so  ably  advocated  by  Calhoun.  We  saw,  too,  one  of  the  in 
herent  weaknesses  of  our  form  of  government.  There  ever 
will  be  more  or  less  of  a  conflict  between  state  sovereignty 


78  PATRIOTISM   AT   THE   NORTH. 

and  the  confederated  government.  A  man  who  holds  a 
double  allegiance — one  to  his  state,  and  another  to  the 
United  States — will  not  always  fix  the  exact  line  where  fealty 
to  one  ends,  and  loyalty  to  the  other  begins  to  be  paramount. 
We  at  the  north  did  not  allow  enough  for  this  in  our  charity, 
and  never  have  since.  To  strike  at  "one's  own  mother,  and 
join  those  who  are  to  invade  his  native  soil,  and  help  slay  his 
own  kindred  and  neighbors,  requires  a  higher  patriotism 
and  loftier  sense  of  duty  than  belongs  to  most  men.  Hence, 
those  at  the  south  who  stood  the  test  of  this  terrible  ordeal, 
and  remained  faithful  to  the  national  flag  throughout,  deserve 
greater  honor  than  the  most  successful  warrior  of  the  north. 
The  spoiling  of  our  goods,  the  entreaties  and  taunts  of  kin 
dred  and  friends,  imprisonment,  and  even  death,  are  easier  to 
be  borne  than  to  come  as  an  enemy  into  the  home  of  our 
childhood. 

While  matters  were  assuming  such  a  warlike  aspect  around 
Washington,  the  entire  north  became  a  great  camp,  and  the 
sound  of  arms,  and  the  strains  of  military  bands,  drowned  the 
bum  of  industry,  and  occupied  the  thoughts  of  young  and 
old.  Patriotic  sermons  were  preached,  prayer^were  offered, 
and  voluntary  contributions  made,  and  war  became  the  theme 
of  every  tongue.  The  great  north-west  was  stirred  like  a 
hive,  and  her  hardy  sons  gathered  in  uncounted  thousands  to 
the  defense  of  the  national  flag.  A  similar  military  frenzy 
swept  the  south,  and  the  two  sections  that  had  so  long  been 
members  of  the  same  government,  now  seemed  impelled  by 
a  burning  desire  to  close  in  mortal  conflict.  Hitherto,  New 
York  city,  the  stronghold  of  democracy,  and  the  emporium 
of  the  country,  had  not  spoken.  Her  trade  with  the  south 
had  been  one  of  her  chief  sources  of  wealth.  She  had  also 
millions  at  stake,  in  the  shape  of  debts,  owed  by  merchants 
and  planters  there.  She  had  never  been  accused  of  fanati 
cism,  and  no  sickly  sentimentality  or  mock  philanthropy 


GREAT     UNION     MEETING.  79 

characterized  those  who  controled  her  world-wide  commerce. 
The  President  had  issued  a  proclamation  on  the  19th  of  the 
month,  blockading  all  the  southern  ports,  and  denouncing  as 
pirates  the  privateers  commissioned  by  Jefferson  Davis.  The 
commerce  of  New  York  must  stop,  her  southern  debts  re 
main  unpaid,  and  her  wharves  and  storehouses  stand  idle,  in 
order  that  a  political  faction  might  carry  out  its  mad  and  un 
constitutional  schemes,  was  the  language  of  the  south.  Would 
she  submit  to  such  a  state  of  things,  was  a  question  every 
where  asked,  and  the  universal  response  was  uno!"  The 
truth  of  this  was  soon  to  be  tested,  for  a  Union  meeting  was 
called  to  be  held  in  Union  Square  on  the  20th  April.  This 
meeting  was  one  of  the  largest  ever  assembled  on  this, conti 
nent.  Leading  men  from  every  part  of  the  country,  demo 
crats,  republicans,  and  whigs  joined  hearts  and  voices,  and 
from  the  uncounted  thousands  that  were  gathered  but  one 
cry  went  up,  "down  witli  the  rebellion /"  New  York  had  at 
last  spoken,  and  with  bankruptcy  staring  her  in  the  face,  de 
clared  she  would  stand  or  fall  with  the  government.  The 
news  of  this  meeting  was  received  with  astonishment  at  the 
south.  At  New  Orleans  such  a  state  of  public  excitement 
was  created  that  the  police  had  -  to  be  called  out  to  keep 
down  the  mob.  The  last  hope  of  the  rebels  of  sympathy 
from  the  north  had  failed  them.  The  latter  was  a  unit,  no 
division  weakened  its  force,  and  the  dread  issue  which  the 
south  had  provoked,  she  now  saw  was  to  be  settled  by  the 
comparative  strength  of  the  two  sections.  As  a  last  resort 
she  turned  to  Europe,  and  despatched  Messrs.  Mann  and 
Yancey  to  obtain  a  recognition  of  their  government,  and  to 
get  the  blockade  broken  by  promising  free  trade  and  an 
ample  supply  of  cotton.  The  conspirators,  instead  of  flinch 
ing  at  the  dread  prospect  that  opened  before  them,  grew 
bolder.  Though  Missouri  was  divided,  Kentucky  neutral, 
and  the  western  part  of  Virginia  in  open  revolt  against  their 


80  CALL     FOR     VOLUNTEERRS. 

assumed  government,  they  boldly  pressed  the  issue  of 
combat.  United  States  vessels  were  seized  in  southern 
ports — the  Star  of  the  West  captured  at  Galveston,  and 
turned  into  a  southern  national  vessel — forts  in  Arkansas  and 
Texas  were  seized,  and  arsenals  and  troops  captured,  and 
northern  property  confiscated  as  recklessly  as  though  no  day 
of  reckoning  was  at  hand. 

On  the  3d  of  May,  the  President  issued  an  important  procla 
mation,  portions  of  which  caused  a  good  deal  of  discussion  at 
the  north.  He  called  for  forty- two  thousand  and  thirty-four 
volunteers  to  serve  for  three  years  or  the  war,  and 
directed  the  increase  of  the  regular  army  by  the  addition  of 
eight  regiments  of  infantry,  one  of  cavalry,  and  one  of  artil 
lery,  and  the  enlistment  of  eight ee en  thousand  seamen  for 
not  less  than  one  nor  more  than  three  years  in  the  navy.  It 
was  asked  where  the  President  obtained  the  power  to 
increase  the  regular  army  without  the  sanction  of  Congress 
which  could  not  meet  for  two  months  to  come.  If  he  could 
increase  it  by  ten  thousand  men,  why  not  by  a  hundred 
thousand ;  and  if  it  could  be  called  together  two  months 
before  the  meeting  of  Congress,  why  not  for  a  year.  It  was 
undoubtedly  an  extraordinary  stretch  of  executive  authority 
considering  the  well  known  repugnance  of  the  people  to  a 
large  standing  army.  But  in  the  appalling  evils  that  threat 
ened  the  government,  and  in  the  anxiety  to  save  the  country 
at  any  and  all  hazards,  the  remonstrances  uttered  against  the 
measure  by  a  portion  of  the  northern  press  were  little 
heeded,  or  drowned  in  the  one  cry  for  self-preservation. 

The  south  openly  proclaimed  its  determination  to  have 
Washington,  and  the  two  armies  were  rapidly  coming  fece  to 
face  on  the  Potomac.  At  the  West  the  neutral  position  of 
Kentucky,  which  had  resolved  to  side  with  neither  party,  but 
present  herself  as  a  barrier  to  prevent  the  collision  of  armies 
along  the  Mississippi,  alarmed  the  government,  and  troops 


THE       COMING     CONTEST.  81 

were  concentrated  at  Cairo,  which  in  turn  was  looked  upon  by 
the  traitorous  governor  of  that  state,  McGoffin,  as  a  menace. 
In  the  mean  time,  Tennessee  had  entered  into  a  league  with 
the  southern  confederacy,  which,  in  a  few  days  (May  llth), 
ended  in  her  formally  joining  it.  Affairs  gradually  assumed 
definite  form.  The  only  three  forts  of  importance  in  the 
slave  states  which  at  present  we  could  reach,  Me  Henry  at* 
Baltimore,  Monroe  in  Virginia,  and  Pickens  at  Pensacola,  had 
been  reinforced,  and  the  number  of  states  we  must  meet  in 
open  rebellion  pretty  nearly  ascertained.  Maryland  had  re 
considered  her  action,  and  under  the  leadership  of  her  loyal 
governor,  decided  to  remain  in  the  Union.  Missouri,  it  was 
evident,  must  be  the  scene  of  fierce  internal  strife.  Her 
governor,  Jackson,  was  a  traitor,  and  a  great  portion  of  the 
southern  and  western  parts  of  the  state  for  secession,  while  St 
Louis  stood  loyal.  Kentucky  was  still  firm  in  her  determi 
nation  to  stand  neutral,  though  the  government  well  knew 
that  every  effort  would  be  made  through  her  governor  and 
the  late  Vice  President,  Breckenridge,  and  other  leaders  to 
take  her  over  to  the  south.  Against  these  were  the  noble 
Romans,  Crittenden,  Holt,  and  others,  and  the  powerful  in 
fluence  of  the  Louisville  Journal,  edited  by  Prentice.  It  was* 
not  difficult,  therefore,  to  measure  somewhat  the  magnitude 
of  the  coming  contest.  Some  reliance  was  placed  on  the 
portions  of  North  Carolina,  Georgia,  Tennessee,  and  Ala 
bama,  bordering  on  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  for  their ' 
inhabitants  had  shown  from  the  outset  an  invincible  repug 
nance  to  leaving  the  Union.  Still,  for  the  present,  until 
victory  was  thoroughly  inaugurated,  they  would  practically 
have  to  be  left  out  of  the  calculation. 

Secretary  Seward  had  previously  instructed  our  foreign 
ministers  who  had  been  hurried  abroad  to  see  to  our  interests 
in  foreign  courts,  that  the  United  States  would  permit  no 
interference  whatever  in  our  domestic  troubles.  It  was 


82  TRAITORS. — HABEAS  CORPUS. 

especially  important  that  France  and  England  should  not  be 
induced  by  the  representations  of  southern  commissioners  to 
recognize  the  Southern  Confederacy.  Attention  was  then 
turned  to  clearing  all  departments  at  home  of  secret  traitors. 
This  latter  was  no  easy  task,  for  they  swarmed  in  every 
public  office  at  Washington,  and  were  busily  at  work  in  every 
important  city  at  the  north.  The  telegraph  was  suddenly 
seized  to  find  evidence  of  treason.  Numerous  arrests  fol 
lowed,  anl  some  thus  seized  took  advantage  of  the  writ  of 
habeas  corpus  to  get  released.  The  President  felt  it  neces 
sary  in  self-protection  to  suspend  this  writ,  which  caused  a 
great  deal  of  angry  discussion  at  the  north,  for  the  power  of 
doing  so  had  always  been  supposed  to  lodge  in  Congress 
alone,  and  was  never  before  assumed  by  the  chief  executive. 
The  right  to  exercise  it  admitted  the  most  serious  doubts.  It 
was  one  that  the  King  of  England  dare  not  assert. 
Congress  under  the  Constitution,  rules  the  republic,  and  tho 
President,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  reserved  rights, 
designed  mostly  to  act  as  a  check  on  unconstitutional  legisla 
tion,  is  but  its  minister  to  carry  out  its  will ;  and  no  antici 
pation  of  evil  can  justify  an  unnecessary  assumption  of  its 
appropriate  powers.  If  the  President  had  assembled  Con 
gress  sooner  he  would  have  been  spared  many  executive  acts 
that  furnish  at  least  bad  precedents  for  the  future.  The 
people,  however,  submitted,  for  in  the  present  imminent 
danger  they  refused  to  consider  remote  evils. 


CHAPTER    V. 

MAY-JUNE,  1861. 


PUBLIC  EXPECTATION  -  POSITION  OF  THE  FORCES  IN  FRONT  OF  WASHINGTON—* 
APPOINTMENT  OF  GENERALS  -  OCCUPATION-  OF  ALEXANDRIA  -  MURDER,  OF 
COLONEL  ELLSWORTH  -  EFFECT  ON  THE  NORTH  -  FIGHT  AT  BIG  BETHEL  - 
FEELING  OF  THE  PEOPLE  RESPECTING  IT  -  CAPTAIN  LYON  AT  ST.  LOUIS  -  RE 
FUSES  TO  OBEY  THE  PUBLIC  COMMISSIONERS  OF  THE  CITY  -  TAKES  THE 
ENTIRE  FORCE  OF  GOVERNOR  JACKSON  AND  GENERAL  PRICE,  PRISONERS  -  HIS 
TROOPS  MOBBED  -  PURSUES  JACKSON  -  FIGHT  AT  BOONEVILLE  -  GENERAL 
BARNEY  -  HIS  VACILLATING  COURSE  -  MC  CLELLANMADE  MAJOR-GENERAL  AND 
SENT  TO  WESTERN  VIRGINIA  -  HIS  PAST  CAREER  -  HARPEIi's  FERRY  EVACU 
ATED  -  CONCENTRATION  OF  THE  REBELS  AT  MANASSAS  JUNCTION  -  FIGHT  AT 
PHILLIPPI  -  KELLY  WOUNDED  -  SCHENCK  SURPRISED  NEAR  VIENNA  -  THE 
QUESTION  OF  FUGITIVE  SLAVES  -  CAPTURE  OF  THE  FIRST  REBEL  PRIVATEER 
SAVANNAH  -  THE  PRIVATEER  SUMTER  AT  SEA. 


uncertainty  and  chaos  into  which  civil  war  always 
JL  throws  a  country,  especially  one  with  a  democratic  form 
of  government,  occasioned  at  this  time  but  little  concern  with 
the  great  body  of  the  people;  for  they  confidently  believed 
the  great  battle  to  be  close  at  hand  which  should  at  once 
settle  the  controversy  and  restore  the  supremacy  of  the 
federal  power. 

Hence  all  eyes  were  turned  to  the  Potomac,  for  it  was 
evident  that  the  first  serious  collision  must  take  place  in  front 
of  Washington.  From  the  Chesapeake  to  Edward's  Ferry, 
twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  above  the  Capital,  the  southern 
confederacy  was  resolved  to  defend  the  "sacred  soil  of  Vir 
ginia,  "  as  it  was  called,  from  invasion.  In  the  mean  time, 
the  appointment  of  brigadier  and  major-generals  became  an 
every  day  occurrence,  and  although  it  was  not  governed  by 
political  considerations  alone,  these  controlled  it  far  too  much 
at  first. 


84  MURDER   OF    ELLSWORTH. 

It  soon  became  apparent  that  Alexandria,  a  few  miles  from. 
Washington,  must  be  occupied,  in  order  to  secure  the  safety 
of  the  Capital.  So  on  the  24th  of  May,  a  little  after  noon, 
General  Mansfield,  with  the  seventh  New  York  regiment, 
left  their  camp  at  Washington,  and  proceeded  to  the  Alex 
andria  bridge.  Another  force,  at  the  same  time,  passed  the 
Chain  bridge,  a  few  miles  above  Washington,  and  took  pos 
session  of  the  Loudon  and  Hampshire  railroad,  capturing 
two  trains  and  several  hundred  passengers.  Other  regiments 
took  part  in  this  general  movement  into  Virginia,  making  in 
all  some  thirteen  thousand  men.  Several  companies,  among 
them  three  of  the  fire  Zouaves  of  New  York,  proceeded  in 
steamers  direct  to  Alexandria.  About  five  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  Colonel  Ellsworth,  the  Zouave  commander,  landed 
in  good  order,  and  marched  forward  in  double-quick,  driving 
the  rebels  before  him.  One  company  was  immediately  de 
tailed  to  destroy  the  railroad  track  leading  to  Richmond, 
while  Colonel  Ellsworth  with  the  remainder  proceeded  to  the 
telegraph  office  to  cut  the  wires.  On  his  way  through  the 
street,  he  caught  sight  of  a  large  secession  flag  flying  from  the 
top  of  the  Marshall  House  kept  by  a  person  named  Jackson. 
He  immediately  turned  and  entered  the  hall,  and  meeting  a 
man  asked,  u  Who  put  that  flag  up  ?"  The  man  answered, 
"  I  don't  know,  I  am  a  boarder  here."  The  colonel  then  with 
a  lieutenant,  the  chaplain,  and  four  privates,  proceeded  to 
the  top  of  the  house  and  cut  down  the  flag.  As  they  were 
coming  down  stairs,  preceded  by  private  Brownell,  they  met 
the  man  they  had  just  before  accosted,  standing  in  the  hall 
with  a  double-barreled  gun  in  his  hand.  Instantly  leveling 
it,  he  fired.  Both  barrels  were  discharged  at  once,  lodging 
their  contents  in  the  body  of  Colonel  Ellsworth.  He  was  at 
the  time  rolling  up  the  flag.  Suddenly  falling  forward  on 
his  face,  with  the  exclamation,  "My  God  !  "  he  instantly  ex 
pired.  Private  Brownell,  quickly  leveling  his  musket,  sent 


BIG    BETHEL.  85 

a  bullet  crashing  through  the  skull  of  the  murderer.  In 
about  ten  minutes  a  company  arrived,  and  making  a  litter  of 
their  muskets  carried  their  dead  commander  aboard  the 
boat. 

The  death  of  this  gallant  young  officer  produced  the  pro- 
foundest  sensation  throughout  the  north.  It  was  the  first 
great  sacrifice  on  the  altar  of  freedom,  and  his  remains  were  es 
corted  with  great  honor  to  his  friends  in  the  state  of  New  York. 

Skirmishing  between  pickets,  and  collisions  between  small 
bodies  of  troops,  in  which  the  Unionists  were  almost  inva 
riably  successful,  kept  the  public  feeling  at  fever  heat,  and 
inspired  the  north  with  unbounded  confidence  in  its  power  to 
crush  out  the  rebellion  in  a  very  short  time.  The  first  serious 
affair  occurred  at  Big  Bethel,  near  Fortress  Monroe.  In  the 
early  part  of  June,  a  few  regiments  under  the  command  of 
General  Pierce  were  sent  by  General  Butler  to  occupy  New 
port  News.  From  thence  they  proceeded  to  Little  Bethel 
which  they  occupied,  and  then  pushed  on  to  Big  Bethel. 
Here  they  were  met  by  the  enemy  entrenched  behind  works, 
and  after  a  short  action  driven  back  with  a  loss  in  killed  and 
wounded  of  some  forty  men.  The  whole  affair  was  badly 
managed — the  regiments  through  mistake  firing  into  each 
other — and  had  the  enemy  shown  any  energy  the  whole 
command  would  have  been  cut  up.  Lieutenant  Greble  of 
the  regular  service,  and  Major  Winthrop,  volunteer,  and  aid 
to  General  Butler,  were  among  the  killed.  This  disaster" 
awoke  a  storm  of  indignation  at  the  north.  Defeat  was  a 
contingency  never  anticipated,  and  the  most  unsparing  de 
nunciations  were  visited  on  the  heads  of  the  supposed  offend 
ers.  The  newspapers  now  began  to  assume  the  control  of 
military  matters,  and  it  was  evident  that  the  unreasonable 
demands  of  the  public  would  ere  long  force  the  government 
into  worse  blunders. 

In  the  mean  time,  Captain  Lyon  of  the  regular  army,  in 


86  GENERAL    LYON. 

command  of  the  arsenal  in  St.  Louis,  began  to  develop  those 
military  qualities  which  promised  to  make  him  one  of  the 
most  prominent  supporters  of  the  government.  In  May,  he 
refused  to  obey  the  order  of  the  police  commissioners  of  St. 
Louis  to  remove  all  the  United  States  troops  outside  the 
grounds.  Governor  Jackson,  with  General  Price,  took  the 
field  against  him,  and  established  a  camp  at  Jackson,  near  the 
city.  Lyon,  by  a  sudden  movement,  succeeded  in  surround 
ing  it,  and  taking  the  whole  force,  six  hundred  and  thirty- 
nine,  prisoners.  A  great  mob  followed  the  troops  back  to  the 
camp,  saluting  them  with  yells  and  volleys  of  stones.  One 
company,  receiving  orders  to  fire,  poured  a  volley  into  the 
crowd,  killing  twenty,  and  wounding  many  more,  which 
created  the  most  intense  excitement.  Promoted  to  the  rank 
of  Brigadier-General,  Lyon  dealt  his  blows  right  and  left  with 
a  vigor  that  showed  he  was  determined  to  make  short  work 
with  the  rebels.  Governor  Jackson  having  taken  position  at 
Jefferson  city,  he  moved  against  him  there.  The  latter  fled, 
burning  and  destroying  bridges,  railroads,  and  telegraphs  in 
his  retreat.  Reaching  Booneville,  forty  miles  distant,  and 
one  of  the  strongest  secession  towns  in  the  state,  he  made  a 
stand,  throwing  up  earthworks.  Pushing  on  after  him,  Lyon 
landed  four  miles  below  the  town,  and  after  crossing  several 
bluffs  commenced  ascending  a  slope  a  half  a  mile  long,  on  the 
top  of  which  the  enemy  were  posted  in  a  strong  position. 

FIGHT    AT    BOONEVILLE. 

Arriving  within  easy  range,  Captain  Totten  threw  some 
nine-pounder  shells  into  their  ranks,  while  the  infantry 
obliqued  to  the  right  and  left,  and  commenced  a  deadly  fire 
of  musketry.  The  enemy,  after  a  brisk  but  short  fire,  left 
the  lane  in  which  they  were  posted,  and  clambering  over  a 
fence  into  a  wheat  field,  again  formed  in  line  of  battle, 


GENERAL    HARNEY.  87 

and  advanced  some  twenty  steps  towards  the  Unionists.  The 
battle  now  fairly  commenced,  but  Lyon,  though  he  had  some 
two  thousand  troops  with  him,  owing  to  the  nature  of  the 
ground,  could  not  bring  more  than  live  hundred  into  action. 
He  led  the  advancing  column  in  person,  cheering  on  the  men. 
In  twenty  minutes  the  battle  was  over,  and  the  enemy,  flying 
in  every  direction,  hastened  in  their  retreat  by  the  cannon 
balls  that  went  ploughing  through  their  disordered  ranks. 

A  large  quantity  of  stores  fell  into  our  hands  with  two  se 
cession  flags.  Leaving  a  small  force  in  charge  of  the  camp, 
Lyon  pushed  on  to  Booneville,  and  when  near  the  town  was 
met  by  a  deputation  of  citizens  bearing  a  flag  of  truce.  The 
Union  inhabitants  received  him  with  every  demonstration  of 
joy,  and  soon  the  Stars  and  Stripes  waved  above  the  place. 
Here  he  issued  a  proclamation,  calling  on  the  rebels  to  lay 
down  their  arms,  and  threatening  with  punishment  those  who 
refused. 

General  Harney  was  at  this  time  commander  in  the  Depart 
ment  of  the  West,  as  it  was  termed,  and  though  his  loyalty 
had  been  called  in  question,  no  evidence  had  been  produced 
against  him.  It  was  evident,  however,  whether  from  aver 
sion  to  shedding  the  blood  of  citizens,  or  from  want  of  sym 
pathy  with  the  administration,  he  could  not  be  relied  upon 
in  the  prosecution  of  prompt  and  decided  measures.  Per 
haps,  however,  at  this  time  he  was  quite  up  to  the  adminis 
tration.  It  did  not  seem  so  much  averse  to  have  others  act 
with  energy,  as  it  was  disinclined  to  assume  responsibility  of 
doing  anything  which  would  produce  bloodshed. 

After  an  attack  of  the  mob  on  the  Home  Guards  at  St. 
Louis  in  May,  in  which  several  were  killed,  Harney  issued  a 
proclamation  rather  deprecatory  than  authoritative.  So  in  an 
agreement  he  afterwards  made  with  General  Price,  the  rebel 
Governor's  right  hand  man,  he  showed  a  willingness  to  tem 
porize  with  the  rebels,  which  Lyon,  with  his  greater  sagacity, 


<S~   OK  TFTR      "vf 

ISITY] 


88  GENERAL   MC  CLELLAN. 

and  clearer  ideas  of  the  rights  and  powers  of  the  general  gov 
ernment,  saw  was  foolish  and  suicidal. 


MCCLELLAN    ASSUMES    COMMAND   IN    VIRGINIA. 

Western  Virginia,  having  taken  a  decided  stand  for  the 
Union,  asked  for  assistance  in  men  and  arms  to  drive  the 
rebels  over  the  mountains.  George  B.  McClellan,  appointed  by 
the  President  as  major-general,  was  ordered  to  take  charge 
of  this  department.  Educated  at  West  Point,  he  saw  active 
service  in  Mexico,  and  afterwards,  with  two  others,  was  sent 
by  the  government  to  the  Criraea  to  witness  the  grand  mili 
tary  operations  going  on  there  between  Russia  and  the  com 
bined  forces  of  England  and  France.  Returning  from  this 
mission,  he  resigned  his  position  in  the  army  to  accept  the 
more  lucrative  one  of  President  of  a  western  railroad.  At 
the  breaking  out  of  the  rebellion  his  services  were  sought  for, 
and  he  was  the  first  to  receive  the  appointment  of  major- 
general  in  the  regular  army,  thus  ranking  next  to  General 
Scott,  for  General  Wool  was  only  major-general  by  brevet. 
Just  before  starting  for  Virginia,  in  the  latter  part  of  May, 
he  issued  an  address  to  his  soldiers  fall  of  spirit  and  patriot 
ism,  and  another  to  the  people  of  Virginia,  His  presence 
there,  and  the  occupation  of  Virginia  by  our  troops  in  front 
of  Washington,  stung  the  pride  of  the  south,  and  roused  the 
secessionists  to  the  highest  pitch  of  indignation.  The  north 
ern  hordes  had  dared  to  pollute  with  hostile  feet  southern 
soil,  and  the  cry  rung  over  the  slave  states  to  rise  and  hurl 
back  the  daring  invaders.  The  Potomac,  from  just  below 
Alexandria,  nearly  to  Fortress  Monroe,  began  to  be  lined 
with  their  batteries,  while  from  little  above  Washington,  the 
river,  for  most  of  the  way,  also  served  as  a  dividing  line  be: 
tween  the  hostile  forces.  The  movements  of  our  troops, 
however,  rendered  the  occupation  of  Harper's  Ferry  which 


BATTLE    OP    PHILLIPPI.  89 

the  rebels  had  held  since  Lieutenant  Jones  set  fire  to  the 
public  works  there  untenable,  and  they  evacuated  it.  Their 
main  force  was  rapidly  concentrating  at  Manassas  Junction, 
a  strong  natural  position,  about  thirty  miles  southward  from 
Washington.  Skirmishing  between  the  pickets  along  the 
lines  was  now  incessant,  relieved  occasionally  by  more  or  less 
important  engagements  between  large  bodies  of  troops. 

FIGHT   AT    PHILLIPPI. 

One  of  the  most  important  of  these  engagements  occurred 
on  the  first  of  June  at  Phillippi  between  a  force  of  the  enemy, 
variously  estimated  at  fifteen  hundred  and  two  thousand 
under  Colonel  Porterfield,  and  four  regiments  of  Union  troops 
in  two  divisions  commanded  by  Colonels  Lander  and  Kelly. 
The  two  latter  left  Grafton  at  ten  o'clock  at  night  on  the 
second  of  June,  and  proceeding  by  railroad  to  within  twenty- 
five  miles  of  Phillippi,  disembarked  their  troops  in  a  terrible 
storm  of  rain.  The  columns  were  formed  in  total  darkness, 
and  set  forward  rapidly.  In  dead  silence  they  pushed  on 
through  the  storm,  but  the  darkness  and  mud  so  impeded 
their  progress  that  they  did  not  arrive  before  Phillippi  till 
near  light.  The  attack  was  to  be  in  two  divisions,  Colonel 
Kelly  making  a  circuit  so  as  to  take  them  in  rear,  while  Co 
lonel  Lander  should  move  on  them  in  front.  The  hour  fixed 
for  the  attack  was  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  but  Colonel 
Kelly  was  unable  to  be  at  the  designated  place  at  that  hour. 
Colonel  Lander's  command,  in  the  mean  time,  stood  and 
waited  in  the  darkness  for  the  order  to  advance,  till  daylight 
revealed  them  to  the  enemy.  The  Colonel,  then,  seeing  the 
enemy's  camp  in  commotion,  and  fearing  they  were  about  to 
escape  by  flight,  ordered  his  artillery,  situated  on  the  brow 
of  a  hill,  to  open  upon  them.  At  that  moment  the  column 
of  Colonel  Kelly  came  in  sight  across  the  river  below  the 


90  KELLY    WOUNDED. 

camp,  and  hearing  the  heavy  boom  of  Lander's  guns,  rushed 
forward  with  a  shout.  The  rebels  hearing  the  rapid  roll  of 
drums  in  front  and  rear,  and  catching  sight  of  the  gleaming 
bayonets,  turned  and  fled  in  confusion.  Kelly  broke  with  a 
shout  into  the  town  only  to  find  it  emptied  of  the  enemy. 
Passing  along,  he  suddenly  fell  from  his  horse,  shot  by  some 
one  concealed  behind  a  fence  or  in  a  house.  He  was  struck 
full  in  the  breast,  and  was  supposed  at  first  to  be  mortally 
wounded.  Wagons  loaded  with  munitions  of  war,  forage, 
officer's  blankets,  and  baggage  were  abandoned  by  the  enemy 
in  their  precipitate  flight,  and  fell  into  our  hands. 

Another  small  affair  occurred  in  the  latter  part  of  this 
month,  which  provoked  a  great  deal  of  comment  at  the 
north.  General  Schenck  of  Ohio  was  sent  with  six  hundred 
and  sixty-eight  men  to  take  possession  of  Vienna,  a  small 
village  in  front  of  our  lines  on  the  Potomac.  Leaving  com 
panies  stationed  at  different  points  along  the  way,  he  pro 
ceeded  with  four  companies  in  the  cars  to  within  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  of  the  place,  when  he  run  right  into  masked  batteies 
placed  near  the  road.  The  balls  went  crashing  through  the 
cars,  when  the  engine  was  suddenly  stopped,  the  men  hurried 
out,  and  ordered  to  fall  back  along  the  road.  The  enemy, 
instead  of  following  up  his  success,  and  completing  the  de 
struction  of  the  detachment,  thinking  a  larger  force  close  at 
hand,  also  retreated.  Our  loss,  in  killed,  wounded,  and  mis 
sing,  was  twenty-one.  This  marching  on  the  enemy  in  a  rail 
road  train,  without  any  scouts  being  sent  in  advance  to  recon- 
noiter,  was  looked  upon  as  a  most  extraordinary  mode  of  pro 
ceeding,  and  received  the  severest  condemnation.  It  was, 
however,  strictly  in  keeping  with  the  unreasonable,  headlong 
spirit  of  the  north,  that  seemed  to  think  our  brave  troops 
Lad  only  to  take  the  first  train,  and  rush  unchecked  over 
the  south. 

Thus  the  month  of  June  wore  slowly  away,  without  any 


THE    SUMTER   AT    SEA.  91 

thing  decisive  being  done,  and  serving  only  to  reveal  the 
chaos  and  embarrassments  in  which  the  country  was  strug 
gling.  Fugitive  slaves  escaping  to  our  army  now  began  to 
present  a  problem  difficult  of  solution.  What  should  be 
done  with  them,  was  a  question  pressed  on  the  government 
from  every  side. 

General  Butler,  who  had  been  placed  in  command  in 
Maryland,  had,  for  the  time  being,  disposed  of  it  by  calling 
them  " contraband  of  war;"  and  they  afterwards  took  the 
name  of  "  contrabands," — a  species  of  property  not  before 
recognized  in  international  law.  But  it  was  becoming  appa 
rent  that  the  question  was  too  complicated  to  admit  of  a  so 
lution  in  this  way. 

The  close  of  the  month  was  signalized  by  the  capture  of 
the  schooner  Savannah,  the  first  rebel  privateer  that  had 
ventured  out  upon  the  ocean. 

All  eyes  were  now  turned  towards  the  approaching  session 
of  Congress.  Its  presence  was  required  to  sanction  some  of 
the  acts  of  the  President,  which,  though  deemed  necessary 
by  all,  were  felt  by  the  best  men  of  the  country  to  need  the 
authority  of  Congress.  Many,  however,  who  were  familiar 
with  Congressional  history,  and  remembered  how  it  had  al 
ways,  from  the  Revolution  down,  made  politics  paramount 
to  success  in  the  field,  trembled  with  anxiety.  While  the 
members  were  slowly  gathering  to  the  Capital,  on  the  first 
of  July,  the  commercial  men  of  the  north  were  startled  with 
the  report  that  the  first  formidable  privateer,  the  steamer 
Sumter,  had  escaped  the  blockade  at  New  Orleans,  and  was 
off  on  her  mission  of  destruction  on  the  deep.  Whether  she 
would  waylay  our  richly  freighted  steamers  from  California, 
or  sweep  down  on  our  unprotected  commerce  on  the  Atlan 
tic,  no  one  could  tell ;  and  in  the  uncertainty  attached  to 
her  career,  her  power  to  work  mischief  became  greatly  mag 
nified  in  the  public  imagination. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

JUNE,  1861. 

MC  CLELLAN  TAKES  COMMAND  OF  THE  ARMY  IN  WESTERN  VIRGINIA ADVANCES 

ON  THE    ENEMY BATTLE    OF    RICH    MOUNTAIN GALLANT    ACTION    OF    ROSE- 

CRANZ OF    LANDER DEFEAT    OF    PEGRAM    AND   CAPTURE  OF  HIS  FORCES 

PURSUIT  OF  GARNETT ACTION    OF    CARRICK*S    FORD A  TERRIBLE  MARCH 

DEATH  OF  GARNETT  AND  DEFEAT  OF  HIS  FORCES COX  ON  THE    KANHAWA 

ACTION    OF    BARBOURSVILLE RETREAT  OF  WISE CLOSE    OF    THE  CAMPAIGN 

IN    WESTERN    VIRGINIA SIGEL     IN     MISSOURI BATTLE    OF    CARTHAGE HIS 

ADMIRABLE    RETREAT STATE    OF    KENTUCKY UNIONISM    IN    EASTERN    TEN 
NESSEE. 

WHILE  Congress  was  thus  consulting  on  the  proper 
way  to  conduct  the  war,  and  a  portion  of  the  North 
ern  press  was  furnishing  General  Scott  and  the  administra 
tion  with  gratuitous  counsel  respecting  their  duty,  General 
McClellan,  who  had  taken  command  in  person  in  Western 
Virginia,  was  showing  what  a  competent  military  leader, 
conducting  war  on  strictly  strategic  principles,  could  ac 
complish.  On  the  22d  of  June,  Pierpont,  who  had  been 
elected  provisional  governor  of  Virginia  by  the  loyal  inhab 
itants  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  issued  his  proclamation,  call 
ing  together  the  new  constitutional  legislature  of  the  state. 
On  the  23d,  General  McClellan  issued  Ms  proclamation, 
stating  the  course  he  should  pursue  towards  those  who  were 
loyal,  and  those  found  with  arms  in  their  hands  against  the 
general  government.  Immediately  after,  he  began  his  series 
of  movements,  which  met  with  no  successful  resistance  till 
he  had  finished  the  work  assigned  him.  With  a  definite 
object  in  view,  he  pushed  straight  forward,  deterred  neither 
by  mountains,  streams,  almost  impassable  roads,  nor  the 
enemy,  till  he  accomplished  what  he  set  out  to  perform. 


FLANK    MOVEMENT.  93 

After  various  successful  skirmishes,  he  came  in  presence  of 
the  enemy  under  Colonel  Pegram,  formerly  an  officer  in  the 
United  States  army,  strongly  posted  on  Rich  mountain. 
The  force  of  the  latter  numbered  some  four  thousand  men, 
and  stood  drawn  up  in  order  of  battle  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain.  He  had  rolled  down  trees  from  the  sides,  and 
lapped  them  together,  filling  in  with  earth  and  stones, 
behind  which  he  had  placed  his  army.  McClellan,  after 
reconnoitering  the  position,  sent  General  Rosecranz  with 
some  Indiana  regiments  and  one  Ohio  regiment,  together 
with  a  body  of  Cincinnati  cavalry,  to  get  in  their  rear. 
Taking  a  hasty  breakfast,  they  started  about  daylight,  and 
entering  the  woods,  preceded  by  a  guide,  pushed  resolutely 
forward  towards  the  top  of  the  mountain,  where  the  rebels 
had  an  entrenchment  directly  in  rear  of  their  main  army. 
There  had  been  a  cold  mountain  rain,  and  the  bushes  were 
dripping  wet,  which  soon  drenched  the  soldiers  to  their 
skins.  But  keeping  their  ammunition  dry,  they  pushed  on 
in  dead  silence  through  the  tangled  laurel  bushes,  and  over 
the  rocks,  still  toiling  upward — the  daring,  chivalrous  Lan 
der  keeping  close  to  the  guide — till  after  a  march  of  five 
miles  amid  unparalleled  hardships,  they  arrived  at  noon,  at 
the  top  of  the  mountain.  McClellan  intended  to  keep  the 
enemy  in  profound  ignorance  of  the  movement,  but  a 
diagram  of  the  route,  which  had  been  sent  after  the  column 
with  dispatches,  was  captured  by  them  and  thus  revealed 
the  whole  strategem.  Pegram  immediately  dispatched 
twenty-five  hundred  men  and  three  pieces  of  artillery  to  the 
top  of  the  mountain  to  resist  the  advance  of  Rosecranz, 
Arriving  there  before  him,  they  greeted  his  arrival  with  a 
sudden  discharge  of  cannon.  The  day  had  been  overcast, 
and  now  the  long  threatening  clouds  began  to  descend  in 
torrents  on  the  weary  column.  Rosecranz  had  no  cannon 
with  him,  for  it  was  impossible  to  drag  guns  up  the  rough 


94  ROSECRANZ  AND   LANDER, 

and  tangled  path  the  troops  were  compelled  to  cut  for 
themselves.  This  unexpected  resistance  arrested  the  pro 
gress  of  the  column.  Halting  in  its  place,  it  stood  still  for 
half  an  hour  in  the  pouring  rain,  while  the  necessary  recon- 
noisances  were  made.  The  bushes  were  so  thick  that  the 
opposing  forces  could  not  be  seen,  and  the  whereabouts  of 
the  enemy  was  known  only  by  the  dull  explosions  of  cannon 
in  front,  whose  shot  crashed  through  the  tree  tops  above 
them,  scattering  the  shattered  limbs  on  every  side.  •  Colonel 
Lander  immediately* took  twenty  sharp  shooters  and  hurrying 
forward,  posted  them  behind  some  rocks?  and  began  to  pick 
off  the  gunners.  But  as  fast  as  they  fell  others  took  their 
places,  when  Lander  endeavored  to  make  hia  little  handful 
charge  the  guns.  The  attempt,  however,  was  too  desperate, 
and  they  refused  to  obey.  He  then  coolly  seated  himself 
on  the  rocks  in  open  view  of  the  rebel  artillery,,  to  show 
them  there  was  no  danger.  They  still  hesitating  to  follow 
him,  he  called  to  the  chaplain  to  come  up  and  sit  by  his 
side>  that  the  men  might  see  how  harmless  the  enemy's  fire 
was.  But  the  latter  not  deeming  this  extraordinary  move 
ment  to  be  a  part  of  his  duties,  declined  the  invitation,  and 
the  gallant  colonel  was  compelled  to  abandon  his  desperate 
purpose.  In  the  mean  time,  an  Indiana  regiment  came  up, 
and  the  order  to  "fix  bayonets"  ran  along  the  undaunted 
line.  The  rattle  of  the  iron  sounded  ominously  in  the  pelt 
ing  storm.  The  next  moment  an  Ohio  regiment,  posted  on 
a  rising  piece  of  ground,  poured  in  a  volley,  and  then  the 
Indianians  with  a  loud  and  ringing  cheer  sprang  forward. 
The  enemy,  panic  stricken,  broke  and  fled  with  the  excep 
tion  of  a  single  man,  who  stood  to  his  gun  till  he  was  shot 
down  by  a  revolver.  Rending  the  air  with  their  loud  hur 
rahs,  the  victorious  troops  now  pressed  forward,  driving  the 
enemy  back  full  three  hundred  yards,  when  the  bugle 
bounded  a  recall  They  then  halted  and  formed  in  line  of 


PURSUIT     OF     GARNETT.  95 

battle,  to  receive  the  force  of  Pegram  at  the  foot  of  the  hill, 
which  they  supposed  would  immediately  advance  to  meet 
them.  But  dismayed  at  this  sudden  apparition  in  their  rear, 
the  latter  broke  for  the  woods,  and  fled  in  every  direction. 
McClellan,  in  the  meantime,  was  cutting  a  road  through  the 
woods  towards  the  entrenchments  at  the  foot  of  the  hill. 
The  heavy  firing  came  down  to  him  from  the  top  of  the 
mountain,  and  ignorant  of  the  result  of  the  contest  there,  he 
kept  pushing  on  through  the  driving  storm,  till  he  came  to 
the  enemy's  works.  Cautiously  advancing  against  them,  he 
found  them  to  his  surprise,  deserted.  Guns,  tents,  horses, 
baggage,  every  thing  had  been  abandoned  in  their  wild 
flight. 

Many  prisoners  were  taken,  while  the  mountain  was 
strewed  with  the  dead  and  wounded — one  hundred  and  fifty 
being  buried  on  the  field.  Pegram,  with  about  six  hundred 
followers,  after  wandering  about  in  the  woods,  and  finding 
no  way  of  escape,  surrendered  prisoners  of  war.  General 
Garnett,  stationed  a  few  miles  distant,  near  Beverly,  with 
six  thousand  men,  hearing  of  Pegram's  defeat,  commenced  a 
hurried  retreat  through  the  mountains.  General  Morris 
took  possession  of  his  camp  on  Laurel  Hill,  on  the  12th, — next 
day  at  eleven  o'clock  five  regiments  of  Ohio  and  Indiana 
troops  started  in  pursuit.  The  rebels  had  taken  a  by-road 
directly  over  the  mountains,  pushing  straight  for"  Cheat 
river.  Our  column  pushed  on  that  afternoon  and  encamped 
about  two  miles  south  of  Leedsville.  The  next  morning,  at 
two  o'clock,  the  loud  reveille  called  up  the  weary  soldiers, 
who  snatching  a  hasty  breakfast  started  after  the  fugitives. 
The  rain  soon  began  to  fall  in  torrents,  turning  the  roads  into 
a  bed  of  mortar,  and  making  the  wild  and  desolate  scene  still 
more  forbidding.  They  wanted  no  guide  to  direct  the 
course  which  the  enemy  had  taken,  for  the  trampled  mud, 
the  abandoned  tents,  trunks,  haversacks,  and  blankets,  strew- 


96  A    TERRIBLE    MARCH. 

ing  the  road  marked  plainly  enough  the  route  they  had 
taken.  Trees  had  been  felled  across  the  road  to  obstruct 
our  passage,  which  the  axe  men  ahead  were  compelled  to 
clear  away ;  and  hour  after  hour,  the  only  sounds  that  smote 
the  ear,  were  the  rapid  blows  of  the  axe,  as  though  the  stern 
occupation  of  the  soldier  had  given  place  to  that  of  the  peace 
ful  wood-chopper.  Over  creeks  and  rocks,  across  hills  and 
through  dense  forests,  the  rebels  took  their  course,  hoping 
to  elude  pursuit — but  like  the  western  hunter  on  the  track 
of  his  game,  these  western  soldiers,  pressed  steadily  after. 
Across  swollen  streams,  up  muddy  heights,  adown  which  the 
kneaded  mire  flowed  like  thick  tar,  they  kept  on,  only  halt 
ing  long  enough  in  the  storm  to  snatch  a  bite  of  biscuit. 
At  last  they  emerged  from  Laurel  mountain,  and  came  out 
on  Cheat  river,  at  Kahler's  ford.  It  was  now  noon,  and 
after  a  halt,  the  tired  troops  were  glad  to  clash  into  the 
stream,  to  wash  off  the  mud  of  the  mountains,  which  plas 
tered  them  to  their  waistbands.  As  they  emerged  from  the 
ford,  they  caught  sight  of  the  rear  of  the  fleeing  rebels,  and 
at  the  second  ford  below,  found  them  drawn  up  in  line  of 
battle.  But  the  first  cannon  shot  set  them  in  motion  again, 
and  throwing  away  their  remaining  baggage,  even  their 
canteens,  they  streamed  in  disorder  forward.  Again  being 
pushed  so  close  that  their  baggage  train  was  in  danger  of 
falling  "into  our  hands,  they  a  second  time  drew  up  in  line 
of  battle,  and  seemed  determined  to  dispute  our  passage. 
But  as  soon  as  the  baggage  got  under  way,  they  resumed 
their  retreat,— the  shouts  of  the  teamsters,  as  they  flogged 
the  tired  animals,  rising  in  discordant  sounds  above  the  tree 
tops.  It  was  a  wild  chase,  through  a  wild  country.  Three 
miles  farther  on,  they  came  to  "Carrick's  ford,"  where  the 
mountains  receding  away  from  the  river,  left  an  open  space 
which  had  been  turned  into  a  farm.  The  bank  of  the  stream 
here  was  fringed  with  laurel  bushes,  and  a  fence,  while  a 


CARRICK'S  FORD.  07 

bluff,  farther  back,  completely  commanded  the  approach. 
On  this,  Garnett  had  placed  his  artillery,  while  the  infantry 
was  drawn  up  behind  the  laurel  bushes  and  fence.  It  was  a 
capital  position,  and  no  one  knew  it  better  than  Garnett. 
With  good  troops  under  him  he .  could  hardly  have  been 
driven  from  it.  The  teams  had  been  left  standing  in  the 
stream,  whether  on  purpose  to  draw  our  soldiers  under  fire, 
or  from  inability  to  proceed,  was  not  known,  and  apparently 
as  little  heeded.  The  skirmishers  dashed  fearlessly  up  to 
the  bank,  when  the  teamsters  called  out,  "Don't  shoot,  we 
jirc  going  to  surrender."  The  captain  then  called  out, 
" Colonel,  they  are  going  to  surrender."  Colonel  Stedman 
then  ordered  his  regiment  forward  at  the  double  quick, 
but  as  it  came  up  shoulder  to  shoulder,  Garnett  shouted, 
"Fire!"  The  bank  of  the  stream  was  instantly  a  long  line 
of  flame.  The  fearless  fourteenth  Ohio,  though  taken  by 
surprise,  never  flinched,  and  halting  only  long  enough  to 
deliver  one  volley,  sprang  forward.  At  this  moment  the 
artillery  on  the  bluff  opened,  and  had  it  been  well  directed 
would  have  shattered  that  regiment  to  atoms.  But  the  shot 
flew  just  over  their  heads.  Milroy's  regiment  then  came 
•up  and  delivered  an  oblique  fire.  In  the  mean  time,  Colo 
nel  Dumont,  with  six  companies,  was  ordered  to  cross  the 
stream  some  three  hundred  yards  farther  up,  and  ascending 
the  hill  take  the  enemy  in  rear.  Before  his  difficult  mission 
was  fulfilled,  the  order  was  countermanded,  and  he  was 
directed  to  proceed  down  the  ford  with  his  command,  and 
charge  them  in  front,  on  the  road.  Wheeling,  he  took  the 
middle  of  the  stream,  wading  down,  often  waist  deep, 
through  the  fire,  till  he  reached  the  position  assigned  him. 
Seeing  his  advance,  the  enemy  broke,  and  crossing  a  wheat 
field,  pushed  for  another  ford,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  below. 
Reaching  it,  they  dashed  through  the  stream  without  stop 
ping  to  defend  the  passage,  and  continued  their  flight. 


98  DEATH    OF    GARNETT. 

Garnett,  incensed  at  their  dastardly  conduct,  strove  in  vain 
to  rally  them.  The  last  to  cross  the  stream,  he  dismounted, 
and  stood  waving  his  handkerchief,  and  shouting  to  them  to 
halt,  when  Major  Gordon,  of  the  United  States  army,  came 
up,  and  seeing  the  enemy  huddled  together  in  the  road  on 
the  opposite  side  shouted  to  the  advance  of  Dumont's  com- 
mand  which  was  already  coming  down  on  a  run.  The  next 
instant  a  bullet  pierced  the  brave  but  erring  rebel  com 
mander,  and  throwing  up  his  hands  he  fell  dead  where  he 
stood.  Not  an  officer  was  near  him ;  all  had  ingloriously 
fled,  leaving  him  alone,  save  a  young  and  delicate  boy  from 
Georgia,  who  nobly  refusing  to  desert  him,  fell  dead  by  his 
side. 

The  pursuit  was  kept  up  for  two  miles  fartherr  when  our 
troops  gave  out  from  exhaustion,  and  bivouacked  for  the 
night.  The  scattered  dead  and  wounded  were  picked  up, 
the  latter  tenderly  cared  for,  and  the  former  consigned  to 
their  hastily  dug  graves.  But  none  was  handled  more 
gently  than  that  gallant  boyr  who  had  fallen  beside  his  Gen 
eral.  Those  fierce  soldiers  laid  him  in  a  grave  by  himselfT 
and  placed  a  board  at  his  head,  on-  which  they  wrote,  "name 
unknown, — a  brave  fellow  who  shared  his  General's  fate?- 
and  fell  fighting  by  his  side  while  his-  companions  had  fled." 
General  Garnett,  while  an  officer  in  the  United  States  armyr 
had  won  distinction  in  the  Mexican  war.  Our  loss  was 
slight.  All  told,  in  both  engagements,  it  would  not  reach 
sixty,  while  that  ©f  the  enemy  in  killed  alone  was  nearly 
two  hundred,  besides  a  thousand  captured. 

This  forced  march  of  over  thirty  milesr  in  less  than 
twenty-four  hours,  through  rain  and  mud,  and  over  moun 
tains,  rocks  and  streams,  the  troops  almost  without  foodr 
some  tasting  nothing  for  thirty-six  hours,  speaks  volumes  for 
the  volunteer  forces  under  General  MeClellan.  Veteran 
regulars  could  not  have  done  better. 


MARCH   TO   BARBQURSVILLE.  99 

The  whole  rebel  army  in  Western  Virginia  was  estimated 
to  be  ten  thousand  strong.  A  portion  of  these  w^ere  at  the 
south,  on  the  Kanhawa  river,  under  General  Wise.  General 
Cox,  from  Ohio,  was  opposed  to  him,  and  at  the  time  these 
victories  were  being  achieved  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
state,  was  gradually  pushing  this  terrible,  erratic  fire  eater 
of  Virginia  before  him,  The  same  day  on  which  McClellan 
had  dated  his  despatches  to  the  government,  this  general 
put  his  force  in  motion  to  attack  the  enemy,  which  had 
taken  position  at  Barboursville.  At  midnight,  a  portion  of 
Colonel  Woodruff's  command  was  roused  from  their  slum 
bers,  and  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Neff,  with  one  day's 
rations  in  their  haversacks,  started  off,  a  union  man  from 
Barboursville  being  their  guide.  The  plan  was  to  attack  at 
daylight.  But  the  dead  silence  that  reigned  along  their 
march  rendered  the  commander  suspicious  that  all  was  not 
right,  and  he  made  frequent  halts  in  order  to  send  out 
scouts.  This  delayed  the  march  so  that  he  did  not  arrive 
before  the  place  till  the  sun  was  two  hours  high.  The 
enemy  had  been  apprised  of  their  approach,  and  when  the 
little  band  came  in  view  of  the  place,  the  sight  that  met 
their  astonished  gaze  would  have  appalled  less  gallant 
hearts.  On  the  brow  of  a  hill,  just  beyond  Guyandotte 
river,  which  was  spanned  by  a  single  bridge,  the  rebels  were 
drawn  up  in  line  of  battle — their  bayonets  gleaming  in  the 
early  sunlight — while  around  them,  on  every  side,  stretched 
a  vast  level  plain.  Near  the  base  of  the  hill  was  a  large 
body  of  cavalry,  that  immediately  began  to  fall  back  right 
and  left,  in  order  to  take  our  column  in  flank  and  rear,  after 
it  had  crossed  the  bridge.  Though  fearfully  outnumbered, 
the  fearless  column  never  faltered,  but  pushed  straight  for 
the  bridge.  The  moment  the  head  entered  it,  the  rebels 
poured  in  a  destructive  volley.  Receiving  it  without  flinch 
ing,  the  little  band  with  a  loud  cheer  dashed  on  a  run  across 


100  FIGHT    AT    BARBOURSVILLE. 

it.  But  when  nearly  over,  they  were  brought  to  a  sudden 
halt  by  a  chasm  made  by  the  up  torn  planks,  which  had  been 
carried  away.  The  mule  of  the  guide  went  through  before 
he  could  be  brought  to  a  halt,  and  the  rider  saved  himself 
only  by  clinging  to  the  timbers.  The  rebels,  seeing  the 
column  thus  suddenly  arrested,  rent  the  air  with  cheers 
and  yells.  Maddened  by  these  shouts  of  triumph  and  loud 
taunts,  our  soldiers  dashed  forward,  each  for  himself;  and 
some  crawling  along  on  the  string  pieces,  and  some  swing 
ing  along  the  rafters,  they  at  length  cleared  the  gap,  though 
in  utter  confusion.  The  rebels,  before  they  had  time  to 
form,  charged  on  their  flank.  But  the  blood  of  the  men  was 
now  fairly  up,  and  without  waiting  to  re-form,  they  sent  up  a 
shout,  and  clambering  up  the  hill,  holding  on  to  roots  and 
bushes,  charged  like  madmen  on  the  solid  Ijne.  Appalled  at 
the  desperate  daring,  the  rebels  fired  one  volley,  and  then 
turned  and  fled  like  a  herd  of  frightened  deer  down  the  hill 
in  rear.  The  victorious  troops  sent  a  few  flying  shots  after 
them,  and  then,  with  streaming  banners  'and  victorious 
strains  of  martial  music,  turned  and  marched  through  the 
town.  It  was  nobly,  gallantly  done.  Following  up  his 
success,  Cox  overtook  Wise  at  Gauley  bridge,  who  retreated 
without  risking  a  battle.  Thus  in  a  little  over  a  month, 
Western  Virginia  was  cleared  of  the  rebels. 

McClellan's  short  but  brilliant  campaign,  had  electrified 
the  north,  and  all  eyes  were  turned  to  him  as  the  man  on 
whom  the  mantle  of  Scott  would  ultimately  fall.  The  old 
veteran  and  hero  was  too  far  advanced  in  years  to  take  the 
field  in  person,  while  his  physical  infirmities  rendered  him 
unequal  to  the  tremendous  responsibilities  connected  with 
the  conduct  of  so  vast  a  war. 

While  these  stirring  events  were  occurring  in  Western  Vir 
ginia,  and  the  army  along  the  Potomac  was  quietly  gathering 
its  energies  for  a  great  battle,  Missouri  was  rent  by  the  ravages 


FIGHT    ON    THE    PRAIRIE.  101 

of  civil  war.  Side  by  side  with  LyOn,  another  officer  was  rap 
idly  acquiring  a  national  reputation.*  Colonel  Sigel  had  seen 
service  in  Europe,  and  being  placed  in  command  of  a  Ger 
man  regiment,  took  the  field  in  Missouri,  early  in  summer 
and  arrived  at  Springfield  on  the  23d  of  June.  Hearing 
that  Jackson  was  making  his  way  southward  to  form  a  junc 
tion  with  General  Price,  who  was  encamped  in  Neosho,  the 
county  seat  of  Newton  county,  he  determined  to  attack  the 
latter  before  the  rebel  governor  could  come  up.  Reaching 
Neosho  on  the  1st  of  July,  he  entered  it  without  opposition, 
Price  having  retreated.  The  next  day  he  learned  that  Price, 
Rains  and  Jackson  had  succeeded  in  uniting  their  forces 
about  eight  miles  north  of  Carthage.  He  immediately  in 
formed  General  Sweeney,  who  was  at  Springfield  of  the 
fact,  and  received  orders  in  return  to  proceed  at  once  and 
attack  his  camp.  Accordingly  on  the  4th  of  July,  with 
about  twelve  hundred  men,  he  took  up  his  line  of  inarch, 
and  on  the  morning  of  the  6th  came  upon  the  enemy  in 
great  force,  encamped  in  the  open  prairie,  most  of  them 
mounted.  Though  plainly  outnumbered,  he  moved  his 
column,  which  looked  a  mere  speck  on  the  wide  prairie, 
steadily  forward,  till'  he  came  within  eight  hundred  yards  of 
the  rebel  camp.  He  then  halted,  and  unlimberjng  his  artillery 
which  was  composed  of  six  six,  and  two  twelve  pounders, 
opened  fire.  On  the  right  and  left,  the  white  puns  of  smoke 
shot  out  over  the  prairie,  followed  by  the  deep  reverbera 
tions  of  the  guns,  rolling  away  over  the  vast  expanse.  The 
rebels,  who  occupied  a  slight  swell  on  the  plain,  replied,  and 
for  a  time  a  brisk  artillery  fire  was  kept  up,  while  not  a  tree 
or  a  shrub  or  hill  obstructed  the  view  or  sheltered  the  com 
batants.  The  rebel  practice  was  miserable,  their  balls  and 
shells  going  over  the  heads  of  Sigel's  command,  and  ex 
ploding  in  the  prairie.  On  the  other  hand  their  guns  were  be 
ing  dismounted  one  after  another,  when  at  two  o'clock,  their 


102  SIGEL'S  ADMIRABLE  RETREAT. 

cavalry  moved  off  to  the  right  and  left,  with  the  intention 
of  outflanking  Sigel,  and  cutting  off  his  baggage  train, 
which  had  been  left  three  miles  in  the  rear.  The  latter  pen 
etrating  at  once  the  design  of  the  movement,  ordered  two 
six  pounders  to  the  rear,  and  changing  front,  commenced 
falling  back  in  a  steady  orderly  manner,  keeping  up  a  con 
tinuous  fire  as  he  moved.  Not  a  sound  was  heard  through 
the  quiet,  determined  ranks,  except  the  occasional  orders  of 
the  officers,  as  the  line  of  glittering  steel  moved  swiftly  over 
the  prairie,  while  the  clouds  of  calvary  hovered  darkly  on  either 
side,  afraid  to  venture  within  range  of  the  death  dealing 
guns.  At  length  he  reached  his  baggage  wagons,  fifty  in 
number  toiling  slowly  forward.  These  were  at  once  formed 
into  a  solid  square,  and  surrounded  by  the  artillery  and  in 
fantry,  moved  slowly  back  till  they  approached  Dry  Fork 
Creek,  where  the  road  passed  between  two  bluffs.  On  the 
opposite  side  of  this  stream,  the  cavalry,  failing  to  cut  off  the 
baggage  train,  were  drawn  up  to  stop  the  retreat.  But  along 
that  road,  which  led  to  Carthage,  it  was  absolutely  necessary 
Colonel  Sigel  should  pass,  for  to  fall  back  to  the  open  prairie, 
would  leave  him  to  be  surrounded  by  a  yastly  superior  force, 
while  to  remain  where  he  was,  would  expose  him  to  a  similar 
danger.  He  immediately  dispatched  two  cannon  to  the  right, 
and  two  to  the  left,  followed  by  a  part  of  his  force,  as  though 
he  intended  to  cut  a  road  for  himself  at  these  points  at  all 
hazards.  The  enemy,  seeing  these  movements,  immediately 
left  the  road  in  which  they  stood  massed,  and  moved  to  the 
right  and  left  to  prevent  it.  Sigel  allowed  them  to  ap 
proach  within  a  few  hundred  yards,  when  suddenly  unlim- 
beririg  his  guns,  he  poured  in  a  terrific  cross  fire,  and  at  the 
same  time  gave  the  orders  to  the  main  army  to  double- 
quick.  The  column  started  off  on  a  sharp  trot,  and  with 
loud  cheers  cleared  the  bridge,  while  the  enemy's  cavalry 
tent  by  shrapnell  and  canister,  scattered  in  every  direction. 


BATTLE    OF    CARTHAGE.  103 

Horses  with  empty  saddles  went  neighing  and  galloping 
madly  over  the  plain,  and  the  whole  body  fled  in  the  wildest 
confusion.  Several  prisoners  were  taken,  who  stated  that 
the  rebel  force  was  five  thousand  five  hundred  strong.  Col 
onel  Sigel  now  moved  rapidly  forward  towards  Carthage, 
occasionally  saluting  squads  of  the  enemy  that  kept  hover 
ing  along  his  flank  with  his  artillery.  But  on  reaching  the 
town  he  found  it  to  his  surprise  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy, 
and  a  secession  flag  waving  from  the  top  of  the  court  house. 
This  the  exasperated  soldiers  soon  shot  down.  Sigel  seeing 
himself  thus  outnumbered  and  his  ammunition  giving  out, 
determined  at  all  hazards  to  effect  a  junction  with  the  bal 
ance  of  the  southwestern  army,  concentrated  at  Mount  Yer- 
non  and  Springfield.  To  effect  this  he  saw  it  was  necessary 
to  reach  Sarcoxie,  some  eight  miles  from  Carthage.  The 
road  to  this  place,  led  through  a  dense  forest,  which  if  he 
could  gain,  would  protect  him  from  the-  enemy's  cavalry. 
Aware  of  this,  the  rebels  had  taken  possession  of  the  road 
leading  to  it,  and  prepared  to  dispute  his  passage.  The 
infantry  now  for  the  first  time  on  both  sides,  came  into  close 
conflict  and  the  action  became  at  once  fierce  and  bloody. 
Though  the  rebels  outnumbered  SigePs  force  almost  five  to 
one,  their  short  guns,  and  old  fashioned  muskets,  were  no 
match  for  the  Mi'nie  rifles  of  the  latter,  and  they  fell  by 
scores  before  the  murderous  vollies  that  were  poured  into 
their  ranks.  For  two  hours,  from  quarter  past  six  to  half 
past  eight,  the  battle  raged  without  a  moment's  intermission. 
The  sun  sank  on  the  strife,  twilight  came  and  went,  and  dark 
ness  finally  settled  over  the  woods,  but  still  the  struggle  did 
not  cease.  Sigel's  progress,  however,  could  be  detected  by 
his  advancing  line  of  fire  and  at  last  the  enemy  retreated. 
Our  troops  had  now  been  marching  and  fighting  for  ten  hours 
under  a  hot  July  sun,  but  Sigel  fearing  to  endanger  his  com 
mand  by  halting  long  in  the  presence  of  so  superior  a  force, 


104  SIGEL'S  SUCCESS. 

kept  on  in  the  darkness,  reaching  Sarcoxie  in  the  morning, 
from  whence  he  leisurely  continued  his  retreat  to  Mount 
Yernon. 

Sigel  had  handled  his  little  force  throughout  the  trying 
circumstances  with  which  he  had  been  surrounded,  with 
consummate  skill  and  shown  himself  an  able  tactician,  as  well 
as  a  cool  and  resolute  commander.  His  entire  loss  in  killed 
and  wounded  was  only  forty-four,  while  that  of  the  enemy 
was  supposed  to  be  between  three  and  four  hundred. 

While  these  events  were  occurring  in  Missouri  and  west 
ern  Virginia,  the  Union  men  in  Kentucky  were  making  des 
perate  efforts  to  keep  the  state  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
secessionists.  Success,  however,  seemed  doubtful.  Breck- 
enridge  was  very  popular  with  the  young  men  of  the  state, 
and  he  and  others  were  equally  determined  that  the  power 
ful  aid  of  Kentucky  should  be  secured  for  the  southern 
confederacy.  East  Tennessee  stood  loyal  to  the  Union,  and 
was  struggling  manfully  to  keep  at  least  that  part  of  the 
state  true  to  the  old  flag.  Her  devotion  to  the  Union  was 
admirable  and  cost  her  afterwards  untold  suffering. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

JULY,  1861. 

MEETING  OF  CONGRESS PRESIDENT'S  MESSAGE CHIEF  COMMANDERS  ON  BOTH 

SIDES    AT    THIS    TIME THE    "  ON    TO     RICHMOND"    CRY THE    QUESTION    OF 

¥UNDS — LACK    OF    STATESMEN    IN    CONGKESS — THE    RADICAL     ELEMENT IN 
CREASING    THE    NAVY AM  ONWARD    MOVEMENT  RESOLVED  UPON REASONS 

JOR  IT JOHNSON    AND   PATTERSON MCTTOWE1L.   TO    COMMAND    THE  ARMY 

THE    DEPARTURE    FOR    MANASSAS — SPLENDID     APPEARANCE     OF ARTILLERY 

FIGHT  AT  BLACKBURN'S  FORD — ADVANCE  OF  THE  ARMY  FROM  CENTBEVILLE — 

PLAN  OF  THE  BATTLE HUNTER  AND  HEINTZLEMAN BATTLE  OF  BULL  RUN 

THE  DEFEAT THE    ROUT DANGER  OF  THE  CAPITAL EFFECT  OF  THE  NEWS 

IN  THE  NORTH CAUSES  AND  LESSON  OF  THE  OVERTHROW — SURRENDER  OF 

TORT  FILLJ&Q-RE  IN  NEAV  MEXICO. 

ON  the  4th  of  July,  Congress,  in  pursuance  of  the  Pres 
ident's  proclamation*,  assembled  in  the  Capitol,  and 
elected  Galusha  A.  Grow  of  Pennsylvania,  speaker.  The 
President's  message  to  which  the  country  looked  with  a  good 
deal  of  solicitude,  did  no-t  meet  the  public  expectation.  It 
consisted  chiefly  of  a  detailed  history  of  the  secession^  move 
ment,  and  an  argument  to  prove  that  the  doctrine  of  state 
rights,  on  which  it  was  founded,  was  unsound  and  ruinous. 
But  this  had  been  fully  discussed  and  disposed  of  long  ago. 
The  country  demanded  energetic  actions  The  long-abused 
and  forbearing  north  had  finally  got  thoroughly  roused.  It 
had  done  with  argument  the  moment  it  had  drawn  the 
aword,  and  was  impatient  of  any  appeal  except  the  trumpet 
call  to  battle.  It  was  providential  that  the  President  took  a 
calmer  survey  of  affairs.  The  excited  state  of  public  feel- 
ing  needed  the  restraining  power  of  his  well  balanced  mind 
to  prevent  rash  measures  which  might  cripple  our  resources 
and  endanger  our  ultimate  success.  With  all  his.  conserva 
tism  he  could  not  wholly  save  us  from  disaster,  by  which  we 
learned  more.,  perhaps  too  great,  caution.. 


106  "ON  TO  RICHMOND"  CRY. 

At  this  time  the  chief  divisions  of  the  army  along  our  line 
of  defense  under  Scott,  were  commanded  as  follows :  General 
Butler  at  Fortress  Monroe,  General  Banks  at  Annapolis,  Mc 
Dowell  in  front  of  Washington,  Patterson  near  Harper's  Ferry, 
McClellan  in  Western  Virginia,  Anderson,  the  hero  of  fort 
Sumter,  in  Kentucky,  and  Harney  in  Missouri.  On  the  rebel 
side  Beauregard  was  at  Manassas,  J.  E.  Johnston  opposed  to 
Patterson  up  the  Potomac.  Bishop  Polk  of  Louisiana, 
made  major-general,  on  the  Mississippi,  Sidney  A.  Johnson, 
a  traitor  from  the  United  States  army  in  California,  in  the 
south-west,  and  Price  in  Missouri.  Davis  had  called  put  man 
for  man  to  .offset  the  army  of  the  north,  and  everything  was 
supposed  to  turn  on  the  result  of  the  first  meeting  of  these 
two  mighty  armies.  In  the  far  west,  among  the  Indians 
bordering  on  Kansas  under  our  protection,  and  in  the  barren 
regions  of  New  Mexico,  the  rebels  were  hard  at  work  stirring 
up  treason,  and  assailing  the  weak  detachments  of  the  army 
stationed  on  our  outposts.  In  the  south,  fort  Pickens,  the 
only  stronghold  we  still  held  on  the  gulf,  was  menaced. 

It  was  .soon  .apparent  that  politicians  in  congress,  pushed 
forward  by  reckless  partisan  newspapers,  were  bent  on  a 
sudden  advance  ,of  the  army  on  the  Potomac.  Some  of 
the  most  influential  of  these  kept  flying  at  the  head 
of  their  columns,  "ON  TO  RICHMOND."  The  military  sa 
gacity  of  Scott  was  ridiculed  as  "old  fogyism,"  his  cautious, 
wise  policy  pronounced  to  be  the  result  of  disinclination  to 
invade  his  native  state,  and  the  elaborate  fortifications  he  was 
erecting  across  the  Potomac  laughed  at  as  evidences  of  im 
becile  -old  age.  In  short,  military  science  and  experience 
were  derided,  and  the  organization  and  proper  preparation 
of  .an  army  for  an  .arduous  campaign  in  the  ordinary  way 
stigmatized  as  a  proceeding  of  the  "circumlocution  office." 
The  southerners  were  dastards,  the  north  invincible,  and 
hence  these  elaborate/  preparations  and  delays  totally  uncalled 


FINANCES.  107 

for.  We  had  the  power,  and  all  that  was  necessary  to  assure 
success  was  to  let  it  loose.  Never  before  in  the  history  of 
the  world  did  popular  passion  at  the  beginning  of  a  fearful 
mighty  war,  so  overslaugh  military  science.  Out  of  this  state 
the  nation  must  be  extricated,  by  reason  and  moderation,  or 
startled  from  it  by  a  thunder  clap  of  misfortune  that  would 
make  every  heart  stand  still  with  terror. 

The  probable  cost  of  the  war  had  hardly  yet  received  the 
attention  of  the  people.  We  had  been  so  accustomed  to 
believe  our  wealth  and  resources  absolutely  exhaustless,  that 
money,  the  first  thing  that  should  have  been  thought  of,  was 
apparently  the  last.  Funds  for  immediate  use  were  of  course 
wanted.  The  President,  in  his  message,  had  called  for 
$400,000,000.  But  Congress,  taking  a  more  moderate  view 
of  the  public  exigencies,  proposed  a  loan  bill  authorizing  the 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury  to  borrow  $250,000,000  on  the 
faith  of  the  United  States — the  revenue  of  the  government 
being  pledged  to  the  payment  of  the  interest.  This  gave  to 
the  small  opposition  in  the  house  an  excellent  opportunity  to 
make  an  onslaught  upon  the  administration,  and  a  spirited 
debate  ensued  in  which  Vallandigham  of  Ohio  led  off  against 
the  measure.  It  passed,  however,  July  llth,  by  an  over 
whelming  vote.  The  fact  that  Congress  thought  this  sum 
would  be  sufficient,  and  that  the  necessary  expenses  could 
be  met  without  resorting  to  extraordinary  taxation,  shows 
how  destitute  of  well  read  statesmen  that  body  was.  Such 
men  as  Webster,  Clay,  Calhoun,  and  others,  who  illustrated 
the  Congress  that  carried  us  through  the  war  of  1812,  were 
wanting,  and  thoughtful  men,  in  this  most  trying  period  of 
our  existence,  looked  anxiously  around  for  the  leading,  con . 
trolling  mind,  which  could  embrace  the  full  measure  of  our 
wants  and  our  dangers.  A  portion  of  the  more  ultra  repub 
licans  seemed  to  see  in  this  appalling  crisis  of  the  country 
only  an  excellent  opportunity  to  push  their  measures  for  the 


108  INCREASING    THE    NAVY. 

abolition  of  slavery.  The  loyal  members  from  the  border 
states  became  alarmed  at  this,  and  evinced  great  uneasiness. 
Western  Virginia,  having  formed  a  provisional  government, 
with  Pierpont  as  governor,  sent  members  of  Congress  to 
Washington.  Owen  Lovejoy  of  Illinois,  having  offered 
a  resolution  to  repeal  the  fugitive  slave  law,  these  were  in 
structed  by  the  Legislature  in  session  at  Wheeling,  the  im 
provised  capital,  to  vote  against  it,  while  at  the  same  time 
they  were  directed  to  vote  for  money  and  men  to  carry  on 
the  war.  The  Senate  seemed  to  have  a  more  correct  view 
of  the  magnitude  of  the  struggle  on  which  we  had  entered, 
and  passed  a  bill  authorizing  the  employment  of  five  hundred 
thousand  volunteers,  and  voting  for  an  appropriation  of  half 
a  million  of  dollars.  The  southern  congress,  thinking  the 
north  was  playing  simply  a  game  of  brag,  responded  with  a 
similar  call  for  men  and  money.  Thus,  whether  the  movers 
in  the  matter  comprehended  it  or  not,  the  war  was  assuming 
proportions  so  vast  that  the  mind  shrunk  aghast  at  the  con 
templation.  Acts  were  also  passed  sanctioning  the  blockade 
proclaimed  by  the  President,  and  providing  for  the  collection 
of  the  revenues  of  the  seceding  states.  In  the  mean  time, 
news  having  reached  the  country  that  the  privateer  Sumter 
was  burning  our  ships  on  the  high  seas,  a  bill  was.  passed 
authorizing  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  to  purchase  or  con 
tract  for  such  vessels,  and  to  make  such  increase  in  the  naval 
foyce,  as  he  might  deem  necessary  to  suppress  privateering,, 
and  enforce  the  blockade,  and  appropriated  $3,000,000,  for 
the  purpose.  Having  done  what  it  thought  its  duty  in  the 
present  emergency,  it  was  anxious  to  see  the  army  begin  its 
work.  Scott,  whose  far  reaching  sagacity  saw  that  the  pub 
lic  expectation  of  a  great  and  decisive  battle  which  should 
end  the  rebellion  was  doomed  to  disappointment,  and  that 
an  immediate  advance  on  the  enemy  even  if  victorious  could 
not  be  followed  up  to  any  decisive  result,  scarcely  knew  what 


.       THE    ARMY    TO    MOVE.  109 

course  to  adopt.  In  the  first  place,  the  troops  assembled 
before  Washington  were  mostly  enlisted  for  three  months, 
and  if  they  were  disbanded  without  being  allowed  to  strike  a 
blow  the  public  would  be  disheartened,  and  future  enlist 
ments  might  be  rendered  difficult,  B'esides  the  public  ex 
pected  something  of  this  vast  army — it  could  not  see  why,  if 
the  war  was  ever  to  begin,  it  should  not  commence  at  once 
while  the  Capital  was  threatened.  Our  troops  were  certainly 
as  brave,  numerous,  and  better  armed  than  the  enemy.  It 
could  not  see  the  vast  difference  between  raw  and  unskilled 
troops  moving  to  attack  a  foe  in  a  strong  position  of  his  own 
choosing,  and  one  standing  on  the  defensive  behind  its  in- 
trenchments.  Congress  was  pressed  by  politicians,  the  Presi 
dent  and  Cabinet  by  Congress,  and  Scott  by  both,  till  finally 
a  forward  movement  was  determined  upon.  But  difficulties, 
which  none  but  a  military  commander  could  see,  lay  in  the 
way.  Regiments  already  formed  and  equipped  could  with 
our  railroad  facilities  be  transferred  with  comparative  ease  to 
the  Capital,  but  provisions,  the  means  of  transportation,  and  all 
the  appliances  and  accessories  necessary  to  the  movement  of 
a  great  army,  were  not  so  easily  improvised.  Still  after  full 
deliberation  it  was  resolved  to  force  a  battle.  The  enemy  at 
Manassas  was  supposed  to  be  in  immense  force,  yet  no  one  for 
a  moment  dreamed  of  a  defeat. 

Beauregard  commanded  at  this  point,  while  J.  E.  Johnston, 
at  the  head  of  some  thirty  thousand  men,  was  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  Harper's  Ferry.  General  Patterson,  who  had  com 
manded  a  division  of  volunteers  in  the  Mexican  war,  was  as 
signed  to  the  troops  which  had  been  concentrating  at  Hagers- 
town  and  Williamsport,  to  operate  against -him,  and  on  the 
second  of  July  crossed  the  Potomac  driving  the  rebels  before 
him.  In  a  skirmish  near  Haynesville,  the  army  had  behaved 
well,  and  much  was  expected  of  him.  He  was,  however, 
bordering  on  his  three-score-and-ten,  and  not  being  distin- 


110  THE   ADVANCE. 

guished  in  his  best  days  for  energy,  could  not  be  expected  in 
his  old  age  to  exhibit  much  of  this  quality,  so  necessary  to 
the  vigorous  prosecution  of  a  campaign.  In  the  approaching 
advance  of  the  army  he  was  charged  with  the  responsible 
duty  of  taking  care  of  Johnston — to  hold  him  where  he  was, 
and  thus  prevent  him  from  reinforcing  Beauregard,  or  if  he 
attempted  to  retreat  to  compel  a  battle. 

•To  Colonel  McDowell,  of  the  regular  army,  who  had  the 
reputation  of  being  a  brave  and  skillful  officer,  was  assigned 
the  command  of  the  division  which  was  to  move  against 
Beauregard.  He  had  been  consulted  as  to  the  number  of 
troops  he  should  need,  and  allowed  all  that  he  asked  for.  In 
fixing  the  force,  however,  he  expressly  stated  that  he  did  not 
embrace  in  his  calculation  the  army  under  Johnston.  He 
promised  success  only  on  the  condition  that  the  government 
should  take  care  of  him. 

Everything  being  in  readiness,  the  army  over  forty  thou 
sand  strong,  took  up  its  march  on  the  17th  of  July  in  five  di 
visions — the  first  commanded  by  General  Tyler  of  the  Con 
necticut  militia,  the  second  by  Colonel  Hunter,  the  third  by 
Colonel  lieintzelman  of  the  regular  army,  the  fourth  by  Gen 
eral  Runyon,  and  the  fifth  by  Colonel  Miles.  The  news  of 
this  imposing  array  having  taken  up  its  line  of  march  for 
Manassas,  as  it  traveled  over  the  electric  wires,  created  the 
most  unbounded  enthusiasm  throughout  the  north.  No 
gloomy  forebodings  dashed  the  general  joy,  no  doubts 
clouded  the  belief  that  traitors  were  about  to  receive  their 
just  punishment.  Visitors  at  Washington,  and  members  of 
Congress,  an 61  members  of  the  press,  besieged  the  administra 
tion  for  permission  to  accompany  the  army ;  and  men  on 
horseback,  in  carriages,  and  in  four  horse  omnibuses  brought 
up  the  rear,  or  obstructed  the  march  of  the  victorious  troops. 
They  went  forth  as  to  a  great  Derby  day.  To  the  spectator 
it  looked  like  a  splendid  military  picnic  about  to  come  off 


ARTILLERY    DUEL 


111 


among  the  wooded  fields  of  Virginia.  In  gay  spirits,  the  air 
resounding  with  the  stirring  airs  of  the  regimental  bands,  the 
July  sun  flashing  on  the  long  lines  of  gleaming  bayonets,  the 
army  moved  rapidly  over  the  country.  Driving  the  enemy's 
pickets  before  it,  the  main  column  entered  Fairfax,  and  en 
camped  for  the  night.  The  troops  let  loose  from  their  long 
confinement  plundered  every  thing 'they  could  lay  their  hands 
on,  and  the  spirit  of  frolic  ran  riot  in  the  camp. 

As  General  Tyler  approached  Centreville,  he  was  directed 
by  McDowell  to  establish  himself  there,  and  carefully  observe 
all  the  approaches  to  it.  Instead  of  doing  this,  he  pushed 
on  to  Bull  Run,  and  observing  the  enemy's  batteries  on  the 
farther  bank  opened  fire  on  them.  An  extraordinary  artillery 
duel  followed  which  lasted  for  some  time  with  but  little  effect 
on  either  side,  and  which  resulted  in  Tyler  withdrawing  his 
batteries.  This  action,  brought  on  so  suddenly,  was  wholly 
unexpected  to  McDowell,  and  done  without  his  orders,  and 
hence  was  the  cause  of  much  comment  and  angry  discussion 
afterwards.  Only  one  thing  need  be  said  of  it,  however,  the 
enemy's  line  of  battle  lay  along  this  stream,  and  no  action  was 
proper  till  the  advancing  army  was  in  position,  and  a  con 
certed  attack  could  be  made.  No  reconnoisance  had  been 
made,  and  such  a  movement  ran  the  hazard  of  bringing  on  a 
general  engagement  while  the  bulk  of  the  army  was  on  the 
march,  and  wholly  ignorant  of  what  was  going  on. 

The  next  day,  Friday,  a  wide  reconnoisance  was  made  of 
the  enemy's  position  with  a  view  to  turning  his  flanks  ;  for  a 
straightforward  movement  on  his  strongly  posted  batteries 
was  too  desperate  an  undertaking  to  be  thought  of  except 
everything  else  should  fail.  From  Centreville  three  roads 
branch  off  like  the  three  spokes  of  a  wheel  toward  Bull  Run, 
and  McDowell  determined  to  make  the  attack  in  three  col 
umns.  Bull  Run  is  a  sluggish  stream  running  from  north-west 
to  south-east,  and  crossed  by  numerous  fords.  Behind  it  the 


112  SUNDAY   MORNING. 

ground  rises  into  elevations,  while  the  shores  are  heavily 
wooded.  Along  these  the  enemy  had  posted  himself — his 
line  extending  for  nearly  eight  miles.  To  the  east  on  our 
left  was  Blackburn  ford,  ivhere  Tyler's  artillery  action  took 
place.  The  strength  of  the  enemy  there  was  found  too  great 
to  permit  a  movement  on  that  flank,  and  so  McDowell  de 
termined  to  turn  his  extreme  left  by  a  ford  which  was  so  far 
to  the  west  that  the  enemy,  not  dreaming  of  an  attack  in  that 
quarter,  had  left  it  undefended.  This  task  was  assigned  to 
Hunter's  division.  Heintzelman  was  to  move  against  the 
strongly  defended  ford  next  below  this,  and  the  moment 
Hunter's  division  came  down  on  the  other  side  of  the  stream, 
driving  the  enemy  before  him,  cross  over  and  join  him,  when 
they  together  would  keep  down  the  stream.  Tyler  was  to 
move  along  the  Warrentown  road  that  crossed  Bull  Run  just 
west  of  Centreville,  and  occupy  the  enemy  at  Stone  bridge, 
while  this  flank  movement  was  being  carried  out,  McDowell, 
fearing  that  while  this  was  going  on,  the  enemy  at  Black 
burn  ford,  on  his  extreme  left,  might  attempt  a  similar  move 
ment  on  him,  concentrated  a  heavy  force  there  to  keep  him 
in  check,  and  make  him  think  that  the  main  attack  was  to  be 
made  in  that  direction.  The  fifth  division,  under  Miles,  was 
stationed  on  the  Centreville  ridge  as  the  reserve.  The  plan 
seemed  an  admirable  one,  and  gave  every  promise  of  success. 

*,  BATTLE    OF    BULL    RUN. 

Saturday  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  order  to  march 
was  given.  It  was  a  warm  moonlight  night,  and  the  army 
presented  a  magnificent  spectacle  as  it  began  to  move  off 
through  the  green  fields  and  overhanging  woods.  The  fires 
by  which  the  host  had  cooked  its  midnight  meal — the  last  to 
many  a  poor  soldier — dotted  the  hill-sides  and  hazy  valleys 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  Long  lines  of  steel,  flashing  in 
the  moonbeams — extended  rows  of  army  wagons  with  their 


TYLER'S  POSTION.  113 

white  tops — the  dark  looking  ambulances — winding  columns 
of  cavalry  now  bursting  into  view,  and  now  lost  in  deep 
shadows — combined  to  form  a  scene  of  thrilling  interest. 
Not  a  drum  or  bugle  cheered  the  march — a  deep  silence, 
broken  only  by  the  heavy  rumbling  of  artillery  carriages,  or 
the  muffled  tread  of  the  advancing  host,  rested  on  forest  and 
valley.  The  divisions,  separating  like  the  rays  of  a  fan, 
moved  off  to  their  respective  positions.  Hunter  and  Heintzel- 
man  took  the  same  road  until  they  came  to  the  turn  off  to 
the  ford  where  the  latter  was  to  be  dropped.  Hunter  then 
kept  on  alone.  It  was  evident  that  the  battle  was  to  be  lost 
or  won  by  these  two  divisions,  fourteen  thousand  strong. 
The  rest  of  the  army  was  only  to  keep  the  enemy  in  front 
occupied  till  they  were  seen  coming  down  the  opposite  bank, 
then  the  general  advance  was  to  take  place,  for  the  battle  was 
assuredly  won.  The  Sabbath  morning  broke  warm  and 
pleasant,  and  at  six  o'clock  Tyler  was  in  front  of  the  enemy's 
centre,  and  soon  a  thirty  pound  rifled  Parrott  gun — the  signal 
agreed  on  by  which  he  was  to  announce  he  was  in  position — 
awoke  the  morning  echoes,  and  the  shell  bursting  in  mid  air 
announced  to  the  enemy  that  the  decisive  hour  had  come. 
The  duty  assigned  him  was  to  threaten  the  bridge  which  here 
crossed  the  stream  till  the  appearance  of  Hunter's  and  Heintzel- 
man's  divisions  on  the  other  side  coming  down  the  stream,  when 
he  was  to  move  across  to  their  support.  He  had  reached  his 
position  at  half-past  five,  and  hence  had  ample  time  to  survey 
that  of  the  enemy  on  the  farther  side.  The  latter  was  posted 
on  bights  that  rose  in  regular  slopes  from  the  shore,  broken 
into  knoirs  and  terraces,  crowned  here  and  there  by  earth 
works.  The  woods  that  interfered  with  his  cannon  ranges 
had  all  been  cut  away,  and  his  guns  had  a  clean  sweep  of 
every  approach.  On  our  side  the  descent  was  more  gradual, 
and  covered  with  a  dense  forest.  A  lookout  was  stationed  in 
a  tree  that  overlooked  the  surrounding  country,  from  which 


THE    FLANKING    DIVISIONS. 

lie  could  observe  the  progress  of  the  flanking  columns  under 
Hunter  and  Heintzelman.  Hour  after  hour  this  division 
stood  tlius  on  the  ridge  that  overlooked  Bull  Run  and  the 
bridge,  doing  nothing  except  now  and  then  sending  a  shell 
from  its  thirty-two  pound  Parrott  gun  at  bodies  of  infantry 
and  cavalry  that  far  inland  could  be  detected  moving  in  the 
direction  of  Hunter's  and  Heintzelman's  divisions. 

Colonel  Richardson,  with  his  brigade  (detached  for  the 
time-being  from  the  fifth  division  in  reserve  under  Miles)  took 
the  position  at  Blackburn  ford,  still  farther  down  the  stream, 
to  threaten  a  passage  there.  While  Tyler  was  to  wait  the 
appearance  of  Hunter  and  Heintzelman  across  the  stream 
before  commencing  his  attack,  Richardson,  below  him,  was  to 
wait  the  thunder  of  Tyler's  artillery  as  the  signal  for  him  to 
move  on  the  ford.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  but  one  division 
(Tyler's)  and  one  brigade  (Richardson's)  were  on  the  stream, 
while  the  two  divisions  of  Hunter  and  Heintzelman  were  to 
open  the  battle — the  other  two  being  out  of  the  fight — Miles 
in  reserve  at  Centreville,  and  Runyon's  protecting  the  com 
munications  with  Vienna.  The  whole  interest,  therefore, 
centred  on  the  two  former  divisions,  and  from  little  after 
sunrise  every  eye  was  strained  in  the  direction  they  were  ex 
pected  to  appear,  and  every  ear  open  to  hear  the  thunder  of 
their  artillery.  These  two  columns,  as  before  remarked, 
moved  steadily  along  the  same  road,  on  their  unknown  jour 
ney  up  the  stream  and  back  of  it,  until  they  came  to  the 
place  designated  for  Heintzelman  to  turn  off  to  the  left  to  the 
ford  where  he  was  to  cross.  But  the  road  laid  down  on  the 
map,  and  which  he  was  to  take  was  found  to  have  no  exis 
tence  in  fact,  and  so  he  kept  on  after  Hunter ;  and  about 
eleven  o'clock  came  to  Sudley's  Springs  ford,  where  the 
latter  had  just  crossed  with  the  exception  of  one  brigade 
which  was  then  entering  the  water.  It  was  ten  miles  from 
Centreville  to  this  place  and  the  soldiers  before  reaching  it 


THE  ENEMY'S  FLANK  TURNED.       115 

had  become  mucli  exhausted.  The  enemy  had  got  informa 
tion  of  this  movement,  and  from  high  points  of  observa 
tion  large  masses  of  troops  could  be  seen  moving  rapidly 
towards  the  threatened  point.  The  roar  of  artillery  soon 
announced  that  Hunter  was  engaged  with  the  enemy. 
Heintzleinan  immediately  pushed  forward  his  division,  but 
finding  it  slow  work  to  get  it  over  in  a  body,  he  ordered  the 
regiments  to  break  off  and  cross  separately.  The  men,  how 
ever,  suffering  from  thirst,  stopped  to  drink  and.  fill  their  can 
teens  which  delayed  the  march.  McDowell,  having  stationed 
himself  where  he  could  the  most  quickly  receive  reports  from 
the  different  divisions,  had  at  length  flung  himself  on  the 
ground  to  get  a  little  rest,  as  he  was  suffering  from  illness. 
At  half-past  ten  a  courier  dashed  up  to  him,  and  announced 
that  Hunter  was  across  Bull  Run.  He  immediately  sprang 
to  the  saddle,  and  galloped  off  to  accompany  the  column  on 
which  the  fate  of  the  day  depended.  The  brave  Porter,  the 
gallant  Burnside,  and  the  chivalrous  Sprague  were  in  the 
advance  of  Hunter,  driving  the  enemy  steadily  before  them. 
Soon  Heintzleman  appeared  also  on  their  left,  and  the  amazed 
enemy  saw  their  position  turned.  The  advancing  columns 
were  at  last  seen  from  the  lookouts  at  Tyler's  position,  and 
huge  columns  of  smoke  rising  in  the  summer  air  and  waving 
to  and  fro  in  the  sunlight  showed  where  the  encountering 
hosts  were  struggling  for  victory.  Then  all  along  that  slug 
gish  stream,  for  five  miles  in  extent,  the  artillery  opened,  and 
the  columns  were  put  in  motion.  Tyler's  left  wing  swept 
forward,  the  famous  Irish  regiment,  sixteen  hundred  strong, 
leading  the  van.  With  the  quick-step  at  first,  then  the 
double-quick,  they,  with  shouts  that  shook  the  field,  flung 
themselves  forward,  skirting  with  their  glittering  steel  the 
edge  of  the  forest.  Coats,  haversacks,  everything  that  could 
impede  their  progress  were  cast  loose.  Meagher  galloped 
at  their  head,  and  shouting,  "come  on,  boys;  your  have  got 


116  THE   BATTLE. 

your  chance  at  last,"  led  them  fiercely  on  the  foe.  The 
Seventy-ninth  Highlanders,  the  Thirteenth  New  York,  and 
First  Wisconsin,  followed.  It  was  now  high  noon,  and  the 
battle  began  to  rage  with  terrible  fury.  Hunter  had  been 
wounded,  but  his  and  Heintzelman's  divisions  kept  on  their 
terrible  way,  steadily  pushing  the  enemy  before  them. 
Riekett's  battery,  after  losing  nearly  every  man  at  the  guns, 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Out  of  the  woods  volumes 
of  smoke  writhed  fiercely  upwards,  telling  where  bodies  of 
infantry  struggled  for  the  mastery — regiments  on  the  double- 
quick  streamed  across  the  open  meadows,  and  the  next 
moment,  like  two  thunder  clouds  charged  with  lightning, 
burst  in  flame  on  each  other,  while  the  incessant  roar  of  can 
non  shook  the  earth.  The  surrounding  inhabitants  grew  pale 
with  affright,  and  the  deafening  reverberations  rolled 
sullenly  away,  till  they  broke  with  a  muffled  sound  over 
Fairfax  and  Alexandria,  and  even  Washington  itself,  blanch 
ing  the  cheeks  of  listeners,  and  filling  their  hearts  with  vague 
fears.  Those  stationed  near  Tyler's  position  listened  with  in 
tense  eagerness  to  Hunter's  and  Heintzelman's  charges  in  the 
northern  woods,  and  ever  and  anon  cheers  were  heard 
mingling  with  the  roar  of  artillery.  Some  regiments  flinched 
through  want  of  proper  officers,  and  Rickett's  battery  was 
lost  by  the  cowardly  flight  of  the  fire  Zouaves  who  had 
boasted  of  the  deeds  they  would  perform  beforehand.  Others 
came  gallantly  into  the  fight  for  a  while,  but  soon  broke  and 
fled  in  dismay,  a  few  stood  firm  until  all  was  lost.  The  Second 
Minnesota,  ordered  to  the  extreme  right,  moved  for  a  mile 
across  the  field  of  battle  at  the  quick  and  double-quick,  and 
drew  up  within  close  pistol  shot  of  a  superior  foe.  Heintzel- 
man  was  everywhere  present — now  in  talking  distance  of  the 
foe,  and  now  dashing  amid  the  wavering  battalions  to  steady 
them.  Where  such  men  as  he,  and  Porter,  and  Burnside? 
and  Sprague  led,  there  could  not  but  be  deeds  of  heroism, 


THE    REPULSE-.  117 

and  where  such  batteries  as  Griffin's,  and  RickettX  and  the 
Rhode  Island,  were-  directed  by  their  respective  commanders, 
the  harvest  of  death  was  reaped  fast.  By  little  after  noon 
these  two  flanking  divisions  had  worked  their  desperate  way 
down  the  farther  banks  of  Bull  Run  until  they  were  opposite 
Tyler's  position  at  the  Stone  bridge.  The- enemy  hurried  up 
regiment  after  regiment  to  arrest  the  reversed  tide  of  battle, 
but  all  in  vain.  Tyler,  sending  forward  reinforcements 
across  the  stream,  brought  help  to  the,  exhausted,  thirsty 
troops  which  had  been  marching  and  fighting  ever  since  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning  of  this  hot  July  day.  Sherman  and 
Keyes  led  their  brigades  gallantly  forward,  and  by  two 
o'clock  the  battle  was  to  human  view  won.  Many  of  the 
enemy  were  already  in  full  flight — the  whole  army  borne 
back  a  mile  and  a  half — and  Beauregard  was  preparing  to 
retreat  to  his  lines  at  Manassas  Junction,  when  clouds  of  dust, 
rising  in  the  distance,  told  him  that  reinforcements  were  hur 
rying  to  his  relief.  As  Blucher-  stale  away  from  Grouchy  at 
Wavres,  to  decide  the  fate  of  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  so  had 
Johnston  beguiled  Patterson,  and  pushing  his  troops  forward 
by  railroad,  had  now  come  to  make  a  Waterloo  defeat  to  the 
Federal  arms.  Hunter  and  Heintzelman,  after  their  long 
march  and  long  fight  without  rest  or  food,  and  part  of  the 
time  without  water,  now  found  a  fresh  enemy  approaching 
on  their  right  flank,  and  partly  in  their  rear.  It  matters  not 
whether  this  was-  the-  cause  of  the  panic  that  followed  or  not, 
it  made  -the  loss  of  the  battle  certain.  Ten  thousand  fresh 
troops  thrown  suddenly  on  these  two  divisions,  that  had  been 
marching  and  fighting  without  any  respite  for  thirteen  hours-, 
could  have  but  one  result.  It  must  be-  remembered  that 
those  thirteen  hours  told  heavier  on  our  raw  troops,  fresh  from 
the  counting  house  and  workshops,  than  twenty-four  would 
have  done  on  old  soldiers.  An  orderly  retreat  might  have- 
been  effected  but  fox  the  panic,,  nothing  more.  The  brave 


118  THE    PANIC. 

and  dauntless  Heintzelman  galloped  among  the  broken  ranks 
in  vain.  Porter,  Burnside,  and  others  were  helpless  in  the 
loosened,  refluent  flood.  Griffin,  raging  like  a  young  lion  at, 
as  he  believed,  the  useless  loss  of  his  guns,  turned  savagely 
back,,  powerless  to  stay  the  reverse  tide  of  battle.  The  gal 
lant  young  governor  of  Rhode  Islend,  seeing  that  all  was 
lost,  spiked,  with  his  own  hands,  the  guns  of  his  regiment 
before  he  fled.  McDowell,  hearing  heavy  cannonading  down 
by  Blackburn  ford,  and  fearing  his  left  flank  would  be  turned, 
which  would  secure  the  total  annihilation  of  his  force,  gal 
loped  thither,  and  drew  up  the  reserve  under  Miles  to  arrest 
the  progress  of  the  enemy.  The  spectacle  now  in  the  center 
was  painful  in  the  extreme — hosts  of  Federal  troops — some 
detached  from  their  regiments,  all  mingled  in  one  disorderly 
rout,  were  fleeing  along  the  road  and  through  the  fields  on 
either  side.  Army  wagons,  sutlers'  teams,  and  private  car 
riages,  choked  the  passage,  tumbling  against  each  other  amid 
clouds  of  dust.  Hacks,  containing  unlucky  spectators  of  the 
battle,  were  smashed  like  glass,  and  the  occupants  lost  sight 
of  in  the  debris.  Horses  flying  wildly  from  the  battle-field, 
many  of  them  in  death  agony,  galloped  at  random  forward, 
swelling  the  tumult,  while  wounded  men,  lying  along  the 
banks,  appealed  with  raised  hands  to  those  who  rode  horses 
to  be  lifted  behind.  Then  the  artillery  such  as  was  saved, 
came  thundering  along,  smashing  and  overturning  everything 
in  its  passage.  The  regular  cavalry  joined  in  the  melee,  ad 
ding  to  the  accumulated  terrors,  for  they  rode  down  footmen 
without  mercy.  The  trains  from  Hunter's  division  soon  came 
rushing  in  from  a  branch  road,  and  from  every  side  fresh 
torrents  swelled  the  confused  and  enrolling  tide.  The 
Wounded  were  left  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  victors,  and 
the  roads  and  fields,  along  which,  on  this  early  Sabbath  morn- 
Ing  such  a  confident  imposing  array  had  passed,  were  black 
with  terrified  fugitives,  and  cumbered  with  abandoned  cannon, 


THE    KILLED    AND    WOUNDED.  119 

wagons,  arms,  and  accoutrements.  It  was  a  wild  flight.  The 
calm  presence  of  the  reserve  under  Blenckcr,  drawn  up  in  line 
of  battle  at  Centreville,  checked  the  hitherto  uncontrollable 
terror,  but  not  sufficient  to  allow  McDowell  to  make  a  stand 
there,  -and  the  turbulent  stream  rolled  on  towards  Washing 
ton.  As  night  deepened  the  rain  came  down  in  torrents, 
drenching  the  living  and  dead  alike.  All  night  long  the 
weary,  straggling  army,  toiled  on.  and  at  morning  began  to  pour 
in  tumultuous  masses  over  Long  bridge,  carrying  consternation 
to  the  Capital.  Some  regiments,  however,  preserved  their 
order,  and  marched  into  Washington  with  ranks  unbroken. 

The  news  of  this  terrible  disaster  travelling  over  the  elec 
tric  wires,  made  every  cheek  turn  pale,  and  sent  a  shudder 
throughout  the  north.  Not  only  was  a  great  battle  lost,  but 
"  the  Capital  is  lost,"  trembled  on  every  tongue.  On  the  heels 
of  such  a  routed  host,  a  mere  section  of  the  rebel  army  could 
enter  Washington.  But  it  did  not  follow  up  its  success. 
Whether  the  severe  beating  it  had  received  up  to  the  last 
moment,  or  ignorance  of  the  extent  of  the  panic,  or 
fear  of  losing  all  it  had  gained  by  pressing  forward  in  the 
darkness  on  unknown  dangers,  restrained  it — at  all  events 
it  attempted  no  pursuit,  and  the  discomfited  army  had  noth 
ing  but  its  own  terrors,  the  darkness,  storm,  and  hunger,  and 
weariness  to  contend  with. 

The  battlefield  presented  a  sickening  appearance — the 
dead  and  wounded  were  everywhere,  and  citizens  of  a  com 
mon  country,  of  the  same  lineage — the  blooming  youth 
and  the  gray-haired  man  lay,  side  by  side,  sprinkled  with 
each  other's  blood.  The  pitiless  rain  came  down  upon  the 
sufferers  whose  low  moans  loaded  the  midnight  air. 

Our  loss  in  killed,  and  wounded,  and  missing,  amounted  to 
nearly  two  thousand,  of  which  one  thousand  four  hundred 
and  twenty-three  were  taken  prisoners.  Among  the  killed 
were  Colonel  Cameron,  brother  of  the  Secretary  of  War 


120  FEELING    AT    THE    NORTH. 

and  Colonel  Slocum  of  Rhode  Island,  whose  bodies  were 
left  on  the  battle  field.  Among  the  prisoners  taken,  were 
Colonel  Corcoran  of  New  York  city,  and  Mr.  Ely,  member 
of  Congress  from  Rochester.  Beside  other  trophies  which  the 
enemy  secured,  were  twenty -three  cannon  of  various  sizes, 
four  thousand  muskets,  artillery  wagons,  ammunition,  and  a 
large  quantity  of  equipments  and  stores.  Of  our  whole 
army,  not  twenty  thousand  had  been  in  the  fight,  while  the 
number  of  the  rebels  actually  engaged  at  first  was  probably  not 
much  greater.  We  had  the  largest  force  in  the  field  pre 
vious  to  Johnston's  arrival,  when  they  loth  together  outnum 
bered  and  outflanked  us. 

The  north,  though  at  first  stunned  by  the  defeat,  showed! 
no  discouragement.  The  press,  however,  was  filled  with 
clamors  against  this  and  that  person,  or  set  of  persons,  who 
had  been  instrumental  in  bringing  it  upon  us.  Less,  how 
ever,  than  might  have  been  expected  was  visited  on  McDow 
ell.  There  seemed  to  be  an  instinctive  consciousness  that  he 
had  beeii  ruined  by  either  the  inefficiency,  or  cowardice,  or 
treachery  of  Patterson  ; — and  the  latter  for  some  time  after 
would  scarcely  have  been  safe  in  any  northern  city.  Othera 
turned  their  wrath  on  the  papers  and  the  party  whose 
cry  "On  to  Richmond"  had  filled  the  land  for  weeks, 
General  Scott,  it  was  declared,,  had  been  forced  to  consent 
to  a  movement  which  his  judgment  disapproved;  and 
fierce  denunciations  were  hurled  at  the  heads  of  those  who- 
had  attempted  to  control  the  military  authorities.  The  ad 
ministration  came  in  for  its  share  of  abuse,  and  the  want  of 
confidence  everywhere  felt  in  its,  ability  to  conduct  us  safely 
through  the  war,  threatened  for  a  while  to  produce  a  greater 
calamity  than  the  defeat  itself.  But  as  the  smoke  of  the? 
conflict  cleared  away,  it  became  easier  to  fix  the  blame.  It 
was  evident,  notwithstanding  the  many  criticisms  to  the  con 
trary,  that  McDowell  had  planned  and  conducted  the  battle 


CAUSES  OF  THE  DEFEAT.  121 

wisely.  The  charge  of  overtasking  the  men  was,  perhaps, 
true,  but  it  is  not  shown  how  it  could  have  been  prevented. 
That  the  troops  were  not  provided  with  sufficient  food,  was 
owing  to  the  negligence  of  the  subordinate  officers,  and  still 
more  to  the  carelessness  of  the  men  who,  not  believing  that 
the  task  of  whipping  the  rebels  was  to  be  a  serious  one,  did 
not  prepare  for  their  work,  as  older  soldiers  would  have 
done.  Many  regiments  were  not  properly  officered,  no 
doubt,  but  that  was  an  evil  that  could  not  have  been  avoided. 
McDowell  thought  if  he  could  have  been  supplied  with  the 
means  of  transportation,  so  as  to  have  started  earlier,  as  he 
designed  to  dt>,  defeat  might  have  been  prevented,  notwith 
standing  the  other  difficulties  he  had  to  contend  with.  But 
the  enemy  were  thoroughly  acquainted  with  his  movements; 
and  it  is  more  than  probable,  if  it  had  been  necessary  for 
Johnston  to  be  atManassas  earlier,  he  would  have  been  there. 
But  it  is  unquestionably  true  that  Patterson's  failure  to  take 
care  of  Johnston,  made  defeat  certain,  whether  Beauregard, 
as  he  intended  to  do,  had  attacked  McDowell,  or  waited  as 
he  did  to  receive  him  in  position.  To  the  believer  in  an 
over-ruling  Providence,  there  will  appear  reasons  for  this 
defeat  that  are  not  laid  down  in  military  books. 

To  say  nothing  of  the  utter  ruin  that  would  assuredly 
have  overtaken  an  army  of  that  size  and  composition,  had  it 
succeeded  then,  and  attempted  to  march  on  Richmond — as  it 
must  have  done  under  the  pressure  of  public  opinion,  and 
of  the  consequent  greater  peril  to  our  cause,  or  of  other  re 
sults  that  would  have  happened — that  defeat  was  necessary 
to  crush  out  the  rash,  headlong,  and  too  confident  spirit  with 
which  we  had  entered  on  our  task.  Scarcely  any  price  was 
too  great  to  pay  to  secure  such  a  result.  Its  permanent  es 
tablishment  over  the  government  would  have  driven  us  into 
such  desperate  straits  that  no  avenue  of  escape  would  have 
been  left  us  but  by  the  way  of  military  despotism.  The 


122  OUR   MISTAKE. 

struggle  on  which  we  had  entered,  was  too  mighty ;  the  war 
before  us  of  too  vast  proportions  to  be  disposed  of  without 
the  most  careful  and  ample  preparations.  A  battle  was  well 
enough  to  punish  the  audacity  of  the  rebels,  and  secure  the 
Capital,  but  the  blind  confidence  and  arrogant  boastfulness 
that  demanded  it,  would  not  have  been  content  with  such  a 
result.  It  had  become  a  condition  of  our  success  that  the 
public  press  and  politicians  should  cease  to  direct  the  manage- 
ment  of  the  war,  and  that  it  should  fall  into  the  legitimate  and 
proper  hands.  This  the  defeat  at  Bull  Run  secured  at  least  for 
a  time.  The  nation  took  the  attitude  of  calm  reflection,  and 
began  to  measure  somewhat  the  mighty  task  before  it.  It  un 
questionably  hurt  us  abroad,  but  that  could  not  be  helped. 

The  huge  blunder  of  taking  three  month's  men  now  became 
apparent.  It  was  seen  that  a  grand  army,  in  all  its  appoint 
ments  and  preparatory  drill,  must  be  had  before  any  import 
ant  movement  could  be  made.  We  found  that  there  was  a 
great  difference  between  offensive  and  defensive  war.  The 
latter  can  be  carried  on  in  a  country  difficult  of  access,  with 
out  much  previous  drill ;  the  former  never.  The  New 
England  farmers  fought  like  veterans  behind  their  temporary 
breastworks  on  Bunker  Hill,  but  had  affairs  been  reversed, 
and  they  been  called  to  mount  the  naked  slope,  in  face  of  a 
murderous  fire,  as  were  the  British  regulars,  they  never 
would  have  moved  with  unbroken  ranks  for  the  last  and 
third  time  as  the  latter  did  into  the  face  of  death.  Here  was 
the  cause  of  our  error — we  forgot  that  we  were  to  wage  an 
offensive  war — cany  intrenchmeiits,  and  storm  strong  posi 
tions  held  by  our  own  flesh  and  blood. 

On  the  top  of  this  disaster  came  the  news  that  on  the 
twenty -fifth  of  this  month  Major  Lynde  surrendered  Fort  Fill- 
more  in  New  Mexico,  with  seven  hundred  men,  to  a  body  of 
Texans  without  firing  a  shot,  and  under  circumstances  that 
left  no  doubt  of  premeditated  treason* . 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

JULY-AUGUST,  1861. 

V  OF  THE  ARMY  AFTER  BULL  RUN  -  ITS  DISAPPEARANCE  FROM  THE  FIELD  - 
A  NEW  ARMY  TO  BE  RAISED  -  GREATNESS  OF  THE  TASK  -  MC  CLELLAN  SUM 
MONED  TO  THE  CAPITAL  TO  TAKE  CHIEF  COMMAND  -  BANKS  AND  FREMONT  - 
THE  LATTER  SENT  TO  ST.  LOUIS  -  THE  ENEMY^S  OUTPOSTS  IN  SIGHT  OF  THE 
CAPITAL  -  RISING  OF  THE  NORTH  —  LYON  ADVANCES  ON  MC  CULLOCH  -  KEN 
TUCKY  VOTES  TO  REMAIN  IN  THE  UNION  —  FREMONT  IN  ST.  LOUIS  -  BATTLE  OF 
WILSON'S  CHEEK  AND  DEATH  OF  LYON  —  RETREAT  OF  THE  UNION  ARMY  —  PUB 

LIC  FEELING  ON  THE  DEATH  OF  LYON  -  DIABOLICAL  SPIRIT  OF  THE  SOUTHERN" 
CLERGY. 


forces  of  a  great  nation  were  probably  never  in  a 
JL  more  chaotic  state  than  ours,  immediately  after  the  bat 
tle  of  Bull  Run.  The  time  of  many  of  the  soldiers  was  out 
just  before  it  occurred  ;  and  Patterson  explained  his  tardy 
action  in  regard  to  Johnston  on  the  ground  that  some  of  his 
regiments  refused  to  fight  because  the  term  of  their  enlist 
ment  had  expired.  McDowell,  in  his  official  report,  said, 
that  in  a  few  .days  he  would  have  been  compelled  to  dis 
charge  ten  thousand  men,  and  that  on  the  very  eve  of  the 
battle,  the  fourth  Pennsylvania  regiment  of  volunteers  and 
the  battery  of  the  New  York  eighth  militia  refused  to  remain 
a  day  longer.  All  appeals  to  their  patriotism  were  in  vain, 
—  they  insisted  on  their  discharge  that  night  ;  and  the  "  next 
morning  when  the  army  moved  forward  into  battle,  these 
troops  moved  to  the  rear  to  the  sound  of  the  enemy's  can 
non."  If  such  disinclination  to  serve  was  exhibited  on  the 
eve  of  a  battle,  in  which  it  was  confidently  believed  we 
should  be  victorious,  it  is  easy  to  imagine  what  would  be 
the  feeling  of  the  troops  after  an  overwhelming  defeat.  The 
chaos  which  a  totally  demoralized  army  presents,  though 


124  MCCLELLAN   TAKES   COMMAND. 

originally  composed  of  the  best  materials,  is  a  lamentable 
sight ;  but  that  of  one  made  up  of  such  newly-created  sol 
diers  as  these,  was  a  fearful  spectacle.  The  consciousness 
that  their  time  of  service  was  nearly  expired,  took  away  all 
sense  of  responsibility.  There  were,  of  course,  some  noble 
exceptions,  but  the  mass  of  these  seventy-five  thousand  men 
became  a  disorganized  mob.  It  was  to  disappear  from  sight, 
and  a  new  army  to  be  raised  in  its  place,  equipped,  drilled,  and 
prepared  for  the  field.  The  task  before  the  government 
was  herculean  ;  and  even  Napoleon  would  have  stood  aghast 
at  it.  To  raise  and  fit,  in  three  months,  for  the  field  an 
army  of  half  a  million  of  men,  without,  at  least,  the  skele 
ton  of  a  veteran  army  on  which  to  build  as  a  base,  was  a 
work  of  frightful  magnitude.  It  was  evident  that  Scott's 
age  and  infirmities  rendered  him  unequal  to  it.  A  younger 
man,  in  the  prime  of  life,  with  a  constitution  of  iron  and  a 
will  to  match,  was  needed.  It  was  fortunate  for  the  nation 
that  the  young  general  who  had  won  such  renown  in  west 
ern  Virginia  was  the  first  full  major-general  in  the  regular 
army  after  Scott,  and  hence  must,  from  seniority  of  rank, 
occupy  his  place.  It  was  still  more  fortunate  that  to 
his  natural  executive  ability  and  military  experience  he  had 
added  a  knowledge  obtained  in  the  Crimea,  in  the  war  be 
tween  Russia,  France,  and  England. 

McClellan  was  summoned  at  once  to  the  Capital,  where  he 
arrived  on  the  26th  of  July.  In  the  mean  time,  General 
Banks  was  transferred  to  the  command  of  Patterson's  divi 
sion,  on  the  upper  Potomac.  About  this  time,  also,  Fremont, 
the  second  major-general,  who  had  returned  from  Europe  in 
June  with  arms  for  the  government,  had  been  appointed  over 
the  western  department,  including  Illinois  and  all  the  states 
west  of  the  Mississippi  to  the  Rocky  mountains,  departed 
for  St.  Louis,  to  take  command.  Of  these  three  appoint 
ments,  the  first  two  were  unanimously  applauded,  while  by 


WASHINGTON    THREATENED.  125 

a  portion  of  the  people  the  latter  was  looked  upon  as  a  mere 
political  act,  which  would  result  badly.  One  thing,  at  least, 
may  be  said  of  it ;  that  it  was  putting  an  untried  man  in  a 
place  where  there  was  already  one  who  had  shown  his 
admirable  fitness  for  it.  Had  Lyon  been  put  in  command, 
at  least  of  Missouri,  we  might  have  been  saved  many  defeats 
and  losses.  Innumerable  and  hazardous  experiments  in  the 
way  of  appointments  were  unavoidable  in  the  sudden  and 
gigantic  civil  Avar  into  which  we  had  been  precipitated ;  it 
was  therefore  a  very  unwise  act  to  make  any  unnecessary 
ones. 

McClellan  immediately  entered  on  his  work  like  one  who 
fully  understood  the  difficulties  before  him.  Washington,  at 
the  time,  presented  a  deplorable  spectacle.  Its  bar-rooms 
and  groggeries  were  filled  with  drinking  officers  and  sol 
diers,  and  the  idea  of  military  subordination  seemed  not  to 
have  Qntered  the  minds  of  either.  In  the  mean  time,  the 
exultant  enemy  had  pushed  forward  his  outposts,  till  his  flag 
flaunted  defiantly  within  sight  of  the  Capital.  Thanks  to 
the  soldierly  foresight  of  Scott,  the  works  across  the  Poto 
mac,  which  had  called  forth  the  sneers  of  men  of  the  "On 
to  Richmond  "  school,  saved  us  from  the  danger  of  a  direct 
attack.  He  threatened,  however,  to  pass  the  Potomac  some 
twenty-five  miles  above  and  below,  and  precipitate  Mary 
land,  never  too  loyal,  and  now  ready  for  hostile  action,  into 
revolution.  This  had  to  be  guarded  against,  while  the  col 
lection,  equipment,  and  organization  of  the  vast  army  sum 
moned  to  the  field  was  going  on. 

The  response  of  the  north  to  the  call  made  upon  it  for 
soldiers  was  without  a  parallel  in  the  history  of  the  world, 
and  it  was  soon  evident  that  more  troops  would  be  in  the 
field  than  the  act  of  Congress  authorized.  Camps  of 
instruction  were  formed  in  various  sections — regiments  were 
collected  and  drilled  in  almost  every  Congressional  district— 


126  LYON    SEEKS   THE    ENEMY, 

camps  dotted  the  peaceful  farms  on  every  side — flags  vraved 
from  almost  every  public  and  private  building,  and  the  drum 
beat  from  the  rugged  coasts  of  Maine  to  the  far  off  shores  of 
the  Pacific.  The  north  was  rising  in  its  majesty ;  and  no 
one  doubted,  if  the  government  was  equal  to  the  emergen 
cy,  but  that  the  disaster  of  Bull  Run  would  soon  be  avenged, 
and  the  tide  of  success,  which  had  from  the  first  set  against 
us,  be  reversed. 

While  McClellan  was  at  work  at  the  Capital,  trying  to 
restore  order  out  of  chaos,  the  fighting  still  went  on  in  Mis 
souri  ;  and  Cox  and  Rosecranz  kept  the  field  in  western  Vir« 
ginia.  In  Missouri  an  important  step  was  taken  for  the 
Union,  in  the  election,  by  the  state  convention,  of  Hamilton 
R.  Gamble  as  Provisional  Governor,  in  place  of  Jackson,  who 
had  joined  the  secessionists. 

In  the  mean  while,  General  Lyon  was  so  occupied  with  the 
enemy  .that  he  seemed  unaware  of  the  various  internal  and 
external  changes  affecting  the  state.  On  the  2d  of  August, 
the  day  before  Fremont  reached  Cairo,  he  advanced  on  a 
portion  of  McCulloch's  army  at  Dug  Springs,  and  offered 
battle.  The  enemy,  however,  retired,  after  receiving  a  stun 
ning  blow  from  a  small  body  of  cavalry  that  charged  them 
with  reckless  daring. 

It  was  a  hot  August  day,  and  the  troops  suffered  intolera 
bly  from  thirst.  The  next  morning  the  column  moved  on. 
Twenty-six  miles  beyond  Springfield,  finding  himself  short 
of  provisions,  his  men  exhausted,  sick  and  sore,  and  his 
communication  with  Springfield  threatened,  Lyon  resolved  to 
retrace  his  steps  to  that  place. 

Kentucky,  in  the  mean  time,  had  held  her  election,  and 
decided  by  an  emphatic  vote  to  stay  in  the  Union.  The  an 
nouncement  of  the  fact  in  the  Capitol  by  Mr.  Wickliffe,  member 
of  Congress  from  that  state,  was  received  with  the  wildest  en 
thusiasm.  In  our  darkest  days,  that  gallant  state  had  cast  her 


FREMONT    IN    MISSOURI.  127 

lot  in  with  the  free  states,  which  was  far  more  important  to  our 
success  west  than  the  winning  of  a  great  battle.  At  the 
very  time  this  loyal  son  of  Kentucky  was  proclaiming  this 
cheering  fact,  John  C.  Breckenridge  was  being  serenaded  in 
Baltimore,  on  account  of  his  secession  views.  On  the  same 
day  General  McGruder,  in  command  of  the  rebel  forces  at 
Hampton,  near  fortress  Monroe,  either  in  a  drunken  frenzy, 
or  fearing  an  assault,,  marched  out  of  the  town,  and  then  de 
liberately  applied  the  torch,  burning  it  to  the  ground. 

In  the  mean  time,  Fremont  had  arrived  in  St.  Louis,  and 
entered,  it  was  said,  with  vigor  on  the  difficult  task  assigned 
him.  Whether  his  subsequent  actions  deserved  condemna 
tion  or  not,  it  is  certain  that  the  difficulties  of  his  position 
were  but  little  understood  by  the  public. 

On  no  other  major-general,  except,  perhaps,  McClellan, 
had  fallen  such  a  load  as  suddenly  fell  on  him.  Unaccustom 
ed  to  a  large  command,  without  time  to  acquaint  himself  with 
the  wants  of  his  extensive  department, — with  an  army  to 
create, — and  a  system  to  settle,  he  was  thrown  at  once  into 
the  midst  of  battling  armies,  where  the  odds  were  against 
him.  And  yet,  the  very  guns  he  needed  were  not  within 
his  department,  even  the  harnesses  for  his  teams  not  ready. 
Every  thing  was  in  chaos  around  him,  while  Pillow,  with  a 
large  army,  iwas  reported  to  be  at  New  Madrid,  ready  to 
march  on  St.  Louis ;  and  McCulloch  and  Price  threatened 
with  a  vastly  superior  force  to  overwhelm  Lyon  at  Spring 
field.  Fremont  may  not  have  been  the  man  for  such  an 
emergency,  and  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  find^  one  that 
was.  He  must  have  been  capable  of  impossibilities.  He  had 
hardly  time  to  look  around  him  before  the  battle  of  Wilson's 
Creek  rendered  still  more  complicated  the  bewildering  state  of 
things  into  which  he  had  been  thrown.  On  the  10th  of 
August,  Lyon,  then  at  Springfield,  heard  that  McCulloch  and 
Price,  outnumbering  his  force  four  to  one,  were  only  some 


128  LYON   ADVANCES   ON    THE   REBELS. 

ten  or  twelve  miles  distant,  advancing  full  upon  him.  His 
need  for  reinforcements  was  most  urgent,  yet  he  was  told 
they  could  not  be  furnished  him.  What  should  he  do? 
Strict  military  rules  demanded  a  retreat ;  but  then  the  Union 
ists  at  Springfield  and  the  surrounding  region  would  be  aban 
doned  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  rebels,  from  whom  they 
had  just  been  delivered,  and  a  moral  defeat  sustained,  full  of 
peril  to  the  Union  cause  in  the  state.  In  this  painful  dilem 
ma,  he  resolved,  like  a  true  hero  and  patriot,  to  make  one  des 
perate  effort  to  arrest  the  progress  of  the  enemy,  and  if  he  could 
not  save  Springfield,  at  least  give  Fremont  time  to  rally  his 
forces  at  St.  Louis  before  crushed  by  the  double  armies 
approaching  him  from  the  west  and  south. 


BATTLE    OF    WILSON^S  CREEK. 


So  on  the  9th,  he  determined  on  the  following  morning  to 
march  forth  in  two  columns,  and  at  daylight  fall  like  a  thun- 
derbolt  on  the  enemy,  and  by  a  sacrifice  as  great  as  it  was 
noble,  stop  him  in  his  victorious  career.  At  five  o'clock  in 
the  evening,  the  little  army  set  forth  on  its  perilous  under 
taking,  and  marching  all  night,  long  before  the  first  gray 
streak  of  dawn  appeared  in  the  east,  approached  the  camp 
of  the  enemy.  Here  the  column  halted,  to  wait  for  daylight. 
Sigel  was  directed  to  make  a  detour  around  the  right  of  the 
enemy,  and  fall  on  his  rear,  while  Lyon  moved  straight  on 
his  position. 

Driving  in  the  enemy's  pickets,  Lyon  ascended  a  ridge, 
and  there  in  the  valley  before  him,  glittering  in  the  early 
sunlight,  lay  more  than  a  thousand  tents,  dotting  the  green 
fields,  and  sprinkled  among  the  thickets  and  surrounding 
forests.  The  rebels  had  been  apprised  of  his  approach,  and 
stood  in  battle  array,  ready  to  receive  him.  Less  dauntless 
soldiers  would  have  been  appalled  at  the  overwhelming  force 


WILSON'S  CREEK.  131 

that  stood  massed  below,  but  the  men  of  Kansas,  Iowa,  and 
Missouri,  surveyed  the  work  before  them  with  undismayed 
hearts.  It  was  then  that  the  batteries  of  Totten  and  Dubois, 
by  the  skillful  manner  in  which  they  were  worked,  showed 
that  they  could  supply  the  lack  of  numbers.  The  enemy 
came  resolutely  on,  and  halting  three  ranks  deep — the  first 
lying  down,  the  second  kneeling,  and  the  third  standing — • 
poured  in  a  continuous  and  murderous  fire  on  our  thin  line. 
Totten's  battery  coming  into  action  by  sections,  and  by  single 
piece,  as  the  wooded  hights  would  permit,  hurled  its  shells 
and  canister,  tearing  with  frightful  effect  through  the  rebel 
ranks.  The  firing  was  incessant  and  awful;  the  opposing 
lines  often  coming  within  a  few  yards  of  each  other,  before 
delivering  their  vollies,  while  their  shouts  and  yells  rose 
over  the  deafening  roar  of  the  guns.  For  a  half  an  hour  the 
conflict  was  deadly,  and  the  contending  lines  swayed  to  and 
fro  like  two  fierce  opposing  tides  meeting  in  mid  ocean,  but 
each  surged  back  only  to  leap  to  its  place  again.  General 
Lyon,  seeing  the  troops  on  the  left  of  Totten's  battery  in  dis 
order,  led  his  horse  along  the  line  to  rally  them  when  the 
dapple  gray  fell  dead  by  his  side,  and  two  balls  struck  him, 
one  in  his  leg  and  the  other  on  his  head.  He  then  walked 
slowly  a  few  paces  to  the  rear  saying,  u  I  fear  the  day  is  lost.  " 
The  next  moment,  however,  he  mounted  another  horse,  and 
swinging  his  hat  over  his  head,  and  shouting  to  the  troops  to 
follow  him,  dashed  where  death  was  mowing  down  the  brave 
fastest.  The  enemy,  in  the  mean  time,  had  massed  a  large 
force  in  a  corn  field  on  our  left,  and  for  a  short  time  it  seemed 
as  if  that  wing  must  be  overpowered.  But  at  this  critical 
juncture,  Dubois'  battery  came  into  position,  and  sent  such  a 
shower  of  shells  into  their  ranks  that  the  enemy  withdrew. 
There  was  now  a  short  lull  in  the  contest  in  this  portion  of 
the  field,  but  on  the  right,  where  the  gallant  first  Missouri 
stood,  the  battle  raged  fiercer  than  ever.  Though  contest- 


132  DEATH    OF    LYON. 

ing  every  foot  of  ground  like  veterans,  they  were  gradually 
being  forced  back  by  overwhelming  numbers.  An  officer, 
dashing  up  to  Lyon,  reported  the  perilous  state  of  things 
when  he  immediately  ordered  up  the  second  Kansas 
and  the  brave  lowas,  to  their  support.  Coming  into 
position,  they  lay  down  close  to  the  brow  of  the  hill,  and 
waited  the  approach  of  the  enemy  as  they  came  on  in  im 
posing,  overwhelming  force.  Not  a  word  was  spoken  as  they 
lay  with  their  eyes  along  their  Minie  muskets,  till  the  foe, 
firing  as  they  came,  arrived  within  forty  feet,  when  a  sheet 
of  fire  ran  along  the  ridge,  and  the  crash  of  a  simultaneous 
volley  rolled  along  the  astonished  ranks.  As  the  smoke  lifted,. 
a  disordered  host  was  seen  staggering  reluctantly  back, 
Lyon  now  ordered  them  to  charge  bayonets.  One  of  the 
regiments  had  lost  its  colonel,  and  called  for  a  leader,  saying 
they  would  follow  him  to  the  death.  UI  will  lead  you," 
exclaimed  Lyon,  u  Come  on,  my  brave  men !  "  and  placed 
himself  in  front  of  the  lowas,  while  the  one-armed  Sweeney 
rode  to  the  head  of  the  Kansas  regiment.  On  came  the 
enemy,  pouring  in  a  destructive  volley  as  they  advanced,  ant} 
the  brave  Lyon  fell  dead  from  his  steed — one  of  the  bravest, 
noblest,  purest  patriots,  that  ever  gave  his  life  in  a  holy 'cause. 
But  these  gallant  regiments  stood  rooted  to  the  field,  and  the 
enemy  finally  withdrew  from  the  fire  they  could  not  make 
head  against ;  and  there  was  a  lull  in  the  contest,  while  each 
commenced  carrying  their  wounded  to  the  rear. 

The  command  now  devolved  on  Major  Sturgis,  wlio  began 
to  rally  his  disordered  line.  Aifairs  were  looking  gloomy 
enough  ;  for  twenty  thousand  men  still  stood  in  battle  array 
in  front,  while  that  brave  little  army,  though  standing  un 
daunted  amid  its  own  dead,  had  not  tasted  water  since  five 
o'clock  the  day  before,  and  if  it  should  retreat  could  expect 
none  till  it  reached  Springfield,  twelve  miles  distant.  To  go- 
forward  was  impossible.  Not  a  word  had  been  heard  from 


FINAL   ATTACK    OF    THE    ENEMY.  133 

Sigel,  and  it  was  evident  the  enemy  was  not  alarmed  for  its 
rear.  Ayhat  had  become  of  him  ?  asked  the  anxious  com 
mander  of  himself.  He  stood,  and  listened  anxiously  to  catch 
the  first  thunder  of  his  cannon  beyond  the  hights.  Could  he 
hear  it,  the  order  "forward"  would  break  from  his  lips,  and 
the  loud  roll  of  his  battered  drums  send  his  exhausted  army 
once  more  on  the  overpowering  foe.  But  it  did  not  come — 
an  ominous  silence  rested  on  the  field  where  he  should  have 
been.  Had  he  retreated  ?  then  it  was  plain  he  must  retreat 
also  ;  but  could  he  retreat  ?  Tossed  in  painful  doubt,  he  sum 
moned  his  remaining  officers  to  consultation.  They  met,  but 
their  deliberations  were  brought  to  a  hasty  close  by  the 
sudden  appearance  of  a  heavy  column  in  the  direction  where 
in  the  morning  they  had  heard,  as  they  supposed,  the  roar  of 
Sigel's  guns.  Was  he  coming  ?  trembled  on  every  tongue. 
Yes,  they  carried  the  American  flag,  and  deliverance  had  ar 
rived  at  last.  On  they  came  in  easy  range  down  the  oppos 
ing  slope,  until-  close  upon  our  lines,  when  they  suddenly 
opened  a  terrible  fire  of  shrapnell  and  canister,  and  unfurled 
the  rebel  flag  to  the  breeze.  Totten's  battery  in  the  center 
was  the  prize  they  were  making  for.  As  soon  as  the  decep 
tion  was  discovered,  this  gallant  commander  opened  a  ter 
rific  fire  upon  them.  But  they  kept  steadily  on^ill  they  came 
within  twenty  feet  of  the  muzzles  of  his  guns,  and  the  smoke 
of  the  contending  lines  blending  together,  rolled  upward  in 
one  fierce  column.  Supports  were  ordered  up  at  the  double- 
quick,  and  coming  into  line  with  loud  shouts,  stood  firm  as 
iron.  Not  a  regiment  flinched  or  wavered.  A  solid  ada 
mantine  wall  they  stood,  against  which  the  advancing  tide 
broke  in  vain.  A  few  companies  of  the  first  Missouri,  first 
Kansas,  and  first  Iowa,  were  quickly  brought  up  from  the 
rear,  and  hurled  like  a  loosened  rock  on  the  right  flank  of 
the  enemy.  Before  the  determined  onset,  the  rebel  ranks 
disappeared  like  mist.  Totten's  battery,  supported  by  Steele's 


134  DEFEAT    OF    SIGEL. 

little  battalion,  a  moment  before  seemed  scarcely  worth  an 
effort,  so  enveloped  was  it  in  the  enemy's  fire. 

But  now  the  tide  was  changed,  and  the  right  flank  pour 
ing  in  a  destructive  fire,  rendered  the  overthrow  complete  ; 
and  the  disappointed  enemy  retired  from  the  field.  The 
fight  had  now  lasted  for  six  hours,  and  the  ammunition  being 
well  nigh  exhausted,'  there  was  no  alternative  left  but  to  re 
treat,  and  Sturgis  taking  advantage  of  this  last  repulse, 
reluctantly  gave  the  order  to  do  so. 

At  this  critical  moment,  an  officer  from  Si  gel's  column 
arrived  breathless  in ^ the  lines,  saying  that  Sigel  was  routed, 
his  artillery  captured,  and  he  himself  killed  or  a  prisoner. 
This  was  appalling  news  to  the  exhausted  little  army,  and  it 
moved  rapidly  off  the  field,  carrying  its  wounded  with  it, 
to  the  open  prairie,  two  miles  distant,  where  it  made  a  short 
halt,  and  then  took  up  its  march  for  Springfield.  Fortunate 
ly,  the  enemy  did  not  molest  it — his  punishment  had  been 
too  seve/e,  to  admit  of  pursuit.  On  reaching  Little  York 
road,  it  met  the  principal  portion  of  SigeFs  command, 
with  one  piece  of  artillery.  This  officer  had  proceeded  on 
the.  route  marked  out  for  him,  and  striking  the  Fayetteville 
road,  came  to  a  place  known  as  Sharps  farm.  Here  meeting 
soldiers  as  if  4n  retreat,  he  supposed  Lyori  had  been  success 
ful,  and  was  following  up  the  enemy.  He  therefore  formed 
his  command  across  the  road  to  receive  the  fugitives.  In 
the  mean  time,  the  skirmishers  which  had  been  sent  out, 
returned  and  reported  Lyon  coming  up  the  road.  Soon, 
heavy  columns  appeared  in  sight,  and  orders  were  given  to 
the  different  regiments  and  the  artillery  not  to  fire,  as  they 
were  our  own  troops ;  and  flags  were  waved  to  show  they 
were  friends.  Suddenly  the  approaching  forces  opened  a 
destructive  fire,  and  the  cry  "They  (meaning  Lyon's  troops) 
are  firing  on  us"  spread  like  wild-fire  through  the  ranks. 
The  artillerymen  believing  it  was  a  horrible  mistake  could 


RETREAT    OF  THE  ARMY.  135 

\yith  difficulty  be  made  to  return  the  fire,  while  the  infantry 
would  not  level  their  pieces  till  it  was  too  late.  The  enemy 
came  within  ten  paces  of  the  muzzles  of  the  guns  and  killed 
the  horses.  A  panic  followed — the  men  broke  ranks  and 
scattered  in  every  direction.  There  was  no  fighting — noth 
ing  but  a  wild,  disordered  flight.  Sigel  lost  five  of  his  guns, 
and  nine  hundred  in  killed,  wounded,  and  missing,  out  of 
the  two  regiments  he  commanded.  \With  the  residue  he 
made  the  best  of  his  way  towards  Springfield. 

Our  total  loss  was  reported  to  be  one  thousand  two  hun 
dred  and  thirty-five,  though  it  was  probably  much  larger. 
The  rebels  reported  about  the  same  loss.  We  lost  the  bat 
tle,  but  the  nation  claimed  a  victory.  Five  thousand  had 
met  twenty  thousand,  and  after  six  hours'  fighting  retired 
leisurely  from  the  field,  having  disabled  their  antagonist  so 
that  he  could  not  pursue  them.  Undoubtedly,  so  far  as  the 
fighting  was  concerned,  the  triumph  was  ours,  but  in  the  fall 
of  Lyon  we  lost  more  than  a  battle  or  an  army. 

The  defeated  army  fearing  for  its  communications  did  nofc 
tarry  long  at  Springfield,  but  fell  back  to  Holla.  This  left  a 
great  portion  of  Missouri,  in  the  hands  of  the  rebels.  Small 
bodies,  however,  kept  the  field,  and  incessant  skirmishes  and 
combats, — the  alternate  occupation  of  remote  towns  by  the 
loyalists  and  rebels, — the  destruction  of  rail  roads  and 
bridges, — the  firing  of  houses  and  barns, — the  scattering  of 
families  and  desolation  of  neighborhoods — made  the  state  a 
scene  of  devastation  and  blood,  and  carried  the  mind  back 
to  the  days  of  barbarism. 

The  news  of  the  death  of  the  gallant  Lyon  was  received 
with  the  profoundest  grief  by  the  nation.  His  energy, 
heroism,  purity  of  .character,  and  lofty  patriotism,  had 
endeared  him  to  the  people ;  and  his  glorious  past  was 
regarded  as  the  mere  promise  of  what  he  would  become. 
In  their  sorrow  and  indignation  at  his  fall,  they  sought  for 


136  .  SOUTHERN    CLERGY. 

some  one  on  whom  to  lay  the  blame.  Fremont  being  chief 
of  the  department  was  held  responsible  and  sternly  arraigned 
at  the  bar  of  public  opinion.  But  it  must  be  remembered 
that  the  battle  took  place,  only  a  week  after  he  reached  St. 
Louis,  and  before  he  had  time  to  take  in  fully  the  real  wants 
and  difficulties  of  his  position.  Wholly  unprepared  for 
active  operations,  he  saw  General  Pillow  just  south  of  him 
at  New  Madrid,  threatening  St.  Louis,  and  he  might  well 
hesitate  on  a  sudden  movement  of  forces  that  might  leave 
that  city  at  the  mercy  of  the  enemy. 

The  spirit  of  Pandemonium  seemed  now  to  be  let  loose 
all  over  the  south,  invading  even  the  pulpit,  and  sending  the 
ministers  of  God  not  only  to  the  battle  field,  but  on  expedi 
tions  of  plunder  and  rapine.  It  was  to  be  expected  that  the 
churches  south  would  sympathize  with  the  rebellion,  but  the 
world  stood  aghast  at  the  diabolical  spirit  that  took  posses 
sion  of  many  of  those  who  had  been  known  as  messengers 
of  peace.  The  spectacle  of  ministers  and  members  of  the 
same  church,  each  invoking  the  aid  of  the  God  of  battles 
ere  they  rushed  on  each  other  in  deadly  collision,  was  sad 
and  appalling  enough  without  this-  frenzied  hate  and  exhibi 
tion  of  the  worst  passions  of  our  nature. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

AUGUST,  1861. 

ACTION  OF    THE    GENERAL    GOVERNMENT ARRESTS — CONFISCATION REFUSES 

TO    EXCHANGE    PRISONERS RETALIATION  BY  DAVIS MC  CLELLAN  QUELLS  A 

MUTINY  IN    THE  SEVENTY-NINTH  N.  Y.   REGIMENT SOUTHERN    PRIVATEERS 

WRECK  OF    THE    JEFF.  DAVIS SURPRISE   OF  TYLER  AT  SUMMERVILLE WOOL 

SENT    TO    FORTRESS    MONROE FOOTE    ORDERED    WEST    TO    TAKE    CHARGE  OF 

GUN  COATS NAVAL  ATTACK  ON  CAPE  IIATTERAS ERROR  OF  THE  SECRE 
TARY  OF  THE  NAVY PROCLAMATION  OF  FREMONT EFFECT  OF PRESI 
DENT  REQUIRES  HIM  TO  MODIFY  IT THE  REBELS  OCCUPY  COLUMBUS  AND 

HICKMAN STATE    OF  AFFAIRS  IN  WESTERN  VIRGINIA BATTLE   OF  CARNIFEX 

FERRY    AND    RETREAT    OF    FLOYD. 

ALL  this  while  the  government  seemed  hardly  to  under 
stand  its  position,  and  was  slowly,  painfully,  feeling  its 
way  to  firm  footing  and  a  clear  field  of  action.  For  a  long  time 
after  many  of  the  states  went  out  of  the  Union,  it  kept  the 
mails  running  regularly  for  their  benefit,  and  treason  was 
hardly  regarded  as  a  crime.  It  could  not  bring  itself  to  con 
template  the  terrible  fact  that  we  were  entering  on  one  of 
the  most  fearful  wars  that  ever  cursed  the  world.  But  now 
everything  was  changed.  Congress  had  appointed  a  com 
mittee  to  clear  the  public  offices  from  traitors — men  in  every 
part  of  the  north  found  themselves  suddenly  arrested,  and 
without  the  form  of  a  trial  hurried  off  to  prison.  No  writ  of 
habeas  corpus  could  release'them.  The  bayonet  was  stronger 
than  the  order  of  the  court.  Men  began  to  look  aghast,  and 
spoke  of  the  star  chamber  and  lettres  dc  cachet  of  -France. 
The  government  had^  suddenly  aroused  to  its  danger,  and  its 
action  now  had  the  effect  to  destroy  that  sense  of  security  in 
the  plotters  against  the  government  which  its  former  leniency 
had  caused  to  exist.  Secret  informers  lurked  everywhere, 


138    •  NO    EXCHANGE    OF    PRISONERS. 

and  traitors  suddenly  felt  themselves  enveloped  in  mysterious 
danger.  Newspapers  were  stopped,  and  an  era  of  despotic 
power  seemed  about  to  be  inaugurated.  To  all  these  meas 
ures  the  people  submitted  quietly,  feeling  that  self-preserva 
tion  was  the  first  law  of  nations,  as  well  as  of  nature.  Con 
fiscation  of  rebel  property  was  proclaimed,  and  the  govern 
ment  seemed  determined  to  strike  wherever  there  was  a  pros 
pect  of  planting  a  successful  blow.  Peace  meetings  had  been 
called  after  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  and  leading  papers  and 
men  in  Congress  proposed  terms  of  accommodation.  These 
were  now  no  more  heard  of.  About  this  time  a  serious  diffi 
culty  arose  respecting  the  treatment  of  prisoners.  Our  gov 
ernment  endeavored  to  carry  out  the  theory  that  the  southern 
confederacy,  being  nothing  more  than  an  organized  rebellion, 
it  could  not  be  recognized  so  far  as  to  treat  with  it  for  ex 
change  of  prisoners.  To  do  so  would  be  a  concession  that 
far  outweighed  in  importance  the  fate  of  our  brave  officers 
and  soldiers  in  the  rebel  hands.  This  question  now  became 
still  more  embarrassed,  as  the  south  had  resolved  to  treat  our 
men  precisely  as  we  treated  the  crew  of  the  privateer  Savan 
nah,  whom  we  had  incarcerated  as  pirates,  and  threatened  to 
hang  as  such.  Davis  imprisoned  man  for  man,  and  declared  he 
would  Jiang  man  for  man.  Our  indignation  had  been  aroused 
because  England  had  recognized  the  rebels  as  belligerents, 
and  the  government  endeavored  to  avoid  doing  anything 
which  might  be  construed  into  a  similar  recognition.  While 
it  professed  to  act  on  this  hypothesis,  it  treated  rebel  officers 
taken  in  battle  with  more  courtesy  than  is  usually  extended 
to  prisoners  of  war.  It  conformed  to  every  other  rule  of 
war  except  that  of  exchange  of  prisoners.  This  course  was 
looked  upon  by  a  portion  of  the  people  as  unreasonable, 
while  all  lamented  the  sufferings  and  dreary  imprisonment  it 
entailed  on  our  soldiers  captured  by  the  enemy. 

In  the  mean  time,  McClellan  went  steadily  on  with  his 


QUELLING    A   MUTINY.  139 

herculean  task.  The  way  he  disposed  of  a  mutiny  in  the 
seventy-ninth  New  York  regiment  the  middle  of  this  month, 
gave  the  country  and  the  army  a  hint  that  set  both  thinking. 
He  drew  up  infantry  and  cavalry  around  them,  and  planting 
loaded  cannon  in  their  front,  gave  them  their  choice,  sub 
mission,  obedience,  or  the  fire  of  a  battery  within  pistol  shot. 
Volunteers,  men  who,  of  their  own  free  will,  had  gone  to  the 
field  for  the  defense  of  their  country,  did  not  believe  he  dare 
resort  to  such  extreme  measures.  The  lesson  was  a  whole 
some  one,  and  saved  much  future  trouble. 

The  reports  that  from  time  to  time  through  the  summer 
reached  the  country  of  the  capture  of  American  merchant 
men  by  the  southern  privateers,  caused  much  excitement  and 
alarm,  especially  in  New  York  city.  The  utmost  efforts  of 
our  cruisers  failed  to  capture  them.  The  Sumter  and  Jeff. 
Davis  were  commanded  by  bold,  skillful  sailors,  and  moved 
from  point  to  point  with  astonishing  celerity.  At  last  the 
Jeff.  Davis  met  her  fate  on  the  Florida  coast,  on  which  she 
was  driven  in  a  storm,  and  became  a  total  wreck. 

A  fight  at  Summerville,  Western  Virginia,  where  Colonel 
Tyler  with  his  regiment  was  surprised  and  surrounded  while 
at  breakfast,  and  had  to  cut  their  way  out  with  the  loss  of 
two  hundred  men,  and  some  fierce  combats  in  northern  Mis 
souri,  between  the  Union  citizens  and  rebel  forces,  were  all 
the  movements  in  the  field  in  the  interior  that  marked  the 
closing  days  of  August.  The  veteran  Wool,  who  had  been 
kept  from  active  service  by  some  political  management,  and 
was  at  last  ordered  to  the  field  only  on  the  peremptory  de 
mand  of  Governor  Morgan,  took  command  of  fortress  Mon 
roe,  and  the  country  felt  assured  that  that  department,  at 
least,  would  be  well  taken  care  of.  Captain  Foote  also  was 
ordered  to  the  command  of  the  naval  forces  on  the  western 
rivers.  A  large  fleet  of  gun  boats  was  under  contract,  and 
when  they  were  finished  it  was  believed  that  he,  with  such 


140  CAPE    HATTERAS   TAKEN. 

commanders  as  Porter,  son  of  the  hero  of  the  Essex,  and 
others,  would  soon  clear  the  Mississippi  to  New  Orleans. 


FIGHT   AT    CAPE    HATTERAS. 

In  the  mean  time,  a  naval  and  military  expedition,  under 
the  command  of  Commodore  Stringham  and  General  Butler, 
sailed  from  Hampton  Roads  (August  26th)  to  attack  the 
rebel  fortifications  on  Cape  Hatteras.  The  inlet  here  had 
long  been  a  lurking  place  for  privateers,  and  a  highway  for 
small  craft  carrying  contraband  goods  to  the  enemy.  The 
naval  force  consisted  of  the  flag-ship  Minnesota  and  four 
other  national  vessels,  beside  transports  ;  and  the  land  force 
of  about  nine  hundred  men.  Arriving  off  Hatteras,  an 
attempt  was  made  to  land  the  troops,  but  on  account  of  the 
heavy  surf,  only  three  hundred  and  fifteen  could  be  got 
ashore,  w^ith  a  twelve-pound  rifle  gun,  and  a  twelve-pound 
howitzer.  Two  forts  had  been  erected  here — Henry  and 
Hatteras — manned  by  some  six  hundred  men,  commanded 
by  Captain  Barron,  recently  of  the  United  States  navy. 
The  latter  was  immediately  evacuated,  and  the  guns  spiked. 
Night  coming  on,  and  the  wind  rising,  the  vessels  had  to 
secure  an  offing,  thus  leaving  the  little  band  on  shore  to  its 
fate.  A  part  encamped  in  the  works,  and  the  rest  bivouac- 
ed  on  the  open  beach.  The  next  morning  the  vessels  moved 
up  in  front  of  the  remaining  fort,  and  opened  fire ;  and  soon 
the  shells  were  bursting  in  and  around  the  doomed  fortifica 
tion.  Being  some  two  miles  off,  the  shot  of  the  enemy 
could  not  reach  them ;  and  the  rebels  seeing  their  helpless 
condition,  at  eleven  o'clock  hauled  down  their  flag,  when 
Barron  came  aboard  the  flag-ship  and  surrendered  his  entire 
command.  Twenty -five  pieces  of  artillery,  a  thousand  stand 
of  arms,  and  a  large  quantity  of  ordnance  stores,  provisions, 
etc.,  fell  into  our  hands.  The  victors  immediately  returned 


FREMONT'S  PROCLAMATION.  141 

with  their  trophies  to  receive  the  ovation  of  the  people. 
The  loud  laudation  of  this  enterprise,  as  well  as  the  import 
ance  given  to  every  skirmish  which  was  magnified  into  a 
battle,  showed  how  keenly  the  north  felt  the  defeat  at  Bull 
Run.  Indeed,  our  successes  were  so  few  that  we  needed  to 
magnify  them  to  keep  up  any  courage. 

If  the  expedition  had  been  properly  fitted  out,  so  that 
after  the  forts  were  captured  it  could  have  kept  on  into  Pam- 
lico  and  Albemarle  sounds,  and  made  a  descent  on  the 
unprotected  coast  of  North  Carolina,  great  results  might 
have  followed.  But  the  vessels  drew  too  much  water  to 
allow  them  to  go  over  the  bar, — besides  the  orders  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  were  to  return  immediately  after  the 
one  object  was  effected. 

The  last  of  August  was  signalized  by  a  proclamation 
of  Fremont,  declaring  martial  law  in  Missouri,  and  that 
under  the  decree  of  confiscation  the  slaves  were  free.  It 
caused  great  excitement  in  Kentucky  and  throughout  the 
country ;  for  it  was  looked  upon  as  the  entering  wedge  to 
general  emancipation.  Great  pressure  was  brought  to  bear 
upon  the  President  to  disavow  it,  for  fears  were  entertained 
that  it  would  utterly  destroy  the  Union  cause  in  the  border 
states.  There  was  probably  some  truth  in  this,  at  any  rate 
the  President  directed  Fremont  to  modify  his  proclamation. 
Perhaps  it  was  good  policy  to  do  so  under  the  existing  cir 
cumstances,  but  the  latter  must  have  been  guzzled  to  know 
what  the  government  meant  by  its  confiscation  scheme, 
unless  it  designed  to  embrace  all  the  property  of  rebels,  and 
it  would  be  difficult  to  see  what  it  could  do  with  confiscated 
slaves  but  to  give  them  their  freedom. 

Events  were  slowly  dragging  the  most  important  elements 
of  the  struggle  into  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi ;  and  Ken 
tucky  evidently  would  soon  become  important  battle  ground. 
Governor  Magoffin  had  addressed  a  letter  to  the  President, 


42  MARCH   OF   ROSECRANZ. 

requesting  him  to  withdraw  Federal  troops  from  the  bound 
aries  of  the  state.  This  he  declined  to  do,  and  soon  after, 
in  the  early  part  of  September,  General  Polk  issued  a  proc 
lamation,  in  which,  after  stating  that  the  presence  of  Fed 
eral  troops  opposite  Columbus  threatened  the  occupation  of 
that  important  place,  he  declared  he  should  at  once  take 
possession  of  -it,  and  did.  The  southern  confederacy  had 
made  up  its  mind  to  hold  Kentucky  in  spite  of  its  Union 
vote.  Of  course  Columbus  and  Hickman  could  not  be  held 
alone,  flanked  as  they  were  by  the  Cumberland  and  Tennes 
see  rivers.  The  possession  of  a  position  on  the  Mississippi 
necessitated  the  occupation  of  other  points  inland, — in  fact, 
of  a  line  of  intrenched  camps  reaching  to  the  Alleghanies. 

In  Western  Virginia  the  success  that  had  marked  the  career 
of  McClellan  still  continued  to  follow  his  lieutenants  in  the 
field.  Rosecranz  was  a  worthy  successor  to  him  in  that  de 
partment.  The  rebels,  though  driven  out  of  the  valley,  had 
not  abandoned  the  design  of  getting  possession  of  it,  and  a 
new  army,  under  the  notorious  Floyd,  was  sent  thither.  He 
took  position  at  Carnifex  ferry,  on  the  Gauley  river,  and  there 
strongly  intrenched  himself.  Rosecranz  immediately  moved 
towards  his  stronghold  to  give  him  battle.  For  more  than  a 
week  he  led  his  column  through  the  broken  country,  and 
along  the  difficult  roads  of  the  mountain  region.  Now  fol 
lowing  the  bed  of  the  torrent,  and  now  climbing  by  a  tortu- 
;ous  road,  a  rugged  hight,  dragging  their  heavy  cannon  after 
them,  the  dauntless  soldiers  toiled  uncomplainingly  forward, 
and  at  last  reached  the  highest  mountain  summit,  from  which 
east  and  west,  spread  a  glorious  panorama — the  successive 
ridges  of  the  forest-clad  mountains  rolling  away  in  green  bil- 
.lows,  till  they  lost  themselves  in  the  dim  horizon.  Winding 
down  the  mountain  they  encountered  a  body  of  cavalry  which 
they  dispersed.  Night  came  on  as  they  reached  the  valley, 
and  lighting  their  bivouac  fires,  which  shed  a  feeble  light  in 


BATTLE  OF  CARNIFEX  FERRY.          143 

the  dense  fog  that  had  settled  over  them,  they  lay  down  in 
the  green  meadows  with  the  mountains  standing  like  grim 
sentinels  around  them.  The  drum  and  bugle  echoing  through 
the  solitude,  roused  them  up  before  the  light,  and  at  dawn 
the  column  was  winding  its  way  towards  Summerville.  Soon 
firing  ahead  put  them  to  the  double-quick,  and  breaking  into 
the  town  along  the  single  street  that  traversed  it,  they  saw 
the  rebels  fleeing  along  the  hill-sides  beyond.  Halting  here 
to  question  the  inhabitants  respecting  the  roads,  and  examine 
the  official  map  of  the  country,  found  in  the  clerk's  office, 
Rosecranz  again  took  up  his  line  of  march,  and  entering  the 
hills,  pressed  forwards  towards  the  enemy's  intrenchments. 
They  soon  came  upon  his  pickets,  and  the  irregular  firing  of 
the  advance  skirmishers  commenced. 

BATTLE  OF  CARNIFEX  FERRY. 

Rosecranz  knew  he  was  in  presence  of  the  main  body  of  the 
enemy,  but  of  his  position  or  the  character  of  his  defences  he 
was  totally  ignorant.  In  this  dilemma, General  Benham  asked 
permission  to  take  his  brigade  forward  to  feel  the  enemy. 
Rosecranz  consented  that  he  should  make  a  bold  reconnois- 
ance,  nothing  more.  The  brigade  started  forward,  and  Rose 
cranz  rode  to  the  top  of  the  hill  with  his  staff  to  get,  if 
possible,  a  better  observation  of  the  condition  of  things.  He 
stood  here  a  moment,  while  the  artillery  was  laboring  up  the 
hill,  when  suddenly  a  deep,  prolonged  roar  of  musketry  burst 
from  the  woods  directly  in  front  where  the  first  brigade  was 
moving.  The  terrible  suspicion  flashed  over  him  that  it  had 
been  led  into  ambush,  and  would  be  inevitably  cut  up,  but 
the  next  moment  the  swift,  deliberate  volleys  of  our  men  as* 
sured  him  it  was  not  so,  and  that  they  were  calmly  facing 
the  enemy.  Soon  the  artillery  opened,  making  stern  music 
there  among  the  mountain  crags.  Rosecranz  now  ordered 


144  MC  COOK'S   REGIMENT. 

up  the  twelfth  Ohio  under  Colonel  Lowe.  Charging  along 
at  the  double-quick,  the  regiment  saluted  the  general  as  they 
rose  the  crest  of  the  hill,  with  thundering  cheers,  and  then 
plunged  forward  into  .the  thicket  out  of  which  the  incessant 
volleys  rang.  Howitzers  and  field-pieces  toiled  heavily  after, 
followed  by  the  teams  straining  up  the  steep  acclivity,  and  it 
seemed,  for  a  time,  as  if  a  desperate  battle  was  to  be  fought 
there  with  an  unseen  foe,  and  on  an  unknown  field.  Hastily 
protecting  his  rear,  Roseeranz  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and 
dashed  to  the  front  amid  a  shower  of  balls.  Crossing  the 
woods  he  came  to  a  clearing  in  which  were  the  enemy's 
works.  At  this  critical  moment  word  came  to  McCook's 
German  brigade,  that  had  not  yet  been  in  the  fight,  that  they 
were  to  move  forward,  and  storm  the  intrenehments.  This 
was  just  what  the  gallant  colonel  wanted,  and  rejoiced  at  the 
tidings,  he  dashed  along  his  lines,  shouting  in  trumpet  tones 
to  his  brave  troops  what  they  were  to  do.  Wild,  tumultuous 
cheers  greeted  the  announcement,  and  waving  swords,  clash 
ing  muskets,  and  hats  thrown  into  the  air,  made  it  a  scene  of 
thrilling  excitement.  The  drums  beat,  and  gaily  as  to  a 
banquet,  the  steady  column  moved  forward.  But  orders  at 
this  juncture  were  received  from  Roseeranz,  forbidding  the 
assault.  A  part  of  the  regiment  had  charged  almost  up  to  the 
enemy's  work  on  the  extreme  left,  and  had  to  be  recalled 
by  the  bugle.  Night  was  coming  on,  and  the  commander  did 
not  deem  it  prudent  to  make  the  attempt  in  the  darkness. 
Besides  if  it  were  successful  it  might  be  at  a  great  expense 
of  life  which  the  morning  light  would  prevent.  The  battle 
had  raged  for  four  hours,  and  now  in  the  darkness  the 
troops  were  ordered  to  fall  back  on  the  lines.  They  lay  on 
their  arms  all  night,  and  a  part  of  them  within  two  or  three 
hundred  yards  of  the  fort.  When  the  morning  dawned,  it  was 
discovered  that  the  enemy  had  fled.  Floyd,  finding  himself 
so  furiously  assailed  in  front  and  flank,  deemed  it  prudent  to 


DEATH  OF  COLON  EL  LOWE.  145 

decamp,  and  leaving  large  quantities  of  ammunition,  stores, 
etc.,  hastily  crossed  the  Gauley  river,  and  destroyed  the 
ferry-boat,  so  that  pursuit  was  impossible.  Our  loss  was  some 
hundred  and  twenty  killed  and  wounded.  Among  the  for 
mer  was  Colonel  Lowe  of  the  twelfth  Ohio,  who  fell  at  the 
head  of  his  regiment. 


CHAPTER  X. 

SEPTEMBER,  1861. 

FALL    OF    LEXINGTON FREMONT   BLAMED    FOR   IT CHARGES    AGAINST    HIM— 
ATTITUDE    OF    KENTUCKY ITS    LEGISLATURE    ORDERS    THE    REBEL  FORCES  TO 

LEAVE  THE  STATE MAGOFFIN GENERAL  LEE  SENT  TO  WESTERN  VIRGINIA 

FIGHT    AT  CHEAT    MOUNTAIN  PASS DEFEAT  OF  LEE    AT    ELK    WATER DEATH 

OF   JOHN   WASHINGTON — POSITION    OF   THE    ARMIES    ON    THE    POTOMAC — OC 
CUPATION  OF  MUNSON'S  HILL — OBSERVANCE  OF  THE  NATIONAL  FAST. 

SOON  after  this  brilliant  exploit,  the  national  heart  was 
saddened  by  the  news  of  the  fall  of  Lexington,  Missouri, 
and  the  capture  of  Colonel  Mulligan  (who  held  the  place), 
with  his  entire  command.  On  the  first  of  the  month,  Colonel 
Mulligan,  in  his  intrenched  camp  at  Jefferson  City,  received 
orders  to  proceed  with  his  Irish  brigade  to  Lexington,  a 
hundred  and  sixty  miles  up  the  river,  and  reinforce  the  few 
troops  already  there.  He  reached  the  place  on  the  ninth, 
swelling  the  force  to  about  three  thousand  five  hundred  men. 
He  had,  however,  been  there  only  three  days  at  work,  when 
the  driving  in  of  his  pickets  announced  the  near  approach 
of  the  enemy.  After  the  battle  of  Wilson's  Creek,  Price 
chased  Lane  and  Montgomery  from  the  state,  and  then 
turned  his  steps  towards  Warrenburg,  where,  he  heard,  there 
was  a  Federal  force.  The  latter  fled  at  his  approach,  and  he 
continued  his  march  to  Lexington,  with  an  army  variously 
estimated  at  from  fifteen  to  thirty  thousand  men. 

Midway  between  the  towns  of  old  and  new  Lexington,— 
situated  about  a  mile  apart, — Mulligan  took  his  position,  and 
commenced  throwing  up  a  breast-work  ten  feet  high,  sur 
rounded  by  a  broad  ditch,  but  had  time  only  partially  to 
complete  it  when  the  arrival  of  the  enemy  compelled  him  to 
suspend  operations.  A  large,  brick  building  used  as  a  col- 


LEXINGTON   ATTACKED.  149 

legt?  Blood  within  the  fortifications,  and  was  occupied  as  head- 
quarts^.     The  river  was  about  half  a  mile  distant. 

An  attack  was  made  on  the  twelfth,  led  by  General  Rains 
in  person,  with  a  battery  of  nine  pieces  of  artillery ;  but  was 
repulsed  with  heavy  loss.  The  assault  was  directed  against 
an  angle  of  the  works  poorest  defended ;  and  the  fierce, 
determined  manner  in  which  it  was  resisted,  showed  Price 
that  it  would  not  be  prudent,  even  with  his  overwhelming 
numbers,  to  attempt  to  carry  the  place  by  storm ;  and  he 
commenced  on  Friday  morning  a  new  system  of  approaches. 
Bales  of  hemp  from  the  surrounding  region  were  carted  in, 
and  after  being  thoroughly  saturated  with  water,  to  prevent 
them  from  being  set  on  fire  with  red  hot  shot,  were  rolled 
forward  as  breastworks  to  protect  the  batteries.  Mulligan, 
in  the  mean  time,  burned  a  portion  of  the  old  town,  to  pre 
vent  the  enemy  from  taking  shelter  there,  and  sat  down  to 
wait  for  reinforcements.  On  the  tenth, 'he  had  sent  a  lieu 
tenant  with  a  squad  of  twelve  men  on  a  steamer  to  Jefferson 
City,  a  hundred  and  sixty  miles  distant,  for  more  troops ; 
but  they  had  not  proceeded  far  before  they  were  captured. 
He  then  dispatched  other  messengers  by  different  routes,  to 
avoid  a  failure.  The  rebels  expected  that  aid  would  be  sent 
him,  and  threw  out  columns  in  different  directions  to  inter 
cept  it.  On  Wednesday,  they  planted  four  batteries,  num 
bering  in  all  thirteen  pieces,  and  opened  a  terrible  fire  on 
the  beleaguered  little  garrison,  while  their  sharp  shooters 
from  every  rock,  tree,  fence,  and  house,  within  range,  rained 
an  incessant  shower  of  balls  upon  them.  If  a  single  head 
appeared  above  the  works,  it  became  the  target  of  a  hun 
dred  rifles.  Mulligan  had  but  six  small  pieces  of  artillery, 
with  which  to  reply  to  this  overwhelming  fire,  but  they  were 
worked  with  great  gallantry.  A  large,  brick  house  stood 
towards  the  river,  to  which  Mulligan  had  nearly  extended 
his  line  of  earthworks.  This,  during  the  day  the  rebels  got 


150  DISTRESS   OF   MULLIGAN. 

possession  of,  and  from  the  windows,  doorways,  and  behind 
the  chimneys  to  which  they  had  clambered — some  even  shel 
tering  themselves  in  the  cistern — kept  up  a  galling  fire  on 
the  garrison.  Determined  to  bear  the  annoyance  no  longer, 
Mulligan  ordered  a  platoon  to  clear  it,  which  they  did  in  a 
twinkling,  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  Night  at  length 
came  and  put  an  end  to  the  combat.  The  next  morning 
Price  retired  some  distance  with  his  main  army,  to  wait  the 
arrival  of  his  ammunition.  Day  after  day  now  wore  away 
with  no  fighting  except  between  detached  parties.  On  the 
18th,  his  ainrnunitioji  having  arrived,  Price  moved  back  in 
front  of  the  works,  preparatory  to  his  final  attack.  With  a 
strong  force  he  occupied  the  brick  house  near  the  works,  seized 
the  boats  in  the  river  to  prevent  the  escape  of  the  garrison, 
stormed  and  took  possession  of  some  bluffs  that  overlooked 
the  position,  and  began  to  fortify  them.  The  fighting  now 
was  incessant.  The  bright  moonlight  nights  brought  no 
cessation  to  the  combat,  and  the  besieged  being  cut  off 
from  the  river,  began  to  suffer  dreadfully  from  want  of  water. 
The  large  number  of  horses  and  mules  within  the  inclosure, 
also  grew  frantic  with  thirst  and  threatened  to  break  away 
from  their  fastenings,  and  spread  terror  through  the  camps. 
From  the  hights  that  the  enemy  held  in  spite  of  all  the 
efforts  made  to  dislodge  them,  they  on  the  twentieth  began 
to  roll  slowly  downward  a  breastwork  of  hemp  bales.  From 
this  last  device  of  the  rebels  there  was  no  escape,  and  Mul 
ligan  looked  with  alarm  on  the  steadily  approaching  ram 
part,  along  the  crest  of  which  ran  an  incessant  sheet  of  flame. 
Sally  after  sally  was  made,  and  deeds  of  desperate  valor 
were  done,  and  partial  successes  gained ;  but  it  was  evident 
that  the  doom  of  the  garrison  was  sealed.  They  were  driven 
back  to  their  inner  defenses,  while  the  home  guard  retired 
entirely,  refusing  to  fight  any  more.  No  water  was  to  be 
bad,  and  the  agony  of  thirst  was  becoming  stronger  than  the 


FALL    OF    LEXINGTON.  151 

fear  of  death.  The  wreck  and  ruin  that  surrounded  them 
was  rendered  still  more  appalling  by  the  putrifying  carcasses 
of  hundreds  of  horses  that  had  fallen  before  the  fire  of  the 
enemy,  and  now  filled  the  air  with  an  insufferable  stench. 
For  more  than  a  week  they  had  borne  up  against  overwhelm 
ing  numbers,  looking  anxiously  for  the  aid  for  which  they 
had  long  ago  sent.  Every  morning  Mulligan  bent  his  ear  to 
catch  the  sound  of  distant  cannonading,  telling  him  that  help 
was  at  hand ;  and  every  night  he  turned  his  eye  anxiously 
towards  the  silent  river  to  catch  the  first  signal  of  deliver 
ance,  but  in  vain.  He  bore  up  heroically  through  these  long 
days  and  nights  of  pain  and  toil,  and  his  brave  brigade  stood 
nobly  by  him,  showing  themselves  worthy  of  their  gallant 
commander ;  but  buffet  it  back  as  he  would,  the  painful  truth 
that  his  flag  must  be  struck  to  the  foe,  would  return  with 
every  revolving  hour,  crushing  him  to  the  earth.  Had  there 
been  any  definite  point  within  reach,  where  a  desperate  stand 
could  be  made,  he  would  have  cut  his  way  through  the  host 
that  environed  him  sword  in  hand ;  but  turn  which  way  he 
would,  he  saw  no  avenue  of  escape.  On  this  last  day  he 
was  twice  wounded;  bnt  not  until  the  home  guard  had 
refused  to  fight  longer,  and  the  hempen  breast-work  was 
within  fifty  yards  of  his  fortifications,  did  he  finally  consent 
to  surrender.  Two  thousand  six  hundred  men,  including 
the  five  hundred  home  guard  laid  down  their  arms,  and  one 
of  the  most  important  posts  of  Missouri  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  enemy. 

Fremont's  career  had  commenced  badly,  and  one  loud  voice 
of  condemnation  went  up  against  him  all  over  the  land. 
Some  few  of  his  friends  pretended  that  the  loss  of  this  place 
was  only  a  part  of  his  strategic  plan  which  would  result  in  the 
capture  of  Price's  entire  army,  but  the  common  sense  of  the 
people  was  not  to  be  duped  in  this  manner.  A  strategy,  they 
said,  that  required  the  death  of  Lyon,  and  the  surrender  of 


152  FREMONT  TAKES   THE   FIELD. 

a  whole  army  was  not  one  by  which  Missouri  could  be  saved. 
Fremont,  in  defense,  declared  that  he  did  send  reinforce 
ments,  and  events  over  which  he  had  no  control  prevented 
them  from  being  received.  Much  angry  discussion  and  sharp 
criticism  followed.  A  good  deal  unquestionably  could  be 
said  in  his  excuse,  but  the  clamor  could  not  be  allayed.  The 
people  always  have  judged,  and  always  will  judge  a  general 
by  his  success,  and  no- apology  will  satisfy  them  for  defeats 
where  no  evidence  is  given  of  efforts  having  been  made  equal 
to  the  emergency.  One  fact  seemed  palpable  to  all — he 
should  have  known  the  circumstances  in  which  his  subordi 
nate  was  placed,  and  if  the  difficulties  that  surrounded  him 
were  insurmountable,  told  him  so,  and  left  him  to  secure  his 
retreat  as  he  best  could. 

From  this  time  on,  Fremont's  enemies  never  let  him  alone, 
till  they  secured  his  removal  from  the  department.  Charges 
of  gross  frauds  on  the  government  in  the  purchase  of  arms 
and  army  supplies,  and  in  the  giving  out  of  contracts,  of  sur 
rounding  liimself  with  favorites  to  the  exclusion  of  the  fight 
ing  officers  of  the  army,  of  keeping  up  an  aristocratic  estab 
lishment,  and  finally  of  total  incompetency  in  the  manage 
ment  of  his  department,  multiplied  on  every  side.  He  saw 
that  he  had  awakened  a  storm  that  would  overwhelm  him 
without  immediate  signal  victories,  and  he  took  the  field  in 
person,  and  began  to  concentrate  his  forces  against  the  enemy. 
While  Mulligan  was  contending  at  Lexington,  Colonel  Scott 
met  with  a  repulse  at  Blue  Mills,  but  the  enemy  retired 
before  our  main  force  could  come  up. 

Notwithstanding  all  these  reverses  in  the  west,  Kentucky 
never  faltered  in  the  loyal  stand  she  had  taken.  The  legisla 
ture  called  on  the  rebels  to  leave  the  state  forthwith,  and 
when  Polk  agreed  to  do  so,  if  the  Federal  forces  were  also 
withdrawn,  it  refused  to  grant  the  condition ;  and  though 
their  acts  were  vetoed  by  the  governor,  they  passed  them 


LEE   SENT   AGAINST   REYNOLDS.  153 

over  his  head.  Grant  took  possession  of  Paducah,  and  issued 
his  proclamation,  but  the  rebels,  instead  of  retiring,  began  to 
move  more  troops  into  the  state  under  orders  of  A.  S.  John 
ston  who  had  taken  command  of  the  rebel  western  depart 
ment.  While  affairs  were  wearing  this  doubtful  aspect  in  the 
west,  the  campaign  which  McClellan  had  so  successfully  pros 
ecuted  in  Western  Virginia,  was  being  followed  up  triumph 
antly  by  the  generals  still  in  command  tjiere.  Floyd,  in  the 
southern  part,  could  not  make  a  stand  against  Rosecranz,  to 
whom  neither  mud,  nor  storms,  nor  mountains,  could  present 
insurmountable  obstacles.  Farther  north  we  still  held  our 
own,  though  the  enemy  made  a  determined  effort  to  drive  us 
back.  Wise  and  Floyd,  having  both  showed  themselves  un 
able  to  cope  with  our  generals,  General  Lee,  the  best  officer 
of  Virginia,  was  sent  with  nine  thousand  men  against  our 
position  in  Cheat  Mountain  held  by  General  Reynolds. 

LEE  AT  CHEAT  MOUNTAIN  AND  ELK  WATER. 

On  the  same  day  that  Price  advanced  against  Lexington, 
Lee  moved  against  Reynolds,  stationed  at  Elk  Water.  Ap 
proaching  Cheat  Mountains,  he  divided  his  force  into  two. 
columns,  and  sent  one  along  the  Staunton  turnpike  to  attack 
our  post  on  the  summit,  and  led  the  other  by  the  Huntersville 
road  towards  Elk  Water.  These  two  posts  of  ours  were  only 
seven  miles  apart  by  a  bridle  path  over  the  mountains,  but 
eighteen  miles  by  the  wagon  road,  which  led  through  Cheat 
Mountain  pass,  where  the  brigade  had  a  short  time  before 
been  located.  Lee,  advancing  along  the  pass,  attempted  to  get 
to  the  left  and  rear  of  Elk  Water.  But  for  the  gallantry  of 
four  companies  of  Indiana  troops,  which  held  the  whole  force 
in  check,  he  would  have  succeeded  in  this,  and  made  Rey 
nold's  situation  a  desperate  one.  As  it  was,  the  enemy  w^ere 
forced  to  the  rear  and  right  of  Cheat  mountain,  completely 
hemming  in  the  three  hundred  who  held  the  summit.  When 


154  REPULSE    OF    LEE. 

night  closed  in,  the  communication  between  our  posts  was  en 
tirely  cut  off.  Determined  at  all  hazards  to  open  it,  Rey 
nolds,  at  three  o'clock  next  morning,  dispatched  Sullivan  with 
the  thirteenth  Indiana,  along  the  main  road,  and  most  of  two 
Virginia  and  Ohio  regiments  by  the  bridle  path,  with  orders, 
if  possible,  to  fall  simultaneously  on  the  enemy,  and  force 
their  way  to  the  little  beleagured  band  on  the  summit.  The 
latter,  ignorant  of  what  was  going  on  at  the  base  of  the 
mountain,  determined  to  cut  its  own  way  through  to  the 
army.  So  on  the  same  morning  Colonel  Kimball  put  his 
little  column  in  motion.  Not  knowing  the  number  or  posi 
tion  of  the  enemy,  he  started  off  -his  wagon  train  with  a  small 
escort.  It  had  proceeded  but  three  quarters  of  a  mile  when 
it  was  met  by  a  sudden  fire.  Kimball  thought  at  first  it 
came  from  only  a  scouting  party,  but  on  hurrying  to  the 
front,  he  found  himself  in  presence  of  twenty -five  hundred  of 
the  enemy.  Nothing  daunted,  he  immediately  threw  out  his 
skirmishers,  and  ordered  his  men  to  hold  their  position. 
They  did  so,  and  opened  such  a  fierce  fire  on  the  enemy  that 
he  turned  and  fled  in  confusion,  leaving  the  woods  strewed 
with  dead  and  wounded,  and  guns  and  clothing  in  large 
quantities.  The  two  columns  below  heard  the  firing,  and 
pushed  on  up  the  mountain,  but  before  they  reached  the 
scene  of  action  the  battle  was  over.  As  the  heads  of  the 
columns  appeared  in  sight,  they  were  greeted  with  loud 
hurrahs,  which  were  answered  till  the  mountain  rang  again. 
They  then  proceeded  to  the  summit,  and  secured  the  provis 
ion  train,  thus  reopening  the  communication  with  Reynolds. 
While  this  was  going  on  up  in  the  mountain,  Lee  advanced 
straight  on  Elk  Water.  Checked  in  his  progress  by  Reynold's 
artillery,  he  withdrew  a  short  distance  and  took  position. 
Towards  night  he  heard  the  result  of  the  fight  in  the  moun 
tain,  and  discouraged  by  it,  fell  back  still  farther.  Next  day 
The  renewed  his  attacks  on  both  positions,  but  was  again  re 


FORTIFICATIONS   AROUND   WASHINGTON.         155 

pulsed  with  severe  loss,  and  retreated  ten  miles.  Our  loss 
was  only  nine  killed,  while  that  of  the  enemy  was  one  hun 
dred,  and  among  them  Colonel  John  Washington,  recent  pro 
prietor  of  Mount  Vernon.  A  strange  fatality  attended  every ' 
attempt  of  the  rebels  to  occupy  Western  Virginia,  While  in 
every  part  of  the  Union  we  met  with  nothing  but  reverses, 
here  we  never  lost  a  battle.  McClellan  had  finished  up  his 
work  so  well,  and  given  such  a  high,  moral  tone  to  the  army, 
that  it  deemed  itself  invincible,  and  began  to  be  regarded  so 
by  the  enemy. 

During  all  this  time,  no  general  movement  of  troops 
occurred  in  front  of  Washington.  The  idea  that  the  rebels 
meant  to  attack  the  Capital  had  taken  full  possession  of  the 
government,  and  very  extensive  preparations  were  made  for 
its  protection.  A  net  work  of  fortifications  was  steadily 
pushed  forward,  so  that  on  both  sides  of  the  Potomac  thirty- 
two  works  were  completed,  or  nearly  so,  of  sufficient  import 
ance  to  call  forth  a  general  order  from  McClellan,  assigning 
them  names.  The  work  of  drilling  the  troops  was  steadily 
prosecuted,  both  at  Washington,  and  in  the  various  camps 
in  the  several  states.  As  fast  as  the  regiments  were  properly 
equipped,  they  were  ordered  on,  and  a  vast  army  soon 
stretched  in  a  semi-circle,  from  near  Alexandria  in  Virginia 
to  the  Potomac,  some  ten  or  fifteen  miles  above  Washington, 
while  we  held  the  Maryland  side  up  to  the  Alleghanies. 

Whether  McClellan  shared  the  general  fear  that  the  enemy 
would  make  a  descent  on  Washington,  or  whether  he  was 
willing  it  should  be  entertained,  so  as  to  give  him  more  time 
to  discipline  his  army,  does  not  appear.  It  is  hardly  to  be 
supposed,  however,  that  a  military  commander  should  feel 
much  alarm,  lest  an  enemy  without  adequate  means  of  trans 
portation  should  put  a  broad  river  between  him  and  his  sup- 
plies  and  reserves,  while  seventy  thousand  .men  held  the 
bank  he  proposed  to  leave. 


t 
156  NATIONAL   FAST. 

Armed  reconnoissances  and  skirmishes  between  pickets  and 
small  detachments  served  to  break  up  the  monotony  of  camp 
life.  We  pushed  our  lines  to  Lewinsville  on  the  right,  and 
fonyard  in  front,  so  as  to  include  Munson's  Hill.  The  occu 
pation  of  the  latter  position  was  accompanied  by  a  repetition 
of  the  blunder  which  occurred  at  Big  Bethel :  our  troops  firing 
into  each  other,  but,  as  usual,  nobody  seemed  to  blame.  It 
was  said  that  but  for  the  knowledge  of  this  movement,  which 
(in  some  mysterious  way,  and  from  some  high  official  source) 
reached  the  enemy,  we  should  have  captured  ten  thousand 
men,  who,  being  forewarned,  had  time  to  escape.  It  was 
soon  apparent  that  no  secret  of  importance  could  be  kept 
from  the  rebels.  The  confederate  government  constantly 
received  news  of  intended  movements  on  our  part,  which 
the  most  assiduous,  pushing  reporters  of  the  northern  press 
could  not  obtain.  The  source  from  whence  it  was  derived 
baffled  the  keenest  scrutiny. 

The  most  noteworthy  event  that  marked  the  closing  days 
of  September  was  the  observance  of  the  national  fast,  which 
the  President  in  accordance  with  a  resolution  of  Congress 
had  proclaimed  soon  after  the  defeat  at  Bull  Run.  No 
national  fast  since  the  time  of  the  revolution  had  been  kept 
with  greater  solemnity.  Previous  to  the  signal  defeat  of  our 
arms  at  Bull  Run,  rulers  and  people  had  exhibited  an  arro 
gance  and  confidence  in  the  ability  of  the  north  to  crush  out 
the  rebellion  with  a  blow,  that  filled  thoughtful  men  with 
alarm.  Not  only  in  the  economy  of  God  is  u  pride  sure  to 
go  before  destruction  and  a  haughty  spirit  before  a  fall,"  but 
even  in  human  arrangements  they  always  prevent  that  care 
and  preparation  which  are  necessary  to  insure  success.  We 
did  not  feel  that  help  from  on  high  was  necessary, — we 
thought  the  flag  was  quite  sufficient ;  and  it  looked  as  though 
minister  and  people  thought  more  of  the  stars  and  stripes  that 
draped  every  pulpit  and  waved  from  every  church  spire  than 


THE   NATION   HUMBLE.  157 

they  did  of  Him  who  presided  over  the  sanctuary.  Our  con 
duct  in  this  respect  contrasted  strikingly  with  that  of  the  south 
ern  confederacy.  It  had  begun  its  work  with  proclaiming 
a  fast ;  and  its  Congress  passed  resolutions  recognizing  most 
emphatically  its  dependence  on  God.  Our  terrible  defeat 
had  humbled  this  boastful  spirit  which  assumed  that  we 
were  altogether  righteous ;  and  the  fast,  to  all  human  appear 
ance,  was  a  sincere  self-abasement  of  the  nation  before  Him 
to  whom  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  are  as  the  small  dust  of 
the  balance. 

From  the  outset,  it  had  been  apparent  to  every  one  who 
was  not  carried  away  by  political  prejudice  or  blind  fanati 
cism,  that  this  terrible  war,  whatever  its  end  should  be, 
would  inflict  the  sorest  punishment  on  both  sections  which 
had,  though  unequally,  exhibited  an  uncharitable,  bitter,  and 
angry  spirit. 
10 


CHAPTER  XI. 

OCTOBER,  186L 

POSITION  OF    THE    TWO    GREAT    ARMIES EXPECTATIONS  AND  FEELINGS  OF  THE 

PEOPLE GALLANT    NAVAL    EXPLOIT    AT    PENSACOLA DESTRUCTION  OF   THE 

PRIVATEER     JUDAH — OCCUPATION    OF    SHIP    ISLAND WESTERN    VIRGINIA 

FIGHT  AT  GREEN  BRIER  CREEK ATTACK  OF    THE    ENEMY  AT  CAPE  HATTERAS 

SURPRISE  OF  WILSON  ZOUAVES  AT  SANTA    ROSA'S  ISLAND ATTACK  OF  THE 

BLOCKADING    FLEET  AT  THE  MOUTH  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI    BY  THE  RAM  MANAS- 

8AS FIGHT  AT  LEBANON,  MO. FIGHT  AT    FREDERICKTOWN FIGHT  AT  BLUE 

MILLS  FERRY BATTLE  OF  WILD  CAT  CAMP,  KY. 

THE  country  looked  to  the  cool  nights  and  temperate  days 
of  October  with  ardent  expectations.  Our  army,  which 
had  been  assembling  and  drilling  all  summer,  was  to  move, 
at  once  it  was  believed,  and  not  only  wipe  out  the  disgrace 
of  Bull  Run,  but  give  a  fatal  blow  to  the  rebellion.  The 
position  in  which  affairs  stood,  seemed  to  make  a  forward 
movement  inevitable.  West  of  the  Mississippi  there  ap 
peared  to  be  no  stable  line  of  defense,  and  the  waves  of 
civil  war  drifted  backward  and  forward  over  the  distracted 
state.  But  east  of  the  river  the  enemy  had  established  his 
line  with  but  a  single  break  in  it,  clear  to  the  Atlantic. 
Starting  at  Columbus,  it  crossed  the  Tennessee  and  Cumber 
land  rivers  on  nearly  the  same  parallel,  to  Bowling  Green ; 
and  thence  to  the  Alleghanies.  From  this  to  the  Blue  Ridge, 
there  was  an  unoccupied  interval.  Then  it  commenced 
again,  and  keeping  near  or  on  the  Potomac,  swept  on  to 
Fortress  Monroe.  Along  this  line,  a  thousand  miles  in  ex 
tent,  chosen  for  its  commanding  position,  were  stationed,  it 
was  supposed,  some  three  hundred  thousand  men  in  battle 
array.  Confronting,  and  threatening  it,  were  a  half  million 
of  northern  troops.  A  fierce  collision  somewhere  could 


PRIVATEER  JUDAH  DESTROYED.         159 

not  be  long  delayed,  and  the  general  expectation  was,  that  it 
would  first  take  place  in  front  of  Washington.  General 
McClellan  was  the  hero  of  the  hour,  and  to  him  the  nation 
had  transferred,  without  the  least  reservation,  the  unbounded 
confidence  it  had  hitherto  reposed  in  General  Scott.  The 
rebels  had  improved  their  time  in  fortifying  their  strong  po 
sitions,  and  it  was  felt  that  the  battle,  whenever  it  should 
come,  would  be  a  bloody  one. 

The  intense  interest,  however,  with  which  the  public 
watched  these  two  mighty  armies,  was  somewhat  diverted 
by  naval  preparations  for  an  attack  along  the  Atlantic  coast, 
and  the  evident  near  approach  of  a  battle  at  fort  Pickens. 
There  was  also  a  great  and  growing  distrust  of  the  ability 
of  the  administration,  with  its  present  cabinet,  to  carry  us 
through  the  mighty  struggle  on  which  we  had  entered.  The 
public  heart  was  in  that  feverish,  angry,  excited  state,  that 
always  forebodes  trouble.  A  great  and  sudden  defeat  might 
have  whelmed  the  administration  in  utter  ruin.  It  was  evi 
dent  that  it  was  not  aware  on  what  precarious  ground  it 
stood.  The  army  partook  of  this  excited  feeling  of  the  peo 
ple,  and  in  passing  through  it,  one  was  alarmed  to  see  on 
what  a  thin  crust  the  government  at  Washington  rested. 
One  of  the  strongest  securities  at  this  perilous  crisis,  was  the 
unlimited  confidence  that  all  classes  had  in  the  patriotism 
and  integrity  of  the  President.  It  was  the  sheet  anchor  of 
the  Republic. 

In  the  mean  time  drops  of  comfort  came  from  the  southern, 
coast.  News  was  received  of  the  destruction  of  the  priva 
teer  Judah,  near  Pensacola,  on  the  eighteenth  of  September, 
by  a  boat  expedition,  as  she  lay  off  Pensacola  bay.  Three 
boats,  containing  in  all  about  an  hundred  men,  sailors  and 
marines,  composed  it ;  two  of  them  were  to  attack  the  priva* 
teer,  while  the  other  should  proceed  to  the  shore  and  spike  a 
battery  which  had  been  erected  there.  The  attack  was  made 


160  FIGHT   AT    GREEN    BRIER. 

at  half  past  three  in  the  morning,  and  resulted  in  complete 
success.  It  was  one  of  those  daring,  gallant  actions  for 
which  our  navy  has  always  been  distinguished.  The  priva 
teer  was  burned,  and  the  battery  spiked,  with  the  loss  of 
only  three  or  four  killed  and  a  dozen  wounded.  The  three 
lieutenants  commanding  the  boats,  Russell,  Blake,  and  Spros- 
ton,  received  the  highest  commendation  for  their  skill  and 
bravery.  About  the  same  time  the  news  arrived  of  the  oc 
cupation  of  Ship  Island,  which  occurred  on  the  twentieth. 
The  rebels  upon  it.;  after  setting  fire  to  their  barracks,  and 
destroying  the  light-house,  fled  to  the  main  land,  leaving  the 
place  in  possession  of  the  federal  forces.  The  capture  of  this 
island  was  important  only  in  view  of  prospective  operations 
on  New  Orleans  and  Mobile,  as  circumstances  might  direct. 

From  Western  Virginia  favorable  reports  continued  to  be 
received.  On  the  second  of  October,  General  Reynolds 
started  from  his  camp  at  Elkwater,  to  make  an  armed  recon- 
noissance  of  Lee's  position,  twelve  miles  distant  on  Green 
Brier  river. 

FIGHT    AT    GREEN    BRIER    CREEK. 

Taking  with  him  five  thousand  men,  and  a  heavy  force  of 
artillery,  he  set  out  from  Cheat  mountain  at  midnight,  and 
marched  in  dead  silence  over  the  rugged  way.  Colonel 
Kimball  of  the  fourteenth  Indiana,  was  ordered  to  move 
against  the  enemy's  front  and  right,  and  push  back  his 
advanced  regiments,  while  Milroy,  after  driving  in  the  pickets, 
was  to  deploy  to  the  left  of  his  intrenchments,  and  force  him 
within  them.  Just  after  daylight  the  latter  came  to  Green 
Brier  bridge,  and  found  it  occupied  by  the  rebels.  The  In- 
dianans,  without  waiting  for  orders,  cast  aside  their  knapsacks, 
and  blankets,  and  with  a  loud  cheer  dashed  on  the  bridge,  clear 
ing  it  with  a  bound.  The  regiments  now  came  one  after 
another  gallantly  into  action,  driving  the  enemy  from  the 


REYNOLDS    FALLS, BACK,  161 

hillsides  and  the  valley,  behind  their  intrenchments.  The 
artillery  was  then  ordered  up,  and  soon  thirteen  guns  were 
pouring  their  shot  and  shell  into  the  works.  The  rebels  re 
plied,  though  some  of  their  guns  were  hidden  by  the  trees. 
For  over  half  an  hour,  it  thundered  there  in  the  Virginia 
mountains  as  if  a  tropical  storm  was  bursting  along  the 
ridges.  At  length  three  of  the  enemy's  guns  were  disabled, 
when  his  fire  slackened.  Soon  after,  a  couple  of  rockets 
shot  over  the  treetops  where  the  enemy  lay  concealed,  and 
burst  in  mid  air — a  signal  for  reinforcements  that  were  far 
ther  off  amid  the  hills.  In  a  short  time,  a  column  several 
thousand  strong,  was  seen  streaming  down  the  mountain  in 
the  rear,  their  artillery  thundering  before  them.  As  they 
approached  the  fortifications,  cheer  after  cheer  went  up  from 
the  rebels.  Our  infantry,  exasperated  at  the  shout,  asked 
permission  to  storm  the  works,  but  Reynolds  thinking  it 
would  be  a  useless  sacrifice  of  life,  and  having  accomplished 
all  he  sought,  ordered  the  recall  to  be  sounded,  and  the  army 
took  up  its  line  of  march  to  its  old  camp,  with  thirteen  pris 
oners,  having  lost  but  eight  killed  and  thirty-two  wounded. 
Lee's  mission  to  western  Virginia  was  evidently  drawing  to 
a  close. 

FIGHT    AT   €APE    HATTERAS. 

\ 

Two  days  after  this,  the  rebels  undertook  to  surprise  a 
part  of  the  troops  stationed  near  Hatteras  inlet.  Colonel 
Brown,  with  the  twentieth  Indiana  regiment,  eight  hundred 
strong,  had  its  encampment  about  thirty  miles  from  fort  Ilat- 
teras,  and  on  the  fourth  about  fifteen  hundred  men  landed 
some  three  or  four  miles  above  him.  As  soon  as  he  was  ap^ 
prised  of  it  by  his  lookouts,  he  dispatched  a  messenger  to 
Colonel  Hawkins  at  the  fort,  informing  him  of  what  was 
going  on,  and  stating  that  he  should  fall  back  on  the  fort. 
Soon  after,  another  body  of  rebel  troops  commenced  land' 


162          ATTACK  ON  CAPE  HATTERAS. 

ing  below  him  to  cut  off  his  retreat.  Brown,  made  aware 
of  their  intentions,  set  on  fire  what  he  could  not  easily  carry 
away,  and  immediately  started  his  regiment  on  the  double- 
quick  through  the  heavy  sand,  and  after  a  terrible  march, 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  light-house  in  the  evening.  In 
the  mean  time,  HawkinsT  having  received  Brown's  noteT  dis 
patched  a  messenger  to  Captain  Lardner  of  the  Susque- 
hanna,  lying  near  the  shoreT  and  hurried  off  six  companies 
of  Zouaves  to  meet  and  reinforce  the  retreating  regiment. 
Captain  Lardner  quickly  got  the  Susquehanna  under  way, 
and  ordering  the  Monticello  to  double  cape  Halt  eras  and 
proceed  along  the  shore,  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening 
anchored  within  half  gun-shot  of  the  light-house.  The  Mon 
ticello  had  not  proceeded  far,  when  she  caught  sight  of  the 
enemy  coming  down  in  full  pursuit,  and  over  the  woods  on 
the  other  side  of  the  shoals,  the  masts  of  several  rebel 
vessels.  The  commander,,  Lieutenant  Braine,  immediately 
opened  on  them  with  shelly  which  exploding  in  their  midst 
scattered  them  in  all  directions.  Rolling  up  their  flag,  they 
made  for  a  clump  of  trees  for  protection,  The  Monticello 
followed  them,  pitching  its  shells  with  fatal  accuracy  into 
their  midst.  Their  triumphant  march  had  been  sadly  inter 
fered  with,  and  fleeing  like  frightened  deer,  they  at  length 
reached  the  woods,  abreast  of  which  their  vessels  lay,  and 
began  to  embark.  The  Monticella  then  shelled  the  vessels, 
sinking  some  of  the  boats  laden  with  the  fugitivesy  a  part 
of  whom  rushed  wildly  into  the  water  to  wade  to  the 
launches,  ducking  their  heads  in  the  mean  while  to  escape  the 
shells  that  fell  momentarily  around  them.  The  belt  of  land 
where  they  were  first  discovered,  was  not  more  than  a  third 
of  a  mile  wide,  so  that  they  presented  a  fair  mark  to  the 
guns  of  the  steamer,  which  for  two  hours  played  incessantly 
tipon  them. 


FORT    PICKENS.  163 


NIGHT   ATTACK    ON   SANTA   ROSAS. 

The  enemy  seemed  at  this  time  to  have  formed  a  con 
certed  plan  to  drive  us  entirely  from  their  shores.  For  four 
days  after  this,  a  similar  attack  was  made  on  Santa  Rosa's 
Island,  on  which  fort  Pickens  stands.  A  force  fifteen  hun 
dred  or  two  thousand  strong,  landed  on  the  island  about 
four  miles  from  the  fort,  where  they  remained  undiscovered 
till  next  night,  when  they  surprised  the  camp  of  Wilson's 
zouaves,  situated  a  mile  from  the  fort,  intending  to  follow 
up  their  success,  and  carrry  the  place  by  assault.  The  plan 
was  well  laid,  and  every  thing  seemed  to  favor  its  successful 
execution.  The  night  was  pitchy  dark  and  their  movements 
were  so  noiseless  and  suddenT  that  they  were  almost  within 
the  camp  before  they  were  discovered.  Their  shots  and 
shouts  together,  roused  the  regiment  from  its  slumbers,  and 
though  the  long  roll  was  beat,  and  an  attempt  made  to  form 
the  men,  yet  the  onset  was  so  sudden,  that  in  the  utter  dark 
ness  but  little  was  done.  The  flash  of  musketry  only  served 
to  reveal  the  d7' Border,  and  soon  the  rebel  torch  was  applied 
to  the  entire  camp.  In  a  moment  the  tents  were  in  a  blaze, 
the  conflagration  lighting  up  a  scene  of  utter  terror  and  con 
fusion.  The  shouts  of  officers  and  men  mingled  in  with  the 
crackling  of  flames  and  crash  of  musketry,  while  on  every 
side  swarmed  the  infuriated  foe.  The  zouaves,  panic-stricken, 
fled  for  the  protection  of  two  batteries,  situated  about  four 
hundred  yards  from  the  fort,  followed  by  the  enemy,  who  in 
the  darkness,  was  now  also  thrown  into  confusion.  In  'the 
mean  time,  as  the  sound  of  the  first  volleys  broke  over  fort 
Pickens,  the  long  roll  was  beat,  and  major  Yogdes  hurried 
off  with  two  companies  in  the  direction  of  the  firing ;  while 
the  guns  on  the  ramparts  were  ordered  to  be  manned.  Soon 
after,  the  commander,  Colonel  Brown,  saw  the  flames  of  the 


164  THE   RAM   MANASSAS. 

burning  camp,  and  sent  off  a  staff  officer  to  communicate 
with  Major  Vogdas.  But  the  latter  had  proceeded  scarce  a 
mile,  when  he  became,  in  the  darkness,  entangled  in  masses 
of  the  enemy,  and  before  a  shot  could  be  fired,  was  made 
prisoner.  Major  Arnold  was  immediately  sent  to  take  com 
mand,  but  before  he  could  arrive,  the  regulars  under  Captain 
Hildt  had  opened  such  a  destructive  fire  on  the  enemy,  that 
they  beat  a  retreat.  Colonel  Williams  now  succeeded  in  ral 
lying  a  part  of  his  regiment,  and  other  companies  from  the 
fort  coming  up,  they  pushed  on  after  the  flying  enemy,  who 
made  for  their  boats,  nearly  three  miles  distant.  Reaching 
them,  they  rushed  madly  into  the  water,  followed  by  the 
steady  fire  of  their  pursuers.  When  the  boats  shoved  off, 
the  murderous  volleys  plunging  into  the  closely  packed 
masses,  struck  them  down  by  scores.  Our  loss  all  told  was 
about  sixty — that  of  the  enemy  could  only  be  guessed  at. 
As,  on  Hatteras  shoals,  the  main  success  of  the  enemy  con 
sisted  in  destroying  the  camp  of  a  regiment. 

THE    RAM   MANASSAS    ATTACKS    OUR    FLEET. 

The  very  next  week  Captain  Hollins,  formerly  of  the 
United  States  navy,  now  in  command  of  the  rebel  naval 
force  at  New  Orleans,  made  an  attempt  to  destroy  our  block 
ading  fleet  at  the  month  of  the  Mississippi.  In  an  iron-clad 
vessel,  armed  with  a  long  iron  prow,  accompanied  by  two 
small  steamers,  he  came  boldly  down  on  the  night  of  the 
twelfth,  and  before  the  fleet  was  aware  of  his  presence, 
dashed  in  their  midst,  and  steered  straight  for  the  Richmond. 
The  ^tlarm  was  scarcely  given,  when  the  "ram"  struck  hei 
well  forward,  going  through  her  side  with  a  tremendous 
crash,  and  tearing  the  schooner  from  her  fastenings.  Slowly 
backing,  th3  uncouth  monster  then  made  a  dash  at  her  stern, 
but  succeeded  only  in  tearing  off  a  few  planks.  Though 


THE    MANASSAS   DEFEATED.  165 

taken  by  surprise,  the  crew  coolly  responded  to  the  beat  to 
quarters,  and  as  the  ram  passed  abreast  of  the  ship,  an 
entire  broadside  was  poured  into  it.  Hollins,  finding  one 
of  his  engines  would  not  work,  now  endeavored  to  haul  off, 
and  sent  up  a  signal  rocket.  The  blazing  curve  had  hardly 
disappeared  in  the  darkness,  when  farther  tip  the  river,  a 
broad,  bright  flame  leaped  into  the  air,  revealing  a  row  of 
fire  ships  moving  down  to  complete  the  work  of  destruc 
tion.  The  whole  river  was  lighted  up  by  the  steadily 
increasing  conflagration.  The  Richmond  and  Preble  irnme- 

o  o 

diately  dropped  down  the  pass,  while  the  Vincennes  and 
Water  Witch  remained  to  watch  and  see  what  could  be 
done.  The  fire  ships  kept  steadily  on  their  way,  and  the 
Vincennes  seeing  that  she  would  be  struck  if  she  remained 
where  she  was,  also  concluded  to  drop  down  the  pass,  leav 
ing  the  Water  Witch,  as  she  was  faster  and  smaller  and 
could  easily  get  out  of  the  way,  to  remain  and  report  pro 
ceedings.  Seeing,  at  length,  several  gun-boats  coming  down 
the  river,  she  finally  went  below  to  give  the  information, 
when,  to  her  dismay,  she  found  the  Vincennes  fast  aground 
on  the  bar.  To  complete  the  disaster,  the  Richmond  soon 
grounded  also  ;  and  it  looked  for  a  moment  as  if  the  vessels 
must  be  destroyed.  But  fortunately,  the  latter  vessel  swung 
round,  broadside  upstream  as  she  struck,  so  that  she  could 
bring  her  guns  to  bear  admirably.  They  immediately  open 
ed  a  rapid  and  furious  fire,  which  so  disconcerted  the  enemy 
that  he  abandoned  the  enterprise,  and  withdrew  up  the 
river. 

Hollins  on  his  return  to  New  Orleans,  gave  such  an 
extravagant  report  of  his  achievements  that  the  city  was 
wild  with  delight,  and  made  an  illumination  in  his  honor,  and 
hailed  him  as  the  hero  of  the  day.  To  the  excited  imagina 
tion  of  the  people,  the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  seemed 
already  open.  The  accounts  first  received  at  the  north,  hav- 


166  A    GALLANT   AFFAIR.  ~ 

ing  come  through  rebel  sources  created  much  uneasiness  for 
the  safety  of  the  blockading  fleet  in  the  Mississippi,  and 
the  papers  teemed  with  prognostications  respecting  the 
invulnerability  of  these  new  war  vessels.  But  not  long  after, 
a  true  report  of  the  occurrence  was  received,  when  Hollins 
became  the  subject  of  boundless  ridicule,  instead  of  dread. 
Enough,  however,  was  accomplished  to  furnish  the  south 
with  important  suggestions,  and  should  have  given  the  Sec 
retary  of  the  Navy  a  hint,  which  if  he  had  taken,  would 
have  saved  us  much  future  trouble. 

The  first  half  of  October  was  full  of  promise  to  the  'Union 
men  in  Missouri.  Fremont,  with  a  well  appointed  army, 
was  in  the  field,  while  in  almost  every  minor  engagement 
the  Federal  troops  were  victorious. 

.      FIGHT   AT    LEBANON. 

On  the  thirteenth,  a  brilliant  dash  was  made  by  Major 
Wright  with  two  companies  of  cavalry,  upon  three  hundred 
mounted  rebels,  near  Lebanon,  in  which  the?  latter  were  com 
pletely  routed,  with  the  loss  of  some  fifty  or  sixty  killed  and 
wounded,  and  thirty-six  prisoners.  Many  of  the  wounded 
at  Wilson's  Creek  being  on  their  way  in  ambulances  from 
Springfield,  happened  to  be  near  the  scene  of  action,  and 
witnessed  it.  The  rebels  were  drawn  up  parallel  witlr  the 
road,  expecting  an  attack  in  front.  They  had  stood  in  this 
position  nearly  an  hour  and  a  half,. — the  ambulances  contain 
ing  the  Union  wounded  a  little  way  off,  where  they  had  been 
stopped,  with  the  brutal  declaration  that  they  would  soon 
give  them  "another  load  of  wounded  to  take  along," — when 
suddenly,  over  the  brow  of  the  hill  in  their  rear,  came 
bounding  the  two  companies  of  cavalry.  One  blast  of  the 
bugle, — one  wild  cheer, — and  they  dashed  down.  Suddenly 
halting  when  within  a  hundred  paces,  they  delivered  a  mur 
derous  volley.  In  a  twinkling,  the  rebels  scattered  like  chaff' 


THE   ENEMY    AGAIN    DEFEATED.  167 

before  the  wind,  tearing  through  the  brush,  and  along  the 
road,  in  their  mad  flight  towards  Lebanon.  The  drivers  of 
the  ambulances  threw  up  their  hats,  and  shouted.  The  cav 
alry  returned  the  shout  with  a  loud  hurrah  ;  and  even  the 
poor  wounded,  raising  their  heads,  took  up  the  cheer  and 
sent  it  gloriously  over  the  field.  Wyman  (in  command  of 
the  whole  force)  arrived'  soon  after  the  battle  was  over. 
The  two  gallant  captains,  Switzler  and  Montgomery,  were 
highly  commended.  The  latter,  after  emptying  every  barrel 
of  his  revolver,  and  bending  his  sword  nearly  double  in  a 
hand-to-hand  fight,  charged  a  last  rebel  with  his  clenched 
fist,  and  knocked  him  from  his  horse. 

Two  days  after,  the  same  officer  pounced  upon  Linn 
Creek,  and  captured  twenty-four  rebels.  The  next  day,  Lex 
ington,  with  sixty  or  seventy  prisoners,  fell  into  our  hands. 

FIGHT   AT   FREBEHICKTOWN. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  rebels  under  the  notorious  Jeff. 
Thompson  and  Colonel  Lowe  were  reported  to  be  near  Fred- 
ericktown,  advancing  on  Pilot  Knob  and  Ironton.  A  recon- 
noitering  party  under  Colonel  Carlin  had  a  severe  skirmish 
with  th£m,  when  two  thousand  Illinois,  Indiana,  and  Wiscon 
sin  troops,  under  Colonels  Carlin,  Ross,  and  Baker,  started 
.to  give  them  battle.  On  the  twenty-first,  the  combined 
forces  were  in  Fredericktownr  which  the  enemy  had  evacu 
ated  the  night  before.  Pushing  on  after  him,  they  had  not 
proceeded  a  mile  when  they  came  upon  him  drawn  up  in 
line  of  battle.  The  Federal  troops  immediately  advanced 
to  the  attack.  The  enemy  opened  with  grape  and  canister ; 
but  nothing  could  check  the  daring  soldiers  of  the  west, 
(now  they  had  at  last  got  the  foe  within  striking  distance,) 
and  sending  up  their  loud  shouts,  they  pressed  over  the 
broken  field, — regiment  after  regiment,  and  company  after 


168  BLUE    MILLS. 

company,  coming  into  action  with  the  steadiness  of  veterans. 
For  nearly  two  hours  the  rebels  withstood  the  determined 
onset,  but  at  last  turned  and  fled.  Major  Gavitt,  charging 
with  his  cavalry  on  a  gun,  fell  mortally  wounded.  In  a  few 
moments  the  retreat  became  a  rout ;  and  the  enemy  fled  in 
every  direction,  leaving  sixty-four  prisoners  in  our  hands. 
One  hundred  and.  fifty  dead  were  picked  up  on  the  field, 
among  whom  was  Colonel  Lowe.  The  pursuit  was  contin 
ued  for  several  miles  along  the  road  towards  Greenville, 
which  was  strewed  with  the  wrecks  of  the  fight.  The  next 
day  it  was  resumed,  and  continued  for  twenty-two  miles,  but 
the  enemy  proved  too  fleet  of  foot,  and  it  was  abandoned. 
Our  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  was  only  sixty. 

On  the  return  of  the  soldiers  to  Fredericktown,  believing 
that  the  inhabitants  had  co-operated  with  the  rebels,  they 
committed  some  acts  of  violence,  and  but  for  the  officers 
would  have  burned  the  place  to  the  ground.  As  it  was,  they 
succeeded  in  applying  the  torch  to  six  or  seven  buildings'. 
The  citizens  were  terror-stricken  by  the  conflagration  and 
for  a  time  thought  their  town  would  become  a  heap  of  ashes, 
and  themselves  houseless  wanderers.  It  was  hard  for  the 
soldiers,  after  marching  past  Union  towns  levelled  to  the 
ground,  to  keep  their  hands  off  this  nest  of  rebels. 

FIGHT    AT    BLUE    MILLS. 

A  few  days  before  this  encounter,  five  hundred  of  the 
third  Iowa  regiment,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Scott,  advanced  on  the  enemy  four  thousand  strong 
at  Blue  Mills  Ferry  landing,  near  Liberty,  whither  he  had 
retired  from  Lexington.  Simultaneously  with  this  move 
ment,  Colonel  Smith,  with  the  Illinois  sixteenth  and  a  part 
of  the  thirty-ninth  Ohio  regiments,  was  to  come  up  from  St. 
Joseph,  and  form  a  junction  with  the  former.  Scott  waited 
for  him  till  nine  o'clock,  and  then  sending  him  word  that  he 


WILD   CAT   CAMP,  169 

would  push  forward  after  the  enemy,  advanced.  A  hot 
engagement  followed,  lasting  for  an  hour,  when  he  was  com 
pelled  to  fall  back,  bringing  off  his  wounded,  and  dragging 
hrs  single  gun  after  him  by  hand,  the  horses  having  all  been 
killed.  Smith  had  been  detained  by  heavy  rains  that  ren 
dered  the  roads  heavy  ;  but  the  moment  he  received  Scott's 
message,  he  ordered  his  cavalry  and  mounted  men  to  the 
front,  and  pushing  forward  at  a  rapid  pace,  reached  Liberty 
after  dark,  where  he  found  Scott's  exhausted  command.  Early 
the  next  morning,  the  combined  forces  moved  back  on  the 
enemy.  But  on  reaching  Blue  Mills,  they  found  him  across 
the  river,  and  beyond  pursuit.  Scott,  in  his  unequal  con 
test,  lost  in  killed  and  wounded  nearly  ninety  men.  The 
loss  of  the  enemy  was  not  known. 

In  Kentucky,  also,  affairs  wore  a  promising  abpect.  The 
effect  of  a  proclamation  by  the  rebel  Buckner  at  Bowling 
Green  the  month  before,  had  been  more  than  counterbal 
anced  by  that  of  the  brave  Anderson  in  command  of  the 
department,  soon  after,  and  that  of  the  loyal  General  Crit- 
tenden.  A.  S.  Johnston  also  gave  his  proclamation  to  the 
people  of  Kentucky ;  and  it  was  evident  that  the  soil  of  the 
state  would  soon  witness  a  severe  struggle.  A  foretaste  of 
what  was  coming  was  given  on  the  twenty-first  of  October, 
four  days  after  the  battle  of  Blue  Mills.  Colonel  Coburn, 
with  three  hundred  and  fifty  men,  was  ordered  by  General 
Schoepff  to  take  possession  of  a  place  known  as-  Camp  Wild 
Cat,  on  the  road  leading  to  Cumberland  Gap. 

BATTLE    AT    WILD    CAT    CAMP. 

He  had  hardly  done  so,  when  the  rebels,  concealed  in  the 
woods  around,  began  to  fire  upon  his  command.  Shortly 
after, — a  half  a  mile  away  in  front, — the  enemy  appeared  in 
large  force.  "V^hile  they  were  preparing  to  advance  to  the 
attack,  Colonel  Woodford,  with  two  hundred  and  fifty  Ken- 


170  DEFEAT    OF    THE    ENEMY, 

tucky  cavalry,  (Unionists,)  came  riding  up  the  slope,  and 
formed  under  fire.  Suddenly,  two  Tennessee  regiments  (a 
part  of  Zollicoffer's  command)  broke  from  the  woods  below, 
and  the  next  moment,  in  four  ranks  advanced  on  two  sides 
of  the  position,  and  opened  a  heavy  fire.  Though  it  was 
fiercely  returned,  they  kept  on  till  within  twenty-five  yards 
of  the  rude  breast-works  which  had  been  hastily  thrown  up. 
The  Kentucky  regiment  wavered  for  a  moment  before  the 
determined  onset,  but  soon  rallied,  and  the  conflict  though 
short  was  close  and  bloody.  Unable  to  breast  the  steady 
volleys,  the  enemy  at  first  halted,  and  then  fell  reluctantly 
back. 

Information  had  previously  reached  tjie  commanding  gen 
eral  (Thomas)  that  Zollicoffer  was  about  to  swoop  down  on 
this  part  of  the  country,  directing  his  first  attack  on  Wild 
Cat  Camp  ;  and  he  ordered  forward  the  seventeenth  Ohio,  sev 
eral  miles  distant,  to  support  the  Union  forces  which  had  been 
sent  there.  Eagerly  starting  off,  this  brave  regiment  toiled 
forward,  now  climbing  rugged  hills,  and  now  fording  streams 
breast  high;  and  at  eleven  o'clock  four  companies  of  it 
approached  the  scene  of  combat,  and  striking  up  "Hail 
Columbia,"  rushed  up  the  hill  at  the  double-quick,  and 
formed  in  line  of  battle.  They  had  scarcely  time  to  deliver 
one  volley,  before  the  enemy  fell  back.  About  two  o'clock, 
however,  he  again  advanced  to  the  attack.  In  the  midst  of 
the  fire,  two  companies  of  the  Ohio  fourteenth  appeared, 
sending  up  their  cheers,  while  responsive  cheers  came  back 
down  the  smoke-enveloped-  hill.  Lashed  to  their  utmost 
speed  by  their  drivers,  the  horses  dashed  at  full  gallop  up 
the  hill  with  the  artillery,  which  forming  rapidly,  rained  a 
terrible  fire  on  the  rebel  ranks.  Astonished  at  the  steadily 
increasing  force  before  him,  the  enemy  again  retired.  Rein 
forcements  now  kept  constantly  arriving  in  camp  till  ten 
o'clock  at  night.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  sounds 


. 
THE  VICTORY  IMPORTANT.  171 

were  heard  in  the  distant  camp  of  the  enemy ;  and  when 
daylight  broke  over  the  hills,  it  was  found  he  had  retreated. 
Our  loss  in  the  engagement,  in  killed  and  wounded,  was  only 
twenty-three,  while  that  of  the  enemy  must  have  been 
heavy,  as  he  left  nineteen  dead  on  the  field,  which  he  was 
unable  to  carry  off.  This  battle  was  an  important  one,  as  it 
secured  a  very  desirable  position,  and  highly  encouraged  the 
Union  inhabitants. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

OCTOBER,  186L 

AFFAIRS    ON     THE    UPPER     POTOMAC FIGHT     AT     BOLIVAR itiECONNOISSANCE 

ACROSS    THE     RIVER BATTLE     OF     BALL'S     BLUFF— STRANGE     CONDUCT     OF 

GENERAL    STONE INDIGNATION    OF    THE    PEOPLE MC  CLELLAN    HURRIES  TO 

THE    SCENE    OF    ACTION COLONEL    LANDER  TAKES  THE  PLACE  LEFT  VACANT 

BY    THE    DEATH    OF    BAKER 13    WOUNDED AFFAIRS    IN  MISSOURI GALLANl 

CHARGE    OF    FKEMONT's    BODY    GUARD. 

TWO  days  subsequent  to  this,  a  scene  occurred  on  the 
banks  of  the  Potomac,  that  filled  the  land  with  mourn 
ing  and  indignation.  General  Stone  was  in  command  of  a 
division  under  General  Banks,  with  instructions  to  watch  the 
enemy  near  Leesburg,  which  constituted  the  extreme  left  of 
the  rebel  line  on  the  Potomac,  and  prevent  his  crossing  at 
that  point  into  Maryland.  For  several  days  there  had  been 
more  or  less  skirmishing,  which  showed  that  the  utmost 
watchfulness  and  care  were  demanded. 

On  the  eighth,  Major  Gould  crossed  the  river  at  Harper's 
Ferry  to  seize  a  quantity  of  wheat  held  by  the  enemy  at 
that  point,  and  having  accomplished  his  mission  was  about 
to  re-cross,  when  on  the  sixteenth  a  brisk  skirmish  of  the 
pickets  near  Bolivar  (a  little  over  two  miles  from  the  Poto 
mac)  occurred,  which  soon  ended  in  a  sharp  encounter. 

FIGHT   AT   BOLIVAR. 

The  rebel  force  was  soon  drawn  up  on  Bolivar  hights,  from 
which  the  pickets  had  been  driven,  and  planted  their  cannon 
so  as  to  command  our  camp.  At  the  same  time,  another 
body  appeared  on  Loudon  hights,  within  cannon  range  of 
the  ferry,  to  prevent  the  troops  from  using  it  for  transporta 
tion.  While  these  preparations  were  going  on,  a  body  of 


GALLANT    ACTION.  175 

Cavalry  charged  fiercely  towards  the  upper  part  of  the  town. 
Three  times  they  came  gallantly  on,  and  each  time  were 
hurled  back  by  the  thirteenth  Massachusetts,  under  Captain 
Schriber.  Our  troops  then  fell  back  steadily  into  the  town ; 
and  from  behind  the  houses,  in  the  corn  fields  adjacent,  and 
wherever  shelter  could  be  obtained-,  poured  in  ceaseless  vol 
leys  upon  the  enemy,  who  strove  in  vain  to  make  headway 
against  them.  Colonel  Geary  had  sent  for  reinforcements, 
and  soon  Lieutenant  Martin,  who  had  been  stationed  with  a 
rifled  cannon  to  protect  the  ferry,  came  up.  Dashing  through 
a  scourging  fire  of  shot  and  shell,  he  galloped  into  the  town, 
and  unlinibering  in  the  street  opened  on  the  bights.  Our 
forces  now  steadily  advanced,  firing  as  they  moved,  when 
the  order  to  u  fix  bayonets !"  passed  along  the  line.  A 
sharp  clatter  of  steel  followed,  and  then  u  charge!  "  rang  on 
the  astonished  ears  of  the  enemy.  Forward,  through  the 
fire,  the  gallant  band  moved  shoulder  to  Shoulder,  and 
swept  the  bights  with  loud  cheers.  The  enemy  undertook 
to  rally,  but  our  artillery,  firing  with  the  precision  of  rifle 
practice,  dismounted  their  guns,  and  scattered  their  cavalry. 
The  fight  had  lasted  from  eight  till  one,  when  the  little  bam\ 
scarce  two  hundred  and  fifty  strong,  encamped  on  the  bights 
they  had  so  gallantly  won,  and  flinging  themselves  on  the 
earth  rested  till  midnight.  Again  summoned  to  their  ranks, 
they  took  up  the  line  of  march,  and  retracing  their  steps, 
crossed  the  river  unmolested.  Our  loss  was  only  thirteen, 
while  that  of  the  enemy  was  over  a  hundred.  Four  days 
after,  General  Kelly  advanced  on  Romney,  and  drove  the 
enemy  from  it,  capturing  several  prisoners. 


BATTLE    OF    BALlAs    BLUFF. 


It  being  desirable  to  ascertain  more  exactly  the  position 

and  numbers  of  the  enemy  in  the  vicinity,  it  was  determined 
ll 


176  LEE  AT  BALL'S  BLUFF. 

to  make  a  reconnoissance,  and  at  midnight  on  the  twentieth, 
Colonel  Devens  of  the  fifteenth  Massachusetts  crossed  over 
from  Harrison's  Island,  at  a  spot  known  as  Ball's  Bluff,  with 
about  three  hundred  men,  intending  to  take  a  rebel  camp 
reported  to  be  about  a  mile  from  the  river ;  and  after 
making  a  thorough  reconnoissance  to  return  to  the  river,  and, 
if  he  thought  fit,  report,  and  wait  for  reinforcements.  The 
means  of  transportation  furnished  him  consisted  of  three 
miserable  boats,  capable,  all  together,  of  carrying  only  thirty 
men.  Hence,  it  took  him  nearly  four  hours  to  get  his  little 
band  over. 

When  he  reached  the  shore,  he  found  no  road  leading  to 
the  high  bluff  that  rose  dark  and  sombre  above.  The  scouts, 
however,  discovered  a  mere  bridle  path,  which,  after  wind 
ing  some  sixty  rods  down  the  beach  led  to  the  top.  Along 
this  steep,  narrow  way,  the  troops  marched  in  dead  silence, 
and  at  length  reached  the  top,  where  they  halted  till  day 
break.  Many  a  gallant  heart  as  he  looked  down  on  the  dark 
flowing  river  far  below  him,  and  remembered  that  it  had 
taken  four  hours  to  cross  it,  felt  that  if  met  by  superior  num 
bers,  his  fate  was  sealed.  There  was  no  retreat — it  was  vic 
tory,  or  death,  or  capture. 

About  daybreak,  Colonel  Lee,  with  a  hundred  men  from 
the  twentieth  Massachusetts  joined  him,  when  he  moved  to 
wards  Leesburg,  till  he  came  to  the  spot  designated  as  the 
rebel  encampment ;  but  found  that  the  scouts  in  the  dark 
ness  had  mistaken  corn-shocks  for  rebel  tents.  The  sun  had 
not  yet  risen  when  they  came  in  full  view  of  Leesburg. 
Seeing  no  appearance  of  the  enemy,  Colonel  Devens  deter 
mined,  instead  of  returning,  to  report  and  wait  for  reinforce 
ments.  He  did  this  without  hesitation,  because  he  knew  a 
large  scow  had  been  added  to  the  three  boats  in  which  he 
had  crossed,  capable  of  carrying  sixty  men  at  a  time,  while 
the  stream  was  so  narrow  that  a  trip  could  be  made  in  ten 


BAKER  TAKES  COMMAND.  177 

minutes.  Soon  after,  a  company  of  riflemen  was  reported 
on  his  right,  and  he  sent  out  Captain  Philbrick  to  attack  it. 
A  sharp  skirmish  followed,  and  he  was  about  ordering  up 
reinforcements  to  the  captain,  when  a  company  of  cavalry 
appearing  on  his  flank,  he  directed  him  to  fall  back  to  the 
woods  in  which  the  main  body  was  concealed.  Here,  after 
waiting  for  half  an  hour  in  expectation  of  an  attack,  in  vain, 
he  concluded  to  join  Colonel  Lee  on  the  bluff.  But  after 
remaining  with  him  a  short  time,  and  thoroughly  scouting 
the  woods,  he  returned  to  his  first  position.  About  eight 
o'clock,  the  messenger  he  had  sent  across  the  river  returned 
with  orders  to  remain  where  he  was,  and  reinforcements 
should  be  sent  him.  In  an  hour  and  a  half  the  remainder 
of  his  regiment  rejoined  him,  making  in  all  six  hundred  and 
twenty -five  men.  At  noon  the  enemy  was  reported  in  force 
on  his  left,  and  in  half  an  hour  the  attack  commenced.  The 
men  resolutely  held  their  ground,  but  the  Colonel  seeing 
that  the  enemy  was  making  vigorous  efforts  to  outflank  him, 
ordered  them  to  fall  back  to  an  open  space  in  the  woods,  and 
called  in  his  skirmishers. 

"  After  waiting  a  short  time  in  expectation  of  an  attack,  he 
again  fell  back  to  the  bluff,  where  he  found  Colonel  Baker, 
who  had  just  crossed  to  take  command  by  order  of  General 
Stone.  Reinforcements  had  arrived,  but  why  they  were 
sent  when  no  way  of  increasing  the  means  of  transportation 
had  been  discovered,  instead  of  recalling  the  small  force 
already  across,  is  a  mystery  which  no  explanation  has  been 
able  to  solve.  With  every  company  that  crossed,  the  possi 
bility  of  a  retreat  became  more  hopeless,  while  the  difficulty 
of  furnishing  proper  assistance,  in  case  the  enemy  used  the 
•facilities  within  his  reach,  of  rapidly  reinforcing  himself,  may 
be  gathered  from  the  report  of  Lieutenant  Bramhall,  who 
was  ordered  to  take  some  light  pieces  of  artillery  over  with 
all  possible  dispatch.  "The  means,"  he  says,  "provided  for 


178  DIFFICULTY    OF    CROSSING. 

this  purpose,  consisted  of  two  scows  manned  with  poles,  and 
which  owing  to  the  swiftness  of  the  current,  consumed  a 
great  deal  of  time  in  the  trip  from  the  main  land  to  the 
island.  I  crossed  with  the  first  piece  after  half  an  hour's 
hard  labor  to  keep  the  boat  from  floating  down  the  stream. 
We  ascended  the  steep  bank,  made  soft  and  slippery  by  the 
passage  of  the  troops,  and  at  a  rapid  gait  crossed  the  island 
to  the  second  crossing.  Here  we  found  only  a  scoiv,  on 
which  we  did  not  dare  to  cross  the  piece  and  horses  together, 
and  thus  lost  farther  time  by  being  obliged  to  make  two  cross 
ings.  Upon  arriving  on  the  Virginia  shore,  we  were  com 
pelled  to  dismount  the  piece  and  carriage,  and  haul  the  former 
up  by  the  prolonge,  the  infantry  assisting  in  carrying  the 
parts  of  the  latter,  to  a  point  about  thirty  feet  up  a  precip 
itous  ascent,  rendered  almost  impassable  by  soft  mud,  where 
we  remounted  the  piece,  and  hitching  up  the  horses,  drag 
ged  it  through  a  perfect  thicket  to  the  open  ground  above, 
where  the  fighting  was  going  on."  How  many  field  pieces 
at  this  rate  it  was  expected  could  be  got  across  in  case  of 
need,  or  how  many  it  was  supposed  could  be  saved^in  case 
of  retreat,  can  easily  be  imagined.  It  appears  that  they 
managed,  however,  to  get  this  one  gun  and  two  howitzers 
on  to  the  field  of  battle. 

In  the  mean  time,  Colonel  Baker  moved  forward  his 
force,  and  took  position — the  Massachusetts  fifteenth  and  a 
portion  of  the  Tammany  regiment  being  on  the  right,  the 
Massachusetts  twentieth  on  the  left  and  center,  and  the  Cali 
fornia  battalion  in  the  center.  The  three  guns  were  placed 
in  front,  the  howitzers  one  on  each  wing,  and  the  six-pounder 
in  the  center.  Soon  the  enemy  made  his  appearance,  and 
advanced  against  the  whole  line,  but  more  compactly  against 
the  left  and.  center,  yelling  and  firing  volleys  at  short  inter- 
vals  as  they  came  on.  It  was  soon  evident  that  they  out 
numbered  us ;  but,  taking  our  three  guns  into  the  estimate, 


DEATH    OF    BAKER. 

it  was  not  a  very  unequal  fight.  The  rebels  seemed  to 
understand  this,  and,  determined  to  get  rid  of  the  cannon, 
directed  a  murderous  fire  on  the  gunners.  In  a  short  time, 
those  manning  the  six-pounder  were  wounded  and  missing, 
and  with  one  of  them  disappeared  the  lanyard  and  tube 
pouch,  and  the  gun  was  hauled  to  the  rear.  In  a  few  min 
utes,  the  missing  articles  stained  with  blood,  were  found,  but 
only  one  cannoneer  was  left  Baker,  Cogswell,  and  Lee 
immediately  seized  the  gun,  and,  with  the  help  of  Bramhall, 
rolled  it  into  position  again,  when  they  spurred  to  their  res 
pective  commands.  The  lieutenant  then  called  for  volun 
teers  from  the  infantry;  and  the  gun  again  opened  with 
shell  on  the  enemy.  The  battle  raged  hotter  and  hotter, 
and  soon  Bramhall  had  but  one  man  left  to  help  him — a 
brave  California!!  named  Booth,  who  stuck  to  him  gallantly 
to  the  end.  Not  more  than  eighteen  or  twenty  rounds,  how 
ever,  were  fired  from  first  to  last.  The  same  fatality  attend 
ed  the  other  guns.  The  enemy,  emboldened  by  their  success, 
pushed  their  attack  more  vigorously,  but  they  were  firmly 
met  at  every  point  by  our  undaunted  troops,  as  they  were 
determined  to  hold  their  ground  till  the  promised  reinforce 
ments  came.  General  Gorman  had  crossed  the  river  with  a 
part  of  a  brigade,  a  few  miles  below,  and  an  adjutant  of 
General  Stone  had  arrived,  saying  that  he  would  soon  be  on 
the  field  to  aid  them,  but  no  signs  of  his  coming  appeared. 
At  this  critical  moment,  Baker,  while  gallantly  leading  on 
his  men,  fell.  This  was  the  turning  point  of  the  battle. 

No  one  seemed  to  know  on  whom  the  command  now  de 
volved.  Colonel  Lee,  supposing  it  belonged  to  him,  decided 
that  the  battle  was  lost,  and  they  must  retreat  to  the  river. 
But  Colonel  Cogswell  at  that  moment  galloping  up,  it  appeared 
that  he  was  entitled  to  it,  as  the  senior  colonel ;  and  he 
determined  to  cut  his  way  through  the  enemy  down  to 
Edward's  Ferry,  and  changed  his  line  of  battle  accordingly. 


180  '   SINKING    OF   THE    SCOW. 

While  the  different  movements  were  being  executed  to  carry 
out  this  plan,  a  rebel  officer  on  a  white  horse  galloped  up  to 
the  Tammany  regiment,  and  shouted  "Charge I  "  pointing  to 
the  woods  where  the  enemy  was  concealed.  The  regiment 
supposing  the  order  came  from  their  own  officer,  gave  a 
shout,  and  dashed  forward,  followed  by  the  dauntless  Massa 
chusetts  fifteenth,  who  supposed  that  the  whole  line  was 
ordered  to  advance.  A  deadly  volley  received  the  brave 
fellows,  and  they  fell  back  in  confusion.  The  officers,  con 
founded  at  the  terrible  mistake,  ordered  the  recall  to  be 
sounded,  and  hastily  re-formed  their  men.  They  strove  gal 
lantly  to  retrieve  their  error,  and  poured  in  volley  after  vol 
ley,  but  it  was  too  late.  The  enemy  seeing  the  success  of 
their  stratagem  gave  them  no  time  to  restore  their  order -of 
battle,  but  pressed  furiously  forward,  rending  the  air  with 
shouts.  The  army  rapidly  fell  back  to  the  river  bluff,  then 
over  it  to  the  shore,  where  they  stood  packed  in  dense 
masses.  In  vain  skirmishers  were  sent  to  the  summit  to  keep 
back  the  foe.  They  came  resistlessly  on — and  from  the  bights 
above  sent  their  plunging  fire  into  the  brave  men,  who 
could  neither  fight  nor  retreat.  The  only  scow  by  which 
even  a  portion  could  be  crossed,  overloaded  with  the 
wounded  and  fleeing,  had  already  pushed  off  into  the  river. 
Presenting  a  fair  mark  to  the  enemy,  the  bullets  fell  like 
rain  into  their  midst.  Those  in  the  hind  part,  rushing  for 
ward  to  escape  the  deadly  volleys,  unbalanced  the  unwieldy 
thing,  and  with  one  heavy  lurch  it  went  to  the  bottom  with 
all  on  board.  The  scene  at  this  moment  was  fearful  enough 
to  appall  the  stoutest  heart.  Before  the  exhausted,  bleed 
ing  band  rolled  the  rapid  river,  while  mingled  with  its  sul 
len  roar  there  struggled  up  from  the  deepening  gloom 
groans,  and  cries,  and  shrieks  for  help.  Behind,  and  above 
them,  in  the  intervals  of  the  demoniacal  yells,  came  the 
plunging  volleys,  strewing  the  crimson  shore  with  the  slain. 


HEROIC    DEVOTION.  181 

Still  no  voice  called  for  quarter, — no  white  flag  floated  in 
the  darkness.  Overwhelmed,  but  not  conquered,  they  dis 
dained  to  surrender,  and  there  on  the.  banks  of  the  Poto 
mac,  on  that  gloomy  October  night,  were  exhibited  deeds 
of  personal  devotion  and  self-sacrifice  which  have  never 
been  surpassed  in  the  history  of  man.  Men  plead  with  their 
officers  to  escape,  and  officers  used  their  right  to  command, 
to  compel  their  troops  to  abandon  them,  and  save  them 
selves. 

Devens  ordered  his  men  to  fling  their  muskets  into  the 
river  that  they  might  not  fall  into  the  hands  of  tLj  enemy, 
and  swim  for  their  lives.  *  Captain  Bartlett  of  the  twentieth 
Massachusetts,  directed  those  immediately  about  him  who 
could  not  swim,  to  follow  him  up  the  river,  in  order  to  get 
out  of  the  murderous  volleys  that  kept  the  bluff  above  in  a 
blaze  of  light.  About  eighty  obeyed  him,  and  they  pro 
ceeded  up  stream  till  they  came  upon  a  sunken  skiff.  Rais 
ing  it,  he  found  it  could  carry  five  men  at  a  time.  Sending 
over  a  lieutenant  with  the  first  load  to  take  charge  of  the 
men  as  fast  as  they  crossed,  he  with  Captain  Tremlett  and 
Lieutenant  Abbott  remained  behind  till  all  were  over,  then 
crossed  themselves.  Opposite  Harrison's  island^  towards 
which  the  swimmers  struck,  the  Potomac  ran  blood,  for  the 
bullets  of  the  enemy  pattered  like  hail-stones  on  the  water 
darkened  by  the  heads  of  the  fugitives.  Many  a  bold  swim 
mer,  struck  by  a  bullet  in  his  head,  went  down  in  midstream. 
Soldiers  swam  slowly  by  the  side  of  their  wounded  officers, 
refusing,  though  repeatedly  ordered  to  do  so,  to  leave  them. 
At  last  the  struggle,  the  flight,  and  the  slaughter  was  over, 
and  silence  fell  on  the  Potomac,  broken  only  by  the  roar  of 
the  torrent  and  groans  of  wounded  men  that  lined  the  shore 
and  the  bluff.  Far  down,  over  the  rugged  rocks,  were  roll* 
ing  the  lifeless  bodies  of  the  brave,  while  the  living  sat 
down  in  sullen  rage,  feeling  that  they  had  been  led  like 


182  FEELING    AT    THE    NORTH. 

sheep  to  the  slaughter.  Of  our  whole  force,  numbering  not 
far  from  eighteen  hundred,  full  half  were  killed,  wounded, 
or  taken  prisoners.  Among  the  latter  were  Colonels  Cogs 
well  and  Lee.  The  news  of  this  disaster  spread  a  gloom 
over  the  land.  Not  only  was  the  fall  of  Baker,  a  gallant 
man,  and  senator  of  the  United  States,  deeply  lamented, 
but  the  destruction  in  the  two  Massachusetts  regiments,  com 
posed  as  they  were  of  some  of  the  finest  young  men  of  the 
state,  was  felt  to  be  a  national  loss.  Added  to  all  this,  was 
the  universal  feeling  that  they  fell  victims  to  an  unpardon 
able  blunder,  or  to  treason.  McClellan  had  never  ordered 
a  movement  of  this  kind,  and  the  blame  was  at  first  divided 
between  Stone  and  Baker,  but  finally  settled  down  on  the 
former.  The  whole  affair  remains  a  mystery  to  this  day. 
A  portion  of  Banks'  division,  under  General  Gorman,  had 
in  the  mean  time,  been  thrown  across  the  river  at  Edward's 
Ferry,  five  miles  below.  But  when  McClellan,  who  had  hur 
ried  up  from  Washington,  arrived  on  the  field,  and  examined 
the  state  of  affairs,  the  whole  force  was  ordered  back  again 
to  Maryland.  Colonel  Lander  was  at  once  appointed  to 
take  the  place  made  vacant  by  the  death  of  Baker,  but  was 
almost  immediately  rendered  unfit  for  the  field  by  a  wound 
which  he  received  in  a  skirmish  with  the  enemy. 

..:f  CAVALRY  CHARGE  OF  ZAGONYI. 

Four  days  after  the  battle  of  Ball's  Bluff,  a  little  light 
broke  through  the  cloud  that  hung  over  Fremont's  opera 
tions  in  Missouri.  Hearing  that  Springfield,  fifty-one  miles 
from  his  camp,  was  held  by  only  three  hundred  rebels,  he 
dispatched  Major  Zagonyi,  a  Hungarian,  with  his  body 
guard  of  a  hundred  and  fifty,  to  seize  it  in  advance  of  his 
arrival.  Putting  himself  at  the  head  of  his  gallant  band, 
this  officer  started  off  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and 


A   BRILLIANT    CHARGE.  183 

making  the  whole  distance  in  nineteen  hours,  was  before  the 
place  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  next  day.  But, 
rapid  as  had  been  his  approach,  the  enemy  were  apprised 
of  his  coming,  and  stood  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle  to  re 
ceive  him.  The  Union  inhabitants  came  out  of  their  houses  as 
he  passed,  welcoming  him  with  tears,  but  beseeching  him  not  to 
advance,  for  the  enemy  were  nearly  two  thousand  strong.  But 
this  gallant  officer  had  not  made  his  forced  march  of  fifty 
miles  for  nothing,  and  determined  to  give  the  rebels  a  taste 
of  his  steel  before  he  returned.  He  thought  too,  perhaps, 
of  Wilson's  creek,  near  by.  The  rebels  were  drawn  up  in 
an  open  field,  about  half  a  mile  from  the  city.  The  major 
had  no  time  to  waste  in  skirmishing,  and  pressed  right  on 
through  the  fire  of  the  enemy's  skirmishers,  which  emptied 
several  saddles,  till  he  came  in  sight  of  the  main  body  just 
before  him.  Finding  the  place  too  confined  to  form  his  men 
in,  he  galloped  for  two  hundred  and  fifty  yards  down  a  lane, 
all  the  while  exposed  to  a  murderous  fire,  when  he  came 
upon  a  rail  fence.  Scattering  this  from  his  path,  he  emerged 
into  the  open  field  and  formed  his  little  band  of  a  hundred 
and  fifty,  right  in  the  enemy's  camp.  The  next  moment, 
the  shrill  bugle  sounded  the  charge,  the  riders  plunged 
their  spurs  into  their  horses,  and  raising  their  swords  above 
their  heads,  dashed  up  the  slope  with  a  cheer.  The  enemy 
saw  the  clattering  tempest  close  upon  them,  and  giving  but 
one  volley,  broke  and  fled.  Through  and  through  the  dis 
ordered  ranks  this  hundred  and  fifty  swept  like  a  hurricane, 
the  sword  drinking  blood  at  every  step.  Horse  and  rider 
tumbled  on  the  field,  but  the  living  kept  on,  shouting  their 
war  cry,  "Fremont  and  the  Union."  The  infantry  soon 
found  shelter  in  the  woods,  when  the  bugle  sounded  the  re 
call,  they  then  rallied,  turned  and  pursued  the  rebel  cavalry, 
which  had  fled  towards  the  town.  Down  through  the  streets 
like  a  torrent,  came  the  decimated  band,  clearing  them  on 


184  RESULT  OF  THE  CHARGE. 

every  side.  Twenty  times  did  these  bold  riders  charge 
through  the  streets,  till  not  a  vestige  of  the  enemy  remained. 
When  the  bugle  finally  sounded  the  recall,  only  two-thirds 
of  the  entire  band  drew  up  before  their  leader.  "  They  had 
marked  their  course,  however,  with  destruction ;  having 
killed  and  wounded  more  than  their  entire  number,  besides 
taking  twenty-seven  prisoners. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

• 

NOVEMBER,  18G1. 

GENERAL    DISSATISFACTION — PUBLIC    EXPECTATION  OF  AN  ADVANCE  FROM    THE 

POTOMAC BLOCKADE    OF     THE     CAPITAL FEELING     AT     THE    WEST GREAT 

SECRET  NAVAL  EXPEDITION OVERTAKEN    BY    A    STORM JOY  OF  THE  SOUTH 

AND    FEARS    OF    THE    NORTH  —  DESCRIPTION    OF     THE    WRECK ARRIVAL    OFF 

PORT    ROYAL,    HILTON    HEAD,   AND    BAY    ISLAND PREPARATIONS    TO    ATTACK 

THEM — GRAND  APPEARANCE    OF    THE    VESSELS THE  ATTACK THE    VICTORY 

TERROR  OF  THE  PEOPLE  OF  CHARLESTON  AND  SAVANNAH STRANGE  INAC 
TIVITY    OF    THE    LAND    FORCES PROCLAMATIONS — TIMIDITY  AND    WEAKNESS 

OF  THE  GOVERNMENT RETIREMENT  OF  SCOTT  FROM  PUBLIC  LIFE MC  CLEL- 

LAN    TAKES    HIS    PLACE — PUBLIC    CONFIDENCE    IN    HIM GRAND    REVIEW  OF 

THE    ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC. 

THE  month  of  October  closed  up  gloomily  for  the  admin 
istration,  though  it  did  not  seem  to  be  aware  of  it. 
There  was  deep  dissatisfaction  throughout  the  country  with 
the  manner  in  which  things  were  conducted.  In  Missouri, 
Fremont  was  still  continued  in  command,  though  the  popu 
lar  demand  for  his  removal  was  very  urgent.  The  de 
feat  at  Wilson's  creek,  and  the  fall  of  Lexington,  had 
destroyed  public  confidence  in  his  ability  to  manage  his 
difficult  department.  Even  his  friends,  the  Blairs,  had  turned 
against  him. 

The  conduct  of  affairs  directly  around  Washington  gave 
almost  equal  dissatisfaction.  The  beautiful  month  of  Octo 
ber,  so  well  fitted  for  active  operations  in  the  field,  had 
passed,  and  November,  with  its  dreary  storms  and  impass 
able  roads  was  close  upon  us.  Throughout  the  entire  month, 
almost  every  day  had  its  rumor  of  an  immediate  advance 
upon  Manassas.  At  one  time  it  seemed  certain  that  a  sud 
den  flank  movement  was  determined  upon.  The  enemy  ap- 


186  DISSATISFACTION    OF    THE    PEOPLE. 

peared  to  think  so  too,  and  to  suspect  that  it  would  be  made 
down  the  Potomac ;  and  suddenly  extended  his  lines  to  the 
river  at  Aquia  creek,  thus  presenting  a  front  reaching  from 
it  to  the  Blue  ridge.  This  river,  too,  was  blockaded  by  the 
heavy  batteries  he  had  erected  along  the  Virginia  shore,  so 
that  the  Capital  had  no  water  communication  with  fortress 
Monroe,  except  when  some  daring  craft,  taking  advantage 
of  a  stormy  night,  ventured  to  run  the  gauntlet  of  their  fire. 
This  was  felt  to  be  a  national  disgrace,  and  the  question  was 
asked  on  every  side,  u  Why  is  not  the  Potomac  opened?" 
The  national  heart  became  restive  under  the  menacing  pres 
ence  of  the  rebel  army  at  Manassas,  and  this  blockade  of  the 
Capital  by  water.  Delay  of  active  operations  was  cheerfully 
acquiesced  in  during  the  warm,  unhealthy  season,  but  now 
there  seemed  no  excuse  for  it.  Was  there  not  a  splendid 
army  around  Washington,  eager  to  advance  ?  In  the  winter, 
active  campaigning  in  Virginia  would  be  impossible  on  account 
of  the  roads.  To  leave  every  thing  to  be  done  in  the  few 
spring  months .  would  necessarily  prolong  the  war  another 
year,  and  that  would  bankrupt  the  nation.  Such  was  the 
language  used  on  every  side. 

Besides,  France  and  England  were  growing  restive  under 
the  derangement  which  our  blockade  caused  to  their  com 
merce,  and  if  nothing  was  accomplished  before  spring,  they 
would  it  was  thought,  demand  its  abandonment. 

The  Secretary  of  War  was  denounced  on  every  side  as  in 
efficient,  and  was  accused  of  being  more  anxious  to  make 
fat  contracts  for  his  friends  than  to  save  the  country.  The 
whole  Cabinet  was  declared  to  be  sound  asleep.  A  night 
mare  seemed  to  rest  on  every  thing,  while  there  was  a  rest 
lessness  in  the  community  that  would  not  be  allayed  by  excuses. 
Grand  reviews  were  held  in  Virginia,  but  the  country  needed 
action.  General  Scott  had  to  bear  his  share  of  the  public 
complaint.  He  was  too  old  and  infirm  to  stand  at  the  helm 


PORT    ROYAL    EXPEDITION.  187 

while  the  ship  of  state  was  struggling  in  such  a  storm.  The 
west  was  especially  discontented.  It  said,  uDo  something 
with  the  tens  of  thousands  of  brave  men  we  have  sent  you, 
or  send  them  back  that  we  may  use  them."  The  western 
mind  can  not  brook  inaction.  Activ.e  itself,  it  demands  ac 
tion  in  others.  It  had  rather  be  defeated  once,  and  try 
again,  than  not  try  at  all. 

EXPEDITION    TO    PORT    ROYAL. 

One  thing  alone  served  to  divert  public,  attention  from  tho 
inactivity  of  the  army  around  Washington,  and  that  was  the 
departure  of  a  secret  naval  expedition  of  grand  proportions. 
Nearly  twenty  thousand  land  forces  and  marines  together, 
the  former  under  General  Sherman,  and  a  fleet  of  fifty  vessels, 
eighteen  of  them,  men  of  war,  commanded  by  Dupont,  left 
Hampton  Roads  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  October,  and  pro 
ceeded  southward.  Bad  management  had  delayed  its  depart 
ure  several  days  after  the  troops  had  embarked,  thus  losing 
the  most  beautiful  portion  of  Indian  summer;  but  at  length  it 
disappeared  in  the  horizon,  and  the  nation  was  in  a  state  of 
intense  excitement  respecting  its  destination.  Every  point 
along  our  extensive  coast  was  in  turn  suggested.  The  very 
mystery  that  enveloped  the  expedition  increased  the  interest 
felt  in  its  fate,  while  at  the  same  time  it  magnified  the  im 
portance  of  the  results  to  be  accomplished  by  it.  Of  one 
thing,  all  were  certain,  it  would  strike  terror  to  the  south. 

THE    STORM. 

It  had  been  out  but  a  few  days,  however,  when  one  of  the 
most  terrific  storms  ever  experienced  in  this  latitude  swept 
our  coast.  The  triumph  in  anticipation  was  changed  into 
alarm  for  its  safety,  and  north  and  south — the  fate  of  the 
Spanish  Armada  was  revived  in  the  memory  of  all.  Many 


188  A   STORM. 

of  the  vessels  that  composed  it,  though  freighted  with  human 
beings,  were  small  and  never  designed  for  the  open  sea. 
Even  ferry  boats  figured  in  the  imposing  display.  Wreck 
and  ruin  had  strewed  the  land,  and  how  could  these  frail 
things  outride  the  storm?  It  seemed  as  if  the  heavens  were 
frowning  on  the  enterprise.  The  south  so  regarded  it,  and 
fervent  thanksgivings  were  offered  to  God  for  his  providen 
tial  interference  in  their  behalf. 

The  fleet  was  scattered  by  it  like  sea  foam,  and  had  it  not 
been  of  short  duration,  the  loss  of  life  and  of  vessels  would 
have  been  terrible — probably  great  enough  to  have  broken 
up  the  expedition  altogether.  Dupont  saw  the  gathering 
tempest  with  the  deepest  anxiety,  and  every  thing  was  got 
as  snug  as  possible.  The  gale,  at  first  moderate,  rapidly  in 
creased,  till  it  became  a  hurricane,  sweeping  the  sea  with  a 
wildness  and  power  that  was  appalling.  The  scene  on  Fri 
day  night  on  board  the  ships  baffles  description.  Scattered 
in  every  direction,  each  had  to  ride  out  the  fearful  night  of 
the  first  of  November  as  it  best  could.  When  the  gloomy 
morning  dawned,  Dupont,  from  the  deck  of  his  flag-ship,  the 
Wabash,  anxiously  surveyed  with  his  glass  the  wildly  heav 
ing  sea.  But  one  solitary  sail  of  all  his  vast  fleet  could  be 
seen.  The  crew  of  the  transport  Peerless  were  taken  from 
the  ship  in  a  sinking  condition,  while  the  steamer  Governor, 
with  the  marine  battalion  on  board,  was  left  a  helpless  wreck 
on  the  sea.  All  night  long  she  labored  in  the  billows — the 
smoke-stack  went  overboard,  the  steam-pipe  burst,  chains  and 
ropes  snapped  like  threads,  the  water  poured  through  her 
opened  seams,  and  it  was  feared  she  must  go  down  with  all  on 
board  before  morning.  As  daylight  slowly  broke  over  the 
angry  waste,  she  saw-  a  steamer  in  the  distance,  rolling  on  the 
billows,  and  sent  up  rockets  as  signals  of  distress.  To  the 
great  joy  of  those  on  board,  an  answering  rocket  streamed 
through  the  misty  air.  The  vessel  was  the  Isaac  Smith, 


WRECK    OF    THE    GOVERNOR.  189 

which  immediately  stood  down  towards  her.  Approaching 
cautiously,  she  was  able  to  fling  a  hawser  on  board,  but  it 
soon  had  to  be  cast  loose.  Another  with  great  difficulty  was 
got  on  board,  but  soon  snapped  under  the  strain  of  the  roll 
ing  wreck,  and  she  was  once  more  adrift.  The  Rover  now 
approached,  and  the  captain  hailing  said  he  would  stand  by 
them  to  the  last.  A  loud  cheer  from  those  grouped  on  the 
drenched  deck  of  the  Governor,  came  over  the  sea,  announc 
ing  their  heartfelt  gratitude.  Still  later  in  the  day,  the  Sa- 
bine  hove  in  sight,  and  seeing  the  signals  of  distress,  bore 
down,  and  three  vessels  now  hovered  around  the  sinking 
consort.  Night  came  on,  increasing  the  danger,  but  by 
eight  o'clock,  the  stern  of  the  Sabine  was  brought  close  to 
her  bow,  when  spars  were  rigged  out,  and  about  thirty  were 
thus  "whipped"  on  board.  But  hawsers  and  cables  soon 
gave  way  under  the  heavy  strain,  as  the  two  vessels  rolled  on 
the  heavy  seas,  and  they  parted.  The  Governor  had  now 
three  feet  of  water  in  her  hold,  and  was  fast  settling  in  the 
waves.  The  Sabine  then  made  the  hazardous  experiment  to 
get  alongside,  though  it  was  feared  the  disabled  vessel  would 
go  to  pieces  if  she  struck;  but  by  careful  management  she 
was  brought  up,  and  forty  more  got  on  board  the  frigate, 
though  one  was  crushed  to  death  in  attempting  to  pass  over. 
At  length  she  struck  the  vessel,  carrying  away  a  part  of  her 
own -bow,  when  the  former  was  dropped  astern,  and  it  was 
determined  to  wait  till  daylight.  It  was  doubtful  if  the 
Governor  could  be  kept  afloat  so  long,  but  by  throwing 
everything  overboard,  and  keeping  the  men  at  the  pumps 
and  bailing,  she  weathered  the  night,  and  at  daybreak  the 
frigate  launched  her  boats :  but  they  dared  not  approach  the 
rolling  wreck,  arid  the  men  had  to  jump-  overboard  and  be 
picked  up.  In  this  manner,  all  but  six  were  saved,  who  in 
their  fright  left  their  ranks,  and  leaped  over  before  they  were 
ordered  to.  In  a  short  time  the  ill-fated  ship  gave  a  heavy 


190  THE    FLEET    AT    BEAUFORT. 

lurch  and  went  to  the  bottom.  At  length  the  gale  abated, 
and  the  scattered  vessels  one  after  another  Came  up,  and  the 
voyage  was  resumed.  In  passing  Charleston,  Dupont  sent  in 
for  the  Susquehannah,  which  was  on  blockading  duty,  to 
join  him,  and  on  Monday  morning  anchored  off  Port  Royal. 
This  was  the  entrance  to  Beaufort,  the  port  for  the  finest 
cotton  section  of  South  Carolina.  Every  thing  to  indicate 
the  course  of  the  channel  had  been  removed,  and  it  was 
necessary  to  buoy  it  out  anew.  By  night  this  was  accom 
plished,  and  the  vessels  began  to  pass  over  the  bar.  The 
next  day  was  spent  in  reconnoitering  and  getting  the  vessels 
in  their  proper  places.  The  two  islands,  Hilton  Head  and 
Bay  Point,  lay  nearly  opposite  each  other,  and  on  their  ex 
treme  points,  two  forts,  Beauregard  and  Walker,  guarded 
the  entrance,— the  former  mounting  twenty-three  and  the 
latter  six  guns,  some  of  them  of  the  largest  caliber.  It  was 
thought  no  vessels  could  succeed  in  passing  these.  Inside, 
was  a  rebel  fleet  of  eight  steamers,  ready  to  render  such 
assistance  as  circumstances  might  require. 

THE   ATTACK. 

By  Thursday,  all  the  preparations  were  completed.  The 
elements,  as  if  satisfied  with  their  useless  rage,  were  at  rest. 
The  bay  slept  like  a  summer  lake,  and  a  bright,  genial  sun 
lighted  up  sea  and  land.  The  fleet  presented  a  magnificent 
spectacle  as  it  moved  slowly  up  toward  the  forts.  Inside 
the  island,  little  steamers  were  crowded  with  spectators,  who 
had  come  down  from  Charleston  to  witness  the  defeat  of  the 
Yankee  ships. 

The  large  war  steamers,  thirteen  in  number,  formed  in 
single  file — the  Wabash  leading  the  van.  Every  thing  had 
been  made  snug  and  the  decks  sanded;  and  with  ports 
thrown  open,  the  noble  ships  came  steadily  on  towards  the 


THE    ATTACK.  193 

forts.  All  was  silent  on  Hilton  Head  until  the  Wabash  got 
directly  abreast,  when  the  guns  of  the  fort  which  had  been 
trained  on  her,  suddenly  opened.  Fort  Beauregard,  on  the 
opposite  side,  responded ;  and  the  heavy  shot  came  crashing 
through  the  rigging  and  spars,  and  tearing  up  the  water  on 
every  side.  Still  not  a  shot  replied.  But  as  the  second 
steamer  came  opposite  the  works,  the  three  leading  vessels 
opened  their  broadsides  at  once,  and  shot  and  shell  from 
seventy-five  guns  fell  in  one  wild  crash  on  the  fort.  Each 
vessel  in  turn  as  it  came  alongside  delivered  its  broadside, 
till  the  thunders  shook  the  bay.  The  Wabash,  as  it  forged 
sloVly  ahead,  wheeled  and  came  down  alongside  the  fort  on 
the  opposite  island,  folio  wed  in  single  file  by  the  fleet,  de 
livering  their  broadsides  as  they  passed.  Again  wheeling, 
they  swept  back,  taking  the  first  fort  as  before — and  thus 
kept  moving  on  in  flame,  describing  a  huge  letter  0.  It 
was  a  grand,  terrific  spectacle.  Amid  this  rain  of  death, 
the  men  in  the  chains  kept  calling  the  soundings  with  the 
calm  precision  they  would  if  only  buoying  out  the  channel, 
while  the  heavy  shot  fell  on  the  doomed  fortress  as  fast  as  a 
horse's  feet  beat  the  ground  in  a  gallop.  •  Said  one  of  the 
aids  of  Dupont,  who  watched  the  fire  from  the  deck  of  the 
flag-ship,  uThe  Wabash  was  a  destroying  angel — hugging 
the  shore ;  calling  the  soundings  with  cold  indifference  ; 
slowing  the  engine,  so  as  to  give  only  steerage  ;  signalling 
to  the  vessels  their  various  evolutions ;  and  at  the  same  time 
raining  shells  as  with  target  practice,  too  fast  to  count," 

Thus  for  four  hoars,  with  only  a  little  interval  to  cool  the 
guns  and  rest  the  men,  that  line  of  vessels  swept  round  .and 
round  on  their  destructive  course  until  at  length  the  rebels, 
unable  longer  to  stand  the  horrible  tempest  of  shot  and 
shell,  broke  and  fled  for  the  main  land.  Some  of  the  gun 
boats  had  got  inside,  and  hugging  the  shore,  poured  an  en 
filading  fire  into  the  fort.  Others  outside  did  the  same,  till 
12 


194  THE    VICTORY. 

it  became  too  hot  for  mortal  flesh  to  stand.  At  half  past 
three,  the  stars  and  stripes  went  up  "where  the  rebel  flag  had 
floated;  and  then  from  ship  to  ship  the  cheers  arose,  till 
they  reached  the  transports  in  the  distance,  when  the  watch 
ing  thousands  took  it  up  and  sent  it  "strong  and  great  against 
the  sky."  The  garrisons,  in  their  wild  dismay,  left  every 
thing  behind  them.  The  commander  of  fort  Walker,  Gen- 
eral  Dray  ton,,  had  a  brother  in  our  fleet,,  a  captain,  who  helped 
to  shell  him  out. 

The  sound  of  the  heavy  cannonading  had  been  heard  far 
inland ;  and  when  the  news  of  the  fall  of  the  place  reached 
Charleston  and  Savannah  on  either  side,  the  utmost  conster 
nation  seized  the  inhabitants.  Men  packed  up  their  house 
hold  goods  and  fled  into  the  interior;  expecting  an  immedi 
ate  march  inland  of  the  invading  forces,  against  whose  vic 
torious  advance  they  had  no  adequate  means  of  resistance. 
At  the  north  the  news  of  the  victory  was  received  with  the 
most  unbounded  delight.  Not  only  had  the  flag  been  plant 
ed  on  the  rebellious  soil  of  South  Carolina ;  but  -it  w^as 
looked  upon  as  .a  mere  preliminary  step  to  an  advance  by 
the  army  under  Sherman.  To  the  amazement  of  the  nation, 
however,  this  officer  contented  himself  with  issuing  a  procla 
mation  to  the  inhabitants,  and  then  turned  his  attention  to 
building  docks. 

Indeed,  it  had  seemed  for  a  time  impossible  to  convince 
the  administration  that  there  was  not  sufficient  Union  feeling 
at  the  south  to  overthrow  the  rebels  of  itself  the  moment  it 
dare  speak.  Like  the  belief  that  the  slaves  would  rise  the 
moment  war  was  declared,  it  could  only  be  eradicated  by 
the  stern  evidence  of  facts.  East  and  west  proclamations 
had  followed  the  slightest  success,  until  it  seemed  as  though 
more  was  expected  from  them  than  from  bayonets. 

What  definite  idea  the  government  had  in  this  descent 
wpon  Port  Royal,  does  not  appear.  It  was  said  to  have 


PURPOSE    OF    THE    EXPEDITION.  195 

been  done  that  we  might  have  a  convenient  port  on  the 
southern  coast  for  the  rendezvous,  etc.,  of  our  ships  in  that 
region  and  in  the  gulf.  But  we  already  had  Key  West;  be 
sides,  why  for  that  purpose  did  we  need  such  an  array 
there  ?  A  few  gun  boats  could  hold  the  place  securely. 
Some  consoled  themselves  with  the  fact  that  we  had  opened 
a  cotton  port — a  great  desideratum  to  us  and  to  Europe ; 
but  as  time  passed  on,  the  positive  advantage  we  had  gained 
became  less  and  less  apparent.  Sherman  of  course  acted 
under  orders  in  not  advancing  inland.  The  government, 
ignorant  of  the  forces  of  the  enemy  along  the  coast,  was 
doubtless  afraid  of  some  catastrophe.  It  had  become  nerv 
ous,  while  at  the  same  time  it  lacked  the  genius  necessary  to 
prosecute  an  offensive  war.  Bonaparte  often  succeeded  by 
conduct  that  the  world  called  rash,  and  attributed  his  success 
to  luck  alone.  But  he  knew  that  moral  power  was  half, 
even  where  every  thing  seemed  to  depend  on  hard  blows. 
A  disconcerted,  frightened  army,  he  knew,  was  already  beaten ; 
and  a  blow  planted  in  the  midst  of  terror  needed  not  to  be  a 
very  heavy  one  to  complete  the  work  of  destruction.  It  is 
a  truth  that  generals  seldom  learn,  that  moral  force  is  strong 
er  than  artillery,  and  can  be  relied  on  with  more  absolute 
certainty.  With  the  terror  inspired  by  that  sudden  descent 
on  the  Carolina  coast,  the  army  under  Sherman  could,  no 
doubt,  have  marched  into  Savannah  without  firing  a  gun. 
After  this  display  of  power,  the  panic-stricken  inhabitants 
were  amazed  to  see  the  victors  turn  their  exclusive  attention 
to  building  wharves  and  collecting  negroes.  The  army  lay 
for  a  long  time  on  board  the  transports,  without  attempting 
to  land,  even,  on  the  deserted  island. 

But  while  the  navy  was  thus  making  its  first  essay  along 
our  coast,  an  important  change  took  place  in  military  affairs 
at  Washington.  The  veteran  Commander-in-Chief,  General 
Scott,  weighed  down  by  age  and  infirmities,  sent  in  his 


196  RETIREMENT    OF    SCOTT. 

resignation  to  the  President.  It  was  an  affecting  spectacle 
to  see  the  old  hero,  who  had  carried  our  flag  over  so  many 
victorious  battle  fields,  lay  down  his  sword  forever.  Taking 
his  final  leave  of  public  affairs,  he  was  escorted  by  a  part  of 
the  Cabinet  to  New  York ;  and  on  young  McClellan  now 
fell  the  mighty  responsibility  that  he  no  longer  felt  able  to 
sustain.  Never  did  the  eyes  of  a  great  nation  turn  with  a 
more  anxious  solicitude,  a  warmer  affection,  and  a  deeper 
trust  on  any  one  man,  than  they  did  on  McClellan.  His  words 
on  the  presentation  of  a  sword  to  him  by  Philadelphia:  "The 
war  can  not  last  long.  It  may  be  desperate.  I  ask  in  the 
future  forbearance,  patience,  confidence:"  sank  deep  into  the 
public  heart.  The  former  expression  was  supposed  to  indi 
cate  an  immediate  movement  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac 
on  the  enemy's  lines  at  Manassas.  A  grand  army  was  assem 
bled  at  Washington — around  the  city  every  hight  was  dot 
ted  with  encampments — heavy  divisions  were  on  the  lower 
and  upper  Potomac  on  the  Maryland  shore,  while  a  wilder 
ness  of  encampments  in  Virginia  stretched  from  below  Alex 
andria  to  Lewinsville,  some  ten  miles  above  the  Capital. 
Every  day  'the  public  ear  was  bent  to  catch  the  long  roll  of 
the  drum,  running  from  the  center  to  each  extremity,  which 
.sliould  send  this  vast  host  onward.  .  But  the  mild,  autumnal 
weeks  wore  slowly  away,  and  still  it  came  not.  Each  one 
asked  "his  neighbor  what  could  it  mean  ?  Now  and  then  a 
cold  storm  reminded  all  of  the  coming  on  of  winter,  yet  no 
provision  was  made  for  winter  quarters — the  tens  of  thou 
sands  of  cavalry  horses  stood  picketed  in  the  open  fields,  ex 
posed  to  the  weather ;  and  yet  the  order  that  was  to  bid 
this  mighty  host  march  was  not  heard.  But  at  length  a 
grand  review  of  all  the  divisions  together  that  were  located 
in  Virginia  was  appointed.  The  interdict  was  taken  off  from 
Long  Bridge, — no  passes  were  required  for  that  day,  and  all 
\vho  wished  might  go  to  see  it.  The  announcement  of  this 


i  JEUT.  GEN.  WTNF1ELD  SCOTT,  U.S.A 


VJ-:!)    KXl'KKliRLY  FOR  HKAOT.XYS  HrS'l'OKT  OF  THK  HEBELLION 


GRAND    REVIEW.  199 

from  headquarters  created  the  most  intense  excitement  in 
Washington.  It  was  supposed  to  be  the  last  of  passes,  and 
that  the  review  was  intended  as  the  preliminary  step  to  a 
forward  movement  Did  not  a  grand  review  with  Bonaparte 
always  precede  a  great  battle  ?  The  time  of  decision  and 
of  fate  had  certainly  come. 

The  review  itself  was  a  grand  display,  such  as  was  never 
before  witnessed  on  this  continent,  and  may  never  be  again. 
Nearly  a  hundred  thousand  men — infantry,  artillery,  and 
cavalry — were  drawn  up  in  an  open  field,  near  Bailey's 
cross  roads,  and  were  reviewed  by  McClellan,  the  President, 
and  a  portion  of  the  Cabinet.  As  the  young  commander 
galloped  up  and  down  the  long  lines,  thunderous  cheers 
rolled  after  him,  and  countless  sabers  gleamed  and  shook  in 
the  air.  The^e  seemed  to  be  no  end  to  the  marching  col 
umns  as  they  afterwards  defiled  past  him.  It  was  a  grand 
display  of  power  ;  and  as  one  looked  upon  it,  it  seemed  that 
nothing  could  resist  that  mighty  host  when  once  set  in  mo 
tion.  But  it  passed  away  like  the  reviews  which  had  pre 
ceded  it,  and  quiet  once  more  settled  on  the  Potomac. 


CHAPTER   XIY. 

o 

NOVEMBER,  1861. 

5XPEDITION    FROM     CAIRO BATTLE    OF    BELMONT CRITICISM     Ui?ON    IT NEL- 

SON'S     EXPEDITION    TO    PIKETON A    LONG    MARCH THE    BATTLE ROUT    OF 

THE   ENEMY NELSON^S  ORDER — ADJUTANT-GENERAL  THOMAS  SENT  WEST    TO 

INVESTIGATE  THE  CHARGES  AGAINST  TREMONT HIS  REPORT — ITS  INJUSTICE 

CONDUCT  OF  THE  SECRETARY   OF   WAR REMOVAL    OF    FREMONT HUNTER 

APPOINTED  IN  HIS  PLACE SUPERSEDED  BY  HALLECK  AND  SENT  TO  KANSAS 

RECONSTRUCTION    OF    THE    WESTERN    AND    SOUTH-WESTERN    DEPARTMENTS 

DIX  SENDS  AN  EXPEDITION  INTO  EASTERN  VIRGINIA — CAPTURE  OF  MASON  AND 

SLIDELL EXULTATION  OF    THE  PEOPLE CREATES  A  STORM  OF   INDIGNATION 

IN    ENGLAND WAR    THREATENED THEIR    SURRENDER    DEMANDED IS  COM 
PLIED        WITH WILKES'       COURSE       CLEARLY     UNJUSTIFIABLE THE     TUSCA- 

RORA    AND    NASHVILLE    IN    AN     ENGLISH     PORT CONDUCT     OF     THE    BRITISH 

AUTHORITIES MC  CLELLAN's    STRINGENT    ORDERS     TO    THE    ARMY THE    NE 
GROES    AND    COTTON    OF    PORT    ROYAL BOMBARDMENT  OF   FORT    PICKENS 

BURNING  OF  THE  ROYAL  YACHT. 

IN  the  mean  time,  Grant  at  Cairo  plaimed  an  expedition 
against  Belmont  in  Missouri,  nearly  opposite  JColumbus, 
where  the  enemy  had  established  a  camp  with  the  inten 
tion,  as  he  was  informed,  of  sending  off  reinforcements 
from  it  to  Price,  who  was  being  pushed  by  a  superior  force. 
To  prevent  this,  and  at  the  same  time  to  protect,  some  col 
umns  that  he  had  sent  out  against  Jeff.  Thompson,  Grant  de 
termined  to  drive  the  rebels  from  the  place.  With  two  thou 
sand  eight  hundred  men,  he  started  from  Cairo  in  transports, 
and  moving  nine  miles  down  the  Kentucky  shore,  (as  though 
his  destination  was  Columbus,)  tied  up  for  the  night. 
Two  other  columns  had  been  sent  forward  from  Paducah 
across  the  country  to  complete  the  deception.  At  daylight 
next  morning,  (the  seventh,)  Grant  proceeded  down  the  river, 
till  almost  within  range  of  the  enemy's  guns,  when  he  sud- 


BATTLE    OF    BELMONT.  201 

denly  landed  his  troops  on  the  Missouri  shore,  about  two 
miles  and  a  half  above  Belmont,  where  the  enemy  were 
encamped. 

BATTLE    OF    BELMONT. 

Leaving  a  detachment  in  charge  of  the  transports,  he 
moved  up  the  bank,  and  going  a  mile  drew  up  in  a  corn 
field.  Skirmishers  were  thrown  out,  and  soon  the  dropping 
fire  in  the  surrounding  woods  showed  that  the  enemy  was 
aware  of  his  purpose  and  prepared  to  receive  him.  After 
a  short  halt,  the  whole  column  was  ordered  forward  in  line 
of  battle,  with  the  exception  of  Colonel  Buford's  regiment, 
which  was  directed  to  make  a  detour  inland  to  the  right,  so 
as  to  come  upon  the  camp  in  that  direction.  The  enemy 
soon  appeared  in  force,  and  the  fight  commenced.  Pushing 
on  through  the  timber,  floundering  through  the  underbrush, 
the  gallant  men  of  Illinois  and  Iowa  steadily  forced  the 
rebels  back,  though  they  contested  every  inch  of  ground 
bravely.  Shell  and  shot  from  their  artillery,  and  a  storm  of 
bullets  from  their  infantry,  fell  without  cessation  into  our 
ranks,  sometimes  so  terrifically  as  to  occasion  temporary  dis 
order,  but  never  a  backward  movement.  At  length  the 
enemy  fell  back  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  when  being  heavily 
reinforced,  they  made  another  determined  stand.  Again 
our  troops  rushed  forward  with  cheers,  passing  on  a  run  over 
the  rebel  dead  and  wounded ;  the  latter  appealing  in  the 
uproar  most  piteously  for  mercy,  evidently  expecting  no 
quarter.  Now  and  then,  a  soldier,  moved  with  pity,  would 
stop  to  give  a  sufferer  a  drink  from  his  canteen,  and  then 
press  forward  after  his  comrades.  The  enemy  made  their 
last  stand  behind  a  natural  bank,  and  being  somewhat  pro 
tected,  maintained  their  position  for  half  an  hour.  In  the 
face  of  a  tremendous  fire,  our  troops  steadily  advanced,  led 
by  officers  worthy  to  command  them,  and  who  by  their 


202  CAPTURE    OF    THE    CAMP. 

dauntless  bearing  and  reckless  exposure  of  life,  won  the  un 
bounded  admiration  of  their  Commander -in-Chief.  He  and 
McClernand  rode  forward  into  the  fire,  with  their  staffs,  of 
fering  conspicuous  marks  to  the  enemy's  sharp  shooters. 
The  horse  of  the  former  soon  fell  under  him,  but  he  mounted 
another,  amid  the  cheers  of  his  men.  A  bullet  pierced  one 
of  McClernand's  holsters,  while  horse  after  horse  of  the  staff 
officers  went  down.  Colonels  Logan  and  Foulke  cheered 
on  their  men  with  heroic  words  that  rung  over  the  din  of 
battle.  Answering  with  cheers,  the  soldiers  dashed  on,  and 
drove  the  enemy  back  to  the  camp.  Trees  had  been  felled 
all  around  this,  making  a  rude  abatis,  through  which  our 
troops  saw  it  would  require  a  desperate  effort  to  force  their 
way.  But  closing  steadily  up  on  three  sides  at  once — Colo 
nel  Buford  having  reached  his  point  of  destination — they 
poured  in  a  wasting  fire,  and  leaping  over  the  abatis  bounded 
with  a  shout  into  the  open  space  around  the  camp.  The 
twenty-seventh  Illinois  was  first  within,  and  the  shout  they 
sent  up  made  the  whole  line  spring  forward  as  one  man. 
The  camp  was  won,  the  rebel  flag  hauled  down,  and  the 
stars  and  stripes  hoisted  in  its  place,  while  the  bands  struck 
up  national  airs,  and  cheer  after  cheer  shook  the  shores  of 
the  Mississippi.  The  tents  and  all  the  camp  equipage  were 
set  on  fire,  and  soon  became  a  mass  of  flame.  The  garrison 
in  Columbus,  seeing  the  camp  in  our  possession,  opened  a 
brisk  fire  with  their  heavy  guns,  and  shot  and  shell  went 
hurtling  and  shrieking  through  the  air,  making  it  evident 
that  the  position  which  had  been  so  gallantly  won,  must  be 
abandoned.  At  this  juncture,  it  was  reported  to  Grant,  that 
a  heavy  force  was  crossing  the  river  between  them  and  their 
transports,  so  as  to  cut  off  their  retreat.  The  wearied  troops 
had  fought  their  way,  inch  by  inch,  into  the  enemy's  camp, 
and  now,  they  saw,  must  fight  their  way  back  to  the  boats. 
The  bugles  sounded  the  recall,  and  gathering  up  their 


,  THE    RETREAT.  203 

dead  and  wounded,  the  victorious  little  army  reluctantly 
took  up  its  retreat  over  the  ground  it  had  so  nobly  won. 
The  enemy  by  this  time  had  landed,  and  were  drawn  up  in 
line  of  battle  across  their  line  of  progress.  Colonel  Logan 
ordered  his.  flag  to  the  front  of  his  regiment,  and  moved 
straight  on  the  enemy,  followed  by  the  whole  army  except 
the  twenty-seventh  Illinois  and  Dollins'  cavalry,  which  had 
made  the  detour  to  the  right  in  the  morning.  These  fell 
back  by  the  same  circuitous  way  they  had  advanced.  A& 
the  force  entered  the  woods  again,  they  were  met  by  the 
rebels — and  the  battle  commenced  fiercely.  Though  out 
numbered  two  to  one,  and  exhausted  by  their  long  struggle, 
the  soldiers  knew  that  their  only  safety  lay  in  reaching 
their  transports.  Hewing  their  bloody  way,  they  fought 
desperately,  and  though  sometimes  thrown  into  disorder, 
always  rallied  again  and  pressed  fiercely  forward.  When 
the  order  to  retreat  was  first  given,  McClernand  asked  Logan 
what  he  proposed  to  do.  "  Cut  our  way  through,  Sir"  was 
the  laconic  reply,  and  now  he  was  doing  it.  The  shot  fell 
fast,  and  .the  dry  and  leafless  woods  were  carpeted  thick  with 
the  dead,  yet  the  banners  kept  advancing.  Two  gun  boats 
had  accompanied  the  transports  of  Grant,  and  these  now 
opened  a  destructive  fire  on  the  enemy.  Except  for  these, 
the  retreat  would  have  ended  in  a  complete  overthrow  when 
the  embarkation  commenced.  But  their  shells  screaming 
along  the  shore,  and  tearing  through  the  forest,  kept  the 
rebels  back.  Dougherty  rode  backward  and  forward  through 
the  fire  to  bring  up  his  lagging  brigade,  and  though  struck 
again  and  again,  kept  his  saddle,  until  at  last  his  horse  fell, 
when  unable  to  walk  from  his  wounds,  he  sunk  on  the 
ground  and  was  taken  prisoner.  At  length  the  whole 
force  was  re-embarked,  with  the  exception  of  Buford's 
command  and  Dollins'  cavalry,  which  had  not  yet  been 
heard  from.  The  enemy  kept  up  a  steady  fire  on  the  trans- 


204  RESULTS    ACCOMPLISHED. 

ports,  so  that  the  gun  boats  had  to  follow  and  protect  them 
till  they  got  beyond  the  reach  of  the  enemy,  when  they  re 
turned  to  look  after  the  missing  regiment  and  Dollins1  cav 
alry.  Had  they  been  cut  off  and  captured,  or  lost  their  way 
to  be  overpowered  in  the  end?  were  anxious  questions. 
But  soon  the  music  of  their  bands  swelled  up  from  the  shore, 
and  the  next  moment  their  colors  were  seen  advancing.  A 
loud  shout  went  up  from  the  tired  column  as  they  saw  the 
gun  boats,  Tyler  and  Lexington,  lying  to,  aAvaiting  their 
arrival.  They  were  hurried  on  board  the  transports,  and  the 
whole  force  slowly  made  its  way  back  to  Cairo,  which  it 
reached  at  midnight,  with  the  loss  of  two  hundred  killed, 
wounded,  and  missing.  They  brought  away  with  them  over 
two  hundred  prisoners  and  two  cannon. 

Both  sides  claimed  the  victory,  for  both  were  victorious 
by  turns. 

What  positive  good  was  accomplished  by  us  in  this  move 
ment,  does  not  appear,  and  hence  it  was  the  cause  of  much 
sharp  criticism.  How  the  destruction  of  a  camp,  which  we 
could  not  expect  to  hold  under  the  guns  of  the  enemy  at 
Columbus,  and  hence  could  be  replaced  in  a  few  hours,  could 
have  any  very  important  effect  in  frustrating  the  designs  of 
the  enemy  in  Missouri  is  not  so  clear.  The  whole  expedi 
tion,  to  say  the  least,  was  of  doubtful  policy. 

If  the  breaking  up  of  the  enemy's  camp  at  this  place  really 
secured  the  results  aimed  at,  it  was  unquestionably  a  decided 
victory.  Our  men  fought  gallantly  and  drove  the  enemy 
from  every  position  which  they  attacked.  They  not  only 
accomplished  what  they  set  out  to  perform,  but  got  back  to 
their  boats  with  only  such  loss  as  might  be  expected.  The 
difficulty  was  to  trace  any  connection  between  this  success 
and  any  other  movements  in  the  field.  The  enemy  claimed 
the  victory  because  they  thought  the  design  of  Grant  was  to 
take  Columbus,  which  he  did  not  do. 


NELSON'S  EXPEDITION.  205 


FIGHT   AT   PIKETON. 

On  the  same  day  that  Grant  was  fighting  the  rebels  on  the 
banks  of  the  Mississippi,  Nelson,  with  two  thousand  men,  left 
Prestonburg  and  commenced  a  forced  march  of  thirty  miles 
on  the  enemy  at  Pikeville,  Kentucky,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
state.  The  soldiers  were  ordered  to  take  two  days'  rations; 
and  without  tents  or  other  supplies  than  those  they  carried 
on  their  persons,  started  off  on  their  long  march.  A  portion 
of  the  command  under  Colonel  Sill,  left  on  the  seventh  to  go 
by  way  of  John's  Creek,  and  pass  to  the  left  of  Piketon,  a 
distance  of  forty  miles,  and  thus  turn  and  cut  off  the  reb?.ls. 
The  next  day  before  daylight  Nelson  moved  off  with  the 
main  column  on  the  direct  road  to  the  place,  a  distance  of 
about  thirty  miles.  Encumbered  with  no  wagon  train,  the 
force  marched  on  at  a  rapid  pace.  After  toiling  forward 
eight  hours,  with  scarcely  a  halt,  they  came  to  a  narrow  defile 
through  the  mountains,  terminating  at  Ivy  Creek.  The  road 
here  is  but  seven  feet  wide,  and  cut  along  the  precipitous 
side  of  a  mountain,  twenty-five  feet  above  the  bed  of  the 
stream.  This  ridge,  as  it  rapidly  descends  to  the  gorge, 
curves  inward,  making  a  sharp  elbow  in  the  road.  Behind 
this  ridge,  and  all  along  the  breast  of  the  steep  mountain,  the 
enemy,  seven  hundred  strong,  lay  in  ambush,  and  did  not  fire 
until  the  head  of  Colonel  Marshall's  battalion,  which  was  in 
advance,  reached  the  sharp  turn.  Then,  all  at  once,  a  de 
structive  fire  was  opened  upon  it,  and  the  "mountain  side 
was  blue  with  puffs  of  smoke,"  though  not  an  enemy  was  to 
be  seen.  The  first  volley  brought  down  thirteen  men.  Nel  • 
son  immediately  ordered  the  Kentuckians  to  charge.  Two 
regiments  sprang  forward  and  began  to  scale  the  steep  sides 
of  the  mountain.  Over  rocks  and  stones — sometimes  pulling 
themselves  up  by  main  strength — they  made  their  desperate 


UIIVBEGIT 


206  NELSON'S  ORDER, 

way  towards  the  astonished  enemy.  In  the  mean  time  two 
pieces  of  artillery  were  got  in  position  in  the  road,  and 
opened  on  those  in  front  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
creek.  It  was  slow  work  scaling  the  steep  mountain  side 
under  the  enemy's  fire,  but  the  dauntless  Kentuckians  never 
faltered,  and  in  an  hour  and  a  half  the  rebels  were  forced 
back  at  every  point.  They  however  cut  the  bridges  over 
the  creek  as  they  retired,  and  felled  trees  across  the  road, 
which  made  the  pursuit  very  slow  and  laborious.  Wearied 
and  lame,  the  column  bivouacked  that  night  four  miles  be 
yond  Ivy  Creek.  Next  morning  a  heavy  November  rain 
storm  set  in,  which  lasted  all  day;  yet  the  drenched  column 
pushed  on,  cutting  away  the  trees  that  impeded  their  march, 
and  rebridging  the  creek,  marching  nearly  all  the  time  over 
shoes  in  mud  or  knee  deep  in  water,  and  at  night  without 
shelter  of  any  kind  and  nothing  but  meat  to  eat  without  salt 
or  bread,  lay  down  in  the  pelting  rain.  At  daylight,  they 
again  took  up  their  line  of  march,  and  reached  Pikeville, 
where  Colonel  Sill  had  arrived  the  day  before,  only  to  find 
the  enemy  in  full  flight.  This  bold  and  rapid  movement 
completely  broke  up  the  enemy's  plans  in  eastern  Kentucky, 
and  scattered  their  forces  which  were  rapidly  concentrating, 
to  the  winds.  Nelson  had  laid  his  plans  so  well,  and  pushed 
them  with  so  much  vigor,  that  he  had  accomplished  this  im 
portant  result  in  a  campaign  of  three  weeks.  In  his  order 
dated  the  eleventh,  he  said,  "In  a  campaign  of  twenty  days 
you  have  driven  the  rebels  from  eastern  Kentucky  and  given 
repose  to  that  portion  of  the  state.  You  have  made  contin 
ual  forced  marches  over  wretched  loads,  deep  in  mud;  badly 
clad,  you  have  bivouaced  on  the  wet  ground  in  the  Novem 
ber  rains,  Avithout  a  murmur.  With  scarce  half  rations  you 
have  pressed  forward  with  unfailing  perseverance.  From  the 
only  place  in  which  the  enemy  made  a  stand,  though  am 
bushed  and  strong,  you  drove  him  in  the  most  gallant 


FKEMONT  SUPERSEDED.  207 

During  this  time  Fremont  had  accomplished  little  of 
importance  in  Missouri,  though  his  friends  declared  that  he 
was  in  a  position  where  he  would  soon  either  capture  Price 
or  drive  him  from  the  state. 

In  this  condition  of  affairs  Adjutant-General  Thomas  was 
sent  west  to  investigate  the  charges  against  him,  and  his  re 
port,  through  the  permission  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  was 
given  to  the  New  York  Tribune.  It  was  seized  with  avidity, 
but  the  impartial  reader  scarcely  knew  which  to  condemn 
most,  the  Adjutant-General  or  Fremont.  If  the  half  of^what 
the  former  said  was  true,  Fremont  ought  to  be  immediately 
removed  from  his  department,  but  the  manner  in  which  evi 
dence  had  been  taken,  and  the  whole  animus  of  the  report, 
(besides  the  reference  to  matters  that  had  no  place  in  it,) 
was  unjust,  and  calculated  directly  to  injure  the  public  ser 
vice.  The  Secretary  of  War  also  suffered  in  the  public  esti 
mation  quite  as  much  as  either,  in  giving  it,  as  he 'did,  to  the 
public  press,— thus  precipitating  a  judgment  on  the  whole 
case.  The  result  was,  General  Fremont  was  suddenly  de 
prived  of  his  command,  and  General  Hunter  put  in  his  place. 

In  the  mean  time,  General  Halleck,  who  had  been  sum 
moned  from  California,  arrived,  when  the  department  was 
made  over  to  him.  This,  with  other  events,  necessitated  a 
reconstruction  of  some  of  the  departments,  and  an  order  was 
issued  making  New  Mexico  one,  with  Colonel  Canby  at  its 
head,  another  including  Kansas,  a  part  of  the  Indian  territory, 
Nebraska,  Colorado,  and  Dacotah,  to  be  commanded  by  Gen 
eral  Hunter.  That  of  Missouri  included  Iowa  and  Minnesota, 
Wisconsin,  Illinois,  Arkansas,  and  Kentucky  west  of  the 
Cumberland.  The  department  of  Ohio,  embraced  that  state, 
Michigan,  Indiana,  Kentucky  east  of  the  Cumberland,  and 
Tennessee,  to  be  commanded  by  General  Buell,  transferred 
thither  from  the  Potomac.  Western  Virginia  was  placed 
under  Rosecranz. 


208  MASON    AND    SLIDELL    CAPTURED. 

General  Dix,  who  commanded  in  Maryland,  made  a  sud 
den  move  during  this  month  into  the  counties  of  Northamp 
ton  and  Accomac,  Virginia,  and  occupied  them  without 
bloodshed. 

But  the  most  exciting  event  of  this  month,  and  which,  for 
a  time,  so  engrossed  the  public  mind  that  military  move 
ments  were  almost  forgotten,  was  the  capture  of  Mason  and 
Slidell,  who  had  been  sent  by  the  southern  confederacy  to 
represent  its  interests  in  England  and  France.  Their  escape 
from  Charleston  in  the  steamer  Nashville  was  known  to  our 
government,  and  a  steamer  was  sent  in  pursuit  of  them. 
These  rebel  leaders,  however,  landed  at  Havana,  and  took 
passage  in  the  English  mail  packet  Trent  for  England.  Cap 
tain  Wilkes,  on  his  way  home  from  the  African  coast,  heard 
of  it,  and  waylaying  the  Trent,  brought  her  to,  under  his 
guns.  He  then  transferred  these  gentlemen  with  their  sec 
retary,  Mr., Eustace,  to  his  own  ship,  and  brought  them  into 
port.  The  news  of  their  capture  was  rqceived  with 
unbounded  delight ;  and  judging  from  the  extravagant  joy, 
one  would  have  thought  that  some  immense  success  had 
been  achieved,  instead  of  the  capture  of  two  rebels,  who 
were  far  better  out  of  the  country  than  in  it.  The  exulta 
tion,  however,  was  soon  tempered  by  the  serious  question, 
what  would  England  say  to  this  insult  to  her  flag  ? 

The  press,  with  scarcely  an  exception,  vindicated  the  act 
of  Captain  Wilkes,  and  declared  that  the  government,  rather 
than  surrender  the  prisoners,  should  go  to  war  with  En 
gland. 

But  whatever  the  result  would  be  to  us,  of  having  two 
Such  momentous  wars  on  our  hands  at  the  same  time,  the 
rashest  defender  of  our  rights  could  not  but  see  that  the  south 
ern  confederacy  would  be  established.  Reflecting  men  stood 
appalled  at  this  new  evil  that  threatened  us. 

At  length,  the  response  came  from  England.     The  outrage 


THE    PRISONERS    GIVEN    UP.  209 

to  the  British  flag,  as  it  was  regarded,  threw  the  Kingdom 
into  a  tumult  of  passion.  One  voice  rang  from  limit  to  limit 
— the  prisoners  must  be  immediately  surrendered,  or  war 
declared.  The  press  helped  to  inflame  the  public  feeling, 
and  it  was  evident  that  the  government  itself  would  be 
borne  away  by  the  torrent.  Troops  were  ordered  to  Can 
ada,  and  war  preparations  set  on  foot. 

The  south  was  elated.  It  had  begun  to  despair  of  forc 
ing  England  to  interfere  for  the  sake  of  obtaining  cotton, 
but  now  an  unexpected  event  had  precipitated  a  quarrel  be 
tween  her  and  the  general  government. 

In  the  mean  time,  Mason  and  Slidell  lay  in  fort  Warren, 
near  Boston,  waiting  the  action  of  the  two  governments. 
In  process  of  time,  the  demand  for  their  release  came,  and 
the  answer  of  the  Cabinet  at  Washington  was  waited  on 
both  sides  of  the  water  with  the  deepest  solicitude.  The 
reply  \  of  Secretary  Seward  was  long  and  able,  and  ended- 
with  the  surrender  of  the  prisoners,  on  the  single  ground 
that  Captain  Wilkes  did  not  take  the  vessel  into  a  neutral 
port  to  have  the  case  adjudicated.  This  was  a  satisfactory 
reason  for  the  surrender  of  the  prisoners ;  for  the  duty  of  a 
vessel  of  a  nation  engaged  in  war  towards  neutral  ships  sus 
pected  of  carrying  contraband  articles  is  the  same  as  that  of 
a  sheriff  on  land :  to  arrest  and  bring  to  trial,  not  to  seize 
and  adjudicate  both.  If  the  act  of  Captain  Wilkes  was  justi 
fiable,  then  the  commander  of  every  gun  boat  or  war  schooner 
can  seize  any  ship,  arid  converting  his  deck  into  a  court,  adju 
dicate  on  his  own  seizure.  That  so  monstrous  a  doctrine 
could  be  upheld,  only  shows  how  feeling  will  warp  the  best 
judgments.  It  was,  in  fact,  defending  a  species  of  legal 
ized  piracy. 

The  case,  however,  was  weak  in  another  point :  the  vessel 
was  not  bound  to  a  belligerent,  but  to  its  own,  port;  and  if 
Mason  and  Slidell  could  be  legally  seized  in  going  from  the 


210  "MASTERLY  INACTIVITY. 


5  ) 


West  Indies  to  England,  it  is  hard  to  see  why  they  could  not 
have  been  while  passing  from  Southampton  to'  Havre. 

It  was  supposed  that  the  administration  would  be  over 
whelmed  by  the  popular  clamor,  and  not  dare  to  do  right, 
even  if  it  wished  to.  But  the  country,  much  to  the  surprise 
of  the  English  nation,  quietly  submitted  to  the  decision  of 
the  government. 

Much  solicitude  was  felt  respecting  the  course  Congress 
would  take  when  it  met  in  December.  The  history  of  our 
Congress  in  time  of  war,  from  the  Revolution  down,  does 
not  reflect  much  credit  on  the  nation.  Too  often,  individ 
uals  and  party  have  received  the  first,  and  the  country  a  second 
ary  consideration.  Some  of  the  western  members,  who 
arrived  in  Washington  the  latter  part  of  the  month,  were 
loud  in  their  denunciations  of  the  "  masterly  inactivity,"  as  it 
was  termed,  of  McClellan ;  and  it  was  evident  that  a  party 
would  be  formed  against  him.  Various  reasons  were  assigned 
for  his  immobility :  some  asserted  that  whenever  he  was 
ready  to  make  a  move,  his  plans  were  rendered  abortive 
by  being  divulged  to  the  enemy,  and  suspicion  began  to  rest 
on  persons  in  high  position.  Others  declared  that  the  Sec 
retary  of  War  blocked  his  path ;  others  still  that  he  was  not 
yet  ready  to  move,  and  till  he  was,  no  outward  pressure 
could  make  him.  It  was  evident,  however,  that  he  had  the 
Presidents  confidence,  and  that  the  latter  had  decided  to 
stand  firmly  by  him,  in  spite  of  friends  or  foes. 

At  this  time  the  public  irritation  towards  England  was 
still  farther  increased  by  the  news  that  the  Nashville,  which 
started  with  Mason  and  Slidell,  had  arrived  in  English 
waters  with  the  crew  of  the  Harvey  Birch,  an  American 
merchantman,  on  board;  she  having  burned  the  vessel  at 
sea,  and  was  receiving  the  same  protection  afforded  to 
vessels  of  any  other  nation.  The  Tuscarora,  which  had  been 
sent  in  pursuit  of  her,  had  also  arrived,  and  after  waiting  a 


BOMBARDMENT    OF    FORT    PICKENS.  211 

while  to  seize  the  pirate  when  she  put  to  sea,  was  informed 
by  the  British  government  that  she  could  not  leave  in  pur 
suit  till  the  rebel  steamer  had  twenty -four  hours  start,  thus 
securing  the  safety  of  the  latter.  This  privilege  was  ac 
corded  to  all  belligerent  vessels  when  forced  by  stress  of 
weather  or  want  of  supplies  into  a  neutral  port,  and  it  must 
be  granted  to  the  southern  rover.  This  Shylock  view  of 
legal  right,  without  any  regard  tb  moral  obligation,  exas 
perated  the  American  people,  and  made  many  wish  for  peace 
at  home  that  they  might  have  a  war  with  England,  and  teach 
her  that  the  country  would  brook  no  such  insults,  though 
committed  under  technical  forms. 

With  the  foreign  war  cloud  still  resting  on  the  horizon, 
the  last  month  of  autumn  drew  to  a  close.  McClellan,  fear 
ing  the  effect  of  an  idle  camp  life  on  his  army,  grew  more 
strict  respecting  grog  shops  and  intemperance,  and  issued  an 
order  requiring  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  and  a  regu 
lar  attendance  of  the  troops  on  the  services  of  the  chaplains. 

South,  no  especial  advantage  had  been  gained.  Men 
ceased  to  talk  of  an  advance  from  Port  Royal,  inland,  and 
the  country  seemed  occupied  with  the  question,  -\that  should 
be  done  with  the  vast  crowd  of  slaves  claiming  our  protec 
tion  there.  For  a  while  they  were  employed  in  gathering 
the  cotton ;  but  some  permanent  system  was  needed,  and 
yet  no  one  seemed  able  to  devise  a  satisfactory  one.  Mean 
while  the  little  cotton  that  had  been  seized  was  forwarded  to 
New  York ;  but  where  one  bale  passed  along  the  coast  in 
transports,  fifty  lighted  the  midnight  heavens  with  flames 
kindled  by  the  owners  to  prevent  them  from  falling  into  the 
hands  of  the  hated  "Yankees." 

On  the  twenty-second  of  the  month,  the  long-looked-for 
q^tack  of  fort  Pickens  on  the  rebel  batteries  opposite,  took 
place.  These  extended  from  the  navy  yard  to  fort  McRae, 
a  distance  of  four  miles,  and  were  mounted  with  heavy  orcl- 

13 


212  THE   ROYAL   YACHT. 

nance.  The  steamers  Niagara  and  Richmond  took  part  in 
the  engagement,  and  all  day  long  till  dark,  thunder  answered 
thunder,  shaking  the  solid  land  with  the  terrific  explosions. 
The  next  morning  it  was  resumed,  but  the  ships  took  very 
little  part  iii  the  action,  as  a  change  of  wind  had  made  the 
water  too  shoal  to  allow  them  to  approach  within  effective 
range.  Fort  McRae  was  silenced  and  the  navy  yard  at  War- 
renton  and  other  buildings  set  on  fire,  making  a  frightful 
conflagration. 

The  enemy's  winter  quarters  were  evidently  badly  broken 
up  and  his  works  deranged,  but  no  serious  loss  was  inflicted 
on  him.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Richmond  had  received  an 
ugly  shot  between  wind  and  water,  which  killed  one  and 
wounded  seven,  and  fort  Pickens  showed  the  marks  of  heavy 
pounding,  but  no  breach  was  made  in  its  walls.  One  killed 
and  six  wounded  was  the  only  loss  sustained  by  the  garri 
son  from  the  enemy's  fire. 

For  nine  months  both  parties  had  been  occupied  in  mak 
ing  their  defenses  so  complete  that  but  slight  results  could 
be  expected,  from  a  mutual  cannonade,  though  it  was  of  the 
most  terrific  kind. 

Previous  to  this,  on  the  seventh,  a  gallant  exploit  had 
been  performed  by  Lieutenant  Jouett  of  the  frigate  Santee, 
off  Galveston  harbor,  in  burning  the  rebel  schooner  Royal 
Yacht.  Taking  with  him  two  launches,  he  set  out  just  be 
fore  midnight,  and  pulling  for  seven  miles  through  an  intri 
cate  channel  and  against  a  head  sea,  wind,  and  tide,  boarded 
her  and  set  her  on  fire.  Two  officers  were  killed  and  six 
men  wounded  in  this  daring  expedition,  the  chief  object  of 
which  was  the  destruction  of  the  man-of-war  steamer  Gene 
ral  Rusk,  lying  under  the  Pelican  fort,  if  they  could  ap 
proach  her  without  being  discovered.  Failing  to  do  thjf, 
they  were  compelled  to  abandon  the  desperate  undertaking, 
and  content  themselves  with  the  destruction  of  the  schooner. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

DECEMBER,  1861. 

OPENING    OF    CONGRESS ASPECT     OF     AFFAIRS PRESIDENTS     MESSAGE — TUB 

QUESTION     OF    FINANCE TAX     BILL ARMY     AND     NAVAL     FORCE     OF     THS 

COUNTRY DRAFTING    IN    THE    SOUTH THE    IROQUOIS     AND     SUMTKR — POPE 

AND    HALLECK    AT    THE    WEST THE    INDIANS    TAKE  PART  IN  THE    REBELLION 

A  BATTLE    BETVVEKN  THEM AFFAIRS  IN  MISSOURI BATTLE  OF  MILFORD 

GENERAL    PRENTISS FIGHT  AT  MOUNT   ZION FIGHT  AT  ROWLETT^S  STATION, 

KENTUCKY WESTERN    VIRGINIA BATTLE    OF    CAMP    ALLEGHANY. 

IN  the  beginning  of  December,  public  attention  was  di 
verted  for  a  moment  from  operations  in  the  field  to  the 
opening  of  Congress.  It  met  under  peculiar  circumstances; 
for  the  army  it  had  in  the  summer  authorized  the  President 
to  raise,  had  effected  comparatively  nothing — the  young 
commander  of  whom  so  much  had  been  expected,  still  re 
mained  on  the  Potomac — the  Capital  was  blockaded  and 
beleaguered — the  vast  sums  it  had  voted  for  the  war  had 
proved  to  be  but  a  drop  in  the  bucket,  and  even  much  of 
that  had  been  recklessly  squandered — the  President  had  as 
sumed  vast  and  unprecedented  powers,  and  must  either  be 
sustained  or  condemned — our  foreign  relations  were  in  a 
precarious  state — the  country  dissatisfied  and  agitated,  and 
the  Cabinet  itself  believed  to  be  discordant.  To  add  to  this 
gloomy  state  of  affairs,  there  was  not  a  leading  mind  in 
either  branch  of  Congress  to  whom  the  country  could  look 
with  confidence. 

For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  Republic,  the  west 
was  the  controlling  power,  and  would  its  action  be  prudent 
and  conservative  or  rash  and  radical,  was  a  question  that 
each  one  felt  to  be  of  vital  importance.  The  President's 


214  TAXATION. 

message  was  calm  and  confident,  but  like  all  his  other  state 
papers,  not  belligerent  enough  to  suit  the  popular  feeling. 

Congress  had  appointed  a  committee  at  its  previous  ses 
sion  to  investigate  the  stupendous  frauds  that  had  crept  into 
the  contract  system,  of  which  Mr.  Van  Wyck  was  chairman ; 
and  startling  developments  were  expected  to  be  made  in  its 
report.  A  system  of  finance  was  to  be  adopted  that  would 
test  the  resources  of  the  country  to  the  utmost.  Besides  all 
this,  a  radical  element  was  sure  to  be  present  in  great  force, 
demanding  an  immediate  act  of  emancipation  as  the  only 
way  to  terminate  the  rebellion,  of  which  slavery  was  de 
clared  to  be  the  root  and  cause.  Fears  were  also  enter 
tained  that  Congress  might  propose  to  take  the  conduct  of 
the  war  into  its  own  hands,  or  at  least  force  the  President 
from  the  policy  he  had  adopted.  It,  however,  (much  to  the 
relief  of  the  fearful,)  showed  no  inclination  to  embarrass  the 
administration.  The  subject  of  finance  at  once  took  the 
lead  of  all  other  questions.  Congress  had  shown  itself  will 
ing  enough  to  vote  any  sums  that  might  be  wanted  to  crush 
the  rebellion,  but  when  it  cast  about  for  the  ways  and 
means  by  which  to  raise  the  money,  it  was  staggered. 

A  high  tariff  would  not  furnish  a  moiety  of  the  amount 
needed.  A  direct  tax  sufficiently  heavy  could  not  be  levied, 
for  the  Constitution  required  that  all  direct  taxation  should 
be  laid  according  to  representation ;  and  to  levy  a  tax  ac 
cording  to  population,  and  not  according  to  property,  would 
be  very  unequal  between  the  eastern  and  western  states — • 
indeed,  intolerably  oppressive.  The  government  could  not 
borrow  money  in  such  vast  amounts  without  a  better  secu 
rity  than  the  revenue  of  the  customs  or  its  simple  note  of 
hand.  In  this  dilemma,  Congress  was  forced  at  length  to 
see  that  it  must  resort  to  internal  taxation.  It  was  very 
hard  to  confess  that  we  must  adopt  a  system  that  had  beg 
gared  the  old  world,  but  there  was  no  help  for  it.  It  was 


ESCAPE    OF    THE    SUMTER.  215 

therefore  resolved  to  issue  a  hundred  and  fifty  millions  in 
treasury  notes,  and  perfect  a  tax  bill  that  should  seeure  the 
interest  on  the  amount,  This  was  not  only  unpalatable,  but 
novel  legislation,  and  the  committee  appointed  to  bring  in 
a  tax  bill  achieved  but  poor  success  in  perfecting  it.  But 
having  resolved  on  the  measure  as  a  necessity,  they  went  to 
work  with  such  desperate  energy  and  thoroughness  that  they 
soon  presented  a  system  of  taxation  that  quite  eclipsed  the 
English  mode,  and  made  the  assessors'  duties  partake  very 
much  of  the  nature  of  domiciliary  visits.  It  was  very  evi 
dent  that  such  a  bill,  before  it  could,  pass  berth-houses  of 
Congress,  would  receive  very  many  modifications. 

The  reports  of  the  Secretaries  of  War  and  the  Navy 
showed  that  the  government  had  in  service  for  the  suppres 
sion  of  the  rebellion,  six  hundred  and  eighty-two  thousand 
nine  hundred  and  seventy-one  soldiers,  divided  as  follows^ 
volunteer  militia,  six  hundred  and  forty-two  thousand 
six  hundred  arid  thirty-seven ;  regular  army,  twenty  thou 
sand  three  hundred  and  thirty-four;  seamen  and  marines, 
twenty-two  thousand.  The  rebels,  alarmed  at  the  immense 
force  we  were  arraying  against  them,  and  finding  that  they 
could  not  raise  one  to  match  it  by  the  volunteer  system, 
resorted  to  drafting,  which  caused  much  dissatisfaction  at 
the  south. 

In  the  beginning  of  this  month,  news  was  received  of  the 
escape  of  the  privateer  Sumter  from  the  port  of  Martinique, 
where  she  had  been  a  long  time  blockaded  by  the  Iroquoisj 
captain  Palmer  commanding.  The  country  had  thought  she 
was  caught  at  last,  and  when  it  was  told  she  had  got  safely 
to  sea  again,  the  deepest  mortification  was  felt,  and  Palmer 
was  bitterly  denounced  on  every  side.  The  government 
shared  in  the  general  indignation,  and  superseded  him  in  the 
command  of  the  vessel.  On  after  investigation,  however,  it 
was  ascertained  that  he  was  not  to  blame.  The  authorities 


216  INDIANS   IN    THE    FIELD. 

of  the  place  threw  every  obstacle  in  his  way,  compelling  him 
to  keep  outside  of  the  harbor,  where  he  had  an  extent  of 
fifteen  miles  to  watch.  The  Sumter,  taking  advantage  of  a 
dark  night,  succeeded  in  dodging  her  adversary,  and  under 
shadow  of  the  land  crept  safely  to  sea.  The  facts  being 
made  known,  Palmer  was  acquitted  of  all  blame  and  placed 
in  honorable  command. 

West,  General  John  Pope  was  assigned  to  the  command 
of  all  the  national  troops  between  the  Missouri  and  Osage 
rivers,  in  Missouri. ,  His  force  consisted  of  the  largest  part  of 
the  army- which  Fremont  took  to  Springfield.  This  officer, 
by  his  energy  and  boldness,  was  soon  to  change  the  aspect 
of  affairs  in  that  part  of  the  state.  Halleck,  in  the  mean 
time,  issued  the  most  stringent  orders  against  the  rebels,  and 
the  power  of  the  government  began  to  be  felt  in  every  part 
of  that  distracted  state.  All  this  while,  minor  engagements 
were  continually  taking  place  in  various  sections.  In  Arkan 
sas  a  fight  occurred  near  Bushy  creek,  between  the  rebels 
under  Colonel  Cooper  and  a  Union  Cherokee  chief  0-poth- 
ley-ho-lo.  The  Choctaws,  Chickasaws,  and  Creeks  fought 
on  the  rebel  side ;  and  we  had  the  strange  exhibition  in  this 
war  of  the  Union,  of  Indian  armies  meeting  in  the  same  con 
test  which  shook  the  Atlantic  coast.  The  war  whoop 
was  heard,  and  the  scalping  knife  did  its  barbaric  work 
among  the  red  men  of  the  west,  in  a  struggle  for  the  su 
premacy  of  the  Federal  government.  The  rebel  leaders  had 
stirred  up  sedition  even  there,  and  armed  the  savages  of  the 
frontier  against  American  citizens.  Albert  Pike,  the  poet, 
was  conspicuous  in  this  nefarious  business,  and  has  thus  con 
signed  his  name  to  eternal  infamy.  The  loyal  Indians  driven 
from  their  homes  suffered  great  hardships  during  the  winter. 

West  of  the  Mississippi  the  war  was  assuming  a  vindictive 
character,  and  burning  towns,  sacked  houses,  with  roving 
bands  of  marauders,  and  homeless  fugitives,  made  the  state 


POPE    IN,THE    FIELD.  217 

of  Missouri  a  scene  of  devastation.  Pope,  however,  waa 
getting  his  forces  in  hand,  and  before  the  month  closed, 
dealt  those  terrible  blows  he  knew  so  well  how  to  inflict 
On  the  fifteenth  he  started  from  Sedalia  with  about  four 
thousand  men,  to  get  between  the  army  of  Price  and  his  re 
cruits  and  supplies  on  their  way  south,  from  the  Mississippi 
river.  Marching  fifteen  miles,  he  encamped,  and  the  next 
day  made  a  forced  march  of  twenty-six  miles,  and  coming 
suddenly  upon  the  enemy,  twenty-two  hundred  strong,  en 
camped  six  miles  north  of  Chilhowee,  scattered  them  in 
every  direction.  Capturing  cavalry,  tents,  wagons,  and  bag 
gage,  he  pursued  them  all  night,  next  day  and  night  till  mid 
night — Lieutenant-Colonel  Brown  leading  the  pursuit— until 
he  reached  Johnstown,  when  it  was  learned  that  the  enemy's 
force  had  got  reduced  to  five  hundred  men.  In  the  mean 
time  the  main  body  of  the  Union  army  moved  on  towards 
Warrensburg.  On  the  morning  of  the  eighteenth  Colonel 
Brown  joined  it,  when  the  whole  continued  its  march  in 
search  of  another  large  force  which  Pope  had  been  informed 
was  in  the  vicinity.  Ascertaining  through  his  scouts  that 
they  were  marching  towards  Milford,  and  would  encamp 
that  night  near  that  place,  he  pushed  forward,  and  late  in 
the  afternoon  came  upon  them  in  a  wooded  bottom  land,  on 
the  Black  Water,  opposite  the  mouth  of  Clear  creek.  A 
long,  narrow  bridge  crossed  the  stream  at  this  point,  which 
was  held  by  the  rebels  who  stood  prepared  to  defend  it.  But 
as  soon  as  the  supports  and  reserves  could  be  got  up,  Lieu 
tenant  Gordon  of  the  fourth  Ohio  cavalry  was  ordered  to 
carry  the  bridge.  Lieutenant  Armory  with  the  regular  cav 
alry  immediately  advanced,  but  seeing  that  his  detachment 
would  be  annihilated  if  ij  undertook  to  charge  over  the  long, 
narrow  bridge,  he  ordered  his  men  to  dismount;  and  every 
fourth  man  holding  the  horses  of  the  other  three,  they  with 
sabers  and  pistols  approached  it  as  skirmishers.  Desultory 


218  FIGHT   NEAR*MILFORD. 

firing  followed  with  but  little  advantage  on  either  side,  when 
the  artillery  came  thundering  up,  under  Davis.  The  rebels 
seeing  it  approach,  did  not  wait  for  the  guns  to  unlimber, 
but  turned  and  fled.  Armory  then  ordered  his  men  to 
mount,  which  they  did  in  hot  haste,  and  the  bugle  pealing 
forth  the  charge,  they  dashed  over  the  bridge  on  a  gallop, 
and  charged,  shouting  along  the  road  which  the  rebels  had 
taken.  Passing  through  a  piece  of  woods,  the  latter  formed 
in  line  of  battle  in  an  open  space ;  but  finding  themselves 
outflanked  and  outnumbered,  they  raised  the  white  flag,  and 
a  young  officer  came  forward  and  asked  if  thirty  minutes 
would  be  allowed  for  consultation.  Colonel  Davis>  in  com 
mand  of  the  advance  force,  replied  "  that  as  night  was  clos 
ing  in  that  was  too  long.'''1  An  immediate  surrender  followed, 
when  Colonel  Davis  started  back  for  Pope's  camp,  at  which 
lie  arrived  at  midnight,  amid  the  shouts  of  the  soldiers. 

The  next  morning  the  army  took  up  its  backward  march 
to  Seclalia,  in  a  biting  December  blast,  that  froze  the  ears 
and  feet  of  many  of  the  cavalry.  It  arrived  in  safety  with 
about  fifteen  hundred  prisoners,  twelve  hundred  stand  of 
arms,  nearly  a  hundred  wagons,  and  a  large  quantity  of  sup 
plies.  Our  loss  in  all  did  not  amount  to  more  than  a  dozen 
men.  In  five  days  the  infantry  had  marched  a  hundred  miles, 
and  the  cavalry  two  hundred. 

A  fight  which  took  place  at  Mount  Zion,  about  a  fortnight 
after,  oil  the  twenty-eighth,  closed  up  the  month,  and  the 
year  sixty-one,  in  Missouri.  General  Prentiss,  on  the  twenty- 
fourth,  left  Palmyra  with  five  companies  of  cavalry,  and  pro 
ceeded  to  Sturgeon ;  when  learning  that  a  force  of  rebels 
was  concentrated  in  IHllsville,  Boone  county,  he  sent  for 
ward  a  company  to  reconnoiter.  Captain  Howland  com 
manding  it,  found  the  enemy  two  miles  beyond  the  town. 
In  a  skirmish  that  followed,  he  with  one  private  was  taken 
prisoner ;  but  the  rest  of  the  company  made  good  their  re- 


GENERAL   PRENTISS.  219 

treat.  When  Prentiss,  at  Sturgeon,  heard  their  report,  he 
ordered  forward  his  cavalry,  under  .Colonel  Glover,  and  five 
companies  of  sharp  shooters,  under  Colonel  Birge,  in  all. four 
hundred  and  seventy — the  march  to  commence  at  two  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  It  was  a  dark  and  wintry  morning,  but  the 
men  pushed  cheerfully  forward,  and  by  eight  o'clock  had 
made  eighteen  miles.  Here  a  halt  was  ordered,  for  the 
scouts  reported  the  enemy  to  be  in  close  proximity.  Ascer 
taining  that  his  force  consisted  of  but  one  company,  an  im 
mediate  attack  was  made,  in  which  five  rebels  were  killed 
and  nine  taken  prisoners.  From  the  latter,  Prentiss  learned 
that  the  rebels,  nine  hundred  strong,  were  drawn  up  near  a 
church  -known  as  Mount  Zion. 

FIGHT   AT   MOUNT    ZION. 

Their  left  lay  sheltered  in  a  piece  of  woods,  and  the  sharp 
shooters  were  sent  to  dislodge  them.  They  advanced  cau 
tiously,  and  soon  the  woods  rang  with  the  crack  of  their 
rifles ;  but  being  only  three  companies  strong,  they  could  not 
succeed  in  driving  the  enemy  from  his  cover.  Soon,  how 
ever,  Colonel  Glover  came  up  on  a  run  with  reinforcements. 
Birge's  men  were  at  this  moment  falling  back  in  disorder, 
but  seeing  the  approach  of  help  he  dashed  among  them, 
while  the  balls  pattered  like  rain-drops  around  him,  and  ral 
lying  them,  shouted  u  Come  on,  men.'7  Obeying  their  gallant 
leader,  they  flung  themselves  with  a  loud  hurrah  forward,  and 
Glover  coming  up  at  the  same  time,  the  woods  were  cleared 
and  the  enemy  broke  and  fled,  leaving  all  their  camp  equip 
age,  and  nearly  a  hundred  horses  behind  them.  The  battle 
lasted  two  hours,  and  part  of  the  time  was  almost  a  hand-to- 
hand  fight.  Our  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  was  only  sixty- 
six,  while  the  enemy  left  on  our  hands  a  hundred  and  sev 
enty-five  killed  and  wounded,  and  thirty  prisoners.  Pren- 


220  GALLANT    ACTION. 

tiss,  after  collecting  the  enemy's  wounded,  and  placing  them 
in  the  church,  and  sending  to  the  farmers  in  the  vicinity  to 
take  care  of  them,  put  his  own  in  wagons  and  started  back 
for  Sturgeon,  where  he  arrived  at  nine  o'clock  at  night. 

A  few  days  previous  to  this,  a  fight  occurred  at  Hewlett's 
Station,  near  Mumfordsville,  Kentucky,  between  a  part  of 
Colonel  Willich's  Indiana  regiment,  of  Buell's  division,  while 
on  outpost  duty,  and  a  column  of  the  enemy,  consisting  of 
one  regiment  of  cavalry,  a  battery  of  artillery,  and  two 
regiments  of  infantry.  Against  this  superior  force  the  In- 
dianians  fought  as  skirmishers,  forming  quickly  into  squares 
when  threatened  with  a  charge  of  cavalry,  and  defending 
themselves  bravely  till  reinforced  by  other  companies  of  the 
regiment.  In  one  instance  a  whole  battalion  of  Texan 
rangers  charged  with  deafening  yells  upon  the  seventh  com 
pany,  not  over  fifty  in  number,  drawn  up  in  square.  The 
gallant  little  band  waited  till  they  came  within  seventy  yards, 
when  they  swept  them  with  such  a  deliberate,  well  aimed 
volley,  that  they  staggered  back,  broken  before  it.  They, 
however,  rallied  again,  and  at  the  sound  of  the  bugle  came 
on  the  second  time,  with  gleaming  sabers — some  of  them  in 
their  wild  rage  forcing  their  horses  to  the  points  of  the  bay 
onets — but  the  same  deadly  volley  smote  them,  emptying 
the  saddles  with  frightful  rapidity,  and  they  again  wheeled  and 
galloped  out  of  the  fire.  A  third  and  last  time  they  formed, 
and  moved  steadily  forward,  their  leader,  Colonel  Terry, 
shouting  in  the  advance.  But  when  they  came  within  the 
fatal  range  of  those  western  marksmen,  the  deadly  fire  that 
smote  them  tumbled  their  commander  in  the  dust,  when  the 
whole  force  broke  and  fled.  Willich,  at  this  time,  arrived 
on  the  field  and  took  chief  command ;  but  the  courage  of  the 
enemy,  though  outnumbering  us  nearly  four  to  one,  was  com 
pletely  broken  and  he  withdrew  from  the  field.  Our  loss  in 
killed  and  wounded  was  only  twenty-eight,  while  that  of  the 


GENERAL   MILROY.  221 

enemy  was  over  eighty.  It  was  a  gallant  fight,  and  Buell  in 
complimenting  the  thirty-second  Indiana  regiment,  ordered 
that  "  Hewlett's  Station"  should  be  inscribed  on  its  banner. 

Four  days  previous  to  this,  on  the  thirteenth,  a  severe' 
engagement  occurred  in  Western  Virginia,  between  General 
Milroy  with  his  brigade  of  two  thousand  men,  and  an  equal 
number  of  rebels  under  General  Johnson,  of  Georgia,  at 
Camp  Alleghany.  This  camp  was  situated  on  the  top  of  the 
Alleghany  mountains,  about  eight  miles  and  a  half  beyond 
the  Green  Brier  rivsr,  where  Reynolds  made  his  bold  and 
successful  reconnoissance  against  General  Lee,  in  October. 
The  army  took  up  its  line  of  march  on  Thursday  morning, 
of  the  twelfth,  and  reached  the  old  camp  of  Lee  at  eight 
o'clock  at  night.  Here  it  was  divided  into  two  columns, — 
one  being  directed  to  advance  on  what  was  known  as  the 
u Green  Bank  road,"  to  attack  the  enemy's  left,  while  the 
main"  column  under  Milroy  in  person,  moved  along  the 
"Staunton  turnpike."  At  ten  o'clock  at  night  this  column 
took  up  its  march,  and  an  hour  after,  the  other  moved  off  on 
the  Green  Bank  road. 

BATTLE    OF    CAMP    ALLEGHANY. 

Milroy  kept  on  in  the  darkness  till  he  came  within  half  a 
mile  of  the  enemy's  camp,  when  he  halted.  Hastily  recon- 
noitering  his  position,  he  wheeled  his  column  off  the  road 
and  began  to  ascend  the  mountain.  It  was  very  steep  and 
rocky,  but  the  soldiers,  though  weary  with  their  long  night's 
march,  toiled  cheerfully  forward,  and  at  length  just  as  the 
first  gray  of  dawn  began  to  streak  the  far  off  eastern  sky, 
reached  the  summit.  Here  they  were  to  await  the  attack  of 
the  other  column  on  the  left,  but  as  they  rose  over  the  crest 
of  the  mountain  they  came  upon  the  enemy's  pickets,  who 
immediately  fell  back  on  the  camp.  Colonel  Jones,  who 


222  A  REPULSE. 

commanded  the  advance,  seeing  that  the  rebels  would  be 
advised  of  his  approach,  immediately  ordered  Lieutenant 
McDonald,  of  the  thirteenth  Indiana,  to  pursue  them  on  the 
double  quick.  Starting  off  on  a  run,  the  regiment  pressed 
over  the  rocky  ground  till  it  came  to  the  edge 'of  the  woods, 
in  full  view  of  the  camp.  The  enemy  was  expecting  them 
and  stood  formed  in  line  of  battle.  Daylight  had  now 
broadened  on  the  lonely  mountain,  and  the  cold  December 
blast  swept  by  in  fitful  gusts.  The  waning  moon  which  had 
just  risen,  paled  in  the  increasing  light,  and  the  whole  win 
try  scene  was  dreary  and  desolate.  McDonald  immediately 
deployed  his  men,  and  the  battle  commenced.  The  enemy 
being  hastily  roused  from  their  slumbers,  seemed  to  have  no 
heart  for  the  fight,  and  after  a  few  rounds  retreated  in  great 
confusion,  leaving  their  dead  and  wounded  behind  them. 
Their  officers,  however,  succeeded  in  rallying  them,  and  they 
again  advanced  with  great  determination.  Some  of  our 
troops  now  began  to  falter  and  fall  back,  but  were  finally 
rallied,  and  again  repulsed  the  enemy  in  an  attempt  to  turn 
our  right  flank.  The  contest  now  raged  fiercely,  and  the 
bleak  summit  of  the  Alleghany  rang  with  the  incessant  crack 
of  small  arms  and  roar  of  artillery.  Again  and  again  the 
rebels  were  driven  back  to  their  cabins,  but  as  often  rallied, 
and  threw  themselves  with  fierce  determination  and  over 
whelming  numbers,  now  on  this  wing  and  now  on  that. 
They  were  repulsed  in  every  attempt;  but  after  three  hours 
fighting,  many  of  our  men  having  left  their  ranks  and  skulked 
to  the  rear,  and  the  ammunition  being  nearly  exhausted, 
McDonald  ordered  his  command  to  fall  back  to  head  quar 
ters.  This  became  the  more  necessary  as  the  other  column 
that  was  to  attack  the  enemy's  left  did  not  make  its  appear 
ance.  Colonel  Moody  in  command  of  it,  found  the  march 
more  difficult  than  he  anticipated.  The  hill'  was  very  steep, 
and  for  three  miles  his  men  had  to  toil  up  the  ascent,  made 


MILROY    DEFEATED.  223 

almost  impassable  by  trees  that  had  been  Mien  by  the  rebels 
in  every  direction.  The  combined  attack  was  to  have  been 
made  before  daylight,  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  but  the 
first  column  did  not  reach  the  summit  of  the  mountain  till 
daylight,  and  the  other  not  till  eight  o'clock,  or  just  after 
McDonald  had  fallen  back.  Thus  this  division,  like  the  first, 
had  to  encounter  the  whole  force  of  the  enemy.  This  they 
did  most  gallantly,  advancing  with  yells  and  shouts  against 
him,  and  driving  him  back  to  within  two  hundred  yards  of 
his  camp.  At  this  point  the  rebel  volleys  became  so  destruc 
tive  that  our  troops  were  compelled  to  take  shelter  behind 
logs  and  trees  and  rocks,  where  they  kept  up  so  fierce  and 
destructive  fire,  that  every  effort  of  the  enemy  to  advance 
was  repulsed.  Majors  Milroy  and  Owens  maintained  their 
position  here  for  a  long  while  against  three  times  their  num 
ber,  when  seeing  no  prospect  of  their  being  supported  by  the 
other  column,  they  too  fell  back  in  good  order,  taking  their 
dead  and  wounded  with  them.  Why,  during  this  long  and 
unequal  fight,  General  Milroy  did  not  again  advance  and 
succor  them  does  not  appear.  Our  men,  with  few  excep 
tions,  fought  nobly,  but  the  attack  was  a  failure,  and  a  long, 
wearisome,  wintry  march  proved  barren  of  results.  Our  loss 
in  killed,  wounded,  and  missing  was  a  hundred  and  thirty- 
seven  ;  that  of  the  enemy  was  probably  about  the  same. 

Thus  beginning  at  the  extreme  west,  successive  conflicts 
took  place  all  jilong  nearly  the  same  parallel  to  the  Atlantic, 
yet  apparently  without  any  effect  on  the  relative  position  of 
the  two  great  armies  that  stood  confronting  each  other. 
The  fight  at  Hewlett's  Station,  Kentucky,  and  Milford,  Mis 
souri,  occurred  within  one  day  of  each  other — at  Camp  Alle- 
ghany  four  days  previous,  and  at  Mount  Zion  on  the  twenty- 
eighth.  Keeping  along  the  parallel  east,  we  come  to  the 
army  of  the  Potomac,  whose  inaction  was  suddenly  broken 
on  the  twentieth  by  the  battle  of  Drainsville. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

DECEMBER,  18GL 

BATTLE  OF    DRAINSVILLE — THE    "  STONE  FLEET" CORRESPONDENCE    CONCERN* 

ING    IT    BETWEEN  LORD  LYONS  AND  MR.   8EWARD DUPONT's  OPERATIONS  OW 

THE  COAST  OF  GEORGIA  AND  SOUTH  CAROLINA THE  ARMY  OF  THE  POTO 
MAC  IN  WINTER  QUARTERS RELEASE  OF  MR.  ELY  FROM  PRISON  IN  RICH 
MOND DISSATISFACTION  WITH  MC  CLELLAN's  INACTION DIVISION  IN  CON 
GRESS  RESPECTING  THE  MANNER  OF  CARRYING  ON  THE  WAR DANGER  OF 

THESE    CONFLICTING-    VIEWS FIRMNESS    AND    INTEGRITY  OF  THE  PRESIDENT. 

THE  battle  of  Drairisville,  occurring  so  near  to  Washing 
ton,  and  the  first  of  any  magnitude  in  which  the  army 
of  the  Potomac  had  been  successful,  was  given  an  importance 
by  our  leading  papers  that  did  not  properly  belong  to  it. 
Its  chief  value  lay  in  showing  the  mettle  of  our  troops,  and 
in  inspiring  the  army  with  confidence  in  its  power,  and  an 
eagerness  to  measure  its  strength  with  the  enemy. 

On  the  twentieth,  Gen.  Me  Call  commanding  the  Pennsylva 
nia  reserve — occupying  the  farthest  point  up  the  Potomac, 
on  the  Virginia  side — ordered  General  Ord  to  take  his  brig 
ade  the  next  day,  and  move  in  the  direction  of  Drainsville, 
for  the  double  purpose  of  driving  back  the  enemy's  pickets 
which  had  become  troublesome,  and  of  procuring  forage  for 
his  animals.  So  on  Saturday  morning  at  six  o'clock,  Ord 
put  his  column  in  motion,  taking  with  him  the  first  rifles 
commanded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Kane,  brother  of  the 
northern  explorer,  and  Easton's  battery,  and  proceeded  to 
Drainsville  without  opposition.  Here  he  posted  his  men  so 
as  to  command  the  approaches  to  the  town  and  cover  his 
foraging  party.  When  he  first  arrived,  he  saw  some  mounted 
rebels  on  a  slope  beyond  a  piece  of  woods,  and  near  them  a 
smoke  ascending,  which  led  him  to  believe  they  were  plan- 


THE    BUCKTAILS.  225 

ning  mischief.  Soon  scouts  arrived,  who  informed  him  that 
the  enemy  was  advancing  in  force  towards  the  turnpike  from 
the  south,  and  had  already  driven  in  his  pickets.  Taking 
position  on  the  turnpike,  with  flanking  regiments  on  both 
sides  of  it,  Ord  prepared  to  receive  him.  Suddenly  from  the 
woods  on  his  left  a  fierce  fire  was  opened  both  by  artillery 
and  musketry.  The  cannon,  six  in  number,  were  in  a  road 
that  passed  through  the  woods,  but  their  position  could  only 
be  conjectured  by  the  smoke  of  the  discharges.  Easton's 
battery,  ordered  up  to  reply  to  this,  came  on  at  such  a  tearing 
gallop  that  it  went  by  the  spot  it  was  directed  to  take,  and 
one  gun  was  upset.  They  soon,  however,  got  in  position  and 
opened  a  rapid,  heavy  fire  on  the  concealed  battery.  Find 
ing  a  spot  where  the  road  could  be  raked,  Ord  ordered  the 
capsized  gun  to  be  righted  and  brought  thither  with  the  two 
other  pieces,  which  soon  caused  the  rebel  fire  to  slacken. 

At  this  time,  Colonel  Kane,  with  the  gallant  Buck  tails, 
who  were  on  the  right,  saw  a  body  of  rebels  crossing  an 
open  field,  close  by  the  woods,  evidently  to  make  a  flank 
movement,  or  occupy  a  brick  house  which  stood  on  a  hill 
about  a  hundred  yards  distant  from  his  regiment.  He  im 
mediately  sent  a  detachment  to  take  possession  of  the  build 
ing,  which  they  did  on  the  double  quick,  and  opened  a 
galling  fire  on  the  enemy.  The  remainder  of  the  regiment 
lay  on  their  faces  behind  bushes,  fences,  and  any  thing  that 
furnished  shelter,  rising  only  to  fire,  and  then  dropping  again 
and  loading  on  .their  backs.  So  rapid  and  well  aimed  were 
their  volleys,  that  the  rebels  who  had  kept  steadily  advancing 
as  they  fired,  at  length  gave  way  and  took  shelter  in  the 
woods.  The  order  then  came  for  the  whole  line  to  advance 
and  take  the  battery.  It  was  received  with  a  loud  cheer  by 
the  men  as  they  sprang  to  their  feet.  Kane  was  on  foot,  and 
at  the  moment  of  leading  the  charge,  received  a  ball  through 
his  cheek,  which  brought  him  to  the  ground.  But  the  next 


226  THE    ENEMY   REPULSED. 

moment  he  sprang  to  his  feet  again,  and  hastily  bandaging 
up  the  wound  with  .a  white  handkerchief,  led  his  men  fiercely 
forward.  Colonel  Taggart  of  the  twelfth  regiment,  dis 
mounted,  and  drawing  his  sword  and  flinging  away  his  scab 
bard,  strode  at  the  head  of  his  troops.  The  two  regiments 
with  an  unbroken  front  moved  straight  on  the  woods,  receiv 
ing  without  flinching  the  fire  of  the  concealed  enemy.  The 
timber  was  thick  with  underbrush,  which  at  once  broke  up 
the  firmly  set  line,  and  they  struggled  forward  as  they  best 
could,  while  the  shells  burst  among  the  branches  overhead, 
and  the  shot  flew  on  every  side.  Every  moment  they  ex 
pected  to  come  face  to  face  with  the  battery,  but  the  unfal 
tering  line  swept  irregularly  onward,  until  at  last  they 
emerged  into  an  open  field  of  some  ten  or  fifteen  acres,  from 
whence  they  caught  sight  of  the  enemy  in  full  flight — the 
artillery  bounding  in  a  gallop  along  the  turnpike.  Loud 
hurrahs  rent  the  air,  and  picking  up  the  dead  and  wounded, 
they  were  about  to  start  in  pursuit,  when  the  recall  was 
sounded.  McCall,  who  had  arrived  a  short  time  before  on  the 
field,  not  deeming  it  prudent  to  push  the  victory,  had  ordered 
a  halt.  Bivouac  fires  were  kindled  around  Drainsville,  and 
the  tired  army  was  glad  of  a  short  repose. 

The  battle  was  over  by  three  o'clock,  and  our  loss  all  told 
was  but  sixty-seven.  The  rebels  acknowledged  a  loss  of  two 
hundred  and  forty.  It  is  a  little  singular  that  in  this  battle 
both  sides  complained  of  regiments  .being  deceived,  by  their 
adversaries  claiming  to  be  friends,  until  they  could  deliver 
the  first  volley. 

With  the  exception  of  some  slight  skirmishing  on  the 
tipper  Potomac,  and  a  somewhat  sharp  affair  at  New  Market 
Bridge,  near  Newport  News,  two  days  after  the  battle  of 
Drainsville,  the  forces  along  the  Potomac  remained  quiet  the 
remainder  of  the  month. 

The  "stone  fleet,"  as  it  was  called,  which  consisted  of  a 


THE    STONE    FLEET.  227 

number  of  old  vessels  loaded  with  stone,  designed  to  obstruct 
Charleston  harbor,  so  as  to  render  the  blockade  more  com 
plete,  reached  its  destination  this  month  and  was  consigned 
to  the  deep.  On  the  very  day  that  the  fields  and  woods 
around  Drainsville  were  trembling  under  the  roar  of  cannon, 
sixteen  old  whalers,  loaded  with  stone,  were  quietly  sinking 
one  after  another  to  the  bottom,  off  Charleston  harbor.  The 
event  created  a  great  sensation  at  the  time,  and  was  the 
cause  of  much  angry  discussion  here  and  abroad ;  for  many 
supposed  it  was  the  intention  of  the  government  to  destroy 
Charleston  as  a  seaport  forever.  Some  said  that  it  was  visit 
ing  on  the  next  generation  the  sins  of  this,  and  that  no  ad 
ministration  had  a  right  thus  to  ruin  the  commercial  facilities 
of  a  state  for  all  time. 

Even  England  remonstrated  against  the  act ;  but  Mr.  Sew- 
ard  assured  the  British  minister  that  we  had  no  intention  of 
destroying  the  port  of  Charleston.  It  was  done  for  tempo 
rary  convenience  alone,  as  there  were  so  many  channels  lead 
ing  into  the  harbor  it  was  impossible  to  guard  them  all.  In 
conclusion,  the  Secretary  significantly  remarked,  that  it  was 
evident  that  the  port  was  not  destroyed,  as  English  vessels 
with  goods  contraband  of  war  had  entered  since  the  sinking 
of  the  "ships. 

But  so  bitter  was  the  feeling  at  the  north  towards  this  city, 
which  had  begun  the  war,  that  it  is  questionable,  if  the  news 
that  an  earthquake  had  sunk  it  with  all  its  inhabitants 
would  not  have  caused  the  profoundest  gratification.  A  ter 
rible  conflagration  that  swept  it  about  this  time,  turning 
crowds  of  families  out  of  doors,  awakened  no  commiseration. 

Our  naval  force  during  the  month  did  but  little  except 
to  maintain  a  rigid  blockade.  Steamers  and  gun  boats  were 
being  rapidly  built,  all  over  the  country,  and  we  expected 
soon  to  be  able  to  accomplish  something  worthy  of  the  navy. 

Much   indignation  was  felt  because   the  rebel   Captain 
14 


228  THE   ARMY    IN    WINTER    QUARTERS. 

Lynch  succeeded,  in  cutting  out  a  schooner  almost  under  the 
guns  of  fortress  Monroe.  It  was  humiliating  enough  to  sub 
mit  to  the  blockade  of  the  Potomac,  without  being  defied 
in  this  way  in  the  presence  of  a  powerful  fleet. 

South,  Dupont's  mission  seemed  to  have  ended  with  the 
taking  of  Port  Royal,  and  he  was  left  apparently  to  amuse 
himself  in  any  way  he  thought  proper.  There  was  a  strange 
want  of  definite  purpose  about  this  whole  expedition,  which 
succeeding  events  instead  of  clearing  up  obscured  the  more. 
He,  however,  had  his  instructions,  and  commenced  a  series 
of  explorations  along  the  Carolina  and  Georgia  coast,  during 
the  month,  which  served  to  keep  the  inhabitants  in  a  state 
of  alarm.  The  bay  of  St.  Helena,  valuable  as  a  harbor,  and 
for  its  proximity  to  Charleston,  was  taken  possession  of  by 
Drayton,  as  well  as  Tybee  Roads.  Another  expedition,  un 
der  Commander  Rodgers,  went  up  Warsaw  Sound,  to  within 
ten  miles  of  Savannah.  A  little  later,  on  the  eleventh,  he 
with  several  gunboats  started  up  the  Yernon  river  and  the 
Great  Ogeechee  to  Ossabaw  island. 

On  the  sixteenth,  Dray  ton  made  an  exploration  of  the  north 
and  south  Edisto  rivers,  but  found  little  except  deserted  for 
tifications  and  plantations,  denuded  of  every  thing  but  slaves. 
Here  and  there  a  battery,  placed  where  the  gun  boats  could 
not  operate,  was  discovered. 

Nothing  of  importance  occurred  along  the  gulf,  and  affairs 
at  fort  Pickens  seemed  to  have  fallen  back  to  their  old  state 
of  quietness  since  the  bombardment  of  the  month  previous. 

Around  Washington,  the  eventful  year  of  1861  went  out 
quietly.  The  two  great  armies  lay  front  to  front,  and  seemed 
occupied  chiefly  in  making  themselves  comfortable  during 
the  inclement  season.  Log  cabins,  tents  banked  with  earth 
and  supplied  with  every  variety  of  heating  apparatus  that 
American  ingenuity  could  devise,  and  sheltered  by  cedar 
bushes  set  in  the  earth  to  break  the  force  of  the  wind,  and 


RELEASE    OF    MR.    ELY.  229 

stables  built  of  evergreens,  combined  to  make  the  vast  en 
campment  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac  a  curious  and  inter 
esting  sight.  Thus  housed,  the  mighty  host,  composed  of 
mechanics,  farmers,  clerks,  lawyers,  and  men  of  every  trade, 
accustomed  to  all  the '  comforts  of  life,  prepared  itself  to 
meet  the  biting  gales  and  storms  of  sleet  and  snow  that 
made  up  the  dreary  winter. 

A  little  excitement  was  created  in  Washington  by  the  re 
turn  of  Mr.  Ely,  member  of  Congress  from  Rochester,  who 
was  taken  prisoner  at  Bull  Run,  and  had  ever  since  been 
confined  in  prison  at  Richmond.  Mr.  Faulkner  of  Virginia, 
our  minister  to  France  under  Mr.  Buchanan's  administra 
tion,  had  been  arrested  on  his  return  to  this  country,  on  the 
suspicion  of  treason,  and  confined  in  fort  Warren.  Being 
.released  on  parole  for  the  purpose  of  effecting  an  exchange 
for  Mr.. Ely,  he  succeeded,  and  the  latter  returned  to  Wash 
ington,  where  his  description  of  his  prison  life,  and  that  of 
the  soldiers,  awakened  considerable  interest.  It  was  hoped 
that  his  release  would  be  the  means  of  some  general  system 
of  exchange  of  prisoners  being  adopted,  and  movements  to 
that  end  were  set  on  foot,  but  failed  to  accomplish  it. 

Congress  in  the  mean  time  was  getting  restive  under  the 
inaction'  of  the  army  in  front  of  the  Capital.  The  impassa 
ble  condition  of  the  roads,  it  seemed  to  be  admitted  on  all 
hands,  rendered  a  winter  campaign  out  of  the  question;  but 
members  were  dissatisfied  that  no  forward  movement  had  been 
made  before  they  became  so,  and  the  germs  of  a  strong  op- 
position  to  McClellan  began  to  develop  themselves.  The 
country,  however,  was  appeased  by  the  assurance  that  a 
great  plan  was  maturing,  Avhich  required  delay,  but  at  the 
proper  time  would  be  developed  and  crush  the  rebellion  at 
a  blow.  Unfortunately  for  McClellan,  not  only  did  the  con 
servative  part  of  the  country  uphold  his  course,  but  the  op 
position  seized  upon  him  to  play  off  against  the  a^ient  re- 


230  THE    BORDER    STATES. 

publicans,  thus  creating  a  party  hostile  to  him,  independent 
of  military  matters.  The  more  considerate  thought  they 
saw  the  beginning  of  incalculable  evil  in  this,  for  it  was 
plain  that  the  army  was  determined  to  stand  by  its  young 
commander,  and  if  the  opposition  party  made  an  onslaught 
on  him,  and  carried  the  administration  with  it,  we  might 
have  serious  trouble  on  our  hands.  But  it  soon  became  ap 
parent  that  the  President  was  firm  on  this  point,  and  would, 
at  least  until  further  developments,  stand  by  the  Commander- 
in-Chief.  His  position  was  so  decided  and  determined,  that 
the  party  leaders  saw  that  to  press  the  matter  would  bring 
them  in  direct  collision  with  the  administration.  McClel- 
lan's  indifference  to  politicians,  and  his  habit  of  reticence, 
deigning  neither  to  excuse  nor  explain,  made  it  certain, 
however,  that  the  first  mistake  that  he  should  be  guilty  of, 
would  rouse  an  intensely  active  opposition.  Whenever  he 
should  move,  it  must  be  to  unqualified  victory,  or  the  storm 
that  would  burst  on  his  head  would  be  the  severer  from 
having  been  so  long  delayed. 

This  firmness  of  the  Executive,  however,  was  the  great 
redeeming  feature  of  the  administration;  for  the  conviction 
that  the  hand  at  the  helm  was  steady  gave  the  country  con 
fidence  and  courage. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  members  from  the  border  states 
were  in  a  very  uncomfortable  position :  they  wished  to  stand 
by  the  Union  and  put  down  the  rebellion,  but  differed  toto 
coelo  from  the  republican  party,  respecting  the  manner  in 
which  it  should  be  done.  They  wished  to  leave  slavery  alone, 
— to  reduce  the  rebels  by  force  of  arms, — and  let  the  Union 
men  in  the  slave  states,  held  down  by  tyrannical  power,  have 
ft  chance  to  speak  and  act,  and  thus  bring  back  the  old 
Union,  with  the  Constitution  unimpaired.  But  the  former 
insisted  that  slavery  was  the  cause  of  the  rebellion,  and  it 
vas  absurd  to  suppose  you  could  destroy  an  effect  so  long 


•  UNION    BORDER   MEN.  231 

as  you  let  the  cause  remain.  On  this  subject  the  north  was 
much  divided,  and  it  was  plain  it  would  cause  the  President 
more  trouble  and  vexation  than  all  other  things  put  together. 
What  should  be  his  line  of  policy  under  the  circumstances, 
was  a  most-  serious  and  perplexing  question,  and  one  which 
would  become  more  embarrassing  at  every  step  of  the  pro 
gress  of  the  war.  He  would  be  between  the  upper  and 
nether  millstones,  and  vast  and  untold  evils  lay  dimly  shad 
owed  in  the  future.  He  was,  however,  steadily  rising  in  the 
confidence  of  all  classes,  exhibiting  grander  proportions  of 
character  than  even  his  warmest  admirers  had  ever  claimed 
for  him ;  but  how  long  he  would  be  able  to  hold  a  steady 
helm  in  the  turbulent  sea  through  which  the  vessel  of  state 
was  dashing,  no  one  knew.  Events  were  crowding  fearful 
responsibilities  upon  his  shoulders,  and  it  seemed  more  than 
likely  before  another  year  came  round,  on  him  alone  would 
turn  the  destiny  of  the  nation. 

The  Union  border  men  trembled  for  their  own  states,  as 
they  saw  the  tendency  of  things,  and  tried  in  various  ways 
to  prevent  the  evil  they  feared.  The  most  extraordinary 
proposition  made,  perhaps,  was  one  by  Mr.  Saulsbury,  sen 
ator  from  Delaware,  in  the  latter  part  of  this  month :  that  a 
certain  number  of  commissioners  should  be  appointed, 
among  them  Messrs.  Fillmore  and  Everett,  to  meet  a  similar 
number  from  the  south,  for  the  purpose  of  agreeing  on  some 
basis  of  settlement  by  which  the  divided  states  could  come 
together  once  more  in  peace.  But  the  question,  u  Shall 
there  be  war  or  not?"  had  long  since  passed,— the  moment 
ous  one  now  was;  on  what  principles  shall  it  be  conducted? 
and  to  what  end  shall  it  be  pushed?  The  abolitionists 
and  one  wing  of  the  republican  party  demanded  that  uni 
versal  freedom  should  keep  pace  with  the  army,  while  the 
more  conservative  insisted  that  the  war  should  look  only  to 
the  restoration  of  the  states  to  their  old  status.  One 


232  OPPOSING    VIEWS.  • 

declared  that  rebellion  cancelled  all  the  obligations  enforced 
by  the  original  compact,  and  the  other  replied  that  a  war 
waged  on  this  basis  would  be  a  war  of  conquest,  and  could 
end  only  in  ruin  to  the  Republic.  The  former  asserted  that 
the  rebellion  could  be  crushed. in  no  other  way  except  by 
the  destruction  of  slavery, — the  latter  said  that  neither  Con 
gress  nor  the  President  had  any  more  right  or  power,  ex 
cept  tyrannical,  to  abolish  slavery  in  the  states  than  slavery 
in  India ;  and  if  they  had,  sudden  emancipation  would  as 
effectually  destroy  the  states,  as  a  part  of  the  Federal  Union, 
as  though  they  were  physically  cut  off. 

These  opposing  views  necessarily  more  or  less  distracted 
the  administration,  and  threatened  a  serious  division  in  the 
north.  The  President  was  troubled,  and  felt  that  the  people 
were  making  a  grievous  mistake  in  quarreling  over  the  ques 
tion  of  slavery,  while  the  whole  thought  and  energy  of  the 
country  should  be  given  to  the  defeat  of  the  rebel  armies  in 
the  field.  Fortunately  for  the  nation,  he  was  not  swayed 
by  any  fanciful  theories,  but  took  a  practical  view  of  the  sub 
ject,  and  endeavored  so  to  shape  his  policy  as  not  to  distract 
the  country,  but  unite  it.  In  this  he  showed  a  remarkable 
penetration,  and  a  capacity  and  force  of  character  that  ele 
vated  him  still  more  in  the  estimation  of  the  people.  He 
wished  to  crush  the  rebel  armies  first  and  dispose  of  the 
question  of  slavery  afterwards,  but  some  of  his  friends 
seemed  determined  that  he  should  make  an  effort  to  settle 
this  first,  and  take  the  chances  of  its  effect  on  the  rebellion. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

JANUARY,  1862. 

OPENING  OF  THE  NEW  YEAR  AROUND  WASHINGTON AT  PENSACOLA BOM 
BARDMENT  OF  FORT  PICKENS FIGHT  OF  PORT  ROYAL  THE  SAME  DAY EX 
PEDITION  BY  MILROY  IN  WESTERN  VIRGINIA JACKSON  ADVANCES  TO  THE 

POTOMAC  AND  TEARS  UP  THE  BALTIMORE  AND  OHIO  RAIL  ROAD FIGHT  OP 
POSITE  HANCOCK FIGHT  AT  BLUE'S  GAP BATTLE  OF  MIDDLE  CREEK,  KEN 
TUCKY,  AND  VICTORY  OF  GARFIELD POPE  IN  MISSOURI. 

THE  new  year  opened  with  comparative  quiet  around 
Washington,  and  indeed  all  along  the  great  line  of  de 
fense  that  crossed  half  the  continent.  Even  at  Richmond, 
the  rebel  capital,  more  than  usual  gaiety  prevailed ;  but  far 
off,  on  the  southern  coast,  the  thunder  of  cannon  heralded 
it  in  with  ceremonies  more  becoming  the  terrible  scenes  of 
carnage  that  were  to  mark  its  passage. 

FIGHT   AT   PENSACOLA. 

On  new  year's  morning,  a  small  rebel  steamer  was  observed 
from  fort  Pickens,  making  her  way  towards  Pensacola  navy 
yard,  waving  a  secession  flag  in  a  defiant  manner.  As  she 
drew  near  the  fort,  it  opened  a  fire  on  her,  sending  the  shot 
and  shell  so  thickly  around  her  that  she  beat  a  hasty  retreat. 
The  rebel  batteries  on  shore  immediately  replied,  and  a  ter 
rific  artillery  fight  commenced  which  lasted  all  day.  Both 
sides  had  been  so  long  occupied  in  obtaining  the  accurate 
range  of  each  other,  that  the  firing  was  characterized  -by 
great  precision.  Shells  fell  like  hail  stones  within  the  fort, 
and  thundered  incessantly  on  its  massive  walls,  while  its  own 
heavy  guns  hurled  a  terrible  storm  of  iron  on  the  opposing 
batteries. 


234  A   FIERCE    CANNONADE. 

The  sun  went  down  on  the  fight  and  darkness  fell  over 
land  and  water,  yet  the  heavy  cannonading  was  kept  up. 
The  fort,  however,  confined  itself  chiefly  to  its  thirteen-inch 
mortars,  but  the  enemy  kept  all  its  batteries  in  full  play.  As 
night  deepened,  the  scene  became  indescribably  grand. 
Every  shell  could  be  traced  in  its  course  by  its  burning  fuse, 
till  it  burst  in  flame  on  the  shore.  The  screaming  missiles 
crossed  each  other  in  their  flight,  weaving  a  strange  tracery 
in  the  gloom,  and  lighting  up  as  by  incessant  flashes  of  light 
ning,  that  dark  structure  and  the  resounding  shores  and  dis 
tant  shipping.  During  the  night  the  navy  yard  was  set  on 
fire  by  our  shells,  and  burst  into  fierce  conflagration,  casting 
a  lurid  glare  on  the  heavens,  and  shedding  a  strange,  weird 
light  on  island,  stream,  and  forest.  Its  reflection  was'  seen 
forty  miles  at  sea.  The  heavy  thunder,  however,  gradually 
died  away,  and  when  the  dull  gray  light  of  morning  broke 
over  the  desolate  scene,  the  useless  bombardment  ceased. 
But  little  damage  was  done  on  either  side,  and  if  there  had 
been,  no  important  result  would  have  been  gained,  for  nei 
ther  was  in  a  condition  to  take  advantage  of  any  success  it 
might  achieve.  Bragg,  commanding  the  rebels,  if  he  had 
effected  a  breach,  would  not  have  dared  to  storm  the  works, 
while  Brown,  commanding  the  fort,  even  if  he  had  dis 
mounted  every  battery,  had  no  force  with  which  to  seize  and 
hold  the  place. 

On  this  same  new  year's  morning,  a  combined  attack  of 
the  land  and  naval  forces  at  Port  Royal,  was  made  on  the 
enemy  who  had  concentrated  in  large  numbers  in  the 
vicinity,  with  the  intention  of  driving  our  army  out  of  Beau 
fort.  Roclgers  commanded  the  naval  force,  which  was  to 
protect  the  debarkation  of  a  part  of  the  troops  under  Ste 
ven's,  at  Haywood's  landing,  and  to  cover  the  route  of  the 
column  to  Adams'  plantation,  and  then  protect  the  landing 
of  the  rest.  The  rebels  were  driven  from  their  battery,  at 


A    GALLANT    DASH.  235 

Port  3-oyal  ferry,  and  our  troops  took  possession  of  it.  The 
former  made  a  feeble  resistance,  and  our  total  loss  out  of  a 
force  of  some  three  thousand  men,  was  only  ten  or  twelve 
killed  and  wounded.  The  movement  was  well  planned  and 
skilfully  carried  out.  The  enemy's  works  were  destroyed, 
themselves  driven  five  miles  into  the  interior,  and  the  naviga 
tion  of  Broad  and  Coosaw  rivers  which  it  was  their  intention  to 
close,  permanently  opened  to  our  transports  and  gun  boats. 
The  night  before  new  year's,  an  expedition,  composed  of 
seven  hundred  men  and  thirty-eight  cavalry,  all  under  com 
mand  of  Major  Webster,  was  sent  by  Milroy,  in  Western  Vir 
ginia,  to  destroy  a  quantity  of  rebel  stores  known  to  be  ac 
cumulated  at  Hunt.ersville,  in  Pocahontas  county,  about  forty 
miles  from  Staunton.  New  year's  morning  was  freezing  cold, 
and  the  wintry  wind  from  the  snow-clad  mountains  swept  in 
fierce  gusts  across  the  open  valley  where  the  detachment 
had  encamped.  The  bugle  that  summoned  them  to  the 
march  at  daylight,  had  any  thing  but  a  cheerful  sound  in  the 
howling  blast,  but  the  men  left  their  blazing  fires  with  alac 
rity,  and  marched  twelve  miles  to  the  foot  of  Elk  mountain, 
and  encamped  in  a  pine  grove  whose  dark  arcades  were 
soon  all  aglow  with  the  roaring  camp  fires.  Here  they  found 
the  road  so  blockaded  by  fallen  trees,  that  they  were  com 
pelled  to  leave  behind  their  ambulances  and  wagons,  and 
take  a  mountain  trail  which  led  to  the  summit.  Keeping  on 
their  way,  they  at  length  came  in  sight  of  the  enemy  at  a 
bridge  over  Green  Brier  river,  about  six  miles  from  Hunters- 
ville.  The  rebels  retreated,  and  the  detachment  followed  in 
pursuit  till  it  came  within  two  miles  of  the  town,  when  it 
again  encountered  them.  A  skirmish  followed,  and  the 
rebels  again  fell  back,  while  the  cheers  and  shouts  that  fol 
lowed  them  made  the  mountains  ring.  At  length  their  cav 
alry  drew  up  in  imposing  force  on  a-  level  plain  as  if  about 
to  charge,  but  as  the  excited  little  band  dashed  toward  them 


236  EXPEDITION    OF    JACKSON. 

on  a  run,  they  turned  and  fled.  The  whole  force  then  broke 
on  the  double  quick  into  the  town,  shouting  like  madmen. 
The  enemy  had  all  fled,  and  Major  Webster  finding  six  build 
ings  filled  with  provisions  set  fire  to  them,  and  by  the  light 
of  the  conflagration  took  up  his  backward  march. 

The  expedition  was  gone  six  days  in  all,  and  marched  in 
that  time  over  a  hundred  miles. 

The  rebel  General  Jackson,  stationed  at  Winchester,  also 
chose  the  first  day  of  the  new  year  on  which  to  start  an  ex 
pedition  towards  the  Potomac,  for  the  double  purpose  of 
clearing  out  our  scattered  forces  between  him  and  the  river, 
and  tear  up  the  track  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  rail  road. 

On  Saturday,  the  fourth,  as  they  approached  Bath,  they 
surprised  forty  men  of  the  thirty-ninth  Illinois,  out  on  a 
scout,  and  killed  one  and  took  eight  prisoners.  The  regi 
ment  at  Bath  immediately  planted  cannon,  so  as  to  com 
mand  the  roads  leading  to  the  place,  and  soon  as  the  rebels 
came  in  view,  opened  on  them.  Colonel  Murray,  with  the 
eighty-fourth  Pennsylvania,  hastened  over  the  river  to  its 
support,  but  on  arriving  and  assuming  command,  he  ordered 
a  retreat,  leaving  all  his  stores  and  camp  equipage  in  the 
hands  of  the  enemy. 

It  was  a  terribly  cold  day;  and  both  parties  suffered 
severely.  An  artillery  fire  was  kept  up  as  we  retreated,  and 
the  regiments  effected  a  safe  passage  across  the  river  to  Han 
cock,  on  the  Maryland  shore. 

The  next  morning  at  daybreak,  the  rebels  appeared  on 
the  opposite  bank,  and  commenced  shelling  the  town.  No 
damage,  however,  was  done,  and  they  contented  themselves 
with  tearing  up  the  rail  road  track.  In  the  mean  time,  Lan 
der  arrived,  and  prepared  to  defend  the  town.  The  rebels, 
however,  made  no  farther  attempt,  and  on  Tuesday  retired, 
taking  with  them  a  few -prisoners. 

On  this  same  day,    (the  seventh,)   an   expedition   from 


FIGHT     AT     BLUE'S     GAP.  237 

Kelley's  command  at  Romney,  which  had  set  out  at  midnight, 
approached  Blue's  Gap.  The  night  had  been  clear  and  cold, 
and  the  ground  was  covered  with  six  inches  of  snow,  which 
made  the  march  slippery  and  difficult.  But  the  men,  though 
benumbed  with  frost,  pressed  forward  with  spirit,  and  after 
proceeding  some  fourteen  miles,  came  up  with  the  outposts 
of  the  enemy,  just  as  the  cold,  wintry  morning  was  broaden 
ing  over  the  mountains.  The  latter  turned  and  fled ;  and 
though  the  gap  was  still  some  two  miles  distant,  Colonel 
Dunning  (in  command)  shouted  "Forward!  Double  quick!" 
The  excited  troops  started  off  on  a  trot,  and  as  the  measured 
foot-falls  beat  the  frozen  ground,  they  sent  up  a  shout  which 
they  kept  up  in  a  sort  of  measured  cadence  to  their  tread. 
They  thus  unfortunately  announced  their  coming,  so  that  the 
enemy  was  prepared  to  receive  them. 


FIGHT   AT    BLUE'S    GAP. 


The  gap  in  which  they  had  taken  position  was  formed  by 
two  high  hills,  which,  as  they  approached  the  road,  became 
two  precipices,  leaving  a  gorge  not  more  than  twenty  or 
thirty  feet  wide,  through  which  wound  a  narrow  road  skirted 
by  a  stream.  Here  the  enemy  had  planted  two  cannon, 
while  the  hill  on  the  north  side  was  protected  by  a  rifle  pit. 
The  one  oil  the  south  side  was  left  undefended,  it  being  con 
sidered  too  precipitous  for  any  troops  to-  scale.  Just  before 
reaching  the  gap,  a  bridge  crossed  the  stream,  which  the 
enemy  undertook  to  tear  up  ;  but  before  they  could  accom 
plish  it,  the  advance  guard  was  upon  them,  and  replacing 
the  up  torn  planks,  dashed  across.  Colonel  Dunning  then 
drew  up  his  force,  and  ordered  the  Ohio  fifth  to  charge  on 
the  rifle  pits, — the  fourth  to  scale  the  steep  south  mountain, 
and  the  seventh,  when  the  action  had  fairly  commenced,  to 
push  straight  along  the  road.  The  fifth  mounted  the  hill  in 


238  GARFJELD    ADVANCES    ON    MARSHALL. 

face  of  the  intrenchments,  and  losing  all  order  scrambled 
over  the  rocks  with  yells.  Receiving  the  rebel  fire  without 
halting,  they  stormed  over  them  in  one  wild  hurrah.  They 
then  dashed  down  the  mountain,  in  rear  of  the  cannon,  and 
bayoneting  the  gunners  captured  the  pieces.  In  the  mean 
time,  the  fourth  scaled  the  precipitous  sides  of  the  south 
hill  like  wild  cats,  and  falling  on  the  fugitives  captured  thirty- 
five  prisoners.  Before  the  center  column  could  get  into  ac 
tion,  the  fight  was  over,  and  the  enemy  scattered  in  every 
direction.  The  rebel  force  was  nearly  two  thousand  strong, 
of  which  about  forty  were  killed  and  as  many  more  taken 
prisoners.  Gathering  up  their  spoils,  consisting  of  a  large 
number  of  cattle,  wagon  loads  of  ammunition,  and  stores, 
the  victorious  little  army  took  up  its  line  of  march  for  camp, 
where  it  arrived  at  four  o'clock,  having  accomplished  thirty- 
two  miles  in  seventeen  hours. 

West,  our  forces  seemed  equally  determined  to  crown  the 
opening  year  with  victories.  On  the  same  day  that  Colonel 
Dunning  drove  the  enemy  from  Blue's  Gap,  Colonel  Gar- 
field  broke  up  his  camp  at  Muddy  Creek,  Kentucky,  and 
moved  towards  Paintsville,  the  county  town  of  Johnston 
county,  to  attack  Humphrey  Marshall,  who  occupied  that 
region  with  a  force  estimated  at  five  thousand.  The  latter 
being  advised  of  his  approach,  retreated  to  some  bights  on 
Middle  Creek,  about  two  miles  from  Prestonburg,  leaving 
three  hundred  cavalry  at  the  mouth  of  Jennie  Creek,  near 
Paintsville,  as  a  corps  of  observation.  Scattering  this  force, 
Garfield  pushed  on  for  Prestonburg,  fifteen  miles  distant, 
with  a  thousand  and  one  hundred  men.  He  had  only  three 
days'  rations  of  hard  bread  for  his  whole  force,  yet  with  this 
meager  supply,  he  boldly  set  out  on  his  difficult  march. 
Arriving  within  one  mile  of  the  place  at  eight  o'clock  at 
night,  he  learned  that  the  enemy  were  encamped  three  miles 
distant  up  the  creek.  Sendino-  back  to  Paintsvillo  to  have 


THE     ATTACK.  239 

all  the  available  forces  immediately  pushed  forward,  he  en 
camped  on  the  crest  of  a  wooded  hill  in  a  pelting  rain  storm, 
the  men  sleeping  on  their  arms. 


BATTLE    OF    MIDDLE    CREEK. 

The  next  morning  at  four  o'clock,  the  troops  were  sum 
moned  to  arms,  and  snatching  #  hasty  breakfast  of  hard 
bread,  pushed  on  a  mile  up  the  creek,  then  crossed  over  to 
Middle  Creek,  which  empties  into  the  Big  Sandy,  opposite 
Prestonburg.  Garfield  thought  the  enemy  were  encamped  on 
Abbot's  Creek,  and  moved  up  towards  Middle  Creek  slowly, 
throwing  out  skirmishers  as  he  advanced.  Proceeding  thus 
a  couple  of  miles,  he  came  to  the  mouth  of  Middle  Creek,  a 
thousand  yards  up  which  he  now  ascertained  the  enemy  to 
be  in  position.  The  morning  had  dawned  gloomy  and  chill, 
but  the  troops  were  in  the  highest  spirits,  arid  eager  to  be 
led  against  the  enemy. 

Not  knowing  the  exact  position  of  the  rebel  force,  Garfield 
sent  forward  a  body  of  skirmishers  to  draw  their  fire,  and 
thus  ascertain  it.  Failing  to  do  this,  he  at  noon  ordered  his 
escort  of  cavalry,  only  twenty  in  number,  to  charge.  Away 
they  dashed,  with  pealing  bugle,  and  the  rebels  thinking  the 
whole  force  was  upon  them,  opened  with  shot  and  shell. 
This  disclosed  in  part  their  position.  One  regiment  was  posted 
behind  the  ridge,  a  point  of  which  he  himself  occupied,  and 
on  the  left  of  the  road  commanding  it.  Another  was  behind 
a  ridge  on  the  right  of  the  road,  while  the  artillery  was  posted 
between.  It  was  their  intention  to  draw  Garfield  along  the 
road  between  these  enfilading  fires  and  destroy  him.  But  in 
their  haste  they  had  revealed  the  trap,  and  Garfield  at  once 
formed  his  plan  of  attack.  He  sent  two  Kentucky  companies 
along  the  crest  of  the  ridge  on  the  point  of  which  he  was 
encamped  while  one  Ohio  company  was  ordered  to  cross  the 


240  THE     VICTORY. 

creek,  which  was  waist  deep,  and  occupy  a  spur  of  a  high, 
rocky  ridge  to  the  front  and  left  of  his  position.  In  a  few 
minutes  the  enemy  opened  with  two  cannon,  and  soon  the 
sharp  firing  of  musketry  showed  that  the  detachment  to  the 
left  was  hotly  engaged.  The  rebels,  however,  were  found  to 
be  in  overwhelming  force,  and  Garfield  hurried  forward 
reinforcements.  As  these  came  shouting  up  the  hill  the 
contest  became  fiercer.  The  rebels  at  length  succeeded  in 
occupying  the  main  ridge,  at  a  point  nearly  opposite  to  Gar- 
field's  position,  and  opened  a  heavy  fire  on  his  reserves.  To 
prevent  being  outflanked,  the  latter  ordered  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Monroe  to  cross  the  creek  a  short  distance  below, 
and  drive  back  the  enemy,  which  he  did  in  gallant  style. 
In  the  meantime,  Colonel  Cramer  and  Major  Pardee,  though 
outnumbered  three  to  one,  pushed  the  enemy  inch  by  inch 
up  the  steep  ridge  nearest  to  the  creek.  Never  did  troops 
behave  more  gallantly ;  still  Garfield  became  exceedingly 
anxious  as  he  saw  against  what  overwhelming  numbers  they 
were  slowly  making  their  desperate  way.  A  thousand  fresh 
troops,  and  he  felt  the  day  would  be  his  own  ;  still  they  did 
not  come;  and  hour  after  hour  he  had  to  maintain  the  une 
qual  conflict.  The  day  was  drawing  to  a -close,  and  still  the 
enemy  held  those  rugged  heights.  But  just  as  the  sun  was 
disappearing  behind  them,  loud  cheers  in  the  rear  announced 
the  arrival  of  reinforcements.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Sheldon, 
with  the  forty-second  Ohio,  had  marched  fifteen  miles  with 
out  breakfast,  toiling  at  the  top  of  their  speed  through  the 
deep  mud,  and  for  the  last  two  miles  on  a  run,  and  now  be 
spattered,  hungry,  and  exhausted,  demanded  with  loud  clamor 
to  be  led  against  the  enemy.  As  Garfield  saw  "the  bayonets 
of  the  brave  fellows  dancing  along  the  stream,  he  gave  a 
shout  of  joy,  and  flinging  his  coat  into  the  air  as  he  stripped 
himself  for  the  last  struggle,  immediately  ordered  forward 
the  whole  of  his  reserve  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Brown. 


FIGHT    AT    SILVER    CREEK.  241 

He  knew  the  decisive  hour  had  come,  and  hurling  his  entire 
line  of  battle  forward,  pushed  the  enemy  back  up  the  slope 
and  over  the  crest  of  the  ridges,  and  finally  forced  him  to 
retreat  in  confusion.  Night  had  now  come  on,  and  fearing 
that  his  troops  would  get  confused  among  the  hills  and  fire 
on  each  other,  he  ordered  a  halt,  designing  to  finish  the  work 
in  the  morning.  The  firing  had  scarcely  ceased,  when  a 
bright  light  streamed  up  from  the  valley  below,  where  the 
enemy  had  disappeared,  showing  that  he  was  burning  his 
stores,  preparatory  to  an  ignominious  flight. 

The  next  day  the  victorious  army  entered  Prestonburg  and 
found  it  nearly  deserted.  Seventy-five  of  the  enemy's  dead 
were  picked  up  on  the  field,  showing  that  his  loss  must  have 
been  severe,  while  our  own  was  less  than  thirty. 

Unable  to  obtain  provisions  here,  Garfield  moved  back  his 
brave,  half-starved  and  foot-sore  army  to  Paintsville. 

While  he  was  inflicting  this  severe  punishment  on  the 
rebels  in  Kentucky,  Pope  in  Missouri  wag  dealing  them 
another  of  his  unexpected  blows.  On  the  .eighth,  he  sent 
out  Major  Torrence  from  Booneville,  who  came  upon  the 
enemy  encamped  near  Silver  Creek.  The  latter  were  in  a 
strong  position,  protected  by  ravines,  underbrush  and  woods. 
The  cavalry  could  not  charge  through  the  obstructions,  and 
so  the  men  dismounted,  and  with  saber  and  revolver,  and 
guidons  flying  in  the  breeze,  dashed  forward  with  shouts  on 
the  camp,  followed  by  the  infantry.  A  short,  fierce  struggle 
followed,  and  the  field  was  won.  Darkness  coming  on,  and 
a  heavy  fog  settling  over  the  broken  and  wooded  country, 
no  pursuit  was  attempted;  and  after  setting  fire  to  the 
wagons,  tents,  and  camp  equipage,  Torrence  took  up  his 
backward  march.  His  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  was 
twenty-five,  while  that  of  the  enemy  was  at  least  three  times 
as  great. 

Two  days  after,  Porter,  commander  of  a  part  of  the  gun 


242  THE    WEST    MOVING. 

boat  fleet  on  the  Mississippi,  hearing  that  the  enemy  vras 
moving  up  from  Columbus,  sailed  down  to  meet  him,  and  a 
contest  followed  which  resulted  in  the  enemy  being  driven 
back  under  the  guns  of  their  fort. 

Thus  every  thing  at  the  west  in  the  opening  of  the  year 
betokened  stirring  times,  and  the  eyes  of  the  nation  were 
turned  thither  in  anxious  solicitude.  The  main  movements 
there  had  been  conducted  so  secretly,  and  such  a  strict 
espionage  was  kept  upon  newspaper  correspondents,  that 
the  public  were  almost  completely  in  the  dark  respecting 
what  was  going  on.  It  had  come  to  think  that  a  suspension 
of  hostilities  till  the  opening  of  spring  had  been  resolved 
upon  there  as  well  as  in  front  of  Washington.  But  now 
there  seemed  to  be  a  sudden  wakiilg  up,  and  before  the 
month  closed,  the  first  of  a  succession  of  heavy  blows  was 
struck  which  in  the  end  nearly  cleared  the  valley  of  the 
Mississippi. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

JANUARY,  18G2. 

POSITION    OF    AFFAIRS    IN  KENTUCKY GENERAL    THOMAS  MOVES  AGAINST  ZOL- 

LICOFFER'S  CAMP  ON  THE  CUMBERLAND — BATTLE  OF  MILL  SPRINGS — BAY 
ONET  CHARGE  BY  MC  COOK THE  VICTORY — IMPORTANCE  OF  IT — THE  "  CAI 
RO  EXPEDITION" — MOVEMENTS  EAST — DISASTER  TO  BURNSIDE'S  EXPEDITION 

OPERATIONS    ON    THE    SAVANNAH — FORT  PULASKI   CUT  OFF — RESIGNATION 

OF    CAMERON LAUNCH    OF    THE    MONITOR. 

AS  before  stated,  the  rebel  line  of  defense  in  Kentucky 
extended  from  Columbus  on  the  Mississippi,  to  the  Alle- 
ghany  Mountains.  About  midway  was  Bowling  Green,  where 
Johnston  commanded  in  person.  East,  towards  the  mountains 
was  Zollicoffer  with  a  large  force,  where  early  in  the  winter 
he  had  taken  up  an  intrenched  position  on  the  Cumbeiland 
river  near  Mill  Spring.  Against  this  line  of  defense,  Grant 
and  the  gun  boats  under  Foote,  were  preparing  to  move  on 
the  west.  Buell  was  advancing  on  Bowling  Green  in  the 
center,  and  Thomas  on  the  east,  near  the  mountains.  The 
latter  with  his  advance  regiments  reached  Logan's  cross  roads 
within  ten  miles  of  Zollicoffer's  intrenched  camp,  on  the  seven 
teenth  instant.  The  rest  of  his  command  was  struggling  for 
ward  over  almost  impassable  roads,  and  he  halted  here  to 
await  their  arrival. 

About  the  first  of  the  month,  General  Crittcnden,  son  of  the 
old  patriot  from  Kentucky,  arrived  at  the  rebel  camp  and  took 
command.  The  position  was  a  strong  one,  and  might  possi* 
bly  have  been  held  against  the  force  that  General  Thomas 
was  moving  upon  it.  Bat  Crittcnden  ascertaining  through 
his  scouts  the  scattered  condition  of  our  army,  determined  to 
attack  and  destroy  the  portion  in  advance  before  the  rest 

could  come  up. 
15 


244  A    SUNDAY    BATTLE. 

BATTLE    OF   MILL    SPRING. 

Carrying  out  this  plan,  he  early  on  Sunday  the  nineteenth, 
left  camp  with  eight  thousand  men,  expecting  to  take  Thomas 
by  surprise.  The  tenth  Indiana,  Colonel  Manson,  was  in  ad 
vance,  and  about  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  a  courier  dashed 
up  to  his  head-quarters,  announcing  that  the  enemy  in  im 
mense  force  was  close  upon  him.  The  long  roll  was  imme 
diately  beat,  and  the  regiment  sprang  to  arms, — the  next 
moment  the  heavy  firing  of  the  pickets  in  front  confirmed  the 
news.  Manson  immediately  ordered  forward  a  company  to 
support  the  pickets,  and  then  with  the  remainder  of  the  regi 
ment  moved  steadily  down  the  road  in  the  direction  of  the 
firing  until  he  came  within  seventy -five  yards  of  the  enemy, 
when  he  formed  his  line  of  battle.  The  latter  came  on  three 
regiments  strong,  and  poured  a  deadly  fire  into  the  Indianians. 
They,  however,  stubbornly  held  their  ground  for  an  hour 
against  this  overwhelming  force,  when  the  right  wing — too 
heavily  pressed,  began  to  fall  back.  At  this  critical  moment, 
the  fourth  Kentucky,  under  Colonel  Fry,  came  up  and  took 
position  on  the  left  and  poured  in  a  fearful  volley.  Manson 
then  rallied  his  right  wing.  At  this  moment,  General  Thom 
as  rode  on  to  the  field  and  saw  that  the  enemy  w as  advancing 
through  a  corn-field  to  gain  the  left  of  the  fourth  Kentucky, 
which  was  holding  its  ground  with  the  most  determined 
bravery.  Unappalled  by  the  tremendous  force  that'was  con 
stantly  accumulating  on  their  front  and  flank,  they  stood 
with  thinned  ranks,  apparently  determined  to  die  in  their 
places  rather  than  yield  one  foot  of  the  ground  they  held. 
But  their  ammunition  and  that  of  the  brave  Indianians  was 
becoming  rapidly  exhausted,  and  it  was  apparent  they  could 
•maintain  their  position  but  a  little  longer.  Thomas,  seeing 
their  danger,  ordered  up  McCook  with  the  ninth  Ohio,  and 
second  Minnesota.  This  gallant  officer  moved  rapidly  for- 


A   BAYONET    CHARGE.  245 

ward,  and  took  position  on  the  right  and  left  of  the  Mill  Spring 
road.  Learning1  that  the  enemy  were  in  position  on  the  top 
of  a  hill  beyond  a  piece  of  woods  in  his  front,  he  gave  the 
order  t:>  advance.  Moving  in  line  of  battle  through  the 
woods,  he  came  upon  the  fourth  Kentucky  slowly  retiring, 
while  the  Indianians  were  scattered  among  the  trees  waiting 
for  ammunition.  He  immediately  ordered  the  second  Min 
nesota  to  move  by  the  flank,  till  it  shook  itself  clear  of  these 
exhausted  regiments.  It  did  so  till  it  occupied  the  ground 
they  had  just  left, — their  right  flank  advanced  to  within  a 
few  feet  of  the  enemy.  The  ninth  Ohio  then  rapidly  closed 
up  to  prevent  its  being  outflanked,  and  a  close  and  murder 
ous  conflict  ensued — in  a  part  of  the  line  the  muzzles  of  the 
combatants. almost  touching.  The  rebels  unable  to  stand  the 
hot  fire  of  the  Minnesotans  retired  behind  some  piles  of  rails, 
where  they  were  enabled  to  hold  their  ground,  and  main 
tained  a  desperate  resistance  for  half  an  hour.  Close  in  front 
of  the  ninth  Ohio,  were  a  log  house,  stable  and  corn  crib 
which  sheltered  the  enemy.  These  McCook  charged  and 
took.  Still,  covered  by  the  woods,  the  enemy  stubbornly 
maintained  his  ground.  McCook  soon  seeing  that  though 
their  artillery  fortunately  overshot  his  line,  their  superior  num 
bers  and  this  mode  of  fighting,  would  in  the  end  tell  against 
him,  ordered  the  ninth  Ohio  to  charge  bayonets.  Discharging 
their  pieces,  the  gallant  fellows  quickly  fixed  bayonets,  and 
with  a  shout  that  rung  over  the  tumult  of  battle,  sprang 
forward.  The  enemy  saw  them  advancing,  but  stood  firm  to 
meet  the  shock.  On  came  the  line  of  leveled  steel  rigid  as 
the  unbending  brow  of  wrath.  They  that  bore  it  onward 
saw  the  unfaltering  ranks  waiting  to  receive  them,  with  de 
light,  and  with  shouts  louder  than  the  crash  of  the  volley 
that  smote  them,  charged  like  fire  through  the  smoke.  Their 
firm,  close  formation,  fearless  bearing,  and  determined  look 
were  too  much  for  the  rebels,  and  their  line  began  to  undu- 


246  THE    ENEMY    ROUTED. 

late,  tlien  sway  backwards,  and  just  before  the  shock  came, 
broke  in  utter  rout.  One  bullet  pierced  the  horse  of  Me- 
Cook,  another  his  coat,  and  a  third  his  leg;  still  he  limped 
forward  on  foot  at  the  head  of  his  column.  The  shout  that 
went  up  from  that  hill  top  was  heard  in  every  part  of  the 
field,  and  all  knew  that  the  victory  was  won.  Zollicoffer 
fell  mortally  wounded,  killed  it  was  said  by  Colonel  Fry,  who 
was  himself  wounded. 

Thomas  immediately  re-formed  his  regiments  and  advanced 
after  the  flying  enemy,  till  he  at  length  came  in  sight  of  their 
intrenchincnts,  on  which  he  opened  a  cannonade  and  kept 
it  up  until  dark.  Had  he  moved  on  their  works  at  once  he 
would  have  captured  nearly  the  whole  army.  But  ignorant 
of  their  character,  and  unwilling  to  risk  every  thing  on  an 
uncertainty,  he  determined  to  wait  till  morning  before  he 
made  the  attack. 

Taking  advantage  of  this  delay  and  of  the  darkness,  the 
enemy  fled  across  the  river  in  utter  confusion,  burning  the 
ferry  boats  behind  them.  The  r.cxt  morning,  the  army 
marched  into  the  deserted  works,  where  they  found  twelve 
pieces  of  artillery  which  the  rebels  had  abandoned  in  their 
flight,  a  hundred  and  fifty -six  wagons,  a  thousand  horses  and 
mules,  beside  a  large  quantity  of  muskets,  ammunition,  com 
missary  stores,  and  camp  equipage. 

Thomas  having  no  means  of  crossing  the  river,  it  was  im 
possible  to  pursue  the  enemy,  who,  it  was  afterwards  ascer 
tained,  fled  in  a  disorganized  mass  through  the  country,  leav 
ing  their  wounded  scattered  all  along  their  route. 

Our  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  was  a  hundred  and  eighty  - 
six ;  that  of  the  enemy  including  prisoners,  so  for  as  known 
certainly,,  was  three  hundred  and  forty-nine. 

It  was  a  brilliant  victory  in  itself,  while  its  bearing  on  fu 
ture  operations  was  of  the  greatest  importance.  The  enemy's 
\jne  of  defense  in  Kentucky  was  broken  in  one  point,  which 


THE   CAIRO    EXPEDITION.  247 

rendered  a  flank  movement  possible,  even  though  it  resisted 
in  the  center  and  on  the  Mississippi. 

The  return  of  the  u  Cairo  expedition,"  as  it  was  called, 
closed  military  operations  in  the  west  for  the  month  of  Jan 
uary,  With  about  five  thousand  men,  infantry  and  cavalry 
together,  General  McClernand  set  out  from  Cairo  on  the 
tenth,  scouring  the  country  south  of  the  Ohio  in  the  direc 
tion  of  Columbus.  Tedious  and  difficult  marches  were 
made,  but  no  battles  fought,  and  the  force  returned  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  month,  with  nothing  to  show  as  the  result 
of  this  expedition  in  midwinter  over  almost  impassable 
roads.  The  public  wondered  what  it  had  been  undertaken 
for,  and  to  this  day  its  object  remains  a  mystery.  McCler- 
nand's  official  report  failed  to  clear  it  up.  He  said  they  had 
*'*  discovered  several  important  roads  not  laid  down  on  the 
maps,"  "had  exploded  many  false  reports  studiously  and  sedu 
lously  circulated  to  our  detriment,"  "  forcibly  and  deeply 
impressed  the  inhabitants  of  the  district  through  which  it 
passed,  with  the  superiority  of  our  military  operations,  and 
of  our  ultimate  ability  to  conquer  the  rebellion,"  and  u  in 
spired  hope  among  many  loyal  citizens"  whom,  he  adds, 
"our  unexpected  withdrawal  will  probably  leave  victims  of 
rebel  persecution  and  proscription."  For  a  inarch  of  one 
hundred  and  forty  miles  by  the  cavalry,  and  seventy-five  by 
the  infantry,  over  intolerable  roads  and  in  the  most  inclem 
ent,  trying  part  of  the  year,  this  catalogue  of  valuable 
results  achieved  docs  not  impress  one  as  very  remarkable. 

East,  the  month  closed  in  sad  disappointment,  for  disheart 
ening  news  was  received  from  the  famous  Burnside  expedi 
tion,  as  it  was  termed.  It  had  been  a  long  time  in  prepara 
tion,  and  by  its  formidable  character  awakened  in  the  public 
extravagant  expectations.  The  naval  force  consisted  of 
twenty- three  gun  boats — all  but  three,  steamers — under  the 
command  of  Goldsborough.  These  were  accompanied  bj 

O*"   0?  THT5 


248  WRECK  OF  BURNSIDE'S  FLEET. 

some  twenty  thousand  troops  under  Burnside,  an  energetic 
and  popular  leader.  The  country  was  kept  in  profound  ig- 
norance  of  its  destination,  but  nil  believed,  when  it  sailed  on 
the  eleventh  from  Hampton  roads,  that  a  great  and/  decisive 
blow  would  be  struck  somewhere  on  the  southern  coast,  and 
waited  with  the  deepest  anxiety  to  hear  from  it. 

At  last  the  mystery  that  had  enveloped  it  was  cleared  up, 
and  the  news  that  the  fleet  had  been  scattered  and  wrecked, 
burst  like  a  clap  of  thunder  on  the  land.  It  was  expected 
that  the  south  would  be  kept  in  complete  ignorance  of  its 
destination,  till  the  thunder  of  cannon  against  some  of  its 
strongholds  should  reveal  it;  but  alas,  a  part  of  it  lay  dis 
mantled  and  wrapt  in  a  fierce  storm  in  Pamlico  sound,  and 
a  part  pounding  on  the  bar  in  Hatteras  inlet,  vainly  endeav 
oring  to  get  over — exposing  at  the  same  time  its  destination 
and  its  powerlessness  to  effect  any  immediate  injury.  rl  he 
largest  vessels  had  been  contracted  to  draw  only  a  certain 
depth  of  water  which  was  known  to  exist  on  the  swash,  but 
now  they  were  found  to  draw  more,  and  hence  were  totally 
useless  to  the  expedition.  Burnside  had  reason  to  expect 
the  storm,  for  this  part  of  our  coast,  at  all  times  dangerous  to 
navigation,  is  especially  so  in  midwinter,  but  not  this  decep 
tion  respecting  the  draft  of  vessels.  His  great  heart  was 
overwhelmed  at  the  magnitude  of  the  disaster  that  had  over 
taken  him,  yet  it  did  not  yield  to  despair.  A  religious  man, 
and  believing  in  the  righteousness  of  his  cause,  he  felt  confi 
dent  that  the  Supreme  Governor  of  the  Universe  would  over 
rule  it  for  good. 

The  propellor  "City  of  New  York"  foundered  on  the  bar, 
and  for  forty-eight  hours  lay  at  the  mercy  of  the  sea — the 
waves  making  a  clean  breach  over  her.  She  was  laden  with 
ammunition,  tents,  blankets,  and  valuable  stores,  and  her  loss 
would  be  a  terrible  blow  to  the  expedition.  Dut  though 
thirty  vessels  lay  in  sight  they  were  unable  to  afford  any 


A   SAD    PROSPECT.  249 

relief,  and  all  Tuesday  and  Tuesday  night  she  wallowed  amid 
the  breakers,  a  helpless  wreck.  All  her  boats  but  one  had 
been  carried  away  or  crushed,  and  her  despairing  crew 
lashed  themselves  to  the  rigging  to  prevent  being  swept 
away  by  the  seas  that  incessantly  rolled  over  her.  Their 
destruction  seemed  inevitable,  when  two  mechanics  from 
Newark,  William  and  Charles  Beach,  volunteered  the  des 
perate  undertaking  of  launching  the  last  remaining  boat  and 
pulling  through  the  surf  to  the  fleet.  They  succeeded  with 
the  aid  of  three  others,  and  obtaining  surf  boats,  saved  the 
entire  crew.  The  vessel,  however,  was  a  total  loss. 

The  steam  gun  boat  Zouave  sunk  at  her  anchorage,  and  a 
transport  laden  with  stores  went  down  on  the  bar.  The 
Ann  E.  Thompson,  with  the  New  Jersey  ninth  volunteers  lay 
outside,  and  Colonel  Allen  and  Surgeon  F.  L.  Weller  took 
a  boat  and  pulled  over  the  bar  through  the  inlet,  to  report 
their  condition.  Having  accomplished  their  perilous  under 
taking  successfully,  they  attempted  to  return,  when  the  boat 
swamped  in  the  heavy  seas,  and  they  both  perished.  Other 
vessels  got  aground — one  transport  was  blown  to  sea,  and 
for  five  days  was  without  water, — the  Pocahontas,  loaded 
with  a  hundred  and  twenty-three  horses,  was  wrecked,  and 
and  all  but  seventeen  perished. 

The  situation  in  which  Burnside  now  found  himself  was 
enough  to  fill  a  less  resolute  heart  than  his  with  despair. 
The  magnificent  fleet  that  a  few  days  before  had  crowded 
after  his  flag  as  he  moved  over  the  ocean,  was  scattered  and 
wrecked — his  ammunition  and  stores  at  the  bottom* of  the 
sea,  while  his  best  vessels  lay  tossing  outside,  unable  to  cross 
the  bar. 

To  lighten  these  so  that  they  could  be  got  over,  was  the* 
first  object  to  be  secured,  and  after  incredible  labor,  was  ac 
complished.  But  even  then  he  could  do  nothing,  for  the 
weather  was  terrible  even  for  this  inhospitable  coast,  and 


250  FORT    PULASKI    CUT    OFF. 

storm  after  storm  swept  him  with  a  fury  that  threatened  to 
mako  a  complete  end  of  the  destruction  that  had  been  begun. 
The  immense  pains  that  had  been  taken  to  keep  the  precise 
point  against  which  his  expedition  was  to  operate,  had  all 
been  in  vain.  Tho  elements  had  revealed  it  to  the  enemy, 
and  ample  time  was  now  given  him  to  prepare  for  his  de 
fense.  Surprise  was  out  of  the  question,  and  if  any  thing 
was  to  be  accomplished  it  must  be  by  hard  fighting.  At  all 
events,  this  imposing  land  and  naval  force  must  lie  idle  the 
remainder  of  the  month. 

While  Burnside  was  attempting  to  repair  his  disasters,  in 
Pamlico  sound,  events  were  occurring  on  the  Georgia  coast 
which  promised  in  a  short  time  to  place  fort  Pulaski  in  our 
possession,  if  not  Savannah  itself.  Reconnoissances  had  been 
pushed  by  Sherman,  at  Port  Royal,  up  the  various  inlets  and 
channels  that  run  from  the  Savannah  river  through  the  vast 
marshes  that  border  it  to  the  sea,  to  ascertain  if  there  was 
any  way  of  getting  to  Savannah,  without  passing  the  guns 
of  fort  Pulaski.  After  immense  labor  and  hardship,  Lieu 
tenant  Wilson,  chief  of  Topographical  engineers,  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  Savannah  through  Mud  and  Wright  rivers, 
as  they  were  called,  and  reported  them  navigable  for  gun 
boats  of  light  draught.  In  the  mean  time,  another  passage, 
on  the  right  side  of  the  Savannah,  leading  to  it  from  Wil 
mington  sound,  had  been  discovered.  Sherman  immediately 
determined  to  avail  himself  of  both  of  these,  and  succeeded 
finally  in  cutting  off  Pulaski  from  Savannah.  Batteries  were 
erected  on  mud  banks  scarcely  above  the  water  level,  and 
guns  mounted  where  the  rebels  deemed  such  a  thing  impos 
sible  ;  and  eventually  an  island  in  the  river  itself  was  occcu- 
pied,  which  shut  up  Tatnall's  fleet,  and  filled  the  people  of  Sa 
vannah  with  consternation. 

In  the  prosecution  of  these  enterprises  the  soldiers  were 
Subjected  to  trials  more  severe  than  those  encountered  on 


LAUNCH    OF    THE    MONITOR.  251 

the  battle  field,  and  exhibited  an  endurance  and  energy  that 
entitles  them  to  the  highest  praise. 

But  perhaps  no  event  of  this  month  wrought  so  great  a 
change  in  the  manner  of  prosecuting  the  war,  as  the  rcsig-' 
nation  of  Cameron.  The  President  who  had  clung  to  him 
with -a  strange  tenacity,  was  at  length  compelled  to  yield  to 
the  pressure  of  public  opinion,  and  in  a  gentle  and  diplo 
matic  manner  informed  him  that  he  would  dispense  with  his 
services.  Mr.  Stan ton  of  Pennsylvania,  a  democrat,  was  ap 
pointed  in  his  place,  and  the  sudden  energy  he  infused  into 
his  department,  inspired  both  army  and  people  with  conli- 
dencc.  It  was  believed  that  the  day  of  contractors  was 
over,  and  that  the  war  would  begin  in  earnest. 

The  fall  of  the  former  Secretary  of  War  was  broken  by 
his  nomination  soon  after,  as  minister  to  the  Russian  court. 
In  doing  this,  the  President  followed  a  custom  universally 
practiced  by  European  monarchs,  but  one  which  was  consid 
ered  of  a  very  doubtful  propriety  by  the  American  people. 

But  the  most  important  event  that  marked  the  close  of  the 
month,  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  was  the  launch  of  the  Erics 
son  floating  battery,  on  the  thirtieth  day  of  January,  at 
Green  Point,  Being  constructed  on  an  entirely  new  mode, 
and  asserted  by  her  inventor  to  be  absolutely  shot  proof,  she 
excited  a  good  deal  of  curiosity.  With  her  deck  but  just 
above  water,  and  surmounted  by  a  single  iron  revolving  tur 
ret,  pierced  for  only  two  heavy  guns,  she  presented  a  novel  ap 
pearance.  She  was  a  naval  curiosity,  and  looked  upon  as  an 
experiment  on  a  small  scale,  which  might  work  some  changes 
in  naval  architecture,  nothing  more.  Those  who  saw  her  slip 
olf  into  the  water,  little  dreamed  that  in  a  few  days  she  \vas 
to  save  us  from  disasters  that  the  imagination  trembles  even 
yet  to  contemplate — startle  the  maritime  nations  from  their 
composure,  and  work  a  sudden  revolution  in  naval  warfare — 
the  like  of  which  the  world  has  never  witnessed. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

FEBRUARY,  18G2. 

THE    OPENING     OF     FEBRUARY KENTUCKY — THE     ENEMY*S    LINE     OF    DEFENSE 

TO  'BE    BROKEN    ON    THE    TENNESSEE    AND  CUMBERLAND  —  FOKTS   HENRY  AND 

DONKLSON EXPEDITION    AGAINST    THE    FORMER CAPTURE    OF  IT  BY   FOOTS 

WITH    HIS    GUN    BOATS — DESCRIPTION    OF EXPEDITION    UP    THE    TENNESSEE! 

UNDER    LIEUTENANT    PHELPS GRANT    ADVANCES  ACROSS  THE    COUNTRY  AND 

INVESTS    FORT    DONELSON — ATTACK    BY    FOOTE    WITH    HIS    GUN    BOATS. 

THOUGH  the  month  of  January  had  shown  considerable 
activity  in  the  field  in  various  sections  of  the  country,  it 
was  the*  mere  skirmishing  of  outposts  compared  to  the  tre 
mendous  movements  that  inaugurated  the  month  of  February. 
Nearly  a  year  had  passed  since  the  war  had  commenced,  and 
though  the  Federal  forces  had  gained  some  valuable  points, 
yet  no  deadly  blow  had  been  struck  at  the  rebellion. 

The  government  was  well  aware  that  whatever  advantages 
were  secured  elsewhere,  they  would  avail  but  little  £0  long 
as  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi  remained  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.  Bowling  Green  and  Columbus  were  places  of  immense 
strength,  and  it  had  long  contemplated  the  plan  of  breaking 
the  rebel  line  of  defenses  by  the  way  of  the  Tennessee  and 
Cumberland  rivers,  instead  of  at  these  points.  These  streams 
flow  north  into  the  Ohio,  and  while  in  the  state  of  Kentucky, 
run  nearly  parallel  and  not  far  apart.  In  the  winter  time, 
they  are  sa  swollen  that  they  admit  for  a  long  distance  the 
passage  of  first  class  steamboats.  Where  they  cross  the 
Tennessee  line  they  are  about  twelve  miles  apart,  and  here 
the  enemy  had  erected  two  strong  fortifications — fort  Doncl- 
son  on  the  Cumberland  and  fort  Henry  on  the  Tennessee. 
Could  these  points  be  forced,  both  Bowling  Green  andOolum- 


FORT    HENRY.  253 

bus  would  be  effectually  turned,  and  their  evacuation  become 
a  necessity. 

After  much  deliberation  it  was  resolved  to  attack  fort 
Henry  first.  To  make  success  certain,  Halleck  determined 
to  move  against  it  simultaneously  by  land  and  water.  Foote, 
with*  seven  gun  boats,  was  directed  to  engage  the  batteries  in 
fro:it,  wliile  Grant,  with  a  largo  land  force  from  Cairo,  should 
land  below  and  take  it  in  flank  and  rear. 

EXPEDITION    AGAINST    FORT  HENRY. 

The  expedition  started  on  the  fifth  of  February,  and  pro 
ceeding  up  the  river,  landed  the  infantry  four  miles  below 
the  fort.  A  reconnoissance  was  then  made  by  Footc,  by 
which  ho  ascertained  the  position  of  the  batteries,  and  suc 
ceeded  in  discovering  and  removing  several  torpedoes  which 
had  been  sunk  in  the  river  for  the  purpose  of  blowing  up  the 
vessels. 

As  night  came  on,  the  fleet  cast  anchor  abreast  of  Grant's 
camp,  to  wait  till  the  next  morning,  when  the  combined 
attack  was  to  be  made.  The  numberless  camp  fires  that 
lighted  up  the  shores,  and  were  reflected  in  the  swiftly  flow 
ing  stream,  and  those  seven  dark  monsters  sleeping  ominously 
on  tho  water,  combined  to  form  a  scene  of  thrilling  interest 
The  night  was  dark,  for  heavy  clouds  wrapped  the  heavens, 
and  the  wind  swept  by  in  fitful  gusts,  making  weird  harmony 
with  the  monotonous  roar  of  the  turbulent  waters.  Soon  the 
gathering  storm  burst' upon  the  camp  in  all  its  fury,  making 
the  long  night  seem  still  longer. 

At  length  the  welcome  day  broke,  and  all  was  preparation 
for  the  first  great  struggle  on  the  western  waters.  Foote, 
aftor  admonishing  Grant  that  he  must  hurry  or  he  would  not 
arrive  in  timo  to  take  part  in  the  engagement,  about  ten 
o'clock  steamed  up  toward  the  fort.  It  stood  on  a  bend 


254  THE   ATTACK. 

of  tlio  river,  and  commanded  it  for  a  long  way  down.  An 
island  lay  about  a  mile  below  it,  behind  which  Foote  kept 
his  boats,  so  as  to  escape  the  long  range  of  the  rifled  guns  of 
the  enemy.  His  orders  were  for  the  iron-clad  beats  to  move 
slowly  and  abreast,  straight  on  the  batteries,  while  the  wooden 
ones  should  follow  at  some  distance  in  the  rear.  In  this  way 
he  kept  on  under  cover  of  the  island,  and  at  length  emerged 
at  its  head  in  full  view  of  the  fort.  Here  the  wooden  ves 
sels'  halted,  while  the  Cincinnati,  St.  Louis,  Carondelet,  and 
Essex  slowly  steamed  on. 

CAPTURE    OF    FORT    HENRY. 

The  next  moment  the  enemy's  batteries  opened,  and  the 
heavy  shot  and  shell  came  raining  on  the  little  squadron. 
From  the  bows  of  those  vessels  there  burst  simultaneously, 
white  puffs  of  smoke,  and  the  battle  commenced.  The  gar 
rison  had  obtained  perfect  range,  r.nd  their  heavy  shells 
smote  with  terrible  precision  the  advancing  boats.  Foote 
had  given  orders  to  fire  slow  and  deliberately,  and  his  shells 
burst  with  fearful  effect  amid  the  enemy's  guns.  The  rebel 
infantry  outside  of  the  works  became  terror-stricken,  as  the 
ponderous  missiles  screamed  and  exploded  around  them, 
and  fled  precipitately.  The  little  garrison,  however,  under 
the  command  of  General  Tillghman,  stood  bravely  to  their 
guns.  Their  heavy  rifled  piece  soon  burst,  but  they  did  not 
slacken  fire.  Sand  bags  and  earth  flew  around  them,  and 
the  bursting  shells  filled  the  air  with  fragments;  yet  they 
never  flinched.  The  flag-ship  Cincinnati  and  the  Essex, 
seemed  to  occupy  their  chief  attention,  and  the  two  boats 
received  a  terrible  pounding,  yet  they  never  swerved.  Mov 
ing  on  in  flame,  they  crept  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  bat 
teries,  sending  their  shot  with  such  precision  that  gun  after 
of  the  enemy  was  dismounted.  The  heavy  explosions 


A   TERRIBLE    SHOT.  255 

shook  the  shore,  sending  terror  to  the  inhabitants  far  inland. 
The  battle  had  raged  nearly  an  hour,  when  a  twenty-four 
pound  shot  entered  a  port-hole  of  the  Essex,  through  Avkich 
Porter  was  watching  the  effect  of  his  shot.  The  fearful  mes 
senger  of  destruction  struck  young  Brittain,  r,n  aid  who 
stood  at  his  side  at  the  time,  leaving  his  head  a  mangled 
mass ;  and  flying  on  its  terrible  way,  crashed  through  the 
thick  oak  planking  that  surrounded  the  machinery,  and 
plunged  into  the  middle  boiler.  The  steam,  rushed  out  with 
a  frightful  sound  and  enveloped  the  crew.  Immediately  all 
was  confusion — the  sailors  ran  hither  and  thither  in  their 
agony  to  find  a  breath  of  fresh  air,  and  some  threw  them 
selves  out  of  the  port-holes  into  the  river.  The  two  pilots 
struggled  de.-perately  to  get  out  of  the  pilot-house,  and  in 
their  agony  stretched  their  arms  through  the  look-outs,  to 
feel  the  fresh  air  ibr  which  they  were  gasping,  and  sunk  suf 
focated  at  the*.f  posts.  Twenty-nine  officers  and  men,  in 
cluding  Captain  Porter,  who  was  badly  scalded,  were  hilled 
or  disabled  by  the  effect  of  this  single  shot.  The  boat,  of 
course,  was  compelled  to  drop  out  of  the  fight.  Yv  hen  the 
rebels  saw  it  they  sent  up  a  cheer,  and  sprang  to  their  guns 
with  renewed  vigor. 

But  Foote,  with  his  three  remaining  vessels,  never  paused 
in  his  terrible  advance,  but  with  bows  on,  moved  steadily 
forward  till  he  got  within  six  or  seven  hundred  yards  of  the 
fort.  At  length,  most  of  his  guns  being  dismounted,  Tiilgh- 
man  lowered  his  flag,  and  the  day  was  won.  The  battle  had 
lasted  an  hour  and  twenty  minutes. 

All  this  time  Grant  was  toiling  forward  with  his  army. 
But  the  rain  had  made  the  roads  so  muddy  that  his  progress 
was  slow,  and  he  was  still  a  long  way  off  when  the  heavy 
cannonading  broke  along  the  shore.  As  the  sullen  echoes 
died  away,  the  troops  sent  up  a  loud  shout,  and  breaking 
into  the  double  quick,  pressed  forward.  For  more  than  an 


25G  EXPEDITION    UP   THE   TENNESSEE. 

hour  they  struggled  on  through  mire  and  swamps,  when  sud 
denly  t:ie  firing  ceased.  What  could  it  mean  ?  was  the  anx 
ious  inquiry  of  every  one.  Had  Foote  been  beaten  back? 
Soon,  however,  one  of  the  scouts  who  had  been  sent  -out 
in  advance,  came  galloping  up  bespattered  with  mud,  arid 
announced  that  the  fort  had  surrendered. 

Tiie  ne  .vs  spread  like  wildfire  through  the  army,  and  then 
such  a  shout  went  up  as  never  before  shook  the  shores 
of  the  Tennessee.  In  half  an  hour  afterward  Grant  arrived 
at  the  fort,  when  the  command  was  turned  over  to  him. 

Footc,  in  his  official  report,  put  his  loss  in  killed  and 
wounded,  and  missing,  at  forty-eight.  His  own  ship,  the 
Cincinnati,  was  struck  thirty-one  times,  the  Essex  fifteen,  the 
St.  Louis  seven,  and  the  Carondelet  six.  On  the  t\vo  latter, 
however,  were  no  casualties.  The  garrison  that  surrendered 
consisted  of  sixty  or  seventy  men,  with  sixty  invalids.  The 
fort  was  mounted  with  twenty  guns,  most  of  them  of  heavy 
caliber,  which  with  barracks  and  tents  sufficient  to  hold  fif 
teen  thousand  men,  fell  into  our  possession. 

x 

EXPEDITION    UP    THE  TENNESSEE    RIVER. 

Foote  immediately  sent  three  gun  boats  up  the  river 
andcr  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Phelps,  to  destroy  the 
rail  road  bridge  leading  to  Columbus,  and  capture  two  boats 
that  had  flecl  on  the  surrender  of  the  fort.  Finding  they 
could  not  escape,  the  rebels  set  these  on  fire  and  abandoned 
them,  when  they  soon  after  blew  up  with  a  terrific  explosion. 
Proceeding  up  the  river,  Phelps  destroyed  the  bridge  and 
captured  a  gun  boat  which  was  in  progress  of  completion. 
Continuing  on  into  the  state  of  Mississippi,  he  captured  two 
more  steamers,  one  freighted  with  iron  for  rebel  use.  He 
went  as  far  as  Florence,  Alabama,  where  were  three  steam 
ers  which  the  enemy  succeeded  in  burning.  All  along  his 


LOVE  OF  THE  OLD  FLAG.  257 

route  lie  witnessed  demonstrations  of  loyalty.  Old  men  and 
women  flocked  10  the  shore  to  greet  the  old  flag — many 
even  shedding  tears  as  they  once  more  sa\y  the  stars  ancj 
stripes  waving  before  them. 

The  news  of  the  capture  of  fort  Henry  was  received  all 
over  the  north  with  demonstrations  of  delight.  Foote  was 
hailed  as  a  hero,  and  our  brave  tars  took,  if  possible,  a  still 
higher  place  in  the  affections  of  the  people. 

All  eyes  were  now  turned  towards  fort  Donelson,  which 
lay  nearly  opposite  on  the  Cumberland,  some  twelve  miles' 
distant.  This  was  a  stronger  and  more  important  position, 
and  was  garrisoned  by  fifteen  thousand  troops.  It  was  the 
key  to  Nashville,  the  capital  of  Tennessee  and  an  important 
depot  of  supplies  to  the  rebel  army,  the  possession  of  which 
would  render  the  evacuation  of  Bowling  Green  by  Johnston 
inevitable.  Baell  had  for  a  long  time  been  slowly  advancing 
against  this  stronghold,  impeded  at  every  step  by  the  de 
struction  of  bridges,  and  every  device  which  a  skillful  enemy 
could  invent. 

ADVANCE  ON  FORT  DONELSON. 

Six  days-  after  the  surrender  of  fort  Henry,  Grant  started 
across  the  country  with  fifteen  thousand  men,  in  two  divis 
ions  under  McClernand  and  Smith — six  regiments  having 
been  sent  off  by  water  the  day  before.  At  noon  he  was 
within  two  miles  of  the  place,  and  drove  in  the  enemy's 
pickets.  The  gun  boats,  under  Foote,  not  having  arrived, 
but  little  was  done  the  next  day  except  to  complete  the  in-- 
vestment  of  the  place.  In  doing  this,  Generalise wis  Wallace 
was  ordered  to  make  an  assault  on  the  enemy's  middle  re- 
doubt.  Three  Illinois  regiments,  under  the  command  of 
Colonel  Hayne,  as  senior  colonel,  were  selected  for  the  des 
perate  undertaking.  Forming  in  line  of  battle,  they  moved 


258  STORMING   A    UEDOUBT. 

in  fine  order  across  the  intervening  ravines,  and  mounted 
\vith  the  coolness  of  veterans  the  steep  hight  on  which  the 
redoubt  stood..  The  enemy,  screened  behind  their  embank 
ments,  poured  into  the  exposed  ranks  a  terrible  fire  of  mus 
ketry — still  the  brave  Illinoisans  steadily  advanced.  But  at 
this  critical  juncture  it  was  found  that  the  line  was  not  long 
enough  to  envelop  the  works,  and  the  forty  fifth  was  ordered 
to  their  support.  While  these  movements  were  being  carried 
out,  the  enemy  threw  forward  strong  reinforcements  of  men 
'and  field  artillery,  which  soon  swept  the  advancing  line  with 
murderous  effect.  But  onward  pressed  those  undaunted 
regiments, — leaving  their  dead  and  wounded  strewing  the 
slope — till  they  came  to  the  foot  of  the  works,  where  a  fringe 
of  long  poles  and  brushwood  presented  a  tangled  wall  of 
jagged  points,  through  which  no  troops  under  Heaven  could 
force  their  way  in  the  face  of  such  a  fire.  Braver  officers 
never  led  men  to  death,  but  they  found  they  had  been  sent 
to  accomplish  an  impossible  work,  and  gave  the  reluctant 
order  to  fall  back.  Colonel  Morrison  commanding  the  forty- 
ninth  Illinois,  was  wounded,  and  many  brave ,  officers  fell  in 
this  attempt,  which  is  certainly  open  to  criticism. 

The  troops  lay  down  in  point  blank  rifle  range  of  the  ene 
my,  without  tents  or  fire.  At  dark,  a  cold,  heavy  rain  began 
to  fall,  which  soon  turned  into  sleet  and  snow,  accompanied 
by  fierce  gusts  of  wintry  wind.  It  was  a  night  of  great 
hardship  and  suffering,  yet  it  was  borne  without  a  murmur 
by  these  indomitable  men,  who  were  about  to  give  a  world 
wide  reputation  to  their  state.  The  sharp  sound  of  picket 
firing  was  heard  during  the  pauses  of  the  storm,  while  muf 
fled  murmurs  rising  through  the  thick  air  in  front  showed 
that  the  enemy  were  receiving  heavy  reinforcements. 

For  twelve  long  hours  the  men  lay  in  the  cold,  pelting 
storm,  cheerful,  not  because  the  day  would  bring  repose  and 
comfort,  but  because  it  would  usher  in  the  deadly  combat, 


DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    FORT.  259 

,  when  they  would  teach  rebels  how  freemen  could  strike  for 
the  land  they  loved. 

The  works  before  them  were  but  imperfectly  known  to 
the  officers,  though  it  was  certain  they  were  of  the  most  for 
midable  character.  On  the  river  side  were  two  batteries — 
the  lower  one  mounting  eight  thirty-two-pounders  and  a  ten 
inch  columbiad — the  upper,  thirty  feet  above  this,  two  thirty- 
two-pound  carronades  and  a  thirty-two-pound  rifled  gun, 
which  completely  commanded  the  river.  The  main  fort  was 
in  the  rear  and  occupied  a  high  ridge,  cut  on  the  south  by  a 
deep  gorge.  In  front  of  it  run  a  line  of  rifle  pits,  protected 
in  turn  by  fallen  trees  and  brush,  cut  and  bent  over  breast 
high,  making  an  almost  impassable  obstruction.  The  cannon 
mounted  on  the  hights  behind  these,  swept  the  whole  coun 
try  for  miles.  Establishing  a  line  parallel  to  the  enemy's, 
Grant  gradually  extended  his  wings  to  the  right  and  left  to 
wards  the  river,  so  as  to  completely  encircle  them. 

While  the  process  of  investment  was  thus  going  on,  Foote 
on  the  fourteenth  advanced  to  the  attack  with  his  gun  boats. 
With  his  four  iron-clads  in  front  and  two  wooden  ones 
in  the  rear,  he  moved  steadily  up  towards  the  batteries, 
and  as  soon  as  he  came  within  range,  opened  with  his  heavy 
bow  guns.  But  little  fear  was  felt  for  the  vessels,  for  the 
Carondelet  had  gone  up  the  day  before  on  a  reconnoissance, 
and  single  handed  engaged  all  the  batteries,  maintaining  her 
ground  till  she  had  fired  over  a  hundred  shots,  and  receiving 
but  little  damage,  except  from  one  enormous  shot  which 
happened  to  enter  one  of  her  forward  ports,  wounding  eight 
men. 

The  boats  therefore  moved  without  hesitation  into  the 
fire, — steering  straight  for  the  batteries.  When  they  got 
within  close  range  the  fire  became  terrific.  The  enemy's  guns 
were  well  served,  and  their  heavy  metal  smote  the  advanc-i 

ing  boats  with  tremendous  force.     The  water  was  plowed 
16 


260  A   SERIOUS   ACCIDENT. 

up  in  every  direction,  and  the  air  filled  with  the  scream\ 
ing,  bursting  shells;  yet  the  pilots,  steady  to  their  work,  kept 
the  vessels'  bows  on  to  the  volcano  in  front,  and  the  slowly 
revolving  wheels  carried  them  nearer  and  nearer,  while  the 
smoke  rolled  away  from  them  in  huge,  white  clouds. 

They  thus  fought  and  advanced  for  an  hour  and  a  quarter, 
the  flag-ship  alone  having  received  fifty -nine  shots.  Under 
the  horrible  fire  that  smote  it,  Foote  saw  that  the  pilot  was 
getting  nervous,  and  advancing,  laid  his  hand  on  his  shoul 
der  and  spoke  encouragingly,  when  at  that  moment  a  shot 
struck  the  poor  fellow,  leaving  him  a  mangled  corse.  Foote 
himself  was  wounded  in  the  foot,  but  still  limped  around  on 
his  deck,  giving  his  orders  coolly  as  though  taking  sound 
ings.  He  had  now  got  within  four  hundred  yards  of  the 
batteries,  and  their  lire  began  to  slacken  under  the  heavy 
rain  of  shells  that  momentarily  exploded  in  their  midst,  and 
the  victory  seemed  about  to  be  won,  when  a  shot  carried 
away  the  wheel  of  the  Louisville.  There  was  a  tiller  aft 
which  the  pilot  instantly  seized,  but  he  had  hardly  fetched 
the  bow  back  to  its  place  as  it  was  swinging  off  before  the 
swift  current,  when  an  accidental  shot  from  her  own  consort, 
the  Tyler,  smote  it,  knocking  it  into  fragments.  The  help 
less  boat  then  swung  backward,  and  began  to  drift  out  of 
the  fire.  The  wheel  of  the  flag-ship  St.  Louis  was  also  shot 
away,  and  she  became  unmanageable,  while  the  other  two 
boats  were  seriously  disabled,  and  soon  floated  down  the 
current  with  the  rest. 

Fifty-four  on  our  side  had  been  killed  and  wounded  in 
this  desperate  fight,  while  no  perceptible  damage  had  been 
inflicted  on  the  enemy.  The  water  battery,  it  is  true,  had 
been  pretty  effectually  silenced,  but  the  guns  on  the  bluff 
above  were  too  high  to  be  reached  from  the  decks  of  the 
boats,  and  it  was  evident  if  the  place  was  to  be  captured  it 
must  be  done  by  the  land  forces  alone. 


A   REBEL    CONSULTATION.  261 

The  comparative  ease  with  which  the  gun  boats  had  dis 
posed  of  fort  Henry,  had  created  the  utmost  confidence  in 
their  power  to  demolish,  at  least,  the  river  batteries  of  fort 
Donelson  also.  But  for  the  singular  accidents  that  befel  the 
St.  Louis  and  Louisville,  rendering  them  totally  unmanage 
able  in  the  swift  current  of  the  Cumberland,  Foote  believed 
that  in  fifteen  minutes  more  he  would  have  accomplished 
this.  Be  this  as  it  may,  the  attack  by  water  had  failed,  and 
the  disabled  boats  could  not  be  put  in  condition  for  a  second 
attempt  for  many  days.  Grant  then  determined  to  com 
plete  the  investment,  and  wait  till  they  should  be  ready  to 
co-operate  with  him.  With  his  superior  numbers  he  could 
do  this,  and  in  time  starve  out  the  garrison,  and  this  was 
what  they  feared.  Floyd  was  in  chief  command  of  the  fort, 
and  Pillow  and  Buckner  next  in  rank.  The  former  immedi 
ately  called  a  consultation  of  the  officers  to  determine  under 
the  circumstances  what  course  it  was  best  to  take.  After 
full  deliberation,  it  was  resolved  that  only  one  was  left  open 
to  them  offering  any  chance  of  success,  and  that  was,  to 
break  through  our  lines  up  the  river,  and  so  escape  to  the 
open  country  towards  Nashville. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

FEBRUARY,  1862. 

IX)RT     DONELSON THE    ENEMY    ATTEMPT    TO    CUT     THEIR    WAY     OUT PARTIAL 

SUCCESS PREVENTED    BY     GEN.    WALLACE GRANT  ARRIVES  ON   THE    FIELD 

A    GENERAL    ASSAULT    DETERMINED    UPON SUCCESS  OF    WALLACE^    DIVI 
SION     ON     THE     RIGHT GALLANT     EXPLOIT     OF     SMITH    ON    THE    LEFT THE 

NIGHT BRAVERY    AND    ENDURANCE    OF    THE    TROOPS — SURRENDER     OF     THE 

FORT JOHNSON     RECEIVING     THE     NEWS     NEAR     NASHVILLE IT     REACHES 

THE     CITY     AT     CHURCH     TIME TERROR    OF    THE     INHABITANTS SCENE     OF 

PILLAGE FLIGHT     OF     THE     REBELS     SOUTHWARD CURTIS      DRIVES      PRICK 

OUT    OF    MISSOURI. 

IN  pursuance  of  the  plan  adopted,  Floyd  concentrated  his 
main  force  upon  his  left  on  Friday  night,  and  placed  it 
under  the  command  of  Pillow,  with  orders  to  attack  McCler- 
nand,  who  commanded  our  right  wing,  early  in  the  morning. 
Buckner  in  the  mean  time  was  to  fall  on  Gen.  Wallace,  who 
held  the  center,  and  open,  if  possible,  the  "Wynne  road" 
that  led  back  into  the  country.  Only  a  small  force  was  left 
to  watch  General  Smith,  who  commanded  our  left  wing, 
which,  resting  on  the  river  below  the  fort,  completed  our 
semicircular  line  of  investment. 

CAPTURE  OF  FORT  DONELSON. 

Friday  had  been  a  cold,  bleak  day,  and  the  ground  was 
covered  with  snow,  but  Saturday  dawned  damp  and  chill, 
and  the  soldiers  as  they  were  roused  from  their  wintry  couch 
moved  stiff  and  shivering  to  their  places  in  the  ranks.  But 
in  a  few  moments,  snow  and  frost  were  alike  forgotten  as 
the  heavy  roar  of  the  enemy's  guns  broke  over  the  wooded 
fields.  Seven  or  eight  thousand  strong,  the  enemy  moved 
out  of  their  works  at  daylight,  and  in  separate  columns,  sup- 


OUR   LINES    BROKEN.  2G3 

ported  by  numerous  artillery,  advanced  straight  on  McCler- 
nand's  encampment.  His  division  consisted  of  three  bri 
gades,  all  Illinoisans  with  the  exception  of  one  Kentucky  and 
one  Wisconsin  regiment  As  they  came  on  in  splendid  line 
of  beat  tie,  McClernand  prepared  to  receive  them.  The  Ken 
tucky  regiment,  stationed  near  the  river,  attacked  by  over 
whelming  numbers,  broke  and  fled,  but  the  brave  Illinoisans 
met  the  shock  with-  undaunted  bravery.  The  enemy  fixing 
themselves  forward  in  such  masses  that  our  advance  regi 
ments  had  to  contend  against  fearful  odds. 

It  was  a  strange  battle  field,  made  up  of  hills,  hollows, 
and  ravines,  all  covered  with  a  dense  forest,  through  which 
the  roar  of  battle'  swept  like  a  tornado.  On  every  com 
manding  eminence  cannon  were  placed,  which  dropped  their 
shot  and  shell  incessantly  into  the  troops  massed  below. 
But  little  concert  of  action  could  be  had  among  the  different 
regiments,  for  the  woods  swallowed  up  the  contending  lines, 
and  one  could  tell  only  by  the  advancing  or  receding  roar 
of  musketry,  or  the  columns  of  smoke  rising  above  the  leaf 
less  tree  tops,  how  the  battle  was  going.  Backward  and 
forward  it  surged  through  the  forest,  leaving  it  strewed  with 
the  dead  and  wounded  ;  but  at  last  the  enemy  by  suddenly- 
concentrating  an  overwhelming  number  on  a  single  point, 
broke  through  McClernand's  lines,  and  threatened  to  sweep 
the  entire  field.  McAlister's  battery  of  twenty-four  pound 
ers,  that  all  the  morning  had  made  havoc  with  the  rebel 
ranks,  had  by  ten  o'clock  fired  away  the  hundred  and  fifty 
rounds  of  ammunition  with  which  it  had  entered  into  action. 
While  he  was  trying  to  obtain  some  more  from  the  rear, 
a  single  shot  from  the  enemy  passed  through  three  of  his 
horses — a  second  tore  the  trail  off  one  of  his  guns — while  a 
third  smashed  the  wheel  of  another.  Only  one  gun  was  left 
unharmed,  and  hitching  six  horses  to  this,  he  endeavored  to 
drag  it  off  the  field  ;  but  after  getting  it  a  little  way  it  be- 


264  WALLACE    COMES   TO    THE    RESCUE. 

came  mired,  and  was  abandoned  with  the  others  to  the  ene 
my.  Many  of  the  regiments  were  out  of  ammunition,  and 
though  they  fell  back  in  good  order,  could  do  nothing  to 
stay  the  progress  of  the  enemy,  who  came  on  with  deafen 
ing  yells.  The  day  was  apparently  lost,  and  an  open  roacl 
left  for  the  garrison  to  make  good  their  escape. 

At  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  McClernand,  seeing  that 
he  was  being  overwhelmed  by  numbers,  sent  to  Wallace, 
who  was  holding  the  center,  for  reinforcements.  The  latter 
immediately  dispatched  the  request  to  headquarters,  as  his 
orders  had  been  to  hold  his  position  in  the  center.  But 
Grant  could  not  be  found,  he  having  left  the  field  entirely 
and  gone  on  board  Foote's  boat  to  consult  about  another 
attack  by  the  fleet.  Wallace  waited  long  and  anxiously  to 
hear  from  him,  when  a  second  message  came  from  McCler 
nand,  stating  that  the  enemy  had  turne'd  his  flank,  and  his 
whole  division  was  in  danger  of  being  annihilated.  Unable 
to  resist  this  last  appeal,  he  immediately  ordered  forward 
Colonel  Cruft  (acting  as  brigadier,)  to  his  support. 

The  whole  line  of  investment  extended  several  miles,  over 
broken  ground,  across  ravines,  and  through  dense  forests. 
It  was  necessary,  therefore,  to  have  a  guide  to  conduct  the 
column  by  the  proper  roads.  But  the  one  Colonel  Cruft 
took,  after*  leading  him  a  part  of  the  way,  absconded.  The 
Colonel,  however,  kept  on,  and  soon  found  himself  on  the 
right  of  McClernand,  and  between  him  and  the  advancing 
enemy — having  pushed  the  head  of  his  column  directly  into 
an  overpowering  force  of  the  rebels.  A  severe  conflict  fol 
lowed, — the  gallant  Illinoisans,  for  a  long  time  holding  at 
bay  the  superior  numbers  that  flushed  with  victory,  pressed 
upon  them. 

While  they  were  thus  maintaining  an  unequal  fight,  a  por 
tion  of  the  brigade  of  McClernand  to  the  right  began  to 
retreat  in  confusion ;  and  some  of  the  shattered  regiments 


THE    REBELS    CHECKED.  265 

came  full  on  CrufVs  line  of  battle,  striking  it  obliquely,  and 
passing  through  it  like  a  rolling  rock.  Colonel  Shackleford 
(in  immediate  command,)  instantly  closed  up  his  column 
again,  but  being  left  alone  by  the  retreat  of  the  brigade,  he 
was  compelled  to  fall  back,  which  he  did  in  good  order,  and 
took  up  a  new  position.  The  confident  enemy  came  on  him 
with  shouts  and  yells,  but  were  driven  back.  A  second  time 
moving  fiercely  to  the  charge,  they  were  again  repulsed, 
when  Shackleford  charged  in  turn,  driving  them  back  some 
distance.  But  seeing  himself  in  danger  of  being  outflanked, 
and  a  regiment  on  his  left  giving  way  in  confusion,  he  moved 
the  whole  brigade  in  perfect  order  to  the  rear,  and  took  up 
a  strong  position. 

No  dispatches  had  yet  reached  Wallace,  and  he  sat  on  his 
horse,  anxiously  listening  to  the  roar  of  battle  steadily  re 
ceding  away  in  the  woods  on  his  right,  when  suddenly  a 
crowd  of  fugitives  rushed  up  the  hill  on  which  he  stood,  and 
the  next  moment  a  mounted  officer  came  on  a  tearing  gallop 
along  the  road,  shouting  u  We  are  all  cut  to  pieces."  The 
effect  on  the  troops  was  electrical,  and  as  Wallace  saw  the 
sensation  run  along  the  lines  he  was  afraid  a  panic  would 
seize  the  whole  brigade,  and  immediately  ordered  it  to  move 
forward  to  the  right,  riding  in  front  himself  to  keep  it  steady. 
In  a  few  moments  he  met  broken  regiments  retreating  for 
want  of  ammunition.  Colonel  Wallace,  one  of  the  ccmman- 
ders,  in  reply  to  General  Wallace,  asking  of  the  state  of  af 
fairs  on  the  field,  replied  as  coolly  as  though  he  were  moving 
off  parade,  that  the  enemy  were  close  behind  and  would  at 
tack  him  soon.  The  latter  immediately  ordered  Colonel 
Thayer,  commanding  the  brigade,  to  form  a  new  line  of 
battle  across  the  road,  and  sent  for  Wood's  Chicago  light 
artillery.  Thayer's  column  moved  off  at  double  quick,  to  its 
assigned  positiota,  while  Wood's  guns  came  bounding  up  on 
a  gnllop,  and  unlimbering,  were  posted  so  as  to  sweep  the 
road  in  front. 


266  STORMING    THE    WORKS. 

The  regiments  that  were  retiring  for  ammunition,  halted, 
and  the  soldiers  coolly  filled  their  cartridges  under  the  ene 
my's  lire.  Scarcely  was  the  formation  completed,  when  the 
enemy  was  seen  coming  swiftly  up  the  road  and  through  the 
oak  bushes  and  trees  on  cither  side,  making  straight  for  the 
battery,  and  the  first  Nebraska  supporting  it.  But  Wood's 
battery,  served  with  great  rapidity,  mowed  them  clown  as 
they  advanced,  while  the  fire  of  the  Nebraska  regiment  was 
most  terrific  and  deadly.  The  rebels  bore  up  firmly  for  a 
while  against  it,  but  at  length,  unable  to  breast  the  fiery 
sleet  fell  back  in  confusion.  Wallace  then  dashed  over  the 
broken  country  to  ascertain  the  condition  of  his  other  bri 
gade  under  Cruft.  Finding  it  standing  in  perfect  order  he 
immediately  connected  it  with  Taylor's  by  a  line  of  skir 
mishers,  and  waited  for  the  enemy  to  advance.  His  punish 
ment,  however,  had  been  too  severe,  and  he  fell  back  to  the 
ground  he  had  won  from  McClernand  in  the  morning. 

About  three  o'clock,  Grant  rode  on  to  the  field,  and  fired 
at  this  attempt  of  the  rebels  to  force  his  lines  and  their  well 
nigh  success,  determined  at  once  to  move  with  his  entire  army 
on  their  works.  McClernand  was  directed  to  storm  them  on 
the  right  up  the  river,  and  Colonel  Smith  of  the  regular  army 
on  the  left  below.  McClernand  asked  Wallace  to  lead  the 
assault  with  his  division.  He  consented,  and  immediately 
formed  his  plan  of  attack.  Selecting  two  brigades,  Cruft's 
and  one  composed  of  two  regiments  under  Colonel  Smith  of 
the  eighth  Missouri,  and  giving  them  the  simple  directions 
to  march  up  the  hill  in  columns  of  regiments,  and  act  as  cir 
cumstances  should  suggest,  he  set  the  columns  in  motion. 
Knowing  well  it  was  a  desperate  mission  on  which  these  brave 
troops  were  going,  he  showed  his  confidence  in  them  by  tell 
ing  them  so.  But  this  announcement,  which  was  made  to 
the  regiments  as  they  moved  past  him,  instead  of  discour 
aging  them,  filled  them  with  delight, — they  answered  with 


THE   VICTORY.  271 

their  terrible  way,  grim  and  silent  as  fate,  till  at  length  the 
liights  were  reached.  Then,  with  one  loud  and  thunder 
ing  cheer — one  swift,  tremendous  volley  into  the  closely 
packed  ranks  below,  they  flung  themselves  forward  with  the 
bayonet.  The  astonished  enemy  recoiled  before  the  descend 
ing  avalanche,  and  turning,  fled  to  the  inner  works.  The 
next  moment  the  stars  and  stripes  swung  out  in  the  wind 
above  the  ramparts,  and  amid  the  hurrahs  that  greeted  it, 
floated  forth  the  exultant  strains  of  the  "star  spangled  ban 
ner."  Guns  and  supports  were  immediately  brought  forward, 
and  the  commanding  position  made  secure  against  any  force 
the  enemy  could  bring  against  it.  From  this  point,  the 
whole  of  the  rebel  strong  works  could  be  enfiladed. 

Thus  ended  the  day,  and  the  cold,  long  night  came  on  in 
which  no  cheerful  camp  fires  lighted  the  gloom  or  warmed 
the  stiffened  limbs  of  the  weary  soldiers. 

In  the  morning,  the  grand  assault  all  along  the  lines  was 
to  be  made,  and  as  soon  as  the  first  gray  streaks  illuminated 
the  eastern  horizon,  the  drum  called  Wallace's  heroes  to 
their  post.  Though  hungry  and  chill,  they  swiftly  closed 
their  ranks  on  the  blood-stained  snow,  while  not  a  heart  beat 
faint.  No  sublimer  spectacle  was  ever  witnessed  than  those 
gallant  men  presented  on  that  Sabbath  morning,  as  they  took 
their  position  for  the  final  assault.  Marching  from  fort  Henry 
without  tents  or  rations,  except  such  as  they  could  carry  in 
their  haversacks — exposed  for  three  days  and  nights  without 
shelter  or  fire,  and  two  out  of  the  three  to  driving  snow  or 
piercing  cold,  all  the  time  under  fire,  and  compelled  to  bi 
vouac  on  the  field  of  battle  with  their  arms  in  their  hands, 
they  yet  with  undaunted,  fearless  hearts,  closed  up  their 
ranks  in  the  early  dawn,  eager  for  the  order  "  forward,'7  to 
launch  themselves  on  the  frowning  defenses  before  them. 

Below,  Smith  was  at  the  same  hour  training  his  guns  on 
the  devoted  garrison,  and  all  was  ready  for  the  final  strug- 


,272  JOHNSTON    RECEIVES   THE   NEWS. 

gle.  At  that  moment,  Colonel  Lauman  heard  the  clear, 
shrill  strains  of  a  bugle  from  within  the  enemy's  works, 
pealing  forth  neither  the  reveille  nor  the  rally.  Attracted 
by  the  strange  sound,  he  turned  his  eye  thither,  and  lo,  a 
white  flag  was  dimly  seen  waving  in  the  wind.  The  fort 
had  surrendered.  Then  there  went  up  a  long,  loud  shout, 
which,  taken  up  by  regiment  after  regiment,  as  the  exciting 
news  traveled  round  the  line,  shook  the  heavens,  till  at  last 
it  reached  the  division  of  Wallace  on  the  extreme  right,  just 
ready  to  move  forward  to  the  assault.  In  a  moment  their 
caps  were  in  the  air,  and  cheer  after  cheer  swept  down  their 
line  of  battle,  and  the  bands  struck  up  inspiring  airs  till  the 
whole  atmosphere  was  alive  with  notes  of  exultation. 

The  night  before,  the  rebel  generals  had  held  a  consulta 
tion,  in  which  it  was  decided  that  Floyd  should  hand  over 
the  command  to  Pillow,  and  he  to  Buckner,  who  should  sur 
render  the  place,  while  the  former  made  their  escape  by 
night,  with  a  brigade  up  the  river. 

About  twelve  thousand  men,  with  all' their  arms  and  stores, 
etc.,  fell  into  our  hands.  It  was  a  great  victory  in  itself,  but 
important  chiefly  because  it  broke  the  rebel  line  of  defense 
in  the  center,  and  opened  the  gate  to  Nashville. 

On  this  same  Sabbath  morning,  Johnson,  who  had  evacua 
ted  Bowling  Green,  with  the  guns  of  Mitchell  playing  on  his 
retiring  columns,  sat  at  breakfast  in  the  little  town  of  Edge- 
field,  opposite  Nashville,  and  turning  suddenly  to  the  lady 
of  the  house,  said,  "Madam,  I  take  you  to  be  a  person  of 
firmness  and  trust  your  neighbors  are;  don't  be  alarmed;  a 
courier  has  just  arrived  from  fort  Donelson,  saying  that  our 
forces  there  must  surrender." 

The  news  reached  Nashville  just  as  the  people  were 
assembling  for  church,  amid  the  ringing  of  bells. 

The  last  news  that  arrived- the  night  before  was  a  dispatch 
from  Pillow,  saying,  "TnE  DAY  is  oun's."  All,  therefore, 


PANIC    AND    PILLAGE.  273 

was  animation  and  exultation,  and  the  inhabitants  crowded 
to  the  sanctuary  to  offer  up  their  thanksgivings  for  victory, 
when  suddenly  there  passed  through  the  streets  the  startling 
murmur,  "Fort  Donelson  has  surrendered.''1  Faces  turned 
pale  with  affright — the  assembling  congregations  halted  and 
anxiously  inquired  each  of  the  other  what  it  meant — the 
bells  stopped  pealing,  and  suddenly  Governor  Harris, 
dashed  on  horseback  through  the  streets  like  a  madman, 
shouting  that  the  enemy  was  at  the  door.  In  an  instant  all 
was  commotion  and  alarm.  The  frightened  inhabitants 
rushed  for  their  homes,  and  seizing  such  things  as  they  could 
easily  carry,  jumped  into  carriages,  omnibusses,  carts,  indeed 
every  thing  on  wheels,  and  streamed  a  panic-stricken  crowd 
from  the  city.  The  public  stores  were  thrown  open,  into 
which  the  rabble  rushed  to  pillage,  and  a  scene  of  indescrib 
able  terror  and  madness  followed.  In  the  midst  of  the  con 
fusion,  Johnson's  columns  entered  the  city,  and  marching 
through  it  struck  southward  for  Murfreesborough.  All  day 
and  night  and  next  morning  the  panic  continued,  during 
which  the  city  was  under  a  reign  of  terror. 

But  the  Federal  gun  boats  not  arriving,  comparative  tran 
quillity  was  restored,  and  the  rebel  stores  began  to  be  moved 
to  a  place  of  safety. 

Thus  fell  Nashville,  though  our  forces  did  not  take  formal 
possession  of  it  till  the  next  week.  But  little  Union  feeling 
was  found  among  the  inhabitants  that  remained,  and  it  was 
evident  the  place  would  have  to  be  held  with  the  strong 
hand. 

The  rebel  forces  fled  south,  and  it  was  uncertain  where 
they  would  next  make  a  stand.  All  eyes  were  now  turned' 
to  Columbus,  as  the  next  stronghold  to  yield  before  our  ad 
vancing  columns. 

In  the  mean  time,  Curtis,  who  had  taken  command  of  the 
army  in  Missouri,  had  steadily  pushed  Price  before  him,  t\ll 


274  CURTIS   IN   MISSOURI. 

lie  had  driven  him  over  the  Arkansas  border,  and  was  still 
pressing  his  retiring  columns. 

Thus  closed  the  month  of  February  in  the  valley  of  the 
Mississippi.  East,  scarce  less  stirring  events  had  marked  its 
passage,  and  every  where  the  national  arms  were  victorious. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

FEBRUARY,  1862. 

BURNSIDE     ADVANCES    WITH     HIS     FLEET    TO     ROANOKE    ISLAND ITS    SPLENDID 

APPEARANCE THE      ATTACK LANDING     OF     THE      TROOPS THE      ADVANCE 

AGAINST  THE  ENEMY'S   WORKS GALLANTRY    OF    A.    CHAPLAIN OF    MIDSHIP 
MAN    PORTER THE    VICTORY ATTACK    ON  THE  REBEL    FLEET  AT    ELIZABETH 

CITY    BY    CAPTAIN    ROWAN A    FIERCE    COMBAT GALLANTRY     OF    ASSISTANT 

GUNNER  DAVIS CAPTURE   OF  EDENTON WINTON    BURNED INAUGURATION 

OF     DAVIS     AT       RICHMOND READING     OF      WASHINGTON'S      FAREWELL     AD 
DRESS    AT    THE    NORTH    ON    HIS     BIRTH    DAY BATTLE     NEAR    FORT    CRAIG  IN 

NEW    MEXICO GALLANTRY    OF    CAPTAIN    MC  RAE. 

ON  the  same  day,  February  fifth,  that  Foote  was  moving 
up  the  Cumberland  to  fort  Henry,  Burnside  set  sail 
with  his  fleet  from  Hatteras  inlet,  where  he  had  lain  over 
three  weeks,  for  Roanoke  island.  Swept  by  successive  storms 
he  had,  nevertheless,  by  herculean  labors,  sufficiently  repaired 
his  disasters  to  commence  active  operations. 

The  day  was  mild  and  balmy,  and  the  fragmentary  clouds 
went  trooping  lazily  across  the  sky,  as  the  fleet  of  sixty-five 
vessels  swept  majestically  onward  over  the  rippling  waters 
of  the  sound,  towards  its  place  of  destination.  In  three 
compact  columns — nearly  two  miles  long — the  watery  aisles 
between,  broken  only  here  and  there  by  a  little  propeller 
darting  across  to  convey  orders  to  the  different  vessels — it 
moved  on,  the  embodiment  of  awful  power.  Piled  with 
cannon  and  missiles  of  death,  and  loaded  to  the  gunwales  with 
ranks  of  brave  men,  that  cloud  of  ships  presented  a  specta 
cle  never  before  witnessed  on  American  waters.  At  sun 
down,  being  within  ten  miles  of  the  southern  point  of  the 
island,  the  signal  to  anchor  floated  from  the  flag  ship,  when 
the  fleet  rested  for  the  night,  and  the  mellow  moonlight 
flooded  the  inspiring  scene. 


276  APPROACHING    ROANOKE    I&LAND. 

The  next  morning  at  eight  o'clock  it  was  again  under 
way.  But  the  aspect  of  the  heavens  had  changed,  and 
dark,  heavy  clouds  lay  along  the  horizon,  betokening  a  storm. 
At  eleven  o'clock  it  burst  upon  them  and  the  entire  squadron 
came  to  a  halt.  After  a  time  the  storm  broke,  and  it  moved 
slowly  on  again. 

The  weather  was  too  dark  to  attempt  the  passage  of  the 
Roanoke  inlet  that  night,  and- the  fleet  again  came  to  anchor. 
The  following  morning,  the  sun  rose  in  a  sky  mottled  with 
fleecy  clouds,  indicating  fine  weather,  and  soon  the  long  line 
was  once  more  under  way. 

The  vessels  continued  slowly  to  approach  the  enemy's 
works  till  eleven  o'clock,  when  the  first  gun  from  the  flag 
ship  broke  the  silence  that  brooded  over  the  water.  As  the 
heavy  echo  rolled  away,  the  signal  was  run  up,  "This  day 
our  country  expects  that  ever?/  man  will  do  his  duty"  The 
effect  was  electrical,  and  the  men  sprung  to  their  guns  with 
flashing  eyes. 

Roanoke  island,  situated  between  Albemarle  and  Pamlico 
sounds,  and  completely  commanding  the  channel  connecting 
them,  had  been  carefully  fortified  by  the  rebels.  Two  strong 
works,  mounting  together  twenty-two  heavy  guns,  three  of 
them  one-hundred-pounders,  rifled — four  batteries  of  twen 
ty-two  guns — eight  supporting  steamers,  and  formidable  ob 
structions  in  the  channel,  together  with  a  garrison  of  three 
thousand  men,  constituted  the  means  of  defense  relied  upon 
by  the  enemy,  and  were  deemed  quite  sufficient  to  repel  any 
attempt  of  Burnside's  fleet  to  pass  up  the  sound. 

By  twelve  o'clock  the  action  became  general — our  squad 
ron  saluting  the  rebel  batteries  and  gun  boats  by  tunas — and  • 
the  steady  roar  of  artillery,  bursting  of  shells,  with  ever  and 
anon  the  thunder  crash  of  the  one  hundred-pound  Parrott 
guns,  made  sea  and  shore  tremble.  Clouds  of  rolling  smoke, 
how  hugging  the  water,  and  now  shooting  out  in  fierce  puffs, 


THE    ATTACK.  279 

huge  jets  of  water  thrown  up  by  the  bursting  shells,  and  the 
shrieks  of  the  terrific  missiles  through  the  troubled  air,  com 
bined  to  form  a  scene  at  once  grand  and  terrific.  In  a  short 
time,  the  rebel  fleet,  finding  our  fire  too  destructive,  with 
drew  behind  a  row  of  piles  that  had  been  sunk  in  the  chan 
nel,  when  our  gun  boats  gave  their  exclusive  attention  to 
the  batteries  on  shore,  and  dropped  their  shells  with  cool 
precision  into  the  hostile  works.  About  one  o'clock  the  bar 
racks  took  fire,  and  huge  volumes  of  black  smoke  rolled  up 
the  sky,  and  fell  like  a  vast  pall  over  the  intrenchments. 
The  fire  on  both  sides  now  slackened,  and  Burnside  turned 
his  eye  anxiously  down  the  sound  in  the  direction  the  trans 
ports  with  the  troops  on  board  were  coming. 

In  a  short  time,  however,  the  enemy  having  partially  ex 
tinguished  the  flames,  reopened  their  fire,  while  their  gun 
boats  be'gan  to  maneuver  so  as  to  cut  off  the  transports 
which  were  now  in  sight.  This  movement  was  soon  check 
mated,  and  the  bombardment  again  commenced  in  all  its 
fury.  About  four  o'clock  the  transports  arrived  and  took 
their  position  beyond  the  range  of  the  rebel  guns.  In  a  few 
moments,  every  spar  and  all  the  rigging  were  black  with 
human  beings,  watching  the  fight,  while  ever  and  anon  their 
loud  hurrahs  came  faintly  over  the  water. 

Again  the  enemy's  fire  slackened,  and  Burnside  determined 
to  land  his  troops  and  storm  the  works. 

The  spot  selected  for  the  landing  was  known  as  Ashby 
harbor,  where  there  was  a  bold  shore.  After  the  gun  boats 
had  shelled  the  neighboring  woods  to  clear  them  of  the 
enemy,  the  small  boats  were  launched,  and  regiment  after 
regiment,  in  the  deepening  twilight,  was  rowed  swiftly  to 
land.  In  an  hour,  six  thousand  men  were  safely  got  on  shore, 
and  pickets  advanced  in  the  direction  of  the  enemy's  works. 
By  eleven  o'clock  all  was  arranged  for  the  night ;  and  for  a 
mile  in  extent  the  shore  was  lighted  up  with  the  cheerful 

17 


280  THE    FIGHT    ON    LAND. 

bivouac  fires.  But  in  a  little  while,  a  cold,  driving  rain  set 
in  which  soon  deluged  the  encampments.  The  troops  had 
left  their  blankets  and  knapsacks  on  board  the  transports, 
and  so  were  compelled  to  pass  the  long  and  dreary  night 
with  nothing  but  their .  overcoats  to  protect  them  from  the 
pitiless  storm.  But  little  sleep  was  had,  and  the  morning 
light  was  most  welcome,  though  they  knew  it  heralded  the 
deadly  combat. 

The  interval  between  them  and  the  enemy's  works  was 
covered  by  a  swampy  forest,  filled  with  a  dense  growth  of 
underbrush,  and  traversed  by  a  single  half-worn  cart  road. 
The  fortifications  consisted  of  an  earth-work  with  three  sides, 
surrounded  by  a  ditch  eight  feet  wide  and  three  deep,  filled 
with  water.  In  front,  the  woods  had  been  cut  down  for  the 
distance  of  three  hundred  yards,  to  give  their  guns  a  clean 
sweep,  while  the  trees  lay  piled  in  every  imaginable  direc 
tion  over  the  marshy  ground,  through  which  the  advancing 
force  would  be  compelled  to  work  their  difficult  way,  ex 
posed  at  every  step  to  a  devastating  fire. 

In  the  morning  the  ranks  were  formed,  and  the  center 
column,  under  the  command  of  General  Foster,  composed 
of  three  Massachusetts  regiments,  and  the  tenth  Connecticut, 
moved  off — a  battery  of  six  twelve-pound  boat  howitzers  at 
its  head.  The  second  column,  under  General  Keno,  was  to 
make  a  flank  attack  on  the  enemy's  left,  and  the  third,  under 
General  Parke,  a  similar  one  on  his  right. 

The  center  column  moving  cautiously  forward,  soon  came 
upon  the  skirmishers,  which  they  drove  steadily  back  till 
it  reached  the  open  space  in  front  of  the  works.  The  artil 
lery  was  immediately  placed  in  position  at  a  curve  of  the 
road,  and  opened  a  rapid  fire.  The  concentrated  fire  of  the 
enemy,  however,  soon  thinned  off  the  gunners,  when  Rev. 
Mr.  James,  chaplain  of  the  twenty-fifth  Massachusetts,  step 
ped  forward  and  helped  work  the  guns  till  the  ammunition 


A   GALLANT    CHAPLAIN.  281 

was  exhausted.  The  shot  fell  like  hail  stones  around  him,  yet 
the  gallant  divine  fought  on  like  one  who  had  spent  his  life 
in  the  church  militant.  The  loader  and  sponger  was  shot ; 
another  took  his  place  and  immediately  fell,  when  a  midship 
man,  Benjamin  A.  Porter,  took  the  sponge  himself  and  loaded 
till  the  fight  was  over.  The  twenty -fifth  Massachusetts,  in  ad 
vance,  maintained  its  position  under  a  terrible  fire  till  its 
cartridges  gave  out,  when  the  tenth  Connecticut  took  its 
place,  and  rivaled  it  in  steadfast  courage.  The  wounded,  as 
they  were  borne  back  to  the  rear  in  the  arms  of  their  com 
rades,  or  on  litters,  faintly  smiled  or  cheered  the  advancing 
regiments,  and  a  lofty  heroism  animated  all  alike.  At  every 
flash  of  the  enemy's  cannon,  our  men  were  ordered  to  crouch 
down  to  escape  the  iron  hail,  but  this  was  not  so  easily  done, 
for  many  of  them  stood  up  to  their  hips  in  mud  and  water, 
into  which  the  dead  and  wounded  fell  with  a  heavy  plash, 
where  they  lay  half  submerged. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  two  flanking  columns  were  slowly 
making  their  way  through  the  almost  impenetrable  thickets 
to  the  right  and,  left  of  the  intrenchments.  The  enemy, 
thinking  this  tangled  net-work  of  brush  impassable  by  troops, 
had  not  cut  it  down,  but  left  it  standing  close  up  to  the 
works,  deeming  it  a  sufficient  protection  to  their  flanks — and 
when  they  saw  the  gleaming  bayonets  advancing  through  it 
on  cither  side,  their  astonishment  was  boundless.  As  the 
column  under  Parke  approached  the  battery,  it  was  met  by 
a  galling  fire,  when  the  ninth  New  York,  (Hawkins'  zouaves) 
were  ordered  to  charge.  Major  Kimball  led  them  gallantly 
OIL  It  was  in  this  charge  that  Lieutenant-Colonel  Vigier 
de  Monteil,  who  had  left  his  regiment  which  had  been  sent 
back,  and  volunteered  for  the  fight,  fell  while  cheering  on 
the  men. 

While  the  zouaves  were  steadily  advancing  on  the  battery, 
Reno's  column,  on  the  right,  had  also  cleared  the  woods,  and 


282  THE   PURSUIT. 

the  colonel  at  that  moment  riding  up,  ordered  the  twenty- 
first  Massachusetts  to  charge.  It  answered  with  a  cheer,  and 
dashed  forward  at  the  same  instant  that  the  fifty-first,  under 
Colonel  Ferrero,  was  charging  on  the  left,  and  soon  the  stars 
and  stripes  waved  from  the  ramparts.  The  rebels,  when 
they  saw  this  sudden  apparition  on  the  right  and  left,  broke 
and  fled,  and  the  victorious  columns  from  either  flank  met 
in  the  deserted  works  with  deafening  cheers.  The  tenth 
Connecticut,  at  the  same  time  these  charges  were  made  on 
the  right  and  left,  advanced  in  front,  where  their  gallant 
commander,  Colonel  Russell,  fell,  pierced  with  the  enemy's 
bullets.  As  soon  as  the  works  were  gained,  two  columns 
were  formed  to  go  in  pursuit  of  the  fugitives. 

The  fifty-first  and  ninth  New  York  advanced  along  the 
road  on  the  east  side  of  the  island,  to  cut  them  off  from 
crossing  to  Nag's  Head.  Here  the  redoubtable  ex- Governor 
Wise  lay  an  invalid,  but  not  so  ill  as  to  prevent  him  from 
riding  some  thirty  miles  to  escape  capture.  The  columns 
soon  came  upon  some  boats  loaded  with  the  fleeing  rebels,  in 
tow  of  a  steamer.  Two  more  were  just  putting  off  from 
shore.  These  were  immediately  ordered  to  return,  which 
they  refusing  to  do,  a  volley  was  poured  into  them,  when 
they  put  back  and  surrendered  themselves  prisoners  of  war. 
Among  them  was  Captain  0.  Jennings  Wise,  son  of  the  ex- 
Governor,  whq  was  so  severely  wounded  that  he  died  the 
same  night. 

The  twenty-first  Massachusetts  advanced  in  another  direc 
tion,  to  the  north  of  the  works,  where  a  negro  woman  told 
them  was  a  large  camp  of  the  rebels.  A  few  companies 
were  soon  overtaken,  who,  after  a  single  volley,  fled.  The 
twenty-first  following  after,  was  soon  met  by  a  flag  of  truce. 
The  officer  bearing  it  was  sent  to  Reno,  who  was  advancing 
with  his  other  regiments,  when  an  unconditional  surrender 
was  mada 


THE   SURRENDER.  283 

About  the  same  time,  Foster,  at  the  head  of  the  first  bri 
gade,  which  had  just  landed,  advanced  against  another  camp 
of  the  rebels.  He  also  was  met  by  a  flag  of  truce,  the  officer 
bearing  it  demanding  what  terms  would  be  granted  them. 
An  unconditional  surrender,  was  the  reply.  Again  asking 
what  time  would  be  allowed,  was  told  u  While  you  are  going 
back  to  camp  to  convey  the  terms  and  returning."  In  a  few 
minutes  the  flag  came  back,  announcing  that  the  terms  were 
accepted.  The  brigade  immediately  marched  triumphantly 
into  camp,  when  Colonel  Shaw,  commander  of  the  post,  ad 
vanced  and  delivered  up  his  sword  to  General  Foster. 

Wooden  barracks  were  found  in  the  two  encampments, 
capacious  enough  to  hold  several  thousand  men,  in  which 
our  troops  took  up  their  comfortable  quarters. 

Thus  fell  Roanoke  island,  with  its  garrison  of  three  thou 
sand  men,  its  batteries  mounting  thirty  guns,  and  all  its 
stores,  ammunition,  etc.  Our  total  loss  in  killed  and  wound 
ed  was  about  two  hundred  and  fifty. 

The  gun  boats  escaped  towards  Elizabeth  City,  thirty-five 
or  forty  miles  distant.  Preparations  were  immediately  made 
to  pursue  them  there,  and  on  Sunday  morning,  the  ninth, 
fourteen  steamers,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Rowan, 
started  from  the  island,  and  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
came  in  sight  of  the  place,  in  front  of  which  they  were  dis 
covered,  seven  in  number,  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle.  They 
were  commanded  by  Captain  Lynch,  well  known  as  the 
leader  of  the  Dead  Sea  expedition,  sent  out  by  our  govern 
ment  several  years  ago. 

On  a  point  which  projected  out  a  quarter  of  a  mile  or  so 
beyond  the  line  of  battle,  stood  a  fort  mounting  four  large 
guns.  Directly  opposite  it,  a  schooner  was  anchored,  on 
which  were  two  heavy  rifle  guns.  Our  squadron,  at  this 
time,  was  about  two  miles  off,  and  all  was  anxious  expecta 
tion  to  know  what  the  commander  would  do.  The  ordinary 


284  A  DARING   ATTACK. 

course  would  have  been  to  silence  the  fort  and  demolish  the 
schooner,  that  stood  like  two  sentinels  in  advance  of  the 
steamers,  and  then  engage  the  latter.  But  this  was  too  slow 
a  process  to  suit  Captain  Rowan,  and  he  ran  up  the  signal, 
"  Close  action"  This  was  received  with  wild  delight  by  the 
gallant  tars,  and  instantly  there  began  a  race  between  the 
steamers,  which  should  first  grapple  with  the  enemy.  The 
flag-ship,  with  her  gallant  signal  flying,  dashed  into  and 
through  the  cross  fire  of  the  fort  and  schooner,  followed  by 
the  rest  of  the  squadron.  Crowded  together  in  the  narrow 
channel  as  they  swept  on,  they  presented  a  sure  mark  for  the 
enemy's  guns,  and  shot  and  shell  fell  in  a  perfect  shower  on 
their  decks. 

Without  stopping  to  reply,  they  plunged  with  a  full  head 
of  steam  on  into  the  midst  of  the  rebel  boats.  The  Perry 
in  advance  made  for  the  rebel  flag-ship  Sea  Bird,  and  strik 
ing  her  amidships  crushed  her  like  an  egg  shell.  The  Ceres 
in  like  manner  ran  into  the  Ellis  and  boarded  her  at  the 
same  time.  In  quick  succession  the  Underwriter  took  the 
Forrest  and  the  Delaware  the  Fanny,  in  the  same  style.  The 
bursting  of  shells — the  deafening  roar  of  broadsides  within 
pistol  shot  of  each  other — the  crashing  of  timbers  as  vessels 
wrapped  in  flame  and  smoke  closed  in  the  death  grapple — 
and  sinking,  abandoned  wrecks, — combined  to  form  a  scene 
of  indescribable  terror.  A  shell  entered  the  Valley  City 
and  burst  amid  a  mass  of  fire- works,  setting  them  on  fire. 
The  men  were  immediately  called  to  ufire  quarters,"  but 
finding  it  took  too  many  from  the  guns,  the  commander, 
Chaplin,  ordered  them  back,  and  jumped  down  into  the 
magazine  himself  and  passed  up  loose  cylinders  of  powder 
while  he  gave  directions  about  extinguishing  the  fire.  The 
rockets  were  whizzing  around,  blue  lights  burning,  signal 
lights  blazing,  the  shell  room  on  fire,  the  fight  going  on,  and- 
he  (the  captain,)  passing  up  the  powder  and  putting  out  the 


JOHN    DAVIS.  285 

fire,  with  the  most"  imperturbable  coolness,  thus  keeping  the 
men  steady  and  at  their  work.  The  assistant  gunner,  John 
Davis,  was  in  the  magazine  assisting  him,  when  a  shell 
knocked  the  cover  off  from  a  barrel  of  powder.  He  imme 
diately  sat  down  upon  it,  to  keep  the  sparks  from  falling 
within,  when  Chaplin  called  out  to  him  to  help  put  out  the 
fire.  "Don't  you  see,  Sir,  I  can't?"  he  replied.  "If  I  get 
out  of  this,  the  sparks  will  get  in  the  powder."  A  cooler 
courage  than  this  can  not  be  imagined.  It  was  afterwards 
presented  to  the  notice  of  government,  and  the  gallant  fel 
low  promoted. 

Of  the  rebel  navy,  all  the  vessels  were  taken  or  destroyed 
except  two,  which  escaped  up  the  Dismal  Swamp  canal. 

The  rebel  troops  immediately  evacuated  Elizabeth  City, 
setting  it  on  fire  as  they  retreated.  The  flames,  however, 
were  extinguished  before  much  damage  was  done. 

These  victories  gave  us  control  of  the  whole  coast  of 
North  Carolina  down  to  Newbern.  Following  so  close  on 
the  heels  of  those  at  the  west,  they  filled  the  country  with 
exultation,  and  a  speedy  termination  of  the  war  was  looked 
for. 

Burnside  followed  up  his  victory  by  land  at  different 
points  along  the  coast,  and  from  Norfolk  to  Newbern  the  in 
habitants  were  filled  with  terror.  To-day,  it  was  thought  he 
(was  preparing  to  advance  on  the  former  place  by  way  of 
the  Dismal  Swamp  canal ;  to-morrow,  an  inland  movement 
was  feared  that  would  cut  the  great  southern  line  of  rail 
road.  Various  speculations  were  rife  at  the  north  concern 
ing  his  future  course,  but  all  believed  it  would  have  an  im 
portant  bearing  on  General  McClellan's  movements.  It  was 
very  plain,  however,  that  his  force  was  too  small  to  allow 
him  to  make  any  extensive  inland  movement.  Until  heavily 
reinforced,  his  efforts  must  be  confined  to  the  coast.  That 
he  would  remain  idle,  those  who  knew  his  enterprising  char- 


286  VASTNESS    OF    THE    FIELD    OF    BATTLE. 

acter  did  not  believe.  Edenton  was  occupied,  while  Winton 
on  the  Chowan  river,  attempting  to  stop  our  ascending  gun 
boats,  was  burned  to  the  ground. 

In  the  mean  time  the  Governor  of  North  Carolina  issued 
a  proclamation  calling  for  troops  to  defend  the  state. 

While  the  reports  of  these  successive  stunning  blows  were 
being  borne  to  the  reb9l  Capital,  Davis  who  had  hitherto 
been  only  Provisional  President,  was  inaugurated  the  regu 
larly  elected  President  of  the  confederate  states.  A  more 
inauspicious  time  could  not  have  been  selected  for  the  cere 
mony,  nor  more  gloomy  omens  have  attended  it. 

On  the  same  day,  (Washington's  birth  day,)  so  desecrated 
by  the  traitors,  Washington's  Farewell  Address  was  publicly 
read  by  the  recommendation  of  Congress  in  all  the  loyal  states. 
Its  solemn  warnings  against -all  sectional  strifes,  which  had 
been  unheeded  and  almost  ridiculed  in  the  heat  of  political 
contests,  and  amid  the  storms  of  passion,  now  that  we  were 
encompassed  with  all  the  horrors  of  civil  war,  fell  with  strange 
power  on  the  national  heart. 

Nothing  could  convey  a  more  vivid  impression  of  the  vast- 
ness  of  the  territory  we  were  called  upon  to  defend,  than  the 
reception  at  long  intervals  of  reports  of  different  battles  that 
occurred,  often  on  the  same  day — those  of  one  reaching  Wash 
ington  within  a  few  hours  from  the  time  it  was  fought,  and 
of  the  other  taking  weeks  in  their  passage. 

Thus,  while  the  coast  of  North  Carolina  and  the  banks  of 
the  Cumberland  were  shaking  to  the  thunder  of  cannon,  far 
away  in  New  Mexico,  the  shores  of  the  Rio  Grande  witnessed 
a  bloody  struggle  between  the  Federal  and  rebel  forces. 
Colonel  Canby  in  command  of  fort  Craig,  hearing  that  Colo 
nel  Steel  with  a  large  body  of  Texans  was  advancing  against 
the  place,  marched  out  on  the  twenty-first  to  meet  him.  Driv 
ing  the  enemy  from  the  river,  he  crossed,  and  a  fierce  ar 
tillery  combat  followed  which  lasted  till  afternoon.  Two 


A   TRUE    HERO.  287 

batteries  flanked  the  Union  forces,  which  the  enemy  saw  must 
be  taken,  or  the  battle  lost.  Consequently  two  desperate 
charges  were  made  upon  them — that  on  the  right  commanded 
by  Lieutenant  Hall,  by  cavalry,  which  was  repulsed,  and 
that  on  the  left  under  Captain  McRae,  by  Texans  on  foot. 
The  latter  was  one  of  the  most  desperate  on  record.  About 
a  hundred  and  fifty  yards  in  front  of  the  guns  was  a  thick 
wood,  out  of  which  the  band  which  had  volunteered  for  the 
purpose,  started  on  a  run,  with  nothing  but  revolvers  in  their 
hands.  As  McRae  saw  them  coming,  he  opened  a  terrible 
(ire  of  grape  and  canister,  piling  them  like  autumn  leaves  over 
the  field.  The  survivors,  however,  never  faltered,  but  dashed 
forward  full  in  the  blaze  of  another  volley,  and  still  keeping 
on  their  terrible  way,  rushed  up  to  the  very  muzzles  of  the 
guns,  where  they  shot  down  every  one  that  manned  them 
except  two  or  three.  Even  the  regulars,  whose  duty  it  was 
to  defend  the  battery,  appalled  at  such  desperation,  turned 
and  fled.  Captain  McRae  however,  stood  single  handed  to 
his  pieces,  and  disdaining  to  surrender,  was  shot  at  his  post 
—as  gallant  a  man  as  ever  faced  a  foe.  The  loss  of  the  bat 
tery,  compelled  Canby  to  retreat  to  the  fort,  which  he  reached 
with  the  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  of  about  two  hundred. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

MARCH,  1862. 

THE  NASHVILLE  RUNS  OUR  BLOCKADING  SQUADRON  -  REBEL  BATTERY  DE 
STROYED  AT  PITTSBURGH  LANDING  -  DEATH  OF  LANDER  -  HIS  LAST  GAL 
LANT  ACTION  -  CAPTURE  OF  FERNANDINA  AND  FORT  CLINCH  -  RACE  BE 
TWEEN  A  GUN  BOAT  AND  RAIL  ROAD  TRAIN  -  THE  MERRIMAC  MAKES  HER 
APPEARANCE  —  HER  APPROACH  TO  THE  CUMBERLAND  -  THE  COMBAT  -  THE 
CUMBERLAND  GOES  DOWN  WITH  HER  FLAG  FLYING  -  THE  CONGRESS  STRIKES 
HER  COLORS  -  ATTACK  ON  THE  MINNESOTA  -  GLOOMY  FEELING  AT  FOR- 
TRESS  MONROE  -  ARRIVAL  OF  THE  MONITOR  -  BURNING  OF  THE  CONGRESS 
-  BATTLE  BETWEEN  THE  MERUIMAC  AND  MONITOR  -  DEFEAT  OF  THE  FOR 
MER  -  FEELING  OF  THE  PUBLIC  RESPECTING  IT. 


excitement  which  the  stirring  events  of  February 
J_  had  created  in  the  nation  steadily  increased  with  the 
opening  of  spring. 

On  the  first  of  March,  the  southern  papers  announced  the 
safe  arrival  of  the  rebel  steamer  Nashville  at  Beaufort,  North 
Carolina.  Hoisting  the  national  colors,  she  steered  boldly 
for  the  blockading  fleet,  and  before  her  true  character  was 
discovered,  had  got  so  far  in  that  she  could  not  be  stopped. 

On  the  same  clay,  Lieutenant  Gwin  attacked  with  his  gun 
boats  a  battery  at  Pittsburgh  landing,  on  the  Tennessee,  and 
cleared  the  shores,  where  in  a  short  time  was  to  be  fought 
the  first  great  pitched  battle  of  the  war. 

On  the  third,  Colonel  Lander  died  of  congestive  fever  at 
Paw  Paw,  Virginia,  —  an  officer  of  great  promise,  and  des 
tined,  if  he  had  lived,  to  become  one  of  the  leading  mil 
itary  men  of  the  nation.  His  last  act  was  a  brilliant  cavalry 
dash  on  the  enemy  at  Blooming  Gap,  on  the  fourteenth  ulti 
mo,  in  which  seventeen  commissioned  officers  were  taken 
prisoners  —  five  of  whom  surrendered  to  him  alone.  Two 


A   SINGULAR   RACE.  289 

columns  of  two  thousand  men  each,  between  four  o'clock  in 
the  morning  and  eight  o'clock  at  night,  marched  respective 
ly  thirty-two  and  forty- three  miles,  besides  building  a  long 
bridge.  What  to  other  men  seemed  impossibilities,  was  to 
him  the  proper  way  to  conduct  a  campaign.  His  bravery 
bordered  on  rashness;  and  whoever  followed  his  lead, 
must  reck  little  of  life.  General  Shields  was  appointed  to 
take  his  place. 

On  the  same  day,  a  body  of  Union  cavalry  entered  Co 
lumbus,  and  hoisted  over  that  stronghold  of  the  enemy  the 
national  ensign.  The  rebels,  after  setting  fire  to  it,  and 
pitching  the  heavy  guns  they  could  not  carry  away  with 
them  into  the  river,  retired  to  Island  Number  Ten,  a  few 
miles  above  New  Madrid.  The  next  day  Captain  Foote  ap 
peared  before  the  place  with  his  gun  boats,  and  took  pos 
session. 

On  this  same  day,  Dupont's  fleet  entered  the  old  port  of 
Fernandina,  Florida,  and  hoisted  the  Federal  flag  on  fort 
Clinch,  the  first  of  the  national  forts  on  which  the  ensign  of 
the  Union  had  resumed  its  proper  place  since  the  war  com 
menced.  Its  strong  works  were  uninjured;  and  the  fright 
ened  garrison  in  its  hasty  flight  left  all  the  guns  behind. 

A  scene  occurred  in  approaching  the  town  itself,  entirely 
new  in  the  annals  of  war.  Captain  Dray  ton,  seeing  a  large 
rail  road  train  leaving  the  town,  ordered  Lieutenant  Stearns  of 
the  Ottawa  to  stop  it.  The  track  for  four  miles  lay  directly 
along  the  shore,  and  Stearns  immediately  crowded  on  all 
steam  in  pursuit  of  the  train.  But  he  soon  saw  that  the 
race  between  a  gun  boat  and  locomotive  was  a  hopeless  one, 
and  opened  his  guns  upon  the  train.  A  shell  struck  a  plat 
form  car,  killing  two  men,  when  the  conductor  cut  loose 
some  of  the  rear  cars,  and  escaped  with  the  remainder. 
Many  of  the  frightened  passengers  leaped  from  the  train, — • 
among  them  ex-senator  Yulee,  and  hid  in  the  bushes. 


290  THE   MERRIMAC. 

But  the  two  most  important  events  of  the  early  part  of  the 
month,  and  which  occurred  on  the  same  day,  were  the  battle 
of  Pea  Ridge  and  the  attack  of  the  rain  Merrimac  on  our  fleet 
at  Newport  News.  Though  the  Government  had  been  fre 
quently  warned  respecting  this  vessel,  it  appeared  to  be  in 
credulous,  and  made  no  preparations  adequate  for  its  recep 
tion.  The  fleet,  however,  better  informed  or  possessing 
more  sagacity,  watched  her  appearance  with  the  deepest 
anxiety. 

DESTRUCTIVE    MISSION    OF    THE    MERRIMAC. 

The  morning  of  the  eighth  dawned  bright  and  beautiful, 
— not  a  ripple  broke  the  still  surface  of  the  bay  as  it  sparkled 
in  the  sunlight,  and  all  was  calm  and  peaceful  when  the  iron 
clad  monster  left  her  moorings,  and  accompanied  by  two 
steamers,  slowly  started  off  on  her  mission  of  destruction. 
Past  the  wharves  thronged  with  excited  citizens  waving 
their  hats  and  cheering — past  the  batteries  whose  parapets 
were  dark  with  soldiers  gazing  on  the  mysterious  structure 
—out  into  the  placid  bay,  glided  the  ponderous  thing,  and 
turned  her  steel  prow  towards  the  Congress  arid  Cumber 
land,  that  lay  quietly  on  the  tide,  with  boats  hanging  at  the 
booms  and  the  wash  clothes  in  the  rigging,  apparently  unsus 
picious  of  the  approach  of  their  powerful  foe.  A  Sabbath 
stillness  rested  on  sea  and  land,  and  those  on  board  the  Mer 
rimac  wondered  what  this  strange  apathy  meant.  But  sud 
denly  the  heavy  boom  of  a  gun  beyond  SewalFs  Point  broke 
the  stillness.  The  deep  reverberations  died  away  in  the  dis 
tance,  but  still  the  wash  clothes  hung  in  the  rigging,  and  all 
seemed  quiet  on  board  the  frigates.  Soon  after,  another  gun 
thundered  over  the  water,  and  then  they  could  see  a  tug 
start  out  from  Newport  News.  In  a  few  minutes,  two  black 
columns  of  steam,  darkening  the  air  in  the  direction  of  James 


A    FIERCE    NAVAL    COMBAT.  291 

river,  announce  the  approach  of  the  York  and  Jamestown  to 
join  their  forces  with  her. 

In  the  mean  time,  those  on  the  look  out  at  fortress  Mon 
roe,  had  caught  sight  of  her,  and  the  long  roll  sounded,  and 
the  flag-ship,  lying  in  port,  signaled  the  naval  vessels  to  get 
under  way.  The  Minnesota  had  her  steam  already  up,  and 
in  a  short  time  moved  off  towards  Newport  News,  where  the 
Congress  and  Cumberland  lay  on  blockading  duty.  Five 
gun  boats  and  the  Roanoke  in  tow  followed. 

The  gallant  crew  of  the  Cumberland,  as  they  saw  the  un 
couth  monster  come  round  Craney  island,  instantly  recog 
nized  her  as  the  Merrimac.  All  hands  were  beat  to  quarters, 
and  the  vessel  swung-  across  the  channel  so  as  to  bring  her 
broadside  to  bear.  As  the  commanding  officer  scanned  her 
through  his  glass,  she  looked  to  him  like  a  solid  mass  of  iron 
plowing  its  way  through  the  water.  The  slanting  roof  ap 
peared  to  rise  about  ten  feet  from  the  surface,  while  not  an 
opening  was  anywhere  visible,  except  the  narrow  ports  from 
which  the  guns  pointed.  In  front,  her  long  iron  prow 
combed  the  water  as  she  came  steadily,  and  in  grim  silence, 
on. 

When  she  had  got  within  about  a  mile,  the  Cumberland 
commenced  firing  with  her  pivot  guns,  to  which  the  Merri 
mac  deigned  no  response.  As  soon  as  they  could  be  brought 
to  bear,  the  whole  broadside  of  thirteen  nine  and  ten-inch 
guns  opened  on  her.  The  heavy  metal  fell  like  hail  on  the 
approaching  vessel,  but  made  no  more  impression  than  so 
many  peas,  shot  from  a  child's  blow  gun.  Broadside  fol 
lowed  broadside  in  quick  succession,  but  still  the  Merrimac 
maintained  her  onward  course.  At  length  one  of  her  shot 
crashed  through  the  Cumberland,  killing  half  a  dozen  in  its 
passage.  She,  however,  had  no  intention  to  make  a  broad- 
'side  engagement  of  it,  mailed  though  she  ivas,  but  dashed 
straight  on  the  anchored  vessel  with  her  iron  prong.  The 


292  THE    CUMBERLAND    SUNK. 

fated  frigate  could  not  get  out  of  the  way,  and  the  huge 
mass  of  iron  struck  her  with  a  shock  that  sent  her  back  upon 
her  anchors,  and  heeled  her  over  till  her  top-sail  yards  al 
most  touched  the  water.  As  she  backed  off,  a  hole  was  left 
in  the  Cumberland  as  big  as  a  hogshead,  through  which  the 
water  poured  in  a  torrent.  Delivering  a  close  and  murder 
ous  broadside  into  the  disabled  vessel,  she  again  came  on, 
striking  her  amidships.  She  then  lay  off,  and  fired  leisurely, 
but  with  terrible  effect,  while  the  broadsides  of  the  Cumber 
land  were  delivered  with  a  rapidity  and  precision  that  would 
have  sent  the  Merrimac,  had  she  been  a  wooden  vessel,  in 
twenty  minutes  to  the  bottom.  Lieutenant  Morris,  in  com 
mand — the  Captain  being  on  shore  on  business — saw  that 
his  vessel  was  rapidly  filling,  and  knew  that  in  a  few  min 
utes  she  would  be  at  the  bottom ;  but  he  proudly  refused  to 
strike  his  flag,  determined  if  he  could  do  no  better,  to  sink 
alongside.  A  nobler  commander  never  trod  the  deck  of  a 
ship,  and  a  more  gallant  crew  never  stood  by  a  brave  com 
mander.  One  sailor,  with  both  his  legs  shot  off,  hobbled  up  to 
his  gun  on  the  bleeding  stumps,  and  pulling  the  lanyard  fired 
it,  then  fell  back  dead.  Deeper  and  deeper  settled  the 
noble  frigate,  yet  her  broadsides  kept  thundering  on  till  the 
water  poured  into  the  ports,  submerging  the  guns.  Still  the 
flag  waved  aloft,  and  as  the  vessel  was  disappearing  below 
the  surface,  the  pivot  guns  on  deck  gave  a  last  shot  at  the 
enemy,  and  then  the  swift  waves  closed  over  ship  and  gal 
lant  crew  together.  Some  came  to  the  surface,  and  swam 
to  the  shore — others  kept  afloat  till  they  were  picked  up  by 
boats  that  put  off  from  shore  to  their  rescue;  but  of  the 
four  hundred  gallant  souls  on  board,  only  a  little  over  half 
survived  the  disaster.  The  chaplain  and  the  wounded  be 
low,  went  down  together. 

The  work  of  destruction  had  occupied  only  about  three-* 
quarters  of  an  hour,  and  now  the  victorious  Merrimac  turned 


ARRIVAL    OF    THE   MONITOR.  293 

her  prow  towards  the  Congress.  The  latter  saw  that  the 
contest  was  hopeless,  but  engaged  her  invulnerable  adver 
sary  for  half  an  hour,  when  completely  riddled  with  shot  and 
shell,  and  her  commanding  officer  killed,  she  struck  her 
colors. 

.  The  Merrimac,  still  apparently  unharmed,  then  turned  her 
attention  to  the  other  vessels  which  had  come  to  the  rescue, 
and  soon  came  up  with  the  powerful  steamship  Minnesota, 
which  unfortunately  had  got  aground.  Both  vessels  opened 
fire,  but  the  Merrimac,  whether  afraid  of  getting  aground 
herself,  or  whether  her  steering  apparatus  was  damaged,  did 
not  seem  inclined  to  come  to  close  quarters. 

At  length  night  came  on,  but  still  the  heavy  guns  lit  up 
the  darkness  with  their  glare,  and  their  deep  thunder  filled 
the  hearts  of  those  at  fortress  Monroe  with  the  gloomiest 
forebodings.  Where  would  this  destruction  end?  A  sense 
of  powerlessness  oppressed  the  bravest.  Shot  and  "shell 
were  alike  wasted  on  this  monster,  and  there  seemed  noth 
ing  to  do  but  stand  still  and  let  her  lay  waste  and  destroy, 
till  exhausted  with  her  own  efforts,  or  nothing  more  being 
left  to  destroy,  she  would  retire  to  her  den  again. 

That  was  a  gloomy  Saturday  night.  There  seemed  no 
hope  for  the  Minnesota.  One  plunge  of  that  iron  prow  and 
she  would  follow  the  Cumberland  to  the  bottom ;  and  every 
thing  that  floated  in  the  Chesapeake  bearing  the  national 
colors  must  share  a  similar  fate. 

ARRIVAL    OF    THE    MONITOR. 

While  all  were  desponding  and  knew  not  which  way  to 
turn  for  relief,  suddenly  the  little  Monitor  arrived  from  New 
York.  Her  voyage  down  had  been  a  long  one,  and  proved 
her  unsea worthy,  so  much  so  that  she  came  near  foundering 
off  the  coast:  Her  appearance,  when  she  arrived  at  fortress 


294  THE    CONGRESS   BLOWN    UP. 

Monroe,  though  hailed  with  delight,  (as  a  drowning  man 
will  catch  at  a  straw,)  did  not  promise  much  in  an  encoun 
ter  .with  the  powerful  Merrimac  that  had  wrought  such  havoc 
the  day  before.  A  mere  raft,  with  a  revolving  turret  carry 
ing  but  two  guns,  did  not  seem  a  very  formidable  antago 
nist.  But  her  commander,  Lieutenant  Worden,  had  un 
bounded  confidence  in  her  invulnerability,  and  immediately 
resolved  to  go  out  next  morning,  and  grapple  with  the  vic 
torious  Merrimac.  He  needed  more  time  to  get  his  vessel 
in  proper  trim,  after  her  trying  voyage,  but  none  could  be 
allowed  him  ;  for  the  Merrimac  would  certainly  in  the  morn 
ing  attack  the  Minnesota,  and  when  she  was  disposed  of  like 
the  Cumberland  and  Congress,  there  was  nothing  to  stop  her 
in  her  career  of  devastation.  Fortress  Monroe  itself  was 
not  safe,  and  if  she  should  prove  seaworthy,  there  was  noth 
ing  to  prevent  her  from  moving  down  the  coast,  destroying 
and  scattering  our  blockading  squadrons,  or  even  to  hinder 
her  from  entering  New  York  harbor,  and  burning  the  city  to 
ashes.  There  seemed  no  end  to  tlie  .destruction  she  could 
accomplish,  and  a  danger  so  unexpected  and  appalling  made 
every  heart  tremble.  Never  before  on  a  single  new  experi 
ment,  did  such  momentous  events  turn. 

To  add  to  the  gloom  that  hung  round  fortress  Monroe,  and 
the  Union  fleet  in  the  adjacent  waters,  a  bright  light  was 
seen  during  the  evening  in  the  direction  of  Newport  News, 
which  soon  rose  into  a  tower  of  flame,  shedding  a  lurid 
glow  far  and  wide  over  the  water.  The  ramparts  were  lined 
with  spectators,  wondering  what  this  sudden  illumination 
might  portend,  when  there  came  over  the  deep  a  sound  of 
thunder,  shaking  the  shore,  followed  by  sudden  darkness  and 
silence.  The  Congress  had  burned  till  the  fire  reached  the 
powder  magazine,  when  she  blew  up  with  a  force  that  sent 
some  of  her  fragments  a  dozen  miles.  General  Mansfield, 
commanding  at  Newport  News,  had  driven  off  the  rebels, 


MONITOR   AND    MERRIMAC.  295 

who  had  endeavored  to  get  possession  of  her  the  day  before, 
by  playing  upon  them  with  his  batteries  and  sharp  shooters, 
and  determined  to  make  sure  of  her  not  falling  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy,  had  ordered  her  to  be  set  on  fire. 

It  was  soon  after  this  sad  omen  the  Monitor  arrived.  A 
consultation  was  immediately  held  and  it  was  resolved  to 
send  her  forthwith  to  the  assistance  of  the  Minnesota,  still 
hard  aground.  At  eleven  o'clock  she  set  out,  and  her  arri 
val  on  the  scene  of  action  was  hailed  with  delight  by  those 
on  board  the  frigate,  though  the  sailors  shook  their  heads  at 
the  strange  little  craft,  that  looked  more  like  a  great  toy  than 
a  champion  fit  to  contend  with  a  vessel  that  had  proved  her 
self  more  than  a  match  f6r  two  frigates. 

BATTLE    BETWEEN   THE   MERRIMAC    AND  -MONITOR. 

Sunday  morning  broke  bright  and  beautiful,  and  soon  as 
daylight  allowed  objects  to  be  revealed  distinctly,  every  glass 
was  turned  towards  the  Minnesota.  Not  far  from  her  lay  the 
Merrimac,  blowing  off  steam,  and  hovering  near  her,  the  two 
rebel  steamers,  Patrick  Henry  and  Jamestown.  The  enemy 
too,  from  all  their  look-outs,  were  gazing  off  on  the  same  fear 
ful  objects  of  interest,  but  not  with  the  same  feelings  of  doubt 
and  anxiety.  The  iron  monster  seemed  to  be  deliberating 
what  to  do,  whether  to  attack  the  Minnesota  first,  or  the 
Union  fleet,  anchored  near  the  Rip  Raps.  His  mind  was, 
however,  soon  made  up,  and  at  seven  o'clock  he  started  for 
the  Minnesota.  As  the  vessel  slowly  approached  the  ground* 
ed  frigate,  the  Monitor  steamed  out  from  behind,  and  boldly 
advanced  to  meet  her  antagonist.  The  rebel  craft  was  non 
plused  at  the  appearance  of  this  new  adversary,,  so  unlike 
any  thing  ever  before  seen  on  the  water.  She  looked 
scarcely  more  formidable  than  a  ferry  boat,  and  as  she  drew 

near  her  antagonist,  her  disproportionate  size  gave  almost  a 
18 


296  A    STRANGE    NAVAL    DUEL. 

ludicrous  aspect  to  her  bold,  audacious  movements.  When 
\vithin  a  mile  of  each  other,  both  vessels  stopped.  The 
Merrimac  first  sent  a  shot  at  the  Minnesota,  as  if  she  disdained 
to  notice  the  queer  machine  that  had  crossed  her  path.  She, 
however,  changed  her  mind,  and  fired  one  gun  at  her.  The 
latter  replied,  sending  one  of  her  ponderous  shot  full  against 
the  Merrimac,  near  her  water  line.  The  latter  staggered 
under  the  tremendous  force  of  the  concussion,  and  for  the 
first  time  seemed  to  realize  what  kind  of  an  adversary  she 
had  to  deal  with,  and  gave  her  her  undivided  attention. 
The  contest  now  opened  fiercely,  and  the  two  vessels  ap 
proached  and  receded  alternately,  all  the  while  firing  terrific 
broadsides,  as  if  testing  each  other's  impenetrability,  for 
nearly  two  hours.  They  then  closed,  and  muzzle  to  muzzle, 
hailed  their  heavy  metal  on  each  other's  sides,  while  the 
smoke  of  the  guns  wrapped  the  combatants  in  a  cloud,  con 
cealing  them  from  view.  The  firing  was  rapid  and  fierce, 
and  while  the  fearful  duel  lasted,  the  spectators  that  lined 
the  ramparts  of  fortress  Monroe  were  silent  and  anxious, 
almost  afraid  to  see  the  cloud  lift,  lest  it  should  reveal  the 
little  Monitor,  a  helpless  wreck  on  the  water.  But  when  the 
smoke  did  at  last  clear  away,  there  she  lay  alongside  her 
antagonist,  light  as  a  duck  on  the  water,  the  stars  and  stripes 
flying  proudly  from  her  stern.  At  the  sight,  an  involuntary 
shout  went  up  from  thankful  hearts.  She  had  stood  her  bap 
tism  of  fire  uninjured  and  undismayed.  The  vessels  had  now 
drifted  where  the  Minnesota  could  take  part  in  the  conflict, 
and  her  heavy  guns  helped  to  swell  the  chorus.  The  Merri 
mac,  finding  she  had  the  worst  of  it,  determined  to  destroy 
the  Minnesota  before  she  herself  was  completely  disabled, 
and  turned  her  steel  prow  full  on  the  helpless  frigate.  But  the 
Monitor  threw  herself  in  the  path,  and  poured  in  her  broad 
sides  with  redoubled  fury.  Again  and  again  foiled  in  this 
attempt,  the  Merrimac  resolved  to  make  one  desperate  effort 


LIEUTENANT    WORD  EN    WOUNDED.  299 

to  sink  the  Monitor,  and  with  a  full  head  of  steam,  drove 
straight  upon  her.  But  the  iron  prow  glided  up  on  her  low 
and  sheathed  deck  like  a  runner,  simply  careening  her  over. 
But  in  doing  this,  she  exposed  her  hull  below  the  iron 
casing,  which  the  Monitor  immediately  took  advantage  of, 
and  sent  under  her  sheathing  one  of  her  ponderous  shots. 
The  former  was  glad  to  back  off,  and  concluded  not  to  try 
that  experiment  again.  Other  steamers  engaged  in  the  con 
test,  but  the  whole  interest  of  the  conflict  centered  on  these 
two  vessels. 

A  little  after  twelve,  the  Merrimae  abandoned  the  struggle, 
and  wheeling,  slowly  steamed  under  the  battery  at  Sewall's 
Point  where  she  signaled  for  help — showing  that  she  was 
seriously  disabled.  Tugs  came  up,  and  taking  her  in  tow, 
steamed  away  to  Norfolk.  The  Monitor  was  uninjured. 
Some  of  the  gunners  in  the  turret  had  been  stunned  by  a 
heavy  shot  striking  against  it,  and  rendered  unfit  for  duty  for 
several  minutes.  Lieutenant  Worden  had  been  seriously 
wounded  in  both  eyes  by  fragments  of  iron  that  had  been 
thrown  off,  as  a  shot  struck  the  pilot  house  at  the  very  mo 
ment  he  was  looking  through  a  small  aperture  to  direct  the 
management  of  the  vessel.  These  were  the  only  casualties 
all  through  these  hours  of  terrible  fighting.  Buchanan,  the 
rebel  commander,  was  severely,  and  it  was  thought  mortally 
wounded. 

After  the  battle  was  over,  Lieutenant  Wise  jumped  into  a 
boat,  and  went  off  to  the  Monitor,  to  ascertain  her  condition. 
'As  he  descended  through  the  "  man-hole 'T  to  the  cabin  below, 
a  scene  as  calm  and  quiet  met  his  view,  as  if  nothing  unusual 
had  happened.  One*  officer  stood  by  the  mirror  leisurely 
combing  his  hair,  another  was  washing  some  blood  from  his 
hands,  while  the  gallant  commander  lay  on  a  settee  with  his 
eyes  bandaged,  giving  no  signs  of  the  pain  that  racked  him. 
The  first  thing  he  said  on  recovering  from  the  stunning  effects 


300  NARROW    ESCAPE. 

of  his  wound,  was,  "  Have  I  saved  the  Minnesota?"  "Yes." 
was  the  reply,  uand  whipped  the  Merrimac."  Then  said  he 
44 / don't  care  ivhat  becomes  of  me"  Noble  words,  that  will 
live  as  long  as  the  memory  of  this  novel  momentous  engage 
ment. 

Fortunately  for  the  country,  the  news  of  the  first  day's 
devastation  by  the  Merrimac,  and  the  victory  of  the  Monitor 
on  the  following  day,  were  in  the  same  papers  on  Monday, 
thus  preventing  the  excitement  which  would  otherwise  have 
been  created ;  still  much  alarm  wras  felt,  especially  in  New 
York,  which  suddenly  saw  herself  wholly  unprotected.  Her 
strong  forts  had  crumbled  in  a  single  day,  and  all  pondered 
with  the  deepest  alarm  on  what  might  have  happened,  had 
the  Monitor  not  arrived  just  as  she  did  to  prevent  the  Mer 
rimac  from  going  to  sea.  Her  arrival  at  the  critical  moment 
seemed  like  a  special  interposition  of  Providence  in  our  be 
half. 

The  whole  story  reads  like  a  tale  of  the  Arabian  Nights. 
The  sudden  appearance  of  the  Merrimac,  a  new  engine  of  de 
struction,  and  her  career  as  a  destroying  angel  the  first  day, 
checked  only  by  the  night — the  burning  and  blowing  up  of 
the  Congress — the  unexpected  appearance  of  the  Monitor  in 
the  very  crisis  of  events,  looking,  like  nothing  that  had  ever 
been  seen  on  earth  or  water  before — her  dash  to  the  rescue, 
and  her  victory,  are  all  so  many 'parts  of  a  fairy  story. 

After  the  first  burst  of  astonishment  and  wonder  had  sub 
sided,  there  went  up  a  loud  cry  of  indignation  against  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  for  his  neglect  to  provide  against  the 
appearance  of  the  Merrimac.  One  of  the  vessels  which  had 
been  only  partially  destroyed  at  the  burning  of  the  Navy 
Yard,  she  had  been  put  on  the  dry  dock  at  Norfolk,  and  cov 
ered  with  iron,  and  armed  with  a  prong  to  do  the  very  work 
she  had  accomplished.  All  this  had  been  known  and  dis 
cussed  in  the  public  press  the  entire  winter,  and  only  a  month 


SENSATION    IN    EUROPE.  301 

before  she  came  out,  some  French  officers  who  had  visited 
her  declared  her  a  most  formidable  vessel.  And  yet  nothing 
had  been  done  to  prepare  for  her  reception,  except  to  wait 
the  completion  of  the  Monitor,  which  might  have  been,  and 
nearly  was,  too  late  to  prevent  disasters  to  which  there 
seemed  no  limit,  and  which  at  the  best  was  an  untried  experi 
ment  that  might  not  be  successful.  Such  declarations  were  in 
every  one's  mouth,  and  when  it  is  remembered  that  the  quaint 
device  carried  but  two  guns,  which  in  a  long,  close  combat 
might  have  bursted  or  been  struck  in  the  muzzles  by  a  shell, 
one  cannot  but  look  back  on  the  encounter  with  trembling 
The  merchants  of  New  York  were  especially* indignant,  and 
all  felt  that  though  we  had  been  saved,  it  was  not  by  any 
foresight  or  good  management  of  the  Navy  departn/ent.  The 
news  of  this  first  conflict  between  two  iron-clad  vessels  pro 
duced  the  profoundest  sensation  in  Europe,  especially  in  En 
gland.  Her  boasted  navy  had  vanished  in  a  single  day.  Her 
thousand  national  vessels,  which  in  case  of  a  war  with  us  were 
to  drive  us  from  the  sea  and  blockade  all  our  ports,  became 
powerless  as  river  steamers.  The  little  Monitor  alone  would 
sink  a  whole  fleet  of  them  in  an  hour.  As  her  inventor  had 
said  when  he  named  her,  she  had  proved  a  Monitor  to 
England. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

MARCH,  1862. 

UATTLE    OF    PEA    RIDGE SKILL    AND    BRAVERY    OF     SIGEL GALLANT    DEFENSE 

OF    CARR — DEATH    OF    MC  CULLOCH SECOND  DAY'S   FIGHT THE  VICTORY 

DEATH    OF  MC  INTOSH JOHNSON  MADE  GOVERNOR  OF  TENNESSEE CONCEN 
TRATION    OF    THE    REBEL     ARMY FOOTE     MOVES     AGAINST     ISLAND     NUMBER 

TEN THE  MORTAR    BOATS POPE?S  VICTORY  AT    NEW    MADRID THE    ENEMY 

SHUT    UP POOR    PROSPECT    OF    REDUCING    THE    ISLAND. 

A  LTHOUGH  the  decisive  battle  of  Pea  Ridge  occurred 
-LA.  on  the  same  Saturday  that  the  Merrimac  made  her 
attack  on  the  Cumberland  and  Congress,  the  two  days  preced 
ing  it  had  witnessed  some  very  hard  righting — in  fact  there 
were  three  distinct  battles.  As  before  stated,  Curtis  had 
steadily  driven  Price  before  him  till  he  chased  him  across  the 
Arkansas  border.  But  here  McCulloch  and  Van  Dorn,  with 
their  respective  commands,  joined  him,  swelling  the  rebel 
force  to  thirty  thousand  men. 

BATTLE   OF    PEA   RIDGE. 

The  latter  immediately  took  chief  command,  and  deter 
mined  at  once  to  give  Curtis  battle.  The  army  of  the  latter 
was  greatly  inferior  in  numbers,  but  he  gladly  accepted  the 
conflict,  for  he  was  getting  tired  of  this  long,  tedious  pursuit. 
He  had,  during  the  week,  sent  out  three  different  expedi 
tions  to  capture  rebel  bands  said  to  be  gathering  in  south 
western  Missouri  and  northern  Arkansas,  and  also  to  obtain 
forage,  and  hence  his  force  was  much  scattered.  Couriers, 
however,  were  dispatched  to  these  as  soon  as  he  heard  of  the 
arrival  of  Van  Dorn  and  his  army,  to  return  with  all  speed. 


SI  GEL    CUTS   HIS   WAY    THROUGH  THE   ENEMY.     303 

i 

One  of  these,  under  Colonel  Yandevere,  in  obeying  the  order, 
made  a  forced  march  of  forty-one  miles,  with  but  three  halts 
of  fifteen  minutes  each  the  whole  distance,  and  arrived  at 
headquarters  only  the  night  before  the  battle.  Considering 
the  country  this  was  a  most  extraordinary  march.  General 
Sigel  was  near  Bentonville — Davis  at  Sugar  Creek,  and  Carr 
at  Cross  Hollows,  all  of  whom  hastened  at  once  to  head 
quarters  at  Pea  Ridge.  Sigel  received  his  orders  on  the 
fifth,  and  the  next  morning  with  less  than  fifteen  hundred 
men,  began  his  march.  Two  hundred  infantry  were  sent 
forward  to  prevent  his  being  cut  off,  but  the  scouts  soon 
came  in,  reporting  that  the  rebels,  four  thousand  strong,  were 
rapidly  moving  down  upon  his  line  of  march.  This  skillful 
commander  saw  at  once  his  danger,  but  with  that  cool,  confi 
dent  manner  which  characterized  him,  prepared  to  meet  it 
The  teams  were  hurried  off  at  a  tearing  pace,  in  order  to 
leave  him  disencumbered,  and  a  courier  dispatched  in  hot 
haste  to-  camp  for  succor,  and  then  the  ranks  closed  firmly 
up.  He  had  scarcely  completed  his  preparations  before  the 
enemy  appeared,  and  making  the  air  ring  with  their  shouts 
and  yells,  advanced  boldly  upon  his  little  band  of  Germans. 
The  latter  waited  till  they  were  within  two  hundred  yards,- 
when  the  word  "fire"  ran  along  the  steady  line.  A  terrible 
volley  of  Minie  balls  smote  the  front  rank  of  the  rebels, 
shriveling  it  up  like  a  piece  of  parchment.  They  staggered 
back  at  the  murderous  fire,  but  in  a  few  minutes  their  offi 
cers,  by  riding  along  their  front,  with  gestures  and  appeals, 
rallied  them  again,  when  they  came  on  still  nearer  than  be 
fore.  Breasting  the  first  volley,  they  still  pressed  on,  when 
a  second  smote  them.  Swaying  a  moment  before  this,  they 
once  more  rallied,  and  with  hoots  and  cheers  and  oaths  that 
turned  the  field  into  a  pandemonium,  made  a  last  effort  to  ad 
vance.  So  desperate  was  the  onset  that  some  of  their  cavalry 
actually  got  in  the  rear,  and  the  battle  seemed  lost,  when  a 


304  DISCIPLINED   VALOR. 

third  volley,  and  a  headlong  charge  of  the  bayonet  sent  them 
broken  and  discomfited  back.  Maddened  at  this  stubborn 
resistance,  the  rebel  officers  once  more  re-formed  their  men 
for  a  third,  still  more  desperate  assault.  It  was  now  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  Sigel  was  still  seven  miles 
from  camp.  The  prospect  before  him  was  gloomy  enough. 
He  had  not  heard  from  Curtis,  and  began  to  fear  his  messen 
ger  had  been  cut  off.  Still  undismayed,  however,  he  closed 
up  his  thinned  ranks,  and  firmly  awaited  the  attack.  In  over 
whelming  numbers — four  to  one — the  enemy  now  dashed  for 
ward,  firing  as  they  came,  and  spurring  their  horses  up  to 
the  very  points  of  the  bayonets.  They  completely  enveloped 
the  little  band,  and  for  a  time  it  seemed  swallowed  up  in  the 
engulfing  flood.  Clouds  of  smoke  rolled  around  it,  out  of 
•which  arose  cries  and  shouts,  and  incessant  volleys  of  small 
arms.  But  still  Sigel  towered  unhurt  amid  his  devoted 
followers,  and  as  long  as  he  lived  that  band,  though  slaugh 
tered,  could  not  be  conquered.  The  enemy  thought  so  too, 
and  wherever  his  glancing  form  was  seen,  there  the  bullets 
fell  like  hail.  One  pierced  his  coat,  another  cut  the  visor  of 
his  cap,  showing  to  what  a  deadly  fire  he  was  exposed,  but 
he  seemed  to  bear  a  charmed  life,  for  not  one  touched  his 
person.  Ordering  his  men  to  clear  the  way  with  the  bayo 
net,  they,  with  their  deep  German  war  cry,  moved  with  un 
broken  front  on  the  foe,  sweeping  them  like  chaff  from  their 
path.  Those  western  men  were  fierce  fighters,  but  stood 
amazed  at  the  disciplined  valor  that  scoffed  at  numbers,  and 
kept  the  ranks,  though  enveloped  in  flame,  solid  as  iron. 
As  the  brave  fellows  paused  to  take  breath,  a  courier  dashed 
up  announcing  that  reinforcements  were  close  at  hand,  when  a 
cheer  that  made  the  welkin  ring,  went  up  from  the  beleaguered 
band.  The  baffled  enemy,  knowing  well  what  it  meant,  made 
a  sudden  dash  to  capture  the  train,  but  were  again  driven 
back,  and  the  column,  without  farther  molestation,  effected 


FIRST  DAY'S  BATTLE.  305 

its  junction  with  the  main  army.  All  the  divisions  finally  got 
safely  in,  and  Curtis  prepared  for  battle. 

The  morning  of  the  seventh  broke  clear  and  bright,  and 
the  stirring  sound  of  the  drum  and  fife  called  every  soldier 
to  his  feet.  Curtis  had  taken  his  position  on  Pea  Ridge,  and 
receiving  information  that  led  him  to  believe  that  the  main 
force  of  the  enemy  was  coming  from  the  westward,  he  sent 
out  Sigel  with  his  division  to  meet  him,  while  Colonel  Davis 
held  the  center  on  the  ridge.  The  former  advanced  some 
three  miles,  when  he  came  upon  the  enemy  and  opened  with 
artillery.  After  a  few  rounds,  the  command  to  cease  firing 
was  received,  and  Osterhaus,  with  the  third  Iowa  cavalry, 
was  ordered  to  clear  the  timber  in  front.  The  bugles  rang 
out,  and  away  dashed  the  squadrons.  The  enemy,  however, 
was  in  much  stronger  force  than  Siegel  supposed,  and  the 
cavalry  was  driven  back  in  confusion.  The  rebels  seeing 
their  advantage,  rushed  after  with  furious  yells,  and  dashing 
on  a  battery  of  three  guns,  captured  it.  'Their  triumph, 
however,  was  of  short  duration,  for  Osterhaus,  bringing  up 
his  Indiana  regiments,  led  them  fiercely  forward.  Delivering 
their  rapid  volleys  as  they  advanced,  they  at  length  charged 
bayonet,  strewing  the  ground  with  the  slain,  and  recapturing 
their  guns,  which  they  bore  back  with  shouts.  The  artillery 
then  commenced  playing  again,  but  after  awhile  the  rebels 
abandoned  their  position,  and  fell  back.  Sigel  then  ordered 
a  general  advance,  and  pushing  on,  drove  them  before  him 
for  two  or  three  miles. 

In  the  mean  time,  a  force  having  appeared  in  front  of 
Davis,  he  moved  forward,  and  after  a  short,  severe  contest, 
also  drove  the  enemy  back.  But  as  he  and  Sigel  followed 
up  their  success,  neither  found  the  main  force  of  the  enemy. 
These  attacks  were  mere  feints  on  their  part,  while  the  main 
army  was  quietly  gaining  our  rear. 

Colonel  Carr  with  his  brigade,  had  been  sent  out  in  the 


306  A   CAVALRY   FIGHT. 

morning  in  this  direction,  as  a  precaution  against  any  possi 
ble  move  of  this  kind.  While  passing  along  through  farms 
that  stretched  away  from  the  road,  he  suddenly  came  upon 
masses  of  the  enemy  posted  on  a  declivity  covered  with 
woods.  It  was  now  about  nine  o'clock,  and  Carr  ordered 
Colonel  Dodge  to  move  to  the  right,  and  open  with  his  ar 
tillery.  He  did  so,  and  the  enemy  responding,  a  close  artil 
lery  fight  soon  raged  all  along  the  line.  Bodies  of  infantry 
in  the  mean  time  advanced  on  each  other,  and  for  more  than 
an  hour  the  conflict  was  hotly  maintained  without  any  definite 
result,  when  another  battery  was  ordered  up  to  Carr's  sup 
port.  At  the  same  time,  the  cavalry  had  made  their  way 
along  the  ridge,  beyond  the  road  by  which  the  enemy  had 
advanced,  and  were  about  to  seize  his  wagons,  when  a  bri 
gade  of  rebel  cavalry  and  infantry  suddenly  appeared.  In 
stantly  the  bugles  on  both  sides  sounded  the  charge  and 
these  two  bodies  of  cavalry,  shaking  their  sabers  above  their 
heads,  fell  with  loud  shouts  upon  each  other.  First  their 
carbines,  then  their  pistols  were  emptied,  but  neither  were 
arrested  in  their  course,  and  they  closed  sword  in  hand. 
The  clashing  of  steel  against  steel,  rang  like  the  hammers  on 
a  hundred  anvils — chargers  plunged  and  reared,  while  the 
shrill  bugle  rang  out  over  the  tumult.  The  Texans  fought 
furiously,  but  the  better  armed  Missouri  cavalry  cleared  their 
way  through  them,  like  reapers  in  a  harvest,  until  overborne 
they  fell-back  in  disorder.  The  victorious  squadrons  pressed 
after,  driving  them  back  for  a  mile,  when  they  came  upon  a 
heavy  battery  which  completely  swept  the.'  ground  over 
which  they  were  advancing.  Immediately  the  bugle  sounded 
the  recall,  and  the  column  fell  back.  In  the  mean  time,  the 
battle  raged  furiously  all  along  the  lines,  on  both  sifres  of  the 
road,  and  Carr  soon  saw  that  he  had  the  main  army  on  his 
hands.  Regiment  after  regiment  kept  arriving  on  the  field, 
till  he  found  himself  in  danger  of  being  surrounded.  He 


A   BRAVE   RESISTANCE.  307 

immediately  sent  back  to  Curtis  for  help,  and  in  the  mean 
time  made  desperate  efforts  to  maintain  his  position.  The 
occupation  of  a  knoll  on  the  east  side  of  the  road  prevented 
the  rebels  from  outflanking  him,  and  this  they  determined  at 
all  hazards  to  gain,  and  at  last  by  mere  weight  of  numbers 
succeeded,  but  not  till  our  force  had  left  nearly  half  its  num 
ber  on  its  summit  and  slopes.  Carr  was  now  compelled  to 
fall  back  to  a  new  position. 

Messengers  had  been  hurrying  to  and  from  headquarters, 
but  no  reinforcements  could  be  sent,  for  Sigel  and  Davis  had 
not  yet  returned  from  pursuing  the  enemy.  Carr  looked  on 
his  thinned  division  with  gloomy  forebodings.  u  Three  bat 
teries  and  two  regiments,  or  night,  or  we  are  lost,"  he  ex 
claimed.  He  was  now  not  more  than  a  mile  from  camp,  and 
yet  he  must  still  retreat.  As  a  last  hope,  he  resolved  to  make 
one  desperate  effort  to.  regain  the  knoll  he  had  lost,  as  with 
out  it  he  could  not  maintain  his  position  an  hour  longer. 
The  chances  were  fearfully  against  him,  but  to  allow  himself 
to  be  driven  back  on  the  unprotected  camp,  was  certain  ruin 
to  the  whole  army.  As  the  order  to  advance  passed  along 
the  lines,  a  loud  cheer  from  the  returning  column  of.  Davis, 
announcing  that  help  was  near,  was  borne  to  the  ears  of  the 
exhausted  troops,  nerving  them  to  tenfold  daring.  Straight 
on  the  hostile  battery  that  now  surmounted  the  knoll,  they 
moved  with  a  determined  front,  and  taking  the  fiery  storm 
on  their  unshrinking  breasts,  swept  it  like  a  hurricane. 

In  this  last  gallant  charge  the  rebel  leader  McCulloch  fell. 
The  enemy  now  fell  back  in  confusion,  and  night  closed  the 
scene. 

Within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  each  other,  the  two  armies 
lay  down  to  rest,  and  prepare  for  the  morning  struggle. 
The  dead  were  left  where  they  had  fallen,  but  their  wounded 
were  carefully  picked  up  and  carried  where  their  wounds 
could  be  dressed.  The  soldiers  knew  that  their  retreat  was 


308  THE    GERMAN    CAMP   AT    NIGHT. 

cut  off,  and  that  they  must  win  on  the  morrow,  or  surrender 
as  prisoners  of  war ;  yet  they  exhibited  no  discouragement. 
The  regiments  had  been  dreadfully  thinned — the  enemy  had 
gained  their  rear,  and  the  prospect  seemed  gloomy  enough. 
Curtis  was  oppressed  with  sad  forebodings,  and  there  was 
little  sleep  at  headquarters  that  night.  The  gallant  Sigel, 
however,  who  had  returned  from  his  long  pursuit  of  the 
enemy,  promised  certain  victory  in  the  morning.  In  his 
German  camp,  the  songs  of  the  "  Fatherland"  stole  sweetly 
out  on  the  evening  air,  showing  that  his  soldiers,  like  him, 
felt  little,  anxiety  for  the  result.  Still  the  night  was  a  pain 
ful  one,  and  it  was  -made  still  more  sombre  by  the  pitiful 
complainings  of  the  poor  mules  which  had  eaten  nothing  for 
two  days,  and  had  not  tasted  water  for  twenty-four  hours. 
All  night  long  they  made  the  air  resound  with  their  moans. 
But  the  heavy  hours  at  length  passed  away,  and  the  morning 
of  the  eighth  dawned  dull  and  gloomy. 

The  appearance  of  the  enemy  in  the  rear,  made  an  en 
tirely  new  order  of  battle  necessary,  and  what  was  the  rear 
became  the  front,  and  the  whole  force  was  concentrated  to 
the  north  of  the  camp.  Here,  on  a  ridge,  nearly  two  hund 
red  feet  high,  sloping  away  behind,  but  precipitous  in  front, 
the  enemy  had,  during  the  night,  planted  several  batteries, 
while  at  the  base,  at  the  right,  were  other  batteries  and 
heavy  bodies  of  infantry  massed.  A  less  force,  similarly 
posted,  was  on  the  left.  This  was  the  enemy's  position  as  the 
daylight  revealed  them,  from  which  they  could  almost  look 
down  into  our  camp.  A  road  ran  up  towards  this  ridge,  pass 
ing  through  one  of  those  immense  western  corn  fields,  which 
gave  ample  room  for  displaying  our  force.  Amid  the  white 
and  withered  stalks,  our  line  of  battle  was  formed.  Carr,  oc 
cupying  the  road  and  a  portion  of  the  field  on  either  side, 
formed  the  center,  while  Davis  was  en  the  extreme  left  On 
Bigel  was  to  rest  the  fortunes  of  the  day.  This  accom- 


THE    FINAL    CHARGE.  309 

plislied  officer  saw  that  if  he  could  turn  the  enemy's  left 
flank,  and  drive  him  from  the  ridge,  the  battle  would  be 
won. 

Occasional  shots  were  exchanged  from  early  in  the  morn 
ing,  but  it  was  eight  o'clock  before  the  action  became  gen 
eral.  The  cannoneers  were  all  at  their  places  the  whole 
length  of  the  line  when  the  order  to  open  fire  was  received. 
The  battle  of  the  previous  day  had  filled  the  whole  air  with 
smoke,  and  there  being  no  wind  stirring  to  drive  it  away, 
it  had  settled  down  over  the  field ;  so  that  the  sun  as  it  now 
rose  in  the  troubled  sky,  looked  dim  and  red.  For  two  hours 
after  the  action  commenced,  an  incessant  cannonade  was  kept 
up,  and  it  soon  became  evident  that  the  enemy's  line  was 
shaken  by  the  superior  accuracy  of  our  fire,  while  he  dared 
not  advance  in  a  decisive  charge  over  the  open  field.  A 
battery  of  three  guns  to  the  left  of  the  road  was  terribly 
galling  to  our  troops,  and  it  was  resolved  to  take  it.  The 
twelfth  Missouri  was  selected  for  the  undertaking,  and  just 
as  the  order  to  charge  was  given,  a  sudden  gust  of  wind  blew 
away  the  smoke,  showing  the  exact  position  of  the  guns. 
The  brave  fellows  accepted  the  omen,  and  dashed  forward 
on  the  run.  Breasting  the  storm  of  fire  that  smote  them, 
they  charged  up  to  the  very  muzzles,  and  captured  the  pieces 
and  held  them  under  fire  until  support  came  up.  The  ene 
my's  line  now  began  to  waver,  and  it  was  evident  they  were 
preparing  to  withdraw.  Two  Indiana  regiments  were  imme 
diately  thrown  forward  when  the  ranks  in  front  of  them  fell 
back  in  confusion.  The  whole  line  then  was  ordered  to 
advance  and  close  the  contest  with  the  bayonet.  A  loud 
cheer  rolled  over  the  field,  answered  with  a  cheer  from  the 
enemy.  Delivering  their  rapid  volleys  as  they  advanced, 
our  troops  were  about  to  close  with  the  bayonet  when  the 
whole  rebel  army  turned  and  fled.  Sigel  had  succeeded  in 
turning  the  right  flank  and  now  pressed  fiercely  in  pursuit. 


310  SIGEL'S  PURSUIT. 

Over  fallen  trees  which  had  been  leveled  by  a  hurricane,  cav 
alry  and  infantry  struggled  frantically  together,  while  shot 
and  shell  struck  and  burst  in  their  midst  Down  the  slopes, 
over  the  fields  they  rushed,  spurred  on  by  Sigel's  artillery, 
which  strewed  the  ground  with  dead  and  wounded.  The 
wooded  and  broken  country  rendered  pursuit  by  cavalry  im 
possible,  or  a  large  portion  of  the  army  would  have  been 
captured.  Sigel  however  kept  up  the  chase  for  twelve  miles, 
and  the  next  morning  marched  his  exhausted  but  victorious 
troops  back  to  camp.  The  routed  army  divided  into  two 
portions,  and  felling  trees  along  the  road  behind  them,  suc 
ceeded  in  effecting  its  escape.  The  battle  field,  especially 
where  Sigel's  artillery  had  played,  presented  a  ghastly  spec 
tacle.  Amid  dismounted  cannon,  broken  carriages,  shattered 
trees,  and  along  the  furrowed  up  earth,  the  dead  and  wound 
ed,  mangled  by  shot  and  shell,  lay  thick  as  autumnal  leaves. 
To  add  to  the  horrors  of  the  scene,  the  woods,  which  had 
been  set  on  fire  by  the  shells,  now  began  to  blaze  up  in  va 
rious  directions..  Our  exhausted  troops  made  every  exertion 
to  rescue  the  bodies  of  friends  and  foes  alike  from  the  de 
vouring  flames,  and  nearly  all  were  removed  to  a  place  of 
safety.  A  few  however,  who  had  fallen  in  secluded  places, 
or  crawled  off  to  thickets,  were  overtaken  by  the  fire,  and 
their  charred  and  blackened  corpses  were  afterward  found  ly 
ing  amid  the  ashes  and  cinders  of  the  forest.  The  rebels 
had  Indian  allies  in  the  fight,  who  in  accordance  with  their 
savage  custom,  scalped  those  of  our  dead  they  were  able 
to  reach.  This  afterward  drew  forth  a  stern  remonstrance 
from  Curtis,  when  Yan  Dorn,  under  a  flag  of  truce,  requested 
permission  to  bury  his  dead. 

Our  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  was  full  a  thousand  men — 
that  of  the  enemy  could  only  be  conjectured — among  them 
were  the  two  rebel  Generals,  McCulloch  and  Mclntosh.  It 
was  a  nobly  fought  battle.  The  Iowa,  Missouri  and  Indiana 


JOHNSON  GOVERN OR  OF  TENNESSEE.      311 

regiments  covered  themselves  with  glory,  while  the  Germans 
had  again  proved  themselves  worthy  of  their  heroic  leader. 
Two  of  the  regiments,  while  under  tire,  actually  struck  up  a 
national  song,  and  its  loud  chorus  rang  over  the  field  making 
strange  harmony  with  the  stern  roar  of  the  artillery. 

This  victory  settled  the  fate  of  Missouri.  Price  had  strug 
gled  desperately  to  save  the  state  to  the  southern  confed 
eracy,  but  failed  at  last. 

It  was  evident  that  the  rebel  forces  would  not  venture  to 
give  Curtis  battle  again,  and  he  quietly  went  into  camp 
among  the  hills  and  woods  of  Arkansas,  while  other  acts  in 
the  great  tragedy  were  being  enacted  on  the  Mississippi  and 
Atlantic  coast. 

Andrew  Johnson,  former  governor  of  Tennessee,  had  been 
appointed  provisional  governor  of  the  state,  and  entered  on 
his  duties,  while  the  great  army  of  the  west  was  slowly 
moving  southward  in  rear  of  the  enemy.  ,  The  latter  imme 
diately  began  to  concentrate  his  forces  preparatory  to  a  great 
decisive  battle.  A.  Sidney  Johnston  eifected  a  junction 
with  Beauregard,  who  commanded  at  Memphis,  while  Bragg 
was  ordered  up  from  Mobile,  with  nearly  the  whole  army 
that  had  been  stationed  in  its  vicinity.  From  every  part  of 
the  south-west,  troops  were  hurried  forward  to  resist  the  ad 
vance  of  the  ''northern  hordes,"  and  in  a  short  time  a  mighty 
army  was  assembled  at  Corinth.  Towards  this  point,  our 
various  divisions  began  slowly  to  move,  and  all  eyes  were 
turned  thither  in  expectation  of1  a  battle  that  should  settle 
the  fate  of  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi. 

FOOTE   MOVES   AGAINST   ISLAND    NUMBER   TEN. 

In  the  mean  time,  Foote,  having  got  his  gun  boats  ready, 
moved  down  towards  island  number  ten.  Ten  gun  boats, 
twelve  mortar  boats,  and  a  large  fleet  of  transports  filled  the 


312  MORTAR   PRACTICE. 

river  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  and  it  was  believed  that 
nothing  could  long  stop  their  victorious  progress  towards 
New  Orleans.  Each  of  the  mortar  boats  carried  a  mortar 
weighing  seventeen  thousand  one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds, 
and  throwing  a  shell  weighing,  before  loaded,  two  hundred 
and  fifteen  pounds.  Impelled  by  a  charge  of  twenty-three 
pounds  of  powder,  this  ponderous  m-issile  would  reach  a  dis 
tance  of  over  two  miles. 

These  were  finally  got  into  position  along  the  banks  on  the 
fifteenth,  and  opened  fire  on  the  enemy's  works.  They  were 
of  the  most  formidable  character,  consisting  of  batteries  both 
on  the  island  and  bluffs  on  the  main  shore,  in  which  guns  of 
the  heaviest  caliber  were  mounted. 

The  fire  of  the  mortar  boats  was  found  to  be  less  effective 
than  had  been  anticipated.  The  several  batteries  were  small 
objects  to  hit  two  miles  off,  by  shells  thrown  at  an  angle  of 
forty-five  degrees. ,  Had  it  been  a  large  enclosed  fortifica 
tion,  filled  with  troops,  on  which  the  fire  was  concentrated, 
the  destruction  would  have  been  terrible;  but  here,  an  ex 
actness  was  required,  that  it  was  impossible  to  attain.  The 
slightest  puff  of  wind,  acting  on  a  shell  in  so  long  a  flight, 
would  frustrate  the  nicest  mathematical  calculation.  It  was 
soon  evident,  that  if  they  alone  were  to  be  relied  on,  the 
enemy  would  be  able  to  maintain  his  position  for  an  indefi 
nite  length  of  time.  The  gun  boats  might  have  succeeded 
in  demolishing  the  works,  but  Foote  thought  it  too  hazard 
ous  to  engage  the  batteries  down  stream  on  the  rapid  current 
of  the  Mississippi ;  for  the  slightest  accident  to  their  machinery 
would  leave  them  to  drift  directly  under  the  enemy's  guns, 
where  they  would  be  quickly  sunk.  • 

The  bombardment  however,  went  on  day  after  day,  while 
other  means  of  reducing  the  place  were  carefully  canvassed. 
Thus  for  weeks  it  was  almost  a  continuous  thunder  peal  along 
the  shores  of  the  Mississippi.  When  the  gunners  fired  off 


POPE   AT   NEW   MADRID.  313 

those  monstrous  mortars  they  had  to  take  shelter  behind 
the  timber  work  that  enclosed  them,'  so  heavy  was  the  con 
cussion. 

POPE'S   VICTORY    AT    NEW   MADRID. 

In  the  mean  time  General  Pope,  in  command  of  a  division 
in  Missouri  had  moved  down  from  Commerce,  by  order  of  Gen 
eral  Halleck,  to  Point  Pleasant  near  New  Madrid,  a  few  miles 
below  the  island,  where  he  found  a  large  force  of  the  enemy 
intrenched.  Not  having  any  heavy  guns,  he  sent  to  St.  Louis 
for  them.  These  he  transported  over  roads  almost  impas 
sable,  and  working  with  an  energy  and  resolution  that  mocked 
at  difficulties,  at  length  got  them  mounted,  when  he  opened 
on  the  enemy.  Finding  the  fire  becoming  too  hot,  they  de 
camped  in  the  night  in  such  haste,  that  they  left  all  the  bag 
gage  of  the  officers  and  knapsacks  of  the  men  behind,  and 
their  dead  unburied,  and  took  refuge  on  the  Kentucky  shore. 
Our  loss  was  about  fifty  killed  and  wounded.  Pope  then 
planted  his  batteries  on  the  shorev  shutting  the  rebel  fleet 
up  between  him  and  the  island,  and  cutting  off  communica 
tion  from  below  by  water.  Beyond  this,  however,  he  was 
powerless  to  do  any  thing  to  aid  Foote.  Without  a  single 
transport  or  gun  boat,  and  no  way  of  obtaining  them,  he  was 
confined  to  the  task  of  simply  holding  his  position.  It  was 
a  terrible  trial  to  an  energetic,  active  commander  like  him,  to 
sit  idly  there  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  listening  day  after 
day  and  week  after  week,  to  the  heavy  cannonading  above 
him,  and  think  how  easily  with  a  few  boats  he  could  cross 
over  to  the  Kentucky  shore  and  end  this  long  struggle. 

19 


CHAPTER    XXIY. 

MARCH,  18G2. 

CAPTURE    OF    NEWBERN    BY    BURNSIDE THE    MARCH — THE    ATTACK THE    VIC- 

TORY ACTION  OF  THE  FLEET FEELING  OF  THE  PEOPLE BURNSIDE's  DIS 
PATCH THE  PRESIDENT  ASSUMES  ACTIVE  COMMAND  OF  THE  ARMY  AND  OR 
DERS  A  GENERAL  ADVANCE AN  IMPORTANT  EPOCH  IN  THE  HISTORY  OF  THE 

WAR — FREMONT    IN    COMMAND  OF    THE    MOUNTAIN    DEPARTMENT MANASSAS 

EVACUATED CHAGRIN  OF  THE  PEOPLE JACKSON  BEYOND  THE  BLUE  RIDGE 

PURSUED  BY  BANKS TRAP  SET  FOR  HIM  BY  SHIELDS BATTLE  OF  WINCHES- 
TEH POUND  GAP  IN  EAST  TENNESSEE  TAKEN  BY  GARFIELD THE  NASHVILLE 

ESCAPES  FROM  BEAUFORT THE  PRESIDENT'S  MESSAGE  CONCERNING  EMANCI 
PATION  IN  THE  STATES. 

WHILE  the  daily  reports  from  Island  Number  Ten  were 
the  same  dull  record  of  a  bombardment  without  re 
sults,  news  from  Burnside's  expedition  electrified  the  nation. 
Rumors  were  current  that  this  gallant  officer  was  moving  on 
Norfolk,  and  great  fears  were  entertained  by  many  that  the 
rebel  army  in  front  of  McClellan,  would  suddenly  fall  below 
Richmond,  and  crush  him  before  he  could  receive  reinforce 
ments,  or  reach  the  protection  of  his  gun  boats.  But  the 
uncertainty  that  had  prevailed  respecting  his  movements, 
was  suddenly  dispelled  by  the  news  that  he  had  captured 
the  city  of  Newbern. 

CAPTURE    OF    NEWBERN,    NORTH    CAROLINA. 

A  combined  attack  on  the  place,  by  land  and  water,  hav 
ing  been  resolved  upon,  the  expedition,  with  the  gun  boats 
in  advance,  followed  by  the  vast  concourse  of  transports,  set 
sail  from  Roanoke  island,  on  the  twelfth,  and  slowly  moved 
in  the  direction  of  Newbern.  Reaching  the  mouth  of  the 
Neuse  on  which  the  city  is  situated,  the  fleet  ascended  the 


A    QUIET    SCENE.  315 

river  some  twenty  miles,  and  came  to  anchor,  to  wait  for 
daylight.  The  night  was  clear  and  balmy  as  summer,  and 
as  the  bright  moon  sailed  up  among  the  stars,  flooding  the 
stream  with  light,  and  throwing  the  woods  on  the  adjacent 
banks  into  deeper  shadow,  it  looked  down  on  a  scene  of 
tranquil  beauty  that  gave  no  indications  of  the  carnage  and 
death  soon  to  follow.  The  troops,  inspired  by  it,  sent  their 
songs  over  the  quiet  waters,  while  far  inland  the  bright  fires 
of  the  enemy  checkered  the  landscape.  But  as  night  wore  on, 
every  sound  died  away,  and  the  soldiers  lay  down  to  their 
rest.  Before  morning  it  began  to  rain,  and  the  thirteenth 
dawned  gloomily  on  the  expedition.  But  the  clouds  soon 
broke  away,  and  the  warm,  bright  sun  came  out,  and  was  hailed 
as  a  cheering  omen.  About  eight  o'clock,  the  small  boats 
were  lowered  and  filled  with  troops,  and  it  was  soon  evident 
that  the  land  forces  were  going  no  farther  by  water  towards 
Newbern.  The  spot  selected  for  the  landing  was  near  the 
mouth  of  Slocum's  creek,  about  twelve  miles  from  the  city 
by  water,  but  four  or  five  miles  farther  by  land.  The  regi 
ments  formed  on  the  beach,  and  after  marching  a  little  over 
two  miles  through  the  sand,  came  to  an  encampment.  At  sight 
of  it  the  men  dashed  forward  with  a  cheer,  but  they  found 
it  deserted.  The  rebels  had  fled  in  such  haste,  that  they  left 
blankets  and  camp  equipage  behind,  while  the  warm  break 
fast  lay  untouched,  anft  the  fires  that  cooked  it  were  still 
burning.  A  brief  halt  only  was  made  here,  and  the  column 
again  took  up  its  line  of  march,  while  over  the  forest,  like 
heavy  thunder,  came  the  steady  explosions  of  cannon  from 
the  gun  boats,  as  they  moved  up  the  stream,  shelling  the 
woods  in  advance  of  the  army.  The  promise  of  a  .  bright 
day  which  the  morning  wore,  now  suddenly  vanished,  and 
heavy,  leaden  clouds  closed  rapidly  over  the  sun,  flinging  a 
deep  shadow  on  the  earth.  Soon  the  rain  began  to  descend 
in  torrents.  All  day  long  it  poured,  drenching  the  soldiers 


316  THE   MARCH. 

to  their  skins — yet  they  inarched  steadily  on  through  it  and 
the  deep  mud.  About  noon,  skirmishers,  who  had  been 
sent  out,  returned  with  the  report  that  a  short  distance  ahead 
there  was  a  formidable  earthwork,  erected  directly  across 
their  route.  A  halt  was  ordered,  and  a  reconnoitering  party 
sent  forward,  which  soon  returned  and  reported  the  works 
abandoned.  The  march  was  then  resumed,  and  the  troops 
passing  through  them,  came  to  the  rail  road  leading  to  the 
city.  Where  the  highway  crossed  the  track  there  were  some 
meadows,  in  which  the  troops  stacked  their  arms  and 
snatched  a  hasty  meal  from  their  haversacks,  and  drank  from 
the  water  by  the  roadside.  Here  the  army  divided  into  two 
columns,  one  keeping  along  the  rail  road  track,  and  the 
other  the  stage  road. 

After  marching  for  two  hours,  the  rail  road  and  highway 
again  crossed  each  other,  and  the  two  columns  once  more 
'came  together.  Here,  in  some  meadows,  a  halt  was  ordered, 
and  the  troops  breaking  line,  laid  aside  their  knapsacks,  and 
throwing  themselves  on  the  ground,  or  sitting  down  on  logs 
and  fallen  trees,  rested  their  weary  limbs.  But  soon  the 
drum  called  them  to  their  ranks  again,  and  though  foot-sore 
and  wet,  they  marched  cheerfully  forward.  Night  came  on, 
yet  they  still  moved  carefully  along  in  the  darkness  till  eight 
o'clock,  when  they  encamped.  Some  few  found  shelter  in 
the  scattered  farm  houses  and  barns,  but  the  main  army  rested 
on  the  soaked  fields.  The  long  night  passed  quietly,  and  at 
daylight  the  troops  stood  to  their  arms  again.  About  seven 
o'clock,  sharp  firing  ahead  told  that  the  skirmishers  had  en 
countered  the  enemy.  In  a  few  minutes  the  regiments  were 
in  their  places,  and  moved  forward.  Burnside  rode  on  with 
his  staff  to  examine  the  ground,  and  as  he  came  to  a  wide 
field,  a  battery  on  the  farther  side  opened,  and  a  shell  struck 
witltout  exploding,  within  ten  feet  of  him.  The  rail  road, 
highway,  and  river  Neuse,  at  this  point  run  nearly  parallel 


THE    VICTORY.  317 

to  each  other,  and  not  far  apart.  The  river  bank  was  lined  for 
a  long  distance  towards  Newbern  with  batteries,  which  com 
manded  both  the  river  itself,  and  the  road  inland  leading  to  the 
city.  From  the  first  of  these,  a  line  of  rifle  pits,  half  a  mile 
in  length,  extended  across  the  roads,  ending  in  a  swamp. 
Burnside  immediately  ordered  Foster  to  advance  along  the 
road  against  the  enemy's  left,  Parke  to  follow  him  up  till 
opposite  the  enemy's  center,  while  Reno  was  to  keep  along 
the  rail  road  and  attack  his  right.  The  artillery  was  then 
advanced,  and  the  battle  opened.  At  the  -first  gun,  the  rebel 
infantry  stretched  out  in  line,  from  the  battery  on  the  banks 
of  the  river  to  the  rail  road.  At  this  point  commenced  a 
series  of  redoubts  and  rifle  pits,  extending  nearly  three  miles. 
But  of  these  the  flanking  brigade  was  entirely  ignorant,  as  it 
floundered  through  the  swamp  to  get  in  rear  of  the  first 
works.  The  regiments  in  every  part  of  the  field  moved 
steadily  into  their  places  amid  a  storm  of  shot,  and  soon  the 
wounded  were  borne  rapidly  back  through  the  lines.  The 
enemy  were  concealed  •  behind  their  works,  so  that  nothing 
but  their  heads  were  visible,  while  our  troops  stood  exposed 
to  their  long  line  of  fire.  It  was  hopeless  to  sustain  any 
length  of  time,  such  an  unequal  contest,  and  the  order  to 
charge  was  given.  A  shout  went  up  from  the  whole  line  at 
the  order,  and  the  intrepid  regiments  moved  straight  on  the 
enemy's  works.  Four  companies  of  the  Massachusetts  twenty- 
first  were  first  inside,  but  were  almost  immediately  driven 
out  again  by  the  overwhelming  numbers  of  the  enemy.  Re 
inforced  by  the  New  York  fifty-first  and  New  Jersey  and 
Rhode  Island  troops,  they  again  turned  to  the  assault,  when 
the  whole  mounted  the  ramparts  together,  with  a  shout  that 
rose  over  the  roar  of  the  guns.  Hand  to  hand,  and  breast  to 
breast,  they  fought  their  desperate  way,  till  the  enemy  broke 
and  fled  in  dismay.  When  the  brigade  on  the  right  heard 
the  charging  cheer  of  those  on  the  left,  they  dashed  from  the 


318       THE  ENEMY  SET  FIRE  TO  NEWBERN. 

woods  that  covered  them,  and  moving  at  double-quick  over 
the  intervening  field,  charged  up  to  the  very  muzzles  of  the 
guns.  But  our  success  on  the  left  had  spread  a  panic  on 
every  side,  and. the  rebels  broke  and  fled  without  attempting 
to  carry  off  the  artillery.  The  victory  was  won — we  were 
within  the  enemy's  works,  and  shout  after  shout  went  up  as 
the  regimental  colors  were  planted  on  the  ramparts.  Soon, 
Burnside  and  his  staff  galloped  up,  and  as  he  passed  within, 
the  cheers  were  redoubled,  and  caught  up  and  sent  back,  till 
from  far  and  near,  the  field  shook  wifh  wild  hurrahs.  Less 
than  seven  thousand  men  had  done  all  the  fighting,  and  car 
ried  these  strong  works  in  the  face  of  eight  regiments  of  in 
fantry,  five  hundred  cavalry,  and  eighteen  cannon  in  position, 
and  with  a  total  loss  of  killed  and  wounded  of  only  five  hun 
dred. 

Leaving  knapsacks,  blankets,  and  arms  strewed  along  the 
road  and  rail  road  track,  the  enemy  fled  towards  Newbern, 
burning  the  bridges  behind  them.  Reaching  the  city,  they 
crowded  into  the  cars,  and  streamed  inland.  Our  troops 
were  soon  formed  in  two  columns  as  before,  and  taking  the 
stage  road  and  rail  road  track,  pressed  on  with  drums  beat 
ing  and  colors  flying,  after  the  fugitives.  They  had  not  pro- 
ceeded  far,  when  clouds  of  black  smoke  ahead  told  them 
that  the  bridge  across  the  river,  and  the  towii'itself,  was  on 
fire.  They  reached  the  smoking  bridge  about  half-past  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Through  the  ascending  columns  of 
smoke,  the  spires  of  the  churches  could  be  seen,  and  it  was 
thought  that  the  entire  city  was  on  fire.  But  the  rebels 
were  in  too  great  haste  to  consummate  their  diabolical  work, 
and  the  citizens  rallying,  extinguished  the.  flames.  Soon  af 
ter,  our  gun  boats  were  seen  moving  up  to  the  wharves. 
They  had  passed  slowly  up  the  river,  shelling  the  woods  in 
advance  of  our  army  till  nightfall,  when  they  came  to  an 
chor,  Next  morning,  a  heavy  fog  lay  on  the  water,  conceal- 


CONDUCT  OF  THE  FLEET.  319 

ing  every  object  at  a  distance,  even  the  shores ;  but  it  soon 
lifted,  and  they  again  moved  forward.  First,  one  fort,  and 
then  another,  was  silenced,  when  they  at  length  came  to  a 
more  formidable  obstruction.  More  than  twenty  vessels  had 
been  sunk  in  one  channel,  their  masts  sticking  out  above  the 
surface  in  every  direction.  In  the  other,  heavy  spars  had 
been  sunk  with  the  long  points  down  stream,  to  pierce  any 
vessel  that  might  attempt  to  force  a  passage.  To  these,  un 
der  the  water  were  attached  torpedoes,  so  arranged  that 
when  a  vessel  pressed  against  the  point  of  a  spar,  it  would 
spring  a  lock,  which  by  striking  a  percussion  cap,  would  ig 
nite  the  powder,  causing  an  explosion. 

The  raid  of  the  Merrimac  had  re-called  Goldsborough  to 
the  Chesapeake,  and  Rowan  was  in  command  of  the  squad 
ron.  He,  after  carefully  examining  the  obstacles  before  him, 
determined,  though  heavy  guns  commanded  the  passage,  to 
force  his  boats  over  the  sunken  vessels.  In  this  he  succeeded ; 
and  though  other  forts  commanded  the  river  beyond  they  made 
but  feeble  resistance,  and  he  moved  up  to  the  smoking  city. 

Between  sixty  and  seventy  cannon  were  captured  in  the 
various  works,  besides  a  large  quantity  of  small  arms.  The 
city  was  nearly  deserted,  and  but  little  of  that  Union  feel 
ing,  said  to  exist  south,  was  found.  The  slaves  alone  seemed 
rejoiced  at  our  coming,  for  here,  as  every  where  else  where 
our  forces  penetrated,  these  simple-minded  creatures  looked 
upon  our  victorious  banners  as  signs  of  their  approaching 
millennium. 

The  great  victories  at  the  west  could  not  eclipse  the  briL 
liancy  of  this  exploit,  and  every  where  Burnside  was  spoken 
of  with  enthusiasm.  Not  only  had  our  troops  won  a  great 
victory,  but  they  had  done  it  without  the  aid  of  our  gun 
boats — by  superior  valor  alone.  The  enemies  of  McClellan 
were  especially  loud  in  their  praises,  contrasting  his  brilliant 
achievements  with  the"  dilatory  action  of  the  Commander-in- 


320  BURNSIDE'S  DISPATCH. 

Chief.  West,  too,  our  leaders  were  winning  imperishable 
laurels,  while  the  head  of  the  army,  with  two  hundred  thou 
sand  men,  could  do  nothing  more  than  hold  Washington 
against  the  rebels.  Such  language  was  held  by  certain  mem 
bers  of  Congress,  and  a  portion  of  the  press  which  sympa 
thized  with  them.  But  soon  after,  Burnside's  official  dis 
patch  arrived,  in  which  was  a  single  paragraph,  inserted  to 
all  appearance  casually,  which  struck  dumb  these  cavilers, 
and  let  the  country  see  that  all  these  movements,  extending 
from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Atlantic  coast,  were  not  isolated 
ones,  but  parts  of  a  great  plan.  Said  he,  "  I  beg  to  say  to 
the  General  commanding  the  army  that  I  have  endeavored 
to  carry  out  the  very  minute  instructions  given  me  by  him 
before  leaving  Annapolis,  and  thus  far  events  have  been  sin 
gularly  coincident  with  his  anticipations.  I  only  hope  that 
we  may  in  future  be  able  to  carry  out  in  detail  the  remaining 
plans  of  the  campaign ;  the  only  thing  I  have  to  regret  is 
the  delay  caused  by  the  elements." 

Burnside  having  quietly  taken  possession  of  Newbern,  the 
soldiers  established  a  newspaper  there,  evidently  intending 
a  long  sojourn  among  the  disgusted  inhabitants.  Washing 
ton  and  Morehead  were  soon  after  occupied,  and  prepara 
tions  were  set  on  foot  to  lay  siege-  to  Macon  near  Beaufort, 
a  United  States  fort  that  commanded  the  entrance  of  the  har 
bor  of  the  city. 

Dupont,  in  the  mean  time,  was  pushing  his  explorations, 
and  conquests  along  the  coast  of  Florida, — Jackson  and  St. 
Augustine  were  occupied  in  which  a  considerable  Union  feel 
ing  was  discovered,  and  before  the  month  closed  the  chief 
part  of  this  refractory  little  state  was  under  the  national  flag. 

THE   PRESIDENT    ORDERS   A    GENERAL   ADVANCE. 

While  events  were  thus  marching  forward  with  fearfully 
rapid  strides  west  and  east,  the  mighty  army  of  the  Potomac 


THE   FORWARD    MOVEMENT.  321 

was  put  in  motion,  and  all  believed  that  the  finishing  blow 
to  the  rebellion  was  to  be  struck.  It  was  divided  into  five 
grand  corps  d'armee  and  began  to  feel  its  way  towards  Ma- 
nassas.  A  mountain  department  in  the  mean  time  was  cre 
ated,  embracing  Western  Virginia  over  which  Fremont  was 
placed.  The  President  had  issued  an  order  for  a  general 
movement  all  along  the  lines  on  the  twenty-second  day 
of  February,  though  it  was  not  made  public  until  this  month, 
and,  according  to  general  rumor,  had  assumed  the  active 
duties  of  Commander-in-Chief.  It  was  asserted  and  be 
lieved,  that  in  a  council  of  war  called  to  determine  on  the 
propriety  of  an  immediate  movement,  McClellan  and  all  but 
four  Generals  declared  it  to  be  unwise.  But  the  President, 
it  was  said  overruled  this  decision,  and  ordered  it  to  com 
mence  at  once.  The  press  and  the  people  were  jubilant  at 
this  act  of  the  President,  while,  if  it  were  true,  they  should 
have  been  filled  with  sadness.  The  President,  who  may  be 
taken  from  any  of  the  professions  of  life,  is  not  supposed  to 
know  any  thing  of  military  science,  and  hence  was  never 
designed  by  the  Constitution  to  take  the  personal  responsi 
bility  of  the  movements  of  the  army.  His  power  as  Com 
mander-in-Chief,  was  given  him  to  restrain  military  en 
croachments — check  lawless  action, — displace  incompetent 
leaders,  and ^ see  that  every  thing  worked  in  harmony  with 
our  free  institutions  and  the  laws  of  the  land.  If,  therefore,  Mr. 
Lincoln,  from  the  sudden  confidence  inspired  by  our  successes, 
took  the  responsibility  of  breaking  up  carefully  matured 
plans  of  the  very  officers  he  had  put  at  the  head  of  military 
affairs,  he  took  a  fearful  risk.  Incompetent  leaders  should 
never  be  left  at  the  head  of  an  army — if  competent,  they 
should  not  be  meddled  with  as  long  as  they  are  in  the  strict 
line  of  their  duty.  At  this  point,  the  people  should  erect  a 
great  landmark ;  for  if  future  developments  show  that  the 
military  decision  was  overruled  by  the  President,  they  will  be 


322  MANASSAS    EVACUATED. 

able  to  fix  this  as  the  turning  point  of  our  fortunes,  and  as 
certain  where  the  guilt  rests  of  the  stupendous  blunders  that 
followed,  about  which  the  country  was  so  much  divided. 

MANASSAS    EVACUATED. 

McClellan,  under  this  order,  took  command  of  the  army 
of  the  Potomac,  and  issued  a  stirring  address  to  his  troops, 
in  which  he  praised  their  discipline,  offered  to  share  their 
dangers,  and  promised  them  victory. 

But  while  the  public  were  waiting  in  eager  expectation  to 
hear  of  the  onset  of  this  vast  army  against  the  strong  defenses 
of  Manassas,  news  came  that  on  the  eleventh  they  were 
evacuated.  The  enemy  had  fled,  burning  every  thing  they 
could  not  take  with  them,  except  the  huts  in  which  they  had 
wintered.  Great  chagrin  and  disappointment  were  felt  at 
this  barren  triumph,  and  the  land  was  filled  with  murmurs 
that  the  rebels  had  been  allowed  to  escape.  The  most  ab 
surd  stories  were  circulated,  and  nothing  seemed  able  to  ap 
pease  the  public,  that  had  waited  so  long  and  patiently  for 
this  grand  army  to  fully  prepare  itself  for  the  desperate 
struggle  before  it.  A  deserted  camp  was  a  sorry  trophy  to 
present  to  the  American  people,  after  so  many  months  of 
eager  expectation.  There  was  one  thing,  however,  that 
somewhat  alleviated  the  disappointment — the  army  had 
finally  got  in  motion,  and  now,  sweeping  every  thing  before 
it,  would  not  stop  till  it  drew  up  around  the  rebel  capital. 
From  Leesburg  to  Alexandria,  the  mighty  columns  moved 
majestically  on. 

Though  the  main  army  of  the  enemy  was  retiring  behind 
the  Rappahannock, — beyond  the  Blue  Ridge,  Jackson  was  still 
in  force;  and  it  was  hoped  that  while  Banks  pressed  him  in 
front,  his  retreat  towards  Richmond  might  be  cut  off  by  our 
army  at  Manassas. 


A    STRATAGEM.  323 

The  latter  followed  up  the  retiring  enemy  till  he  came  to 
Strasburgh.  Here,  on  the  eighteenth  and  nineteenth,  a  re- 
connoitering  force  reported  that  Jackson  occupied  a  strong 
position  at  New  Market,  within  supporting  distance  of  the 
main  army  under  Johnson.  Shields,  in  command  of  the  ad- 
.vance  division,  in  order  to  decoy  him  from  this  position,  fell 
rapidly  back  to  Winchester,  on  the  twentieth,  making  the 
whole  ^distance,  nearly  thirty  miles,  in  one  day,  and  secreted 
his  main  force  about  two  miles  from  town,  on  the  Martins- 
burgh  road.  The  next  day,  Ashby's  cavalry  showed  them 
selves  in  front,  but  no  infantry  force  appearing,  Banks  con 
cluded  the  bait  had  not  taken,  and  so  on  the  following  day, 
the  twenty- third,  sent  off  his  division  to  Centreville.  This 
movement  convinced  the  enemy  that  the  place  was  evacuated, 
and  only  a  few  regiments  being  left  in  garrison,  the  inhabit 
ants  supposed  so  too,  and  signaled  to  that  effect  to  the  dis 
tant  enemy.  Shields  saw  the  signals,  and  divining  their 
meaning,  stood  prepared  for  any  emergency.  About  five 
o'clock  Ashby's  cavalry  attacked  his  pickets,  and  drove  them 
in.  He  immediately  ordered  forward  a  brigade  to  arrest 
th^ir  advance,  allowing,  however,  only  two  regiments  to  be 
seen,  and  a  small  body  of  cavalry.  This  confirmed  the  delu 
sion  of  the  enemy,  who  supposed  this  small  force  was  all  that 
was  left  to  defend  the  place.  As  soon  as  it  became  dark, 
Shields  ordered  a  brigade  under  Kimball  to  take  up  a  strong 
position,  and  pushed  forward  four  batteries  to  its  support, 
and  placed  Sullivan's  brigade  on  both  flanks  to  protect  them, 
and  prevent  surprise,  while  Tyler's  brigade  was  held  in  re^ 
serve.  While  engaged  in  these  movements,  a  little  skirmish 
occurred,  in  which  Shields  was  struck  by  the  fragment  of  a 
shell,  that  broke  his  arm,  and  prevented  him  from  taking  the 
field  in  person. 

About  eight  o'clock  next  morning,  two  officers  were  sent 
forward  to  reconnoiter,  who  reported  no  enemy  in  sight,  ex- 


324  BATTLE    OF    WINCHESTER. 

cept  Ashby's  cavalry.  Convinced  from  this  circumstance 
that  the  rebels  did  not  meditate  an  attack,  Banks  left,  to 
overtake  his  division.  But  about  half  past  ten,  it  became 
evident  that  Jackson  was  approaching  the  place  in  force, 
though  he  kept  his  troops  so  adroitly  concealed  by  the  woods 
that  Shields  could  obtain  no  estimate  of  their  numbers.  But 
by  degrees,  they  began  to  show  themselves,  and  battery  after 
battery  came  out  and  took  position  on  commanding  points, 
and  opened  fire.  Our  artillery  responded,  and  until  half-past 
three,  a  fierce  cannonade  was  maintained  on  both  sides. 

THE    BATTLE    OF    WINCHESTER.  * 

The  two  lines  of.  batteries  were  posted  on  two  ridges, 
about  a  half  a  mile  apart,  between  which  was  a  ravine,  run 
ning  east  and  west,  free  from  woods.  We  stood  fronting 
the  north,  and  the  rebels  the  south.  On  our  left,  to  the 
west,  ran  the  turnpike,  and  beyond  it  spread  an  open  coun 
try.  To  the  east,  the  two  ridges  were  connected  by  a  belt 
of  forest,  through  which  run  a  mud  road,  and  on  its  outer 
skirt  still  another,  leading  to  Cedar  Creek. 

While  the  heavy  firing  was  going  on,  our  infantry  grad 
ually  moved  up  to  the  support  of  the  guns,  till  it  stood  with 
in  a  thousand  yards  of  them.  The  enemy  immediately  ad 
vanced  a  heavy  battery,  which  sent  shells  with  great  rapid 
ity  and  accuracy  both  into  our  batteries,  and  infantry  and 
cavalry  in  the  rear.  Kimball,  in  command,  as  Shields  was 
disabled,  saw  at  once  that  this  battery  must  be  taken,  and 
determined  on  a  flank  movement  to  the  east,  by  the  mud 
road  in  tlie  forest  and  the  one  just  beyond  it  leading  to 
Cedar  Creek.  Captain  Schriber  of  Shields'  staff  immediate 
ly  sent  to  him,  asking  his  approval  of  it.  It  was  granted, 
and  six  regiments  moved  rapidly  into  the  woods  on  our 
right — Colonel  Tyler's  column  reaching  to  tb.e  load  just  be- 


A    FLANK   MOVEMENT.  325 

yond  the  woods — and  swept  out  of  sight  down  the  enemy's 
left  flank.  In  the  mean  time,  Colonel  Down  kept  the  artil 
lery  in  front  in  full  play,  to  distract  the  attention  of  Jack 
son  from  this  important  movement. 

The  columns  kept  silently  on  through  the  woods  for  about 
half  a  mile,  when  they  wheeled,  and  came  suddenly  on  the 
enemy's  flank,  posted  behind  a  stone  wall,  only  two  hundred 
yards  distant.  The  rebels  immediately  opened  on  them  with 
a  terrible  fire  from  their  rifled  pieces.  The  ranks  began  to 
melt  like  frost-work  before  it,  but  ''Forward!  FORWARD!" 
ran  along  the  unfaltering  line,  and  the  brave  fellows,  with 
leaning  forms,  and  without  firing  a  shot,  clashed  forward 
with  tremendous  cheers,  till  they  came  within  five  paces  of 
the  stone  wall,  when  they  poured  one  fearful  volley  into  the 
closely  packed  ranks  behind  it.  The  enemy,  appalled  at  the 
close,  destructive  fire,  and  the  faces  of  wrath  and  determin 
ation  that  confronted  thenvso  closely,  turned  back  over  the 
field.  As  they  did  so,  they  unmasked  two  iron  six-pounders 
which,  as  soon  as  they  were  cleared  in  front,  opened  with 
canister,  and  hurled  death  and  destruction  into  our  ranks. 
They  did  not  stop,  however,  for  a  single  instant  the  living 
mass  of  valor,  and  it  rolled  over  them  like  a  resistless  wave. 
Here  the  victorious  regiments  came  to  a  halt,  when  two 
more  brass  pieces  were  unmasked,  which  sent  such  a  shower 
of  balls  into  their  midst  that  they  were  compelled  to  fall 
back.  But  just  then  the  fifth  Ohio  and  eighty-fourth  Penn 
sylvania  came  up,  and  threw  themselves  forward  with  fixed 
bayonets.  It  was  a  splendid  charge,  but  the  loss  of  life  here 
in  a  few  minutes  was  fearful.  The  color  bearer  of  the  Ohio 
regiment  fell,  when  a  second  seized  the  flag  and  waved  it 
aloft.  The  next  moment  .he  fell  also,  when  a  third  picked 
it  up,  but  had  hardly  lifted  it  from  the  ground  when  he  fell 
,  forward  with  his  face  to  the  foe.  A  fourth  shared  the  same 
fate,  when  Captain  Whitcomb  seized  the  colors,  and  waving 


326  THE   VICTORY. 

them  in  front  of  his  men,  cheered  them  on,  but  fell  while 
the  brave  words  were  still  on  his  lips.  The  carnage  was 
awful.  Colonel  Murray  of  the  eighty-fourth  Pennsylvania 
was  shot  at  the  head  of  his  regiment,  and  many  other  brave 
officers  fell,  either  killed  or  wounded.  In  the  midst  of  the 
fire,  Captain  Schriber  hurried  back  and  brought  up  the  one 
hundred  and  tenth  and  the  fourteenth  Indiana  regiments, 
and  hurled  them  obliquely  on  the  enemy,  when  they  fell 
back,  leaving  one  gun  and  several  caissons  in  our  hands. 

In  the  mean  time,  as  soon  as  the  rebel  flank  was  turned, 
a  general  advance  was  ordered  along  the  whole  line,  and 
the  hotly  contested  field  was  won.  Two  guns,  four  caissons, 
a  thousand  stand  of  arms,  and  three  hundred  prisoners, 
were  the  trophies  of  the  victory. 

Our  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  was  about  three  hun 
dred  and  fifty,  while  that  of  the  enemy,  Shields  reported 
to  be,  over  a  thousand. 

A  courier  had  been  dispatched  after  Banks,  and  he  ar 
rived  on  the  field  next  morning.  A  vigorous  pursuit  was 
immediately  ordered,  but  he  failed  to  overtake  Jackson's 
main  force,  though  he  harassed  his  rear  as  far  as  Wood 
stock,  where  the  troops  were  halted  from  mere  exhaustion. 
For  twenty-two  miles  beyond  the  battle  field,  he  found  the 
houses  filled  with  the  dead  and  dying,  while  along  the 
road  were  strewed  evidences  of  the  the  terror  and  sufferings 
of  the  enemy. 

Among  the  minor  incidents  of  this  month  was  the  tak 
ing  of  Pound  Gap,  in  eastern  Tennessee,  by  General  Gar- 
field,  in  one  of  his  brilliant  dashes,  and  the  escape  of  the 
Nashville  from  Beaufort,  in  the  face  of  our  blockading 
squadron,  much  to  the  chagrin  of  the  nation. 

Perhaps,  however,  nothing  occurred  this  month  that 
caused  more  comment  at  home  and  abroad,  than  the  trans 
mission,  in  the  early  part  of  it,  of  a  message  to  Congress  by 


EMANCIPATION    MESSAGE.  327 

the  President,  recommending  a  joint  resolution  "that  the 
United  States  ought  to  co-operate  with  any  state  which 
may  adopt  a  gradual  abolishment  of  slavery,  giving  to 
such  state  pecuniary  aid"  as  a  compensation  for  its  loss. 
The  difficulty  was,  to  see  the  precise  object  the  President 
proposed  to  gain  by  a  mere  resolution  at  this  time. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

APRIL,  1862. 

ISLAND  NUMBER  TEN CHANNEL  CUT  AROUND  IT  BY  COLONEL  BISSELL— DIFFI 
CULTIES  OF  THE  UNDERTAKING TRANSPORTS  GOT  THROUGH BUFORD's  AT 
TACK  ON  UNION  CITY COLONEL  ROBERTS  SPIKES  THE  UPPER  BATTERY  OF 

THE  ISLAND A    DARING    EXPLOIT THE    CARONDELET    RUNS    THE    BATTERIES 

IN  A  TERRIFIC    THUNDER    STORM THE    PITTSBURGH    FOLLOWS POPE  MOVES 

HIS  ARMY  ACROSS  THE  MISSISSIPPI  AND   CAPTURES  THE  ENEMY ISLAND  NUM 
BER  TEN  SURRENDERED   WITH  ALL  ITS  ARMAMENT. 

THE  first  of  April  brought  dim  intimations  of  some  new, 
strange  movement  on  the  part  of  the  army  of  the  Poto 
mac;  but  the  excited  public  curiosity  was  withdrawn  for  a 
moment  from  it,  by  stirring  news  that  came  from  the  west. 
The  tedious  bombardment  of  Island  Number  Ten  had  been 
kept  up  for  so  long  a  time,  that  the  public  began  to  be  weary 
of  hearing  the  place  mentioned,  for  we  seemed  no  nearer 
its  possession  than  when  the  fleet  of  Foote  first  appeared 
before  it.  If  transports  could  only  be*  got  to  Pope,  below, 
the  work  would  be  accomplished,  and  the  following  plan  to 
do  this  was  adopted.  A  slough  of  standing  water  struck  in 
land  through  the  swamp  from  the  Mississippi,  where  the  fleet 
lay,  and  at  length  joined  a  stream  which  emptied  into  the 
river  below  the  island,  and  near  New  Madrid.  If  Foote 
could  only  get  some  light  draft  transports  through  this,  he 
could  run  the  batteries  with  some  of  his  gun  boats  for  their 
protection.  Pope,  with  his  accustomed  resolution,  deter 
mined  to  accomplish  this  with  his  corps  of  engineers  under 
Colonel  Bissell.  When  he  first  took  position  at  New  Madrid, 
he  had  sent  this  accomplished  officer  to  see  if  he  Could  not 
establish  batteries  on  the  shore  opposite  the  enemy's  works, 


BOLD    ENGINEERING.  331 

and  shell  them  out ;  but  the  Colonel,  after  spending  three 
days  in  the  swamps  in  canoes,  with  negroes  as  guides,  re 
ported  it  impracticable.  He  declared,  however,  that  he 
could  by  hard  labor,  cut  a  channel  for  transports  through 
this  slough.  Pope  at  once  gave  him  full  permission  to  take 
whatever  force  he  wanted,  and  order  every  thing  he  needed 
and  go  to  work.  The  latter  immediately  sent  to  Cairo  for 
four  steamboats,  six  flats,  and  such  guns  as  could  be  spared, 
and  put  his  regiment  into  the  swamps,  to  commence  the  her 
culean  task.  The  route  to  be  laid  open  was  twelve  miles 
long,  two  of  it  through  timber,  and  the  remaining  ten 
through  narrow,  crooked  bayous,  matted  with  brush  and 
small  trees  that  had  grown  up  from  the  bottom.  The  stand 
ing  timber,  to  a  common  observer,  presented  an  insuperable 
obstacle.  Large  trees  that  had  been  growing  there  from 
time  immemorial,  sent  their  huge  trunks  out  of  the  water, 
some  of  them  nearly  six  feet  in  circumference.  These  had  to 
be  sawed  off  four  feet  below  the  surface' of  the  water,  for 
the  space  of  fifty  feet  in  width.  In  one  short  stretch,  sev 
enty-five  of  these  trees  had  to  be  thus  cut.  The  machines 
for  doing  this  were  rigged  on  rafts  and  flats,  and  worked  by 
twenty  men.  Ahead  of  them  went  large  gangs  of  men  to 
clear  away  the  drift  wood  and  Mien  timber  that  loaded  the 
surface,  and  behind  came  two  barges  and  a  steamboat,  the 
last  of  which,  with  long  strong  lines,  hauled  out  the  logs 
that  the  men  could  not  handle.  Last  of  all  came  the  fleet, 
the  flat  boats  being  converted  into  floating  batteries,  for  no 
one  knew  how  soon  the  enemy  might  ascertain  what  was 
going  on,  and  fill  the  swamp  with  sharp  shooters. 

At  the  very  outset,  the  difficulties  that  presented  them 
selves  were  sufficiently  formidable,  for  it  was  five  hundred 
feet  from  the  shore  to  the  levee,  the  whole  way  filled  with 
stumps.  Then  the  levee  itself  had  to  be  cut.  But  the 

ground  inland,  being  lower  than  this,  when  an  opening  was 
20 


332  A   DASH   BY   BUFORD. 

made  the  water  -poured  through  it  like  a  torrent,  tearing  a 
channel  across  a  corn  field  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  to  the 
woods.  The  boats  had  to  be  dropped  through  this  cut  with 
lines,  it  taking  five  men  to  manage  the  largest.  The  two 
miles  through  the  timber,  occupied  eight  days.  It  some- 
times  took  twenty  men  a  whole  day,  to  get  out  a  half 
sunken  log.  If  the  saws  worked  well,  they  would  cut  off  a 
tree  two  feet  through  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour ;  but  if  they 
ran  crooked  or  pinched,  itVould  require  two  or  three  hours 
of  hard  work,  even  after  all  the  brush  had  been  fished  *up 
around  its  roots.  Three  bayous  had  to  be  traversed  after 
the  woods  were  cleared,  in  the  middle  one  the  water  run 
ning  like  a  mill-race,  making  it  necessary  to  check  the  boats 
down  with  lines.  At  last  they  came  in  sight  of  the  Missis 
sippi,  near  New  Madrid,  and  the  song,  u  Jordan  is  a  hard 
road  to  travel"  which  the  men  had  chanted  through  these 
days  of  toil,  was  changed  to  "t'other  side  of  Jordan."  It 
was  an  astonishing  feat  of  engineering  skill  and  energy,  and 
reflected  as  much  credit  on  the  commander,  as  though  he 
had  won  a  battle. 

While  this  gigantic  task  was  being  accomplished,  the  mo 
notonous  life  of  the  flotilla  above  the  island  was  broken  by 
two  brilliant  exploits.  The  rebels  who  occupied  Union  city, 
nearly  opposite  the  head  of  Island  Number  Ten  becoming 
very  troublesome  to  the  Unionists  at  Hickman,  Colonel  Bu- 
ford,  at  the  head  of  a  thousand  men,  made  a  night  march 
upon  the  place,  and  surprising  them,  drove  them  in  affright 
from  it  and  took  all  their  camp  equipage.  The  other,  was  a 
night  attack  by  boats,  upon  the  upper  battery  of  the  enemy 
on  the  island.  Two  weeks  had  elapsed  since  the  fleet  set 
sail,  and  no  perceptible  progress  had  been  made  towards  de 
stroying  the  rebel  works.  The  troops  were  wearied  to  death 
with  their  long  idleness,  and  many  of  the  officers  were  ready 
Tor  any  undertaking,  however  desperate,  that  would  give 


A  BOLD   ADVENTURE.  333 

them  action.  In  this  state  of  things,  an  expedition  was  got  up 
under  Colonel  Roberts,  consisting  of  fifty  men  in  five  launch 
es,  who  were  to  steal  on  this  battery  in  the  darkness,  and 
spike  it 

The  night  of  the  second  of  April  was  selected  for  carrying  it 
out.  It  was  dark  and  threatening,  and  the  wind  blew  in  fierce 
and  fitful  gusts,  while  up  from  the  western  horizon,  below 
which  the  moon  had  just  sunk,  heavy  thunder  clouds  were 
pushing  their  corrugated  edges,  and  incessant  flashes  of  light 
ning  and  the  low  mutterings  of  distant  thunder  gave  omin 
ous  warnings  of  an  approaching,  storm.  Nothing  daunted, 
the  little  party  pushed  off  from  shore,  and  keeping  under  the 
shadow  of  the  bank,  dropped  noiselessly  down  stream,  and 
disappeared  in  the  darkness.  The  most  perfect  silence  was 
enjoined,  and  even  the  commands  were  passed  along  in  whis 
pers.  They  paused  a  moment  as  they  neared  the  battery, 
to  ascertain  its  exact  locality,  and  on  discovering  the  recess 
in  which  it  was  placed,  a  low  "give  way"  passed  from  boat 
to  boat,  and  with  Roberts  leading,  they  shot  like  arrows  to 
the  shore.  Quickly  leaping  out,  the  party  formed  in  line, 
and  with  fixed  bayonets  started  for  the  battery,  about  two 
hundred  yards  distant.  The  low  bank  was  overflowed  with 
water  two  feet  deep,  through  which  they  had  to  flounder  in 
the  darkness.  Not  a  word  was  spoken,  and  the  only  sound 
that  broke  the  stillness,  was  the  plashing  of  their  feet  in  the 
water.  The  roar  of  the  coming  storm  was  now  terrific,  but 
they  pushed  rapidly  on  till  they  came  to  the  ditch  in  front 
of  the  works,  when  a  sudden  flash  in  front,  followed  by  the 
crack  of  a  musket,  told  them  they  were  discovered.  Still 
they  neither  halted  nor  spoke,  but  kept  right  on,  skirting 
the  "ditch  to  find  the  entrance,  when  a  second  shot  whistled 
past  them.  The  affrighted  rebel  who  fired  it,  immediately 
turned  and  fled,  while  two  of  our  men  dashed  after  him  in 
the  darkness.  The  next  moment,  a  third  flash  lit  the  gloom, 


334  SPIKING   A   BATTERY. 

but  the  bullet  flew  wide  of  its  mark.  Says  an  eye  witness, 
"  Just  as  our  men  had  gained  the  entrance  of  the  fortifica 
tion,  there  came  a  terrific,  blinding  flash  of  lightning,  illu 
minating  as  with  the  blaze  of  noon-day  the  works  before 
them.  In  a  twinkling  all  was  dark  as  Erebus.  The  vivid 
sheet  of  lightning  blinded  them,  and  the  crack  and  roar  of 
the  thunder  that  followed,  stunned  their  hearing.  It  was  a 
moment  when  the  bravest  might  have  faltered.  The  flash 
that  pointed  the  way  to  the  guns  in  battery  also  disclosed  to 
the  enemy  a  foe  in  their  midst.  Whatever  was  done,  must 
be  done  quickly,  or  the  whole  enterprise  was  a  failure.  While 
the  echoes  of  the  thunder  were  rumbling  away  in  the  distant 
hills,  the  deed  was  done — ten  minutes  sufficed  to  execute 
what  the  cannonading  of  a  fortnight  had  failed  to  accomplish. 
With  rocket  and  files  in  hand,  the  Colonel  passed  around  the 
works  spiking  five  guns,  one  of  which  was  knocked  down 
and  in  process  of  re-erection.  The  last  was  the  crowning  piece 
of  the  affair,  a  magnificent  ten-inch  columbiad  in  the  center  of 
the  work,  on  a  pivot.  A  rat- tail  file  was  driven  in  tight,  and 
broken  off  close  to  the  top  of  the  vent."  A  more  dashing, 
gallant  exploit  was  never  performed. 

But  now  movements  of  grander  proportions  were  about 
to  be  set  on  foot.  The  arrival  of  transports  at  New  Madrid- 
rendered  it  necessary  to  get  one  or  two  gun  boats  down  to 
protect  them  in  moving  troops  to  the  opposite  shore.  So 
two  days  after  this  daring  feat  of  Colonel  Roberts,  the  Car- 
ondelet  was  put  in  the  best  possible  trim  to  run  the  gauntlet 
of  the  batteries.  Hawsers  and  chains  were  coiled  around 
the  pilot  house  and  the  vulnerable  parts — the  guns  run  in 
and  ports  closed — cord  wood  piled  up  round  the  boilers,  and 
the  hose  connected  with  them  to  repel  boarders.  Twenty 
sharp  shooters  were  added  to  the  crew  who  were  all  armed 
to  the  teeth.  A  boat  loaded  with  pressed  hay  was  lashed 
to  the  side  exposed  to  the  batteries,  while  to  balance  this, 


RUNNING   THE    BATTERIES.  335 

and  at  the  same  time  furnish  the  steamer  with  fuel,  should 
she  get  through  safely,  a  barge  freighted  with  coal  was  fast 
ened  to  the  other  side.  Every  thing  being  ready,  she  was 
cast  loose  about  ten  o'clock  at  night  and  started  on  her  per 
ilous  voyage.  As  if  on  purpose  to  give  success  to  the  un 
dertaking  by  affording  more  perfect  concealment,  a  terrific 
thunder  storm  burst  over  the  river  and  shores  at  this  moment, 
making  the  night  one  of  Cimmerian  gloom.  The  rain  came 
down,  not  in  a  pouring  shower,  but  in  solid  masses  of  water. 
Not  at  intervals,  but  every  instant,  the  invisible  clouds  gaped 
and  shot  forth  flames  that  swept  in  one  vast,  broad  sheet  over 
heaven  and  earth,  while  the  rapidly  succeeding  claps,  fol 
lowing  and  blending  with  each  other,  sounded  along  the 
lordly  Mississippi  like  the  explosion  of  a  thousand  cannon. 

After  rounding  heavily  to  with  her  cumbersome  barges, 
the  Carondelet  put  her  bow  down  stream,  and  steering 
straight  for  the  batteries,  disappeared  in  the  gloom.  It  was 
a  hazardous  task  those  bold  men  had  undertaken,  and  those 
left  behind,  held  their  breath  to  hear  the  first  explosion  of 
cannon  that  should  announce  that  the  enemy  had  discovered 
their  approach.  In  the  mean  time,  the  boat,  wrapped  in  the 
thunder  storm,  moved  on  and  was  rapidly  approaching  the 
batteries,  and  those  on  board  began  to  discuss  the  probability 
of  their  passing  unobserved,  when  the  soot  in  the  chimneys 
caught  fire,  and  a  blaze  five  feet  high  leaped  out  from  their 
tops,  lighting  brightly  the  upper  deck  of  the  vessel  and 
every  thing  around.  The  word  was  instantly  passed  to 
the  engineers  to  open  the  flue  caps,  when  the  flames  subsided, 
but  not  till  the  rebels  had  the  fairest  opportunity  to  discover 
our  approach.  This  was  a  fearful  mishap,  for  no  signal,  even 
if  arranged  beforehand  could  more  completely  disclose  our 
purpose.  Those  on  board  expected  to  hear  the  drum  beat 
loudly  to  quarters,  and  see  the  signals  flash  from  battery  to 
battery  along  the  hights,  but  strange  to  say,  the  blaze  was 


TTTP!  ' 


336  A   THRILLING    SCENE. 

not  seen  either  on  account  of  the  blinding  storm,  or  its  sudden 
appearance  and  disappearance  in  the  darkness  so  bewildered 
the  guard,  that  he  did  not  know  whether  it  was  near  or  dis 
tant.  They  were  congratulating  themselves  on  their  almost 
miraculous  escape,  and  had  got  just  abreast  of  the  upper  fort, 
when,  as  if  on  purpose  to  secure  their  destruction,  the  treach 
erous  chimneys  caught  fire  again,  and  blazed  like  a  flaming 
torch,  right  in  the  face  of  the  foe.  This  time  they  could  not 
escape  detection. 

Suddenly  the  report  of  the  muskets  of  the  guard  broke 
the  stillness,  signal  rockets  from  the  island  and  main  land 
shot  into  the  heavens — the  rapid  roll  of  drums  was  heard, 
and  then  came  the  loud  explosion  of  a  cannon,  shaking  the 
shore.  Concealment  was  at  a*n  end,  and  but  one  hope  was 
left  for  the  Carondelet,  and  putting  on  a  full  head  of  steam, 
she  swept  silently  on.  A  man  stood  forward,  heaving  the 
lead  and  line,  and  as  he  coolly  called  out  the  soundings,  a 
second  man  on  deck  sent  them  on  to  the  captain,  who  stood 
near  the  pilot.  A  moment's  silence  followed  the  first  fierce 
preparations,  and  then  came  a  crash  Jouder  than  the  thunder 
that  shook  the  heavens.  From  shore  and  bluff,  cannon  and 
musketry  opened  on  the  devoted  boat.  The  island  was 
ablaze  with  the  flashes,  before  which  the  lightning  paled. 
The  rain  fell  in  a  tropical  thunder  shower,  amid  which  the 
artillery  of  heaven  and  earth  played  in  wild  response;  yet 
not  a  sound  broke  the  stillness  that  enveloped  that  daring 
boat,  as  the  darkness  opened  and  shut  upon  it  from  the 
flaming  heavens  and  the  flaming  earth,  save  the  steady  call 
of  the  man  at  the  lead  and  line,  or  the  short,  quick  order  of 
the  captain  to  the  pilot,  as  he  stood  amid  the  raining  balls. 
There  was  great  danger  in  the  pitchy  darkness  of  getting  out 
of  the  channel  and  running  aground  within  range  of  the 
enemy's  guns,  when  their  destruction  would  have  been  cer 
tain.  Hence,  the  entire  attention  of  the  officers  had  to  be 


POPE    CROSSES    WITH    HIS    ARMY.  337 

given  to  navigating  the  vessel,  forgetting  for  the  time,  that 
they  were  the  target  of  a  hundred  cannon.  Once,  in  a  longer 
interval  of  the  flashes  of  lightning,  the  current  had  swung 
the  boat  so  that  she  was  heading  straight  for  shoal  water. 
The  next  flash,  however,  revealed  the  danger,  and  "hard 
op0r£"'fell  from  the  captain's  lips  as  calmly  as  though  they 
were  running  into  a  harbor  instead  of  rushing  on  destruction, 
and  the  boat  swung  back  to  the  channel.  All  this  time  the 
heavy  shot  were  shrieking  through  the  gloom  and  plunging 
into  the  water  on  every  side,  but  not  one  hit  the  Carondelet. 
The  captain  had  taken  his  vessel  close  under  the  enemy's 
guns,  on  purpose  to  deceive  him,  and  render  it  difficult  to 
depress  them  so  as  to  cover  his  vessel. 

At  length  she  passed  out  of  range,  when  the  ports  were 
thrown  open,  and  the  guns  run  out,  to  fire  the  signals  agreed 
upon,  both  to  notify  those  above  the  island  of  their  safety, 
and  those  at  New  Madrid,  that  friends  and  not  enemies  were 
coming.  The  dull  echoes,  as  they  rolled  over  the  distant 
fleet,  caused  cheer  after  cheer  to  go  up  from  the  crowded 
decks,  while  the  shore  at  New  Madrid  fairly  rocked  under 
the  wild  hurras  of  the  army,  as  they  saw  the  gun  boat  come 
up,  unharmed,  to  the  wharf.  Rushing  down,  the  soldiers 
seized  the  sailors  in  their  arms,  and  bearing  them  upon  their 
shoulders,  carried  them  up  the  bank  to  the  nearest  hotel. 

Sunday  night,  the  Pittsburgh,  following  the  example  of  the 
Carondelet,  run  the  same  gauntlet  of  fire  unscathed. 

This  settled  the  fate  of  Island  Number  Ten.  The  gun  boats 
easily  silenced  the  batteries  that  had  been  placed  on  the 
Kentucky  shore,  where  Pope  wished  to  cross,  and  the  army 
was  safely  carried  over.  The  rebel  army,  finding  their  way 
blocked  from  below,  scattered  into  the  woods  and  along  the 
by-ways,  though  they  were  eventually  taken,  to  the  num 
ber  of  five  thousand.  MqjCall,  the  rebel  commander  on  the 
island,  then  surrendered  the  garrison  of  a  few  hundred  men. 


338  ISLAND    NUMBER   TEN    SURRENDERS. 

This  strong  hold  had  finally  fallen,  and  with  it  we  had  cap 
tured  a  hundred  heavy  guns,  several  field  batteries,  immense 
quantities  of  small  arms,  tents,  wagons,  horses,  and  provis 
ions.  The  news  was  received  at  the  north  with  the  firing 
of  cannon,  hoisting  of  flags,  and  general  joy.  The  Mississippi 
was  now  open  to  forts  Wright  and  Pillow,  some  sixty  miles 
above  Memphis,  and  Foote  immediately  prepared  to  move 
down  with  his  flotilla  and  attack  them. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

APRIL,  1862. 


BATTLE     OF     PITTSBURG    LANDING  -  THE    SURPRISE    OF    SHERMAN^     AND     PREtf- 


'  DIVISIONS  -  CAPTURE  .OF  THE  LATTER  -  THE  RETREAT  -  GALLANTRY 
OF  SHERMAN  -  ARRIVAL  OF  GRANT  -  GLOOMY  PROSPECT  -  THE  LAST  ONSET 
-  ARRIVAL  OF  NELSON  -  THE  GUN  BOATS  TYLER  AND  LEXINGTON  TAKE 
PART  IN  THE  FIGHT  -  BUELL  REACHES  SAVANNAH  -  HASTENS  TO  PITTS- 
BURG  LANDING  -  SCENE  AT  THK  WHARF  -  ARRIVAL  OF  TROOPS  -  NIGHT 
AFTER  THE  BATTLE. 

UT  while  these  events  were  passing  at  Island  Number 
Ten,  a  terrible  battle  was  raging  on  the  banks  of  the 
Tennessee,  at  Pittsburg  Landing.  On  the  very  Sunday 
night  the  Pittsburg  ran  the  batteries,  the  two  hostile  armies 
lay  face  to  face  on  the  field  where  they  had  struggled  des 
perately  all  day.  On  the  next  day,  when  our  troops  were 
moving  across  to  the  Kentucky  shore  to  assured  victory,  our 
army  there  was  struggling  to  recover  the  bloody  Held  lost 
the  day  before. 

Johnston,  as  we  have  seen,  after  retiring  southward 
through  Tennessee,  moved  west  towards  Memphis,  and  final 
ly  concentrated  his  army  at  Corinth,  in  Mississippi,  near  the 
Tennessee  line,  and  ninety-three  miles  east  of  Memphis. 
Grant  had  moved  up  the  Tennessee  with  his  army  and  estab 
lished  it  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river  at  Pittsburg  Land 
ing,  where  he  was  to  await  the  arrival  of  BuelPs  corps  which 
was  crossing  the  country  from  Nashville.  When  the  junc 
tion  should  be  effected  the  entire  army  was  to  move  forward 
on  the  rebel  camp  at  Corinth.  Why  Grant  placed  his  divi 
sion  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  thus  provoking  an  attack 
on  his  inferior  force  before  Buell  could  arrive,  while  a  safe 
passage  could  at  any  time  be  secured  by  the  gun  boats  does 


340  THE   BATTLE    FIELD. 

not  appear  in  any  official  document.  The  fact  that  he  had 
done  so  was  known  to  Johnston,  as  well  as  to  the  whole 
country.  That  he  would  attack  him  before  Buell  could  ar 
rive,  if  he  could  concentrate  his  forces  in  time,  was  a  moral 
certainty.  His  water  and  rail  road  communications  with 
New  Orleans,  Mobile,  and  the  entire  south,  rendered  this 
extremely  probable ;  and  those  accustomed  to  study  mili 
tary  movements  feared  a  catastrophe.  It  came, — and  well 
nigh  proved  a  fatal  one.  On  the  fourth  of  April,  Johnston 
moved  his  entire  army  forward,  intending  to  attack  Grant  on 
Saturday ;  but  the  muddy  roads  so  impeded  his  progress 
that  he  was  unable  to  do  it  till  Sunday  morning.  Grant's 
force  at  the  time  was  disposed  in  the  following  manner. 
.From  Pittsburg  Landing  a  road  strikes  straight  for  Corinth, 
twenty  miles  distant.  About  two  miles  from  the  river  it 
divides,  one  fork  leading  to  lower  Corinth,  and  the  other 
keeping  the  ridge  straight  on.  A  little  farther  inland,  a 
road  from  Hamburg  Landing,  a  few  miles  farther  up  the 
river,  intersects  the  former.  On  the  right,  two  roads  branch 
off  towards  Purdy.  On  and  between  these  several  roads, 
from  two  to  five  miles  out,  lay  the  army.  The  three  divi 
sions  of  Prentiss,  Sherman,  and  McClernand,  were  the  far 
thest  advanced.  Between  them  and  the  river,  were  Hurl- 
burt's  and  Smith's,  the  latter  commanded  by  W.  II.  L.  Wal 
lace,  Smith  being  sick.  Sherman's  brigade  was  on  the 
right,  and  Colonel  Stuart  on  the  left,  and  Prentiss  in  the 
center. 

On  the  extreme  left,  up  the  river  from  the  landing,  were 
precipitous  hights  and  a  ravine,  that  were  considered  a  suffi 
cient  protection  of  themselves  against  any  serious  advance 
of  the  enemy  down  the  left  bank. 

.  The  rebel  army  seventy  thousand  strong  came  on  in  three 
great  divisions, — not  feeling  its  way  cautiously,  but  in  a 
swift,  overwhelming  rush.  Johnston,  though  Commander- 


THE    SURPRISE.  341 

in-Chief,  had  especial  charge  of  the  center.  Soon  after  day 
light  on  Sunday,  the  pickets  of  Prentiss  and  Sherman  were 
driven  in,  when  the  long  roll  sounded  through  the  camps. 

Wholly  unprepared  for  such  a  sudden  attack,  the  troops 
were  scattered  around,  some  preparing  their  breakfasts  and 
others  sitting  idly  in  their  tents.  They  had  hardly  time  to 
form,  when  the  compact  masses  of  the  foe,  in  far  extending 
lines,  came  sweeping  down  in  one  unbroken  wave  on  the 
camps.  Right  on  the  heels  of  the  shouting  pickets,  dashed 
the  dark  columns ;  and  while  the  artillery — suddenly  appear 
ing  on  the  hights — began  to  pitch  shot  and  shell  into  and 
beyond  the  encampments,  the  regiments  stormed  through 
them,  firing  volleys  as  they  came.  So  complete  was  the  sur 
prise  and  so  sudden  the  rush,  that  officers  were  bayoneted  in 
their  beds.  The  on-pouring  thousands  swept  the  camps  of 
the  front  division  like  an  inundation,  and  the  dreadful  spec 
tacle  of  a  vast  army  in  disorderly  flight,  before  it  had  time 
to  form  in  line  of  battle,  was  presented.  So  swift  was  the 
onset  on  Buckland's  brigade  of  Sherman's  division,  that  be 
tween  the  long  roll  of  the  drum  and  the  actual  presence  of 
the  shouting  foe  in  the  camp,  the  officers  not  yet  up  had  not 
time  to  dress,  and  the  troops  seizing  their  muskets  as  they 
could,  fled  like  a  herd  of  sheep  towards  the  rest  of  the  divi 
sion.  This,  Sherman  made  desperate  efforts  to  get  in  a  po 
sition  to  receive  the  coming  shock.  Though  the  shot  and 
shell  which  the  enemy  sent  after  the  fugitives  crashed  and 
burst  around  him,  he  rode  up  and  down  his  agitated  lines, 
steadying  his  men  by  the  reckless  exposure  of  his  person 
and  his  gallant  words.  The  sight  of  Buckland's  broken, 
fleeing  brigade  was  enough  to  shake  the  firmest  troops,  yet 
the  fearless  bearing  of  their  leader  held  them  firm. 

In  the  mean  time,  Me  demand  moved  up  to  fill  the  gap 
caused  by  Buckland's  flight,  and  a  noble  effort  was  made  to 
stay  the  fearful  refluent  tide  of  battle.  The  woods  and 


342  PRENTISS   TAKEN    PRISONER. 

fields  were  filled  with  the  rolling  smoke,  and  it  was  one  con 
tinuous  crash  and  roar  of  musketry  and  artillery  on  every 
side.  Our  officers  fell  fast  in  the  unequal  struggle,  and  it 
was  plain  to  Sherman  that  he  was  fighting  against  hopeless 
odds,  and  he  gave  the  order  to  fall  back. 

In  the  mean  time,  still  more  disastrous  results  had  befallen 
Prentiss'  division.  Surprised,  as  the  advance  of  Sherman's 
had  been,  the  camp  was  not  swept  so  as  by  a  whirlwind,  and 
the  men  had  time  to  form  in  line  of  battle.  Unfortunately, 
however,  they  formed  in  an  open  field,  and  stood  there  to 
meet  the  attack.  The  enemy,  streaming  through  the  woods, 
halted  at  the  edge,  and  poured  in  a  murderous  fire  upon  the 
uncovered  troops,  mowing  them  down  with  great  slaughter. 
But  they  held  their  position  like  veterans,  and  did  what  men 
could  do  under  such  disheartening  circumstances.  Their 
volleys  were  rapid  and  steady,  but  the  Commander-in-Chief 
was  not  on  the  field,  and  hence  there  could  be  but  little 
unity  of  action,  so  that  supports  could  be  brought  up  at  the 
proper  time  and  place.  Each  general  had  as  much  as  he 
could  do  to  take  care  of  his  own  division,  and  his  whole 
efforts  were  used  in  simply  holding  his  ground,  hoping  in 
the  mean  time  that  help  would  come.  There  was  no  time 
to  form  a  regular  line  of  battle,  and  no  one  to  do  it.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  rebel  army  was  handled  like  a  single  ma 
chine,  and  hurled  its  whole  power  on  our  broken,  disjointed 
divisions.  Hence,  while  Prentiss  was  holding  his  men  to  the 
slaughter,  the  supports  on  either  flanks  had  given  way,  and 
over  the  ground  which  they  had  occupied,  the  flanking  col 
umns  of  the  enemy  swept  without  opposition,  inclosing  him 
in  a  wall  of  steel.  He  saw  at  once  that  he  was  lost,  and  this 
mutilated  portion  of  his  division,  three  thousand  strong,  laid 
down  their  arms.  They  were  immediately  sent  to  the  rear, 
and  over  the  ground  they  had  held  the  victorious  rebel 
columns  stormed,  with  loud  exultant  shouts,  driving  the  re- 


GALLANT    STAND    OF    SHERMAN.  343 

mainder  of  Prentiss'  division  by  companies  and  regiments, 
in  a  confused  mass,  before  them. 

McClernand  brought  up  brigade  after  brigade  to  support 
Sherman,  and  the  struggle  here  became  desperate.  The  con 
fident  enemy,  apparently  unexhausted  by  his  tremendous 
efforts,  charged  incessantly  along  his  bleeding  line,  which 
for  more  than  two  miles  stood  wrapt  in  clouds  of  smoke, 
while  cannon  and  musketry  rolled  in  one.  continuous  thun 
der  peal  over  the  broken  ffeld.  The  rebels  stormed  up  to 
the  very  muzzles  of  our  guns  and  took  several,  while  around 
them  occurred  some  of  the  most  bloody  hand-to-hand  fights 
ever  witnessed  in  war.  Sherman's  brave,  protracted  stand, 
though  made  at  a  terrible  sacrifice  of  life,  saved  the  army 
from  being  borne  in  one  wild  panic  into  the  Tennessee. 
Still  the  enemy  was  not  driven  back,  but  was  only  checked 
for  a  short  time. 

Greatly  inferior  at  the  outset  in  numbers — taken  by  sur 
prise,  and  forced  to  seize  such  positions  as  we  might  find  in 
the  confusion  of  retreat  and  tumult  of  battle — a  general  of 
division  and  three  thousand  men  captured  at  one  fell  swoop, 
and  as  many  more  panic  stricken  wretches  gone  in  wild  ter 
ror  from  the  field,  our  prospects  at  ten  o'clock  on  that  bright 
Sabbath  morning  were  gloomy  enough.  All  over  the  land 
the  church  bells  were  calling  the  quiet  worshipers  to  the 
house  of  prayer,  while  here  was  passing  one  of  the  most 
terrific  scenes  the  Sabbath  sun  ever  shone  upon. 

McClernand  held  his  ground  stubbornly,  but  Sherman  be 
ing  at  length  compelled  to  fall  back,  left  a  gap  through 
which  the  enemy  could  march  on  his  right,  outflanking  him, 
and  soon  the  heads  of  their  columns  were  seen  dashing  at 
double-quick  along  the  road.  Seeing  this  dangerous  move 
ment,  Dresser  opened  on  them  with  his  battery  of  rifled 
guns,  which  swept  the  road  with  such  a  terrific  fire  that  the 
rebels,  with  all  their  desperate  daring,  could  not  make  head 


344  LOSS   OF   GUNS. 

against  it,  But  fresh  regiments  were  hurried  up,  and  our 
exhausted  forces  were  fast  reaching  that  point  where  resist 
ance  must  cease.  Charge  after  charge  was  repulsed  only  to 
be  renewed  with  redoubled  vigor.  Our  line  officers  were 
falling  with  frightful  rapidity,  while  the  artillery  horses  were 
shot  down  by  scores,  rendering  it  impossible  to  move  the 
guns  from  the  field,  and  one  after  another  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  enemy.  Schwartz  had  lost  half  of  his  guns,  and  six 
teen  horses ;  Dresser  as  many  more  horses  and  several  of  his 
rifled  pieces,  and  McAlister  half  of  his  twenty -four  pound 
howitzers.  By  eleven  o'clock  the  division  was  driven  back 
in  a  line  with  Hurlburt's,  which  was  stretched  across  the 
Corinth  road,  fighting  as  it  retreated,  when  it  made  a  des 
perate  rally  and  fell  like  a  loosened  cliff  on  the  advancing 
foe,  driving  him  back  in  confusion.  But  it  could  not  hold 
the  ground  it  won  at  such  a  great  sacrifice,  and  again 
retreated. 

Colonel  Stuart  commanded  a  brigade  on  Sherman's  ex 
treme  left  at  the  outset  of  the  battle,  and  it  became  so  iso 
lated  in  the  retreat,  that  but  for  a  mere  oversight  of  the 
enemy  it  would  have  been  completely  cut  off.  When  he 
did  turn  his  attention  to  it,  and  two  brigades  were  sent  on 
the  double-quick  down  the  Hamburg  road,  to  attack  it, 
Stuart  was  compelled  to  fall  back.  The  enemy  followed  on, 
and  dashing  across  a  shallow  creek,  formed  in  front  of  him 
in  close  musket  range,  while  the  color-bearers  stepped  boldly 
out  in  front,  and  a  short  but  bloody  combat  followed.  But 
swept  by  the  rapid  volleys  of  the  musketry,  and  the  plung 
ing  fire  of  the  artillery  on  the  bluffs  farther  back,  the  bri 
gade  was  compelled  after  a  struggle  of  ten  minutes  to  retreat, 
carrying  with  it  its  wounded  leader.  Reaching  the  next 
wooded  ridge,  they  made  another  stand,  where  though  hard 
pressed,  they  maintained  their  ground  for  three-quarters  of 
an  hour.  Me  Arthur's  brigade,  sent  to  their  support,  lost  its 


GRANT   ARRIVES   ON    THE    FIELD  345 

way,  and,  left  alone,  they  had  to  fall  back  again  and  again, 
till  broken  and  bleeding,  the  brigade  was  taken  to  the  real 
to  be  reorganized.  Twelve  o'clock  came,  and  the  enemy 
had  full  possession  of  the  camps  of  Sherman,  Prentiss,  and 
McClernand,  and  were  still  pushing  on. 

Grant,  who  was  at  Savannah,  several  miles  farther  down 
the  river  when  the  battle  begun,  had  hurried  up,  but  his 
presence  failed  to  arrest  the  disorder  or  check  the  retreat. 

General  Wallace's  division,  which  was  at  Crump's  Landing, 
five  miles  distant,  had  been  promptly  ordered  up  in  the  morn 
ing,  and  its  arrival  would  strengthen  greatly  the  right  of  our 
extended  line;  but  he  lost  his  way,  and  wandering  around  all 
day,  and  nearly  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  did  not 
reach  the  battle  field  till  night.  Had  the  rebels  known  this, 
and  how  weak  we  were  on  this  wing,  and  ceased  their  deter 
mined  efforts  on  the  left  and  center,  and  hurled  their  entire 
force  in  that  direction,  they  would  have  driven  us  into  the 
Tennessee  before  nightfall. 

Hurlburt's  division  took  position,  as  the  others  fell  back, 
in  a  thick  wood,  with  open  fields  in  front,  over  which 
the  enemy  must  pass  in  his  victorious  advance.  Here  he 
harangued  his  officers,  and  gallant  and  daring  himself,  filled 
his  followers  with  the  same  resolution  that  animated  him. 
In  front  of  him,  Sherman  drew  up  the  remnant  of  his  battered 
brigade,  and  again  stood  a  wall  of  iron  on  the  lost  field.  He 
saw  the  awful  crisis  that  had  come,  and  knew  that  nothing 
but  almost  superhuman  exertions  for  the  next  few  hours 
could  save  the  army  from  utter  annihilation. 

The  rebel  leader,  Johnston,  in  thus  directing  his  entire 
strength  on  the  left,  saw  at  once  that  he  must  break  this  firm 
formation,  and  he  led  his  columns  forward  with  a  desperation 
that  threatened  to  sweep  away  all  opposition.  Flushed  with 
their  unbroken  success,  the  troops  came  on  with  buoyant 
confidence  that  was  of  itself  a  presage  of  victory.  But  as 


346  TERRIFIC    SLAUGHTER. 

they  emerged  into  the  open  field,  the  very  gates  of  hell 
seemed  to  open  before  them,  and  a  hurricane  of  fire  swept 
their  ranks  that  flesh  and  blood  could  not  withstand,  and 
though  bearing  up  heroically  for  a  few  moments  in  the  face 
of  it,  they  soon  broke  and  fled  to  the  woods  for  protection. 
Here  they  were  again  reformed,  and  after  a  short  delay  led 
forward  the  second  time  in  splendid  order.  But  the  moment 
the  uncovered  columns  undertook  to  cross  the  field,  the  same 
blinding  sleet  drifted  along  their  whole  line  of  battle,  dis 
solving  it  like  thin  mist  in  its  fiery  passage,  and  they  again 
sought  the  shelter  of  the  woods.  But  fresh  regiments  were 
brought  up,  and  under  their  intrepid  leaders  led  forward 
over  their  own  dead  and  wounded  that  carpeted  the  ground. 

Here  Johnston  fell,  gallantly  leading  on  his  columns  to 
the  frightful  slaughter.  For  the  third  time  they  recoiled 
from  the  merciless  tempest  that  beat  on  every  inch  of  that 
devoted  field.  The  shot  rained  in  a  perfect  shower  around 
Sherman,  yet  he  moved  unhurt  along  his  line  of  battle,  the 
incarnation  of  valor.  Hour  after  hour,  did  this  mere  fraction 
of  our  army  stand  between  it  and  total  destruction.  But  the 
fresh  regiments  that  kept  pouring  in  and  swelling  the  already 
overwhelming  numbers  that  pressed  on  our  jaded  troops, 
who  had  been  for  so  many  hours  under  constant  fire,  com 
pelled  them  at  length  to  fall  back,  which  they  did  in  good 
order — strewing  the  earth  with  dead  as  they  retreated.  The 
enemy  pressed  fiercely  after,  leaving  the  field  behind  them 
black  with  the  slain. 

Thus  step  Ipy  step,  the  whole  left  wing,  bleeding  and  shat 
tered,  swings  back  towards  the  river,  already  lined  with 
thousands  of  fugitives,  whom  no  appeals  can  bring  again 
into  the  fight.  When  that  is  reached,  the  battle  will  become 
a  massacre,  for  there  are  no  boats  to  receive  the  defeated 
army.  Already  the  sheen  of  the  river  can  be  seen  through 
the  openings  in  the  woods,  and  the  commanders  hold  their 


LAST   EFFORT.  "  349 

breath  as  they  see  the  gallant  columns  reluctantly,  though 
surely  moving  back  to  the  abyss  open  to  receive  them. 
Wallace,  on  the  extreme  right,  has  nobly  held  his  position, 
and  four  times  hurled  the  enemy  back,  until  at  last  he 
too  is  forced  to  retreat,  and  falls  mortally  wounded  from  his 
horse.  Every  camp  but  his  is  occupied  by  the  enemy,  and 
towards  this,  our  entire  left  wing  is  now  slowly  receding, 
Even  the  reserve  lines  are  all  carried,  and  the  army  that  in 
the  morning  stretched  in  a  semi-circle  over  six  miles  in  ex 
tent,  is  now  compressed  within  a  circuit  of  a  little  more  than 
half  a  mile.  One  more  push,  and  the  day  is  won  for  the 
rebels,  and  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  up  to  the  Ohio,  is 
again  theirs.  "Oh  that  Buell  or  night  would  come!"  ex 
claimed  many  an  officer,  as  he  surveyed  the  gloomy  prospect, 

As  the  sun  stooped  to  the  western  horizon  he  looked  on  a 
battle  lost  to  the  Union  cause,  and  a  whole  army  balancing 
on  the  verge  of  destruction.  Just  then  a  body  of  cavalry 
dashed  up  to  the  river  on  the  farther  side,  the  advance  of 
BuclFs  army.  Help  was  at  hand,  and  if  the  victorious  col 
umns  of  the  enemy  could  be  held  in  check  but  one  hour 
more,  the  army  might  yet  be  saved.  The  former  were  also 
aware  that  Buell's  columns  were  approaching  the  Tennessee, 
and  knew  that  what  was  done  must  be  done  quickly,  and 
summoning  his  energies  for  a  final  effort,  bore  down  on  our 
crowded,  confused  columns.  A  last  charge,  and  the  declara 
tion  that  Beauregard  had  made  in  the  morning,  that  his  steed 
should  drink  from  the  Tennessee  at  night,  would  be  fulfilled. 

At  this  critical  moment,  two  movements  were  made  which 
saved  the  day.  Colonel  Webster,  chief  of  the  staff,  and  an 
accomplished  artillerist,  seeing  that  the  storm  was  about  to 
burst  on  our  center  and  left,  hastily  collected  in  the  short 
lull  that  preceded  its  advent,  all  the  guns  from  the  broken 
batteries  around  him,  some  of  large  caliber,  and  arranged 
them  in  a  semi-circle  around  the  landing — twenty-one  in  all. 

21 


350      "THE  GUN  BOATS  TAKE  PART.  • 

feathering  such  artillerists  as  he  could  from  the  various  bat 
teries,  as  well  as  every  man  who  knew  how  to  handle  a  gr.n, 
among  whom  was  the  gallant  surgeon,  Dr.  Corbyn,  of  Mis 
souri,  he  prepared  to  meet  this  last  onset. 

He  was  hardly  ready,  ere  the  wood  in  front  was  lit  up  by 
the  flash  of  the  enemy's  musketry,  and  the  heavy  columns  came 
pouring  forward.  Suddenly,  from  that  semi-circle  of  twenty- 
one  guns,  leaped  forth  a  line  of  fire,  and  shot  and  shell  went 
crashing  into  the  living  masses  that  darkened  all  the  road 
and  fields.  The  astonished  enemy  staggered  back,  appalled 
at  the  horrible  tempest.  But  they  were  making  their  last 
crowning  effort,  and  their  leaders  rallied  them  for  a  second 
onset.  And  at  this  juncture,  a  new  enemy  appeared  on  the 
field.  The  two  gun  boats,  Tyler  and  Lexington,  lying  in 
the  stream,  had  remained  all  day,  excited,  idle  spectators  of 
the  fight.  .  Moving  up  and  down  the  bank,  they  had  sought 
in  vain  for  an  opportunity  to  bring  their  heavy  guns  to  bear. 
But  now  the  rebels  had  pushed  our  left  wing  so  close  to  the 
river  that  they  could  be  reached.  The  commander  of  the 
Tyler  sent  a  messenger  ashore,  to  inquire  if  he  might  shell 
the  enemy.  The  permission  was  gladly  given,  and  the  two 
boats  opened  with  their  twenty-four  pound  Parrott  guns  and 
rifled  cannon.  The  ravine  mentioned  before,  that  here  run 
inland  from  the  river,  gave  a  free  passage  to  their  shells  that 
went  screaming  through  the  gloom,  and  bursting  among  the 
terrified  ranks.  Trees  were  shivered  in  their  course,  and  the 
branches  hurled  through  the  air.  The  guns  were  worked 
with  astonishing  rapidity,  and  the  sound  of  the  shells  as  they 
shrieked  through  the  twilight,  and  traversed  the  whole  line 
of  battle  in  their  devastating  course,  was  almost  as  terrifying 
as  the  wild  work  they  made  when  they  burst  in  the  center 
of  a  column.  No  efforts  of  the  rebel  generals  could  urge 
the  men  forward  against  these  new  engines  of  destruction. 
There  was  something  mysterious  and  awful  in  the  very  sound 


ARRIVAL    OF    BUELL.  351 

they  made  passing  through  the  air,  and  as  they  fell  fast  and 
furious  among  them,  they  halted,  then  turned  and  sought 
safety  beyond  their  deadly  range. 

In  the  mean  time,  Nelson,  commanding  the  advance  of 
Buell's  division,  had  succeeded  in  crossing  the  river  with  a 
single  brigade,  and  taking  possession  of  a  battery  of  artil 
lery  which  he  found  on  the  shore,  opened  a  heavy  fire  on 
the  enemy. 

But  night  had  now  come  on,  and  the  exhausted  rebels,  find 
ing  themselves  unable  to  complete  the  clay's  work  which  they 
had  marked  out  for  themselves,  withdrew  and  bivouaced  on 
the  field  to  wait  for  daylight.  In  the  mean  time,  the  divis 
ions  of  Buell's  army,  six  miles  apart,  were  hurrying  forward 
by  forced  marches,  to  the  river.  Buell  himself  reached  Sa 
vannah,  Grant's  head-quarters,  seven  miles  farther  down  on 
the  river,  in  the  early  part  of  the  day,  just  after  the  Gene 
ral  had  left  for  the  battle  field.  The  cannonading  was  dis 
tinctly  heard,  but  the  officers  there  told  him  that  it  was  of 
common  occurrence,  and  was  doubtless  merely  an  affair  of 
outposts.  But  the  deep,  continuous  roar  had  an  ominous 
sound  to  his  practised  ear,  and  after  listening  intently  awhile, 
he  determined  to  go  up  and  see  about  it  himself.  Nelson 
had  arrived  across  the  river  and  been  ordered  to  march  up 
opposite  Pittsburg  landing,  and  get  ferried  across,  leaving 
his  artillery  to  be  carried  forward  on  steamers,  as  the  roads 
were  almost  impassable.  This  gallant  commander  immedi 
ately  started  off,  and  hurrying  his  men  forward  through  the 
deep  mud,  reached  as  we  have  seen,  the  battle  field  just  as 
night  was  closing  over  the  routed  army. 

As  soon  as  a  boat  could  get  up  steam,  Buell  and  the  chief 
of  his  staff,  Colonel  Frey,  started  also  for  Pittsburg  landing, 
As  they  drew  near  the  place,  the  incessant,  deafening  explo* 
sions  of  cannon  told  too  well  that  a  great  battle  was  raging. 
Soon  they  came  within  sound  of  the  small  arms,  and  the 


352  A   SCENE    OF    DISORDER. 

rapid,  uninterrupted  volleys  so  near  the  river,  startled  him. 
But  the  sight  that  met  his  eyes  as  the  steamer  approached 
the  landing,  was  still  more  appalling.  The  shore  was  lined 
with  fugitives,  skulking  under  the  bank — some  five  thousand 
of  them — who  had  fled  from  the  disastrous  field.  An 4  still 
the  throng  kept  increasing,  till  a  wild  and  swaying  multi 
tude  darkened  all  the  shore,  while  the  teams  were  rushing 
in  and  pushing  their  way  amid  the  crowd,  huddling  as  close 
to  the  river  as  they  could  get.  It  was  a  fearful  spectacle, 
and  told  of  disaster  and  ruin, 

As  soon  as  the  steamer  touched  the  wharf,  'Buell  sprang 
ashore  and  met  Grant,  of  whom  he  hurriedly  inquired  the 
state  of  affairs.  He  found  them  gloomy  enough.  Grant  told 
him  that  Crittenden's  division  was  opposite  Savannah,  and 
urged  him  to  send  steamers  for  it  immediately.  He  then 
rode  among  the  fugitives,  and  finding  them  insensible  to 
shame  or  duty,  denounced  them  as  cowards,  and  turned 
away.  It  was  now  getting  late  in  the  day,  and  the  steadily 
approaching  fire  had  come  so  near,  that  the  balls  were  drop 
ping  along  the  bank.  It  was  at  this  moment,  that  the  im 
petuous  and  daring  Nelson,  crossed  with  a  part  of  his  bri 
gade,  and  added  his  volleys  to  those  that  hastened  the 
enemy's  retreat. 

The  battle  was  over,  and  the  most  fearful  Sabbath  the  sun 
ever  shone  upon  on  this  continent,  drew  to  its  bloody  close. 
Along  the  roads,  through  the  woods,  and  covering  thick  the 
ppen  fields,  the  dead  and  wounded  lay  in  vast  winrows. 
Amid  the  ghastly  groups  were  scattered  artillery  horses,  bro 
ken  caissons,  drums  and  muskets,  the  sad  wrecks  of  the  fight. 

The  rebel  army,  though  exhausted  and  bleeding,  was  still 
confident,  and  only  waited  for  the  morning  to  complete  what 
they  had  so  nearly  finished.  On  our  side,  the  broken,  deci 
mated  columns  lay  down  on  their  arms,  gloomy,  yet  deter 
mined. 


NIGHT    AFTER   THE    BATTLE.  353 

The  tumult  and  uproar  of  the  day  had  died  away,  and 
silence  and  night  wrapt  the  slumbering  hosts.  The  stars 
came  out  upon  the  sky  and  looked  mildly  down  on  the 
torn,  trampled,  and  bloody  field,  and  the  gentle  wind 
stole  softly  by,  giving  no  tokens  of  the  terrible  strife  that 
had  just  closed.  All  was  tranquil  and  serene,  when  sud 
denly  the  shores  and  river  were  lit  up  with  a  bright  flash, 
followed  by  the  report  of  cannon.  The  gun  boats  having 
ascertained  nearly  the  position  of  the  enemy,  began  to  heave 
shells  into  the  woods  arid  fields,  that  burst  far  inland  like 
replying  cannon.  All  night  long,  at  short  intervals,  the  sul 
len  roar  broke  the  silence,  rousing  up  the  tired  enemy,  forc 
ing  him  back  still  farther  from  the  spot  where  he  had  sunk 
down  exhausted.  It  was  a  terrible  night  for  the  wounded, 
for  thousands  still  lay  on  the  field  where  they  fell. 

Around  the  landing  it  was  a  scene  of  bustling  activity. 
The  rest  of  Nelson's  division  was  brought  across,  and  soon 
Crittenden's  came  up  on  the  loaded  steamers  from  Sa 
vannah,  and  were  marched  forward  and  placed  in  front  of 
Sherman's  shattered  line,  with  orders  to  advance  on  the 
enemy  at  daylight.  Word  was  also  received  that  McCook'a 
division  had  reached  Savannah,  and  were  waiting  to  be 
brought  down  to  the  battle  field.  This  gallant  commander 
had  heard  all  day  long,  the  heavy  cannonading  that  unceas 
ingly  shook  the  shores  of  the  Tennessee,  and  kept  his  men 
at  the  top  of  their  speed,  who  eager  as  himself,  strained  des 
perately  forward  to  be  up  in  time  to  save  the  battle.  The 
rest  of  his  army,  Buell  thought  could  not  arrive  in  season  to 
take  any  part,  and  the  victory  must  be  won  without  them  if 
won  at  all.  But  during  the  night  a  portion  of  the  regular 
batteries  of  Captain  Mendenhall,  Terrell  and  the  Ohio  bat 
tery,  Captain  Bartlett,  arrived  bringing  word  that  the  rest 
would  be  on  hand  early  in  the  morning.  The  news  of  the 
arrival  of  these- heavy  reinforcements,  sent  a  thrill  of  joy 


354  A   STORM. 

through  our  dejected  camps.  The  brave  men  who  had  borne 
up  against  such  fearful  odds,  though  defeated,  now  felt  that 
they  were  not  to.be  conquered,  and  that  the  morning's  sun 
Would  light  them  to  victory. 

Though  the  day  had  closed  serenely,  at  midnight  the 
heavens  became  suddenly  overcast,  and  soon  a  heavy  thun 
der  storm  broke  over  the  two  armies,  drenching  the  living, 
the  dead,  and  dying,  alike.  The  vivid  flashes  of  lightning 
set  forest  and  field  in  a  blaze,  while  the  artillery  of  the  skies, 
responding  to  the  loud  explosions  on  the  river,  made  strange 
music  on  that  fearful  field. 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

APRIL,  18G3.  ^ 

BECOND      DAY'S      BATTLE,  OF     PITTSBURG      LANDING — FORMATION     OF     SHELL*  3 

DIVISION NELSON CRITTENDEN MC  COOK WALLACE SMITH SHERMAN 

MCCLERNAND HURLBURT THE    ENEMY    DRIVEN  BACK OUR  CAMPS  RECOV 
ERED ASPECT    OF    THE     BATTLE     FIELD SANITARY    COMMISSION HALLECK 

TAKES  COMMAND MITCHELL  IN  ALABAMA. 

AT  length  the  eventful  morning  dawned,  and  at  five 
o'clock  the  two  divisions  of  Nelson  and  Crittenden 
moved  forward  upon  the  enemy.  They  soon  came  upon 
his  pickets,  which  they  drove  steadily  and  cautiously  before 
them,  and  at  seven  o'clock  approached  his  line  of  battle. 
Crittenden's  division  formed  on  the  right  of  Nelson,  with 
Bartlett's  battery  in  the  center.  Mendenhall's  splendid  bat 
tery,  in  Nelson's  division,  at  once  unlirnbered  and  opened  a 
rapid  fire.  The  heavy  cannonading  shook  the  field,  and  told 
those  nearer  the  landing  that  the  battle  had  commenced 
At  this  moment,  strains  of  martial  music  were  heard,  and 
the  soldiers  looking  back,  saw  the  colors  of  McCook's  divi 
sion  which  had  arrived,  moving  up  to  their  support.  It  took 
position  on  Crittenden's  right,  making  the  whole  line  of  bat 
tle  of  Buell's  forces  a  mile  and  a  half  in  extent  Wal 
lace  with  three  brigades  formed  the  extreme  right,  and  at 
seven  o'clock  he  also  opened  with  his  artillery  on  a  battery 
of  the  enemy,  planted  within  easy  range. 

For  a  time  it  was  an  artillery  duel  on  a  grand  scale.  In 
front  of  Nelson,  the  ground  was  an  open  field  nearly  level 
— while  a  thick  undergrowth  covered  a  portion  of  that  in 
front  of  Crittenden,  which  was  a  wide  hollow.  The  same 
proportion  of  woods  and  field  characterized  McCook's  front. 


356  A   DESPERATE   RALLY. 

Nelson's  division  came  first  into  action ;  and  the  contest 
at  once  became  close  and  bloody.  The  compact  line,  the 
steady  movements  and  confident  bearing  of  the  regiments, 
soon  showed  that  a  better  drilled,  if  not  a  braver,  army  was 
in  the  field  than  that  of  the  day  before.  Colonel  Hazen  of 
the  nineteenth  brigade  made  a  gallant  charge  on  a  battery 
of  the  enemy,  and  took  it ;  but  finding  his  command  ex 
posed  to  a  heavy  cross  fire  of  artillery,  was  compelled  to 
abandon  his  prize.  Still,  nothing  could  resist  the  steady  ad 
vance  of  Nelson.  His  long  lines  swept  on  like  an  unbroken 
wave  over  the  ground  lost  the  day  before,  on  which  lay 
thickly  strewed  the  dead  of  both  armies. 

Crittenden,  next  to  him,  though  every  inch  of  ground  was 
hotly  contested,  also  pressed  the  enemy  back  in  his  front. 
The  brigade  under  Smith  made  a  desperate  dash  on  one  of  the 
enemy's  batteries  and  captured  it,  though  it  cost  them  dear. 
The  stung  and  maddened  foe  charged  again  and  again  to 
recover  their  guns,  and  for  half  an  hour  that  spot  seemed  to 
form  the  vortex  of  the  battle. 

Still  farther  on,  McCook's  magnificent  division  moved  like 
veterans  of  a  hundred  battle  fields  into  action,  completing  the 
general  advance  of  the  army.  Thus,  till  ten  o'clock,  the  line 
of  battle  slowly  advanced,  when  the  e.nemy,  under  cover  of 
gome  heavy  woods,  made  a  sudden  and  desperate  rally,  and 
fell  with  such  fury  on  Nelson's  division  that  it  halted,  then 
wavered  and  finally  fell  back.  At  this  critical  moment,  Ter 
rell's  regular  battery  arrived  from  the  landing  on  a  headlong 
gallop,  and  unlimbering  with  the  speed  of  lightning,  hurled 
the  shells  from  his  twenty-four-pound  howitzers,  into  the 
astonished,  compact  ranks  of  the  enemy.  They  staggered 
under  the  rapid,  destructive  fire;  but  bearing  up  bravely 
against  it,  again  advanced  straight  on  the  murderous  guns. 
Horse  after  horse  went  down,  the  gunners  dropped  in  their 
places,  till  not  a  man  was  left  at  one  of  the  pieces :  when  Tcr- 


A   GENERAL   ADVANCE..  357 

rell  and  a  corporal  stepped  up  and  worked  it  alone  till  a 
regiment  dashed  forward  and  saved  it.  For  two  hours  after, 
it  was  one  incessant  crash  and  thunder  peal  all  along  the 
front  of  that  gallant  division. 

Nelson,  in  the  mean  time  held  his  men  to  their  grim  work, 
and  refused  to  retire  further,  determined  to  see  which  could 
stand  such  terrible  pounding  the  longest.  But  the  same 
fierce  rally  that  forced  him  back  at  first,  extended  along  the 
whole  rebel  line,  and  Crittenden  caught  the  full  force  of  the 
refluent  wave  and  was  forced  to  fall  back  to  a  new  position. 
The  shouting  enemy  followed  up  their  success,  when  Men- 
denhall's  and  Bartlett's  batteries,  especially  that  of  the  former, 
sent  their  shells  ploughing  through  his  ranks,  making  huge 
gaps  at  evrery  discharge.  The  rebels  could  not  make  head 
way  against  the  awful  fire;  still  they  refused  to  yield  the 
ground  which  they  had  made  red  with  their  own  blood. 

In  the  mean  time,  Buell  had  arrived  on  the  field,  and  see 
ing  the  stubbornness  with  which  the  enemy  held  his  ground, 
although  it  was  evident  his  whole  line  was  badly  shaken  by 
our  artillery,  gave  the  order  to  advance  by  brigades  at  the 
double  quick.  That  was  all  .the  brave  fellows  wanted,  and 
with  a  cheer  that  rolled  like  the  shout  of  victory  along  the 
mighty  line,  they  sprang  forward.  The  sudden,  simultane 
ous  onward  movement  of  that  vast  host,  was  a  sublime  spec 
tacle.  The  rebels,  though  they  had  fought  bravely,  recoiled 
before  its  terrible  front,  so  dark  below,  yet  bright  with  glit 
tering  steel  above,  and  step  by  step  fell  back,  pushed  as  they 
receded  by  the  determined  divisions,  till  they  lost  all  the 
ground  they  had  won.  At  length  the  punishment  became 
so  severe  that  they  fell  into  confusion,  when  our  artillery  and 
musketry  mowed  them  down  by  platoons.  Sweeping  the 
ground  of  our  defeat  the  day  before,  we  captured  all  the 
guns  lost  on  this  part  of  the  field,  besides  two  of  the  enemy. 
Unwilling  to  lose  all  the  fruit  of  their  previous  victory,  the 


358  SHERMAN'S  ATTACK. 

rebel  officers  made  a  last  desperate  stand  in  front  of  McCooFs 
division.  This  commander  had  driven  the  enemy  steadily 
before  him,  and  though  repeatedly  exposed  to  flanking  move 
ments  that  threatened  to  crush  him,  refused  to  fall  back. 
Rousseau's  brigade  maintained  its  high  reputation,  and  the 
whole  division  fought  with  a  valor  that  made  defeat  impos^ 
sible.  If  a  brigade  recoiled  a  moment  under  the  withering 
fire  of  the  foe,  the  next  it  sprung  like  a  bent  bow  to  its  place 
again,  while  all  along  its  dark  and  steady  front,  there  rolled 
an  incessant  stream  of  fire,  and  their  shouts  shook  the  field. 

Wallace  firmly  pressed  the  enemy  on  the  extreme  right. 
As  his  division  advanced  on  the  field  in  the  morning 
it  halted  on  a  swell  of  ground  that  overlooked  the  whole 
space  in  front.  Just  then,  out  of  the  woods  that  bounded 
their  vision,  emerged  a  strong  rebel  column  with  colors  fly 
ing.  Regiment  after  regiment  came  on  in  the  double-quick, 
till  the  rebel  line  seemed  interminable.  Their  long  array 
presented  a  magnificent  sight  as  it  formed  in  line  of  battle 
parallel  to  his  division,  and  unlimbered  its  artillery  under  the 
rapid  and  destructive  fire  of  his  guns.  In  a  few  minutes  the 
cannonading  on  both  sides  extended  along  the  whole  front. 
Wallace  then  threw  out  his  sharp  shooters  to  pick  off  the 
artillerists,  while  batteries  with  heavy  supports  of  infantry 
were  moved  forward  into  the  open  fields,  and  for  an  hour 
and  a  half  the  flash  and  roar  of  guns  were  incessant. 

At  length,  Sherman,  for  whom  Wallace  had  been  waiting, 
came  up  with  the  remnant  of  his  heroic,  battered  division, 
and  moved  straight  on  the  rebel  line.  Midway  in  the  open 
field,  it  met  such  a  horrible  fire,  that  it  halted.  Even  these 
heroes  paused  as  they  saw  the  red  mouth  of  the  volcano  be 
fore  them,  and  fell  back,  though  in  good  order.  But  the 
wounded  Sherman  dashed  along  their  lines,  rousing  the  en 
thusiasm  of  the  men  to  the  highest  pitch.  His  horse  sunk 
under  him,  when  he  leaped  to  the  saddle  of  another  and 


THE    REBELS   RETREAT.  359 

i 

again  gave  the  order,  "Forward."  With  sloping  bayonets, 
and  leaning  forms,  Marsh  at  their  head — they  leaped  forward 
on  the  double-quick  and  gained  the  woods,  completely  flank 
ing  one  of  the  enemy's  batteries.  This  was  the  turning 
point  of  the  battle,  and  the  rebel  guns  began  to  limber  up 
in  hot  haste.  In  an  instant  Wallace's  division  was  upon  them, 
completing  the  victory.  "  Forward,"  then  ran  along  the 
whole  line,  and  forward  it  was  through  the  rough  corn  fields 
till  they  drove  the  enemy  into  the  woods.  Here  the  latter 
made  a  short,  determined  stand,  and  again  forced  Sherman's 
division  back.  But  this  indomitable  chieftain,  though  bleed 
ing  from  two  wounds,  while  three  horses  had  been  shot  from 
under  him,  again  rallied  his  broken  regiments,  and  regaining 
his  lost  ground,  hurled  them  like  a  descending  avalanche  on 
the  foe.  Among  th,e  many  heroes  of  that  hard  fought  bat 
tle,  he  outshone  them  all,  and  from  first  to  last  moved  with 
his  shattered  division  like  a  citadel  of  fire  over  the  tumultu 
ous  field. 

Here  too,  on  the  right,  later  in  the  day,  Hurlburt  and  Mc- 
Clernand  came  up  with  their  jaded,  broken  battalions — the 
heroes  of  fort  Donelson — and  again  and  again  charged  with 
fury  on  the  enemy,  adding  new  laurels  to  those  which  already 
wreathed  their  brows. 

Thus  the  action,  which  had  begun  on  the  left,  with  Nel 
son,  and  rolled  steadily  along  the  other  divisions  to  the 
right,  as  if  the  enemy  were  feeling  our  whole  line  of  battle  to 
find  a  vulnerable  point,  was  here,  on  the  right,  at  last  deci* 
ded ;  and  the  whole  rebel  army,  maddened  and  mortified,  fell 
slowly  back  over  the  ground  it  had  won  at  such  a  terrible 
sacrifice,  until  it  was  driven  beyond  our  last  camp.  A  body 
of  three  thousand  cavalry,  which  had  quietly  stood  spectators 
of  this  sanguinary  struggle,  were  now  ordered  to  charge. 
The  bugles  rang  out,  and  down  came  the  thundering  squad 
rons,  making  the  earth  shake  under  their  tread.  But  they 


360  THE   BATTLE   FIELD. 

found  no  unguarded  spot  where  a  charge  could  be  made,  for 
the  enemy,  though  acknowledging  the  day  lost,  showed  no 
signs  of  demoralization,  but  kept  his  firm  formation  as  he 
retired,  planting  his  batteries  at  every  commanding  point,  and 
hurling  destruction  on  the  victorious  columns  as  they  at 
tempted  to  turn  the  defeat  into  a  rout. 

Finding  it  impossible  on  ground  so  well  fitted  for  defen 
sive  positions,  andevery  foot  of  which  was  thoroughly  known 
to  the  enemy,  to  throw  them  into  disorder,  Bucll  gave  the 
order  to  halt,  and  the  tired  host  bivouaccd  on  the  field. 

In  the  morning,  Sherman,  who  seemed  made  of  iron,  was 
sent  forward  with  his  shattered  division,  in  pursuit.  On  his 
way  he  fell  in  with  Wood,  who  had  been  dispatched  on  the 
same  errand.  Advancing  along  the  road  to  Corinth,  he  came 
upon  the  enemy's  cavalry,  and,  after  a  sharp  skirmish,  drove 
them  from  the  field  with  the  loss  of  several  killed  and  wound 
ed.  He  found  the  road  strewed  with  abandoned  blankets, 
haversacks,  and  muskets,  which  the  wearied,  disheartened 
enemy  had  flung  away. 

Thus  ended  the  battle  of  Pittsburg  landing,  or  as  Beau- 
regard  named  it,  u  Shiloh,"  from  a  little  church  that  stood 
near  the  center  of  the  field.  Johnston,  the  rebel  leader, 
had  fallen,  and  Johnson,  the  provisional  governor  of  Ken 
tucky,  and  many  other  distinguished  officers,  while  the  dead 
of  both  the  contending  hosts  lay  in  heaps  on  every  side. 
Scattered  through  the  woods,  gathered  in  groups  on  open 
spots  where  there  had  been  hard  struggles  for  the  possession 
of  important  batteries,  stretched  along  the  road,  they  lay 
in  every  conceivable  shape,  and  disfigured  by  every  form  of 
wound.  Here  the  rifle  and  musket  had  done  its  deadly 
work — -leaving  the  slain  like  so  many  sleepers,  with  nought 
but  the  purple  spot,  or  the  pool  of  blood  to  show  how  they 
met  their  fate — there,  headless  bodies,  disemboweled  corpses, 
and  shattered  limbs,  told  where  the  heavy  shot  and  shell  had 


SANITARY    COMMISSION.  361 

ploughed  through  the  ranks.  Among  this  mighty  multitude 
of  the  dead,  hundreds  of  artillery  horses  lay  scattered,  with 
their  harness  upon  them.  It  was  a  ghastly  spectacle, 
such  as  was  never  before  seen  on  this  continent,  and  was  be 
lieved  never  would  be  seen. 

The  burial  of  such  a  host  was  a  gigantic  and  mournful 
labor,  for  the  enemy  had  left  his  own  dead  to  be  interred  with 
ours.  Full  ten  thousand,  but  late  brothers  of  the  same  great 
national  family,  lay  stark  and  stiff  in  death,  while  double 
that  number  were  wounded.  That  the  rebels  fought  bravely, 
the  field  over  which  they  had  struggled  for  two  days  abun 
dantly  testifiei  So  had  our  troops,  even  on  the  first  disas 
trous  day,  though  at  fearful  disadvantage,  with  the.  excep 
tion  of  some  four  or  five  thousand,  who  disgraced  the  flag 
they  bore,  and  scattered  in  affright.  On  the  second  day  all 
were  heroes — there  was  no  flinching — no  thought  of  defeat. 
A  stern  determination  to  win  back  the  lost  field  carried 
every  regiment  to  the  charge,  and  though  they  suffered 
severely,  they  baffled  the  enemy's  designs,  and  sent  him  back 
to  his  stronghold  crippled  and  disheartened.  Some  of  the 
divisions  were  fearfully  cut  up.  McClernand  lost  nearly  a 
third  of  his  entire  force,  a  dreadful  mortality,  and  showing 
the  severest  fighting,  such  as  veterans  only  can  stand.  Some 
of  the  regiments  lost  every  field  officer,  while  several  com 
panies  could  muster  the  morn  ing  «fter  the  battle  but  a  single 
squad.  The  north-west  was  clad  in  mourning,  for  this  car 
nage  folio  wing  so  quick  on  that  of  fort  Donelson,  left  scarcely 
a  settlement  without  one  of  its  number  killed  or  wounded. 

The  value  of  the  sanitary  commission  was  now  felt.  Or 
ganized  at  the  outset  of  the  war,  it  had  been  rather  a  costly 
machine,  without-  any  results  to  show  equal  to  its  promise. 

Though  multitudes  had  been  slain  and  wounded  since  the 
commencement  of  the  war,  they  had  fallen  in  small  numbers, 
and  at  times  and  points  so  far  from  each  other  that  the  extra 


362  SUFFERINGS    OF    THE    WOUNDED. 

supplies  and  efforts  of  the  commission  were  not  so  imperatively 
demanded.  But  here,  all  the  ordinary  means  of  relief  were 
wholly  inadequate,  and  its  whole  force  was  called  into  active 
service.  Yet  even  this  was  not  sufficient,  and  the  western 
cities  poured  forth  their  stores  for  the  wounded,  and  loaded 
steamboats  with  nurses  and  physicians  and  dispatched  them 
to  the  scene  of  suffering.  But  such  wholesale  slaughter  was 
new  to  our  people,  and  they  were  unprepared  for  it,  and 
many  of  the  wounded  suffered  from  unavoidable  neglect. 
If,  with  our  means,  facilities,  and  wealth,  our  wounded  suf 
fered  for  want  of  proper  care,  it  is  easy  to  imagine  that 
those  of  the  enemy  must  have  endured  untold  privations. 

Oar  entire  loss  in  killed,  wounded,  and  missing,  was  near 
ly  fourteen  thousand.  This  included  the  three  thousand 
prisoners.  The  loss  of  the  enemy,  with  the  exception  of 
prisoners,  of  which  we  took  but  few,  was  probably  about  the 
same. 

This  battle  was  severely  criticised,  for  it  was  well  nigh  lost ; 
and  if  it  had  been,  the  whole  west  up  to  the  Ohio  would 
have  been  once  more  in  the  hands  of  the  rebels,  and  at  least 
another  year  added  to  the  war.  Hence,  the  first  question  in 
every  one's  mouth  was :  why,  when  such  momentous  events 
hung  on  this  battle,  was  it  allowed  to  take  place  before  we 
were  prepared  for  it  ?  A  single  severe  storm  that  would 
have  kept  Buell  back  for  twenty-four  hours,  would  have  anni 
hilated  our  army,  and  brought  about  this  disastrous  result, 
that  one  even  now  trembles  to  contemplate.  There  seemed 
no  necessity  for  running  such  a  terrible  risk,  and  the  feeling 
was  universal  that  there  was  bad  management  somewhere. 
Again  it  was  asked,  if  it  seemed  necessary  to  hold  the  west 
bank  of  the  Tennessee  with  only  a  part  of  our  force,  while 
the  enemy  was  in  striking  distance  with  the  whole  of  his, 
why  was  our  army  allowed  to  be  surprised  ?  The  friends  of 
£rrant,  feeling  that  this  implied  condemnation  of  him,  denied 


MITCHELL    IN    ALABAMA.  3G3 

that  it  was  a  surprise.  But  if  sweeping  the*camp  of  one  en 
tire  division  before  the  men  could  fall  into  rank,  and  the 
storming  of  another  so  suddenly,  that  only  a  portion  of  the 
troops  could  be  rallied,  while  even  those  were  captured  with 
their  comimnder,  does  not  constitute  a  complete  surprise, 
then  it  is  hard  indeed  to  define  one.  Whether  the  blame 
rests  on  Grant  or  on  the  commanders  of  the  front  divisions, 
is  a  question  it  may  not  be  easy  at  present  to  decide ;  but 
that  there  was  negligence  or  ignorance  somewhere,  is  indis 
putable.  The  rebel  army  on  the  first  day  was  handled  with 
consummate  skill ;  while  on  our  side  there  seemed  but  little 
done  by  our  Generals,  except  to  hold  their  troops  as  steady 
as  possible  under  fire,  and  delay  the  catastrophe  that  ap 
peared  inevitable,  as  long  as  possible.  That  we  were  not  com 
pletely  overthrown  is  due  alone  to  the  merciful  interposition 
of  Providence. 

Of  course  this  battle  stopped  for  the  time  being,  all  farther 
movements  in  that  locality.  The  remainder  of  Buell's  di 
vision  was  brought  up,  and  Halleck  hastened  to  the  field  to 
take  command  in  person,  and  reorganize  the  army. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  enemy  began  to  fortify  himself  in 
Corinth,  and  prepare  for  the  next  grand  struggle  for  the 
valley  of  the  Mississippi;  while  Foote  appeared  before  fort 
Wright  to  repeat  the  bombardment  that  had  accomplished 
so  little  at  Island  Number  Ten.  During  this  interval,  Gen 
eral  Mitchell,  with  his  brigade  had  been  detached  from 
BuelFs  army,  and  by  a  rapid,  masterly  march  on  Huntsville, 
Alabama,  seized  it  without  any  loss,  and  captured  two  hund 
red  prisoners.  In  the  telegraph  office,  he  found  and  deci 
phered  a  dispatch  from  Beauregard,  asking  for  reinforce 
ments  and  giving  the  effective  force  of  his  army.  He  also 
seized  the  rail  road  for  fifty  miles  on  either  side,  capturing 
Borne  fifteen  locomotives  and  other  rolling  stock.  '  . 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

APRIL,  1862. 

EXPEDITION    AGAINST    NEW    ORLEANS THE    FORTS    AND  OBSTRUCTIONS    IN    THE 

MISSISSIPPI    TO     BE    OVERCOME THE     BOMBARDMENT    OF    THE    FORTS FIRE 

RAFTS FARRAGDT  DETERMINES  TO  RUN  THE  BATTERIES A  DESPERATE  BAT 
TLE — CAPTAIN  BOGGS    OF  THE  VARINA A    GALLANT  BOY — NEW   ORLEANS 

SURRENDERED STATE  OF  FEELING  THERE FAR*RAGUT'8  ORDER  DIRECTING 

THANKS  TO  BE  OFFERED  TO  GOD  FOR  SUCCESS BUTLER  OCCUPIES  THE  CITY 

— PORTER'S  LETTER  CONCERNING  THE  BOMBARDMENT,  AND  THE  RAMS. 

THE  month  of  April  closed  gloriously  for  the  national 
cause  in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi ;  for_  it  gave  us 
New  Orleans,  the  most  important  city  of  the  southern  con 
federacy,  and  thus  made  certain  to  us  the  final  possession  of 
the  entire  river. 

Captain  Farragut,  with  a  fleet  of  gun  boats,  and  Porter, 
with  a  mortar  fleet,  had  long  since  left  our  northern  waters 
for  some  unknown  point.  Much  anxiety  had  been  felt  for 
its  success;  and  when  at  length  news  was  received  that  it  had 
left  Ship  island,  where  it  was  known  to  have  rendezvoused, 
for  New  Orleans,  accompanied  by  a  land  force  under  Butler, 
great  fears  were  entertained  of  its  ability  to  force  the  formi 
dable  barriers  that  blocked  the  river  below  the  city. 

Two  forts,  Jackson  and  St.  Philip,  nearly  opposite  each 
other,  the  former  very  strong  and  casemated,  the  two  mount 
ing  in  all  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  guns,  commanded 
the  approach.  In  addition  to  these,  a  heavy  chain  had  been 
stretched  across  the  channel,  buoyed  upon  schooners,  and 
directly  under  the  fire  of  the  batteries,  so  that  any  vessels 
attempting  to  remove  it,  could  be  sunk.  There  were  be 
sides,  heavily  mounted  iron-clad  gun  boats,  ponderous  rams, 


BOMBARDMENT  COMMENCED.  365 

before  whose  onset  the  strongest  ship  would  go  down,  and 
fire  rafts  and  piles  of  drift  wood,  ready  to  be  launched  on 
our  advancing  vessels.  It  was  believed  by  the  rebels, 
that  nothing  that  ever  floated,  could  safely  pass  all  these  ob 
structions,  tut  should  some  few  by  a  miracle  succeed,  bands 
of  young  men  were  organized  in  New  Orleans,  to  board 
them  at  all  hazard,  and  capture  them. 

Such  were  the  obstacles  that  presented  themselves  to  Far- 
ragut  and  Porter,  as  they,  in  the  middle  of  April,  slowly 
steamed  up  the  mighty  river. 

It  was  laborious  work  getting  th.e  fleet  over  the  bars  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  and  up  the  rapid  stream,  to  the  scene 
of  action,  for  the  mortar  boats  were  not  steamers.  Weeks 
were  occupied  in  it,  and  the  north  almost  began  to  despair 
of  hearing  any  good  report  of  the  expedition,  and  event 
ually  it  was  quite  lost  sight  of  in  the  absorbing  news  from 
the  upper  Mississippi,  and  the  Tennessee.  But  though  shut 
out  from  the  world,  its  gallant  commanders  were  quietly, 
but  energetically  preparing  for  the  herculean  task  assigned 
them. 

Six  war  steamers,  sixteen  gun  boats,  twenty-one  mortal- 
vessels,  with  five  other  national  vessels,  among  them  the 
Harriet  Lane,  Porter's  flag-ship,  making  in  all  nearly  fifty 
armed  vessels,  constituted  the  entire  force.  It  was  a  formi 
dable  fleet,  but  it  had  formidable  obstacles  to  overcome. 

On  the  eighteenth  the  bombardment  commenced,  and  the 
first  day  nearly  two  thousand  shells  were  thrown  into  the 
forts.  Some  burst  beyond  them,  others  in  mid  air,  and  some 
not  at  all,  while  hundreds  fell  with  a  thundering  crash  inside 
the  works,  cracking  the  strongest  casemates  in  their  ponderous; 
descent.  On  one  side  of  the  river,  the  mortar  vessels  lay 
near  some  trees  on  the  bank,  and  the  men  dressed  the  masts 
in  green  foliage  to  conceal  their  position.  Decked  out  as  for 
a  Christmas  festival,  they  could  not  be  distinguished  at  the 

22 


366  SURVEYORS ROW    BOAT    FLEET. 

distance  of  the  forts  from  the  trees,  so  that  the  enemy  had  only 
the  smoke  that  canopied  them  for  a  mark  to  aim  at.  On  the 
other  side,  tall  reeds4ringed  the  banks,  and  the  vessels  in  posi 
tion  there  were  covered  with  rushes  and  flags,  and  daubed 
with  Mississippi  mud,  which  sadly  confused  the  artillerists  in 
the  forts.  The  exact  distance  from  the  spot  where  they 
lay  anchored,  to  the  forts,  had  been  determined  by  triangu- 
lation,  conducted  by  the  coast  survey  party  under  Captain 
Gurdes.  The  surveys  to  accomplish  this,  had  been  per 
formed  under  the  fire  of  the  enemy,  and  great  coolness  and 
daring  were  shown  by  the.party.  The  sailors  had  wondered 
at  the  presence  of  a  coast  survey  vessel,  carrying  a  crew 
armed  with  nothing  ^more  formidable  than  surveying  instru 
ments,  save  a  few  pocket  revolvers,  but  it  was  now  seen  that 
science  must  first  prepare  the  way,  before  the  heavy  shells 
could  perform  their  appropriate  work. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  day  on  which  the  bombard 
ment  commenced,  the  rebels  set  adrift  a  huge  flat  boat,  piled 
with  pitch  pine  cord  wood  in  a  blaze.  As  it  came  down  the 
stream,  the  flames  roared  and  crackled  like  a  burning  forest, 
while  huge  columns  of  black  smoke  rose  in  swift,  spiral  col 
umns,  sky-ward.  As  it  drifted  near,  two  of  our  advanced 
vessels  hastily  slipped  their  cables  and  moved  down  stream. 
At  first  it  was  feared  the  blazing  structure  might  contain  tor 
pedoes  or  explosive  machines  of  some  kind,  and  rifled  shot 
were  thrown  into  it.  But  it  floated  harmless  by,  lighting  up 
the  muddy  stream  as  it  receded.  In  order  to  be  prepared 
for  another,  Captain  Porter  ordered  all  the  row  boats  of  the 
flotilla  to  be  prepared  with  grapnels,  ropes,  buckets  and 
.axes.  At  sunset,  this  fleet  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  boats  was 
reviewed,  passing  in  single  line  under  the  Harriet  Lane,  each 
answering  to  the  hail  of  the  commander,  "Fire  buckets,  axes 
and  ropes?"  "Aye,  aye,  Sir." 

About  an  hour  afterward,  just  as  night  had  set  in,  a  huge 


A    FIRE    RAFT.  367 

column  of  black  smoke  was  seen  to  rise  from  the  river  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  forts.  Signal  lights  were  immediately  hoisted 
on  all  the  vessels,  and  the  next  moment  a  hundred  boats 
shot  out  in  the  darkness,  ready  for  action.  A  fire  raft  was 
on  its  fearful  way,  lighting  up  the  broad  bosom  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  with  its  pyramid  of  flame,  and  sending  the  sparks  in 
showers  into  the  surrounding  darkness.  It  made  a  fearful 
sight,  and  seemed  well  calculated  to  accomplish  its  mission 
of  destruction.  On  it  came,  slow  and  majestically,  swinging 
easily  to  the  mighty  current,  when  suddenly  the  Westfield 
opened  her  steam  valves,  and  dashed  fearlessly  into  the  burn 
ing  pile.  Burying  herself  amid  the  crashing  timbers  and 
flying  sparks,  her  captain  turned  a  hose  upon  it,  and  a  stream 
of  water  as  from  a  fire  engine  played  upon  the  lurid  mass. 
The  next  moment  the  crowd  of  boats  approached — the 
bronzed  faces  of  the  sailors,  with  buckets  and  ropes,  standing 
out  in  bold  relief  in  the  broad  glare — and  fastened  to  the 
horrid  phantom.  Then,  pulling  with  a  will,  they  slowly 
towed  it  ashore,  where  they  left  it  to  consume  ignobly  away. 
It  was  bravely  done,  and  as  the  boats  returned  they  were 
cheered  by  the  entire  fleet. 

For  a  whole  week  the  bombardment  was  kept  up,  while 
shot  and  shell  from  the  enemy  fell  in  a  constant  shower 
amid  the  squadron. 

The  gunners  on  the  mortar  boats  were  getting  worn  out, 
and  when  released  from  the  guns,  would  drop  down  exhaus 
ted  on  deck.  They  began  at  last  to  grumble  at  the  inactiv 
ity  of  the  larger  vessels. 

At  length,  Farragut  determined  to  run  the  rebel  batteries 
— engage  the  gun  boats  and  rams  beyond,  and  then  steam 
up  to  New  Orleans,  cost  what  it  would.  The  chain  had  been 
cut  a  few  nights  before,  and  the  schooners  that  sustained  it 
were  trailing  along  the  river  bank.  On  the  twenty-third 
of  April,  every  thing  being  ready,  at  two  o'clock  signal  Ian- 


368  RUNNING   THE    BATTERIES. 

terns  were  hoisted  from  the  Hartford's  mizzen  peak,  and  soon 
the  boatswain's  call,  u  up  all  hammocks,"  rang  over  the  water. 
It  was  known  the  evening  before,  that  the  desperate  conflict 
would  come  off  in  the  morning,  and  there  was  but  little  sleep 
in  the  fleet  that  night.  The  scene,  the  hour,  and  the  mo 
mentous  issues  at  stake  made  every  man  thoughtful.  Not  a 
breeze  ruffled  the  surface  of  the  river — the  forts  were  silent 
above — the  stars  looked  serenely  down — while  the  deep  tran- 
quility  that  rested  on  shore  and  stream  was  broken  only  by 
the  heavy  boom,  every  ten  minutes,  of  a  gun  from  the  boats 
on  watch.  But  the  moment  those  two  signal  lanterns  were 
run  up  on  the  flag-ship,  all  this  was  changed.  The  rattling 
of  chains,  the  heaving  of  anchors  and  commands  of  officers, 
transformed  the  scene  of  quietness  into  one  of  bustle  and 
stern  preparation.  In  an  hour  and  a  half  every  thing  was 
ready,  and  the  flag-ship,  followed  by  the  Richmond  and 
Brooklyn  and  six  gun  boats,  turned  their  prows  up  the  .river, 
steering  straight  for  fort  Jackson.  The  Pensacola,  Missis 
sippi,  Oneida,  and  Yarina,  under  Captain  Bailey,  with  four 
gun  boats  came  next,  and  were  to  engage  fort  Philip.  The 
Harriet  Lane,  Westfield,  Owasco,  Miami,  Clifton,  and  Jackson, 
under  Porter,  came  last,  and  were  to  take  position  where  they 
could  pour  an  enfilading  fire  of  grape  and  shrapnel  into  fort 
Jackson  while  Farragut  hurled  his  heavy  broadsides  into  it 
in  front.  As  soon  as  the  fleet  started  on  its  terrible  mission, 
all  the  mortar  boats  opened  their  fire.,  and  canopied  by  the 
blazing  shells,  that  crossing  and  recrossing  in  every  direction, 
wove  their  fiery  net  work  over  the  sky  and  dropped  with  a 
thunderous  sound  into  the  doomed  works — the  flag-ship,  ac 
companied  by  her  consorts  steamed  swiftly  forward  through 
the  gloom.  As  soon  as  they  came  within  range,  signal  rock 
ets  darted  up  from  the  low  fortifications,  and  the  next  instant 
the  volcano  opened.  Taking  the  awful  storm  in  perfect  si- 
,  Farragut  kept  steadily  on,  till  he  was  close  abreast/ 


A      FEARFUL    FIGHT.  37  L 

when  his  broadsides  opened.  As  each  ship  came  up;  it  de 
livered  its  broadside,  and  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  it  was 
one  continuous  stream  of  fire,  and  thunder  peal,  that  shook 
the  shores  like  an  earthquake.  For  half  an  hour,  it  seemed 
as  if  all  the  explosive  elements  of  earth  and  air  were  collec 
ted  there.  The  vessels  did  not  stop  to  engage  the  forts,  but 
delivering  their  broadsides  swept  on  towards  the  gun  boats 
beyond.  Fire  rafts  now  came  drifting  down  the  tide,  light 
ing  up  the  pandemonium  with  a  fiercer  glare,  and  making  that 
early  morning  wild  and  awful  as  the  last  day  of  time.  The 
shot  and  shell  from  nearly  five  hundred  cannon  filled  all  the  air, 
and  it  seemed  as  if  nothing  made  with  human  hands  could  sur 
vive  such  a  storm.  The  Ithaca,  with  a  shot  through  her,  was 
compelled  to  drop  out  of  the  fight,  Jn  doing  which,  she  came 
under  the  close  fire  of  the  fort,  and  was  completely  riddled, 
yet  strange  to  say  only  two  of  her  crew  were  struck.  Ex 
ploding  shells  filled  the  air,  hot  shot  crashed  through  the 
hulls,  yet  the  gallant  fleet,  wrapped  in  the  smoke  of  its  own 
broadsides,  moved  on  in  its  pathway  of  flame,  while  the* 
river  ahead  was  filled  with  fire  rafts  and  iron  clad  gun  boats, 
whose  terrible  fire  crossing  that  of  the  fort,  swept  the  whole 
bosom  of  the  stream.  Sharp  shooters  crowded  the  rigging, 
dropping  their  bullets  incessantly  upon  our  decks,  yet  still 
the  commander's  signal  for  close  action  streamed  in  the  morn 
ing  breeze,  and  still  that  fleet  kept  on  its  determined  way. 
An  immense  iron-clad  vessel,  the  Louisiana,  lay  moored  near- 
fort  Jackson,  armed  with  heavy  rifled  guns,  which  sent  the 
shot  through  and  through  our  vessels,  while  ours  rattled  like 
peas  on  her  mailed  sides.  The  famous  ram  Manassas  came 
down-on  the  flag-ship,  pushing  a  fire  raft  before  her.  In  at- 
tempting  to  avoid  the  collision,  Farragut  got  aground,  when 
the  raft  came  plump  along  side.  The  flames  instantly 
leaped  through  the  rigging,  and  ran  along  the  sides  of  his 
vessel,  and  for  a  moment  he  thought  it  was  all  up  with  him. 


372  A    GALLANT    BOY. 

But  ordering  the  hose  to  turn  a  stream  of  water  upon  the 
fire,  he  succeeded  in  extinguishing  it,  and  backing  off,  again 
goured  in  his  broadsides. 

The  Varina,  Captain  Boggs,  attacked  the  rebel  gun  boats 
with  such  fury,  that  he  sunk  five  in  succession,  their  dark 
hulls  disappearing  with  awful  rapidity,  under  the  turbid 
waters.  Even  then,  his  work  was  not  done,  for  a  ram  came 
driving  full  upon  him.  He  saw  at  once  that  he  could  not 
avoid  the  collision,  and  knew  that  his  fate  was  sealed.  But 
instead  of  hauling  down  his  flag,  he  resolved  since  he  could 
not  save  his  ship,  to  carry  his  adversary  down  with  him,  and 
bidding  the  pilot  throw  the  vessel  so  that  her  broadsides 
would  bear  on  the  vulnerable  part  of  the  rebel,  he  sternly 
received  the  blow.  The  sides  of  the  Yarina  were  crushed 
by  it  as  though  made  of  egg  shells.  As  the  ram  backed  off, 
the  water  poured  in  like  a  torrent,  and  he  ordered  the  pilot 
to  run  her  with  all  steam  on,  ashore.  In  the  mean  time,  his 
broadsides — fired  at  such  close  range — made  fearful  open 
ings  in  the  enemy's  hull,  and  she  too  began  to  settle  in  the 
water,  and  attempted  to  haul  off.  But  those  terrible  broad 
sides  were  too  swift  for  her,  and  they  were  poured  in  till  the 
gun-carriages  were  under  the  water.  The  last  shot  just 
skimmed  the  surface  as  the  hissing  guns  became  submerged, 
and  the  gallant  vessel  went  down  with  her  flag  flying,  car 
rying  her  dead  with  her,  A  more  fitting  tomb  for  them 
could  not  be  found  than  the  hull  of  that  immortal  boat. 

A  boy,  named  Oscar,  only  thirteen  years  old,  was  on  board, 
and  during  the  hottest  of  the  fire  was  busily  engaged  in  pass 
ing  ammunition  to  the  gunners,  and  narrowly  escaped  death 
when  one  of  the  terrific  broadsides  of  the  enemy  was  poured 
in.  Covered  with  dirt  and  begrimed  with  powder,  he  was  met 
by  Captain  Boggs,  who  asked  where  he  was  going  in  such  a 
hurry  :  u  to  get  a  passing  box,  sir,  the  other  was  smashed  by  a 
i>all."  When  the  Yarina  went  down  Boggs  missed  the  boy  and 


THE    VICTORY.  373 

thought  he  was  among  the  killed.  But  a  fe,w  minutes  after 
he  saw  the  lad  gallantly  swimming  towards  the  wreck. 
Clambering  on  board,  he  threw  his  hand  up  to  his  forehead, 
in  the  usual  salute,  and  with  the  simple,  uall  right,  sir,  I 
report  myself  on  board,"  coolly  took  up  his  old  station. 
Though  a  boy,  he  had  an  old  head  on  his  shoulders,  and  if  he 
lives  and  is  given  an  opportunity,  will  be  heard  from  in  the 
future. 

The  Kineo  was  accidentally  run  into  by  the  Brooklyn,  and 
badly  stove,  yet  she  fought  her  way  steadily  for  ward,  though  re 
ceiving  twelve  shots  in  her  hull,  and  with  twelve  others,  passed 
the  terrible  ordeal.  The  description  of  the  conduct  of  one 
boat  is  a  description  of  all.  Though  riddled  with  sho$  from 
the  forts,  they  closed  in  with  the  rebel  gun  boats  so  fiercely, 
that  in  an  hour  and  a  half  eleven  went  to  the  bottom  of  the 
Mississippi. 

The  victory  was  won  and  the  combat  ended,  yet  the  mad 
dened  enemy  could  not  wholly  surrender,  and  the  ram  Ma- 
nassas  came  down  on  the  Richmond.  The  Mississippi,  see 
ing  her  intentions,  instantly  steamed  towards  her,  when  the 
affrighted  crew  ran  her  ashore.  Even  after  the  surrender 
was  made,  and  while  terms  of  capitulation  were  being  agreed 
on,  the  rebels  cut  adrift  the  Louisiana,  which  had  cost  nearly 
two  millions  of  dollars,  and  sent  her  down  past  the  fort 
amid  our  mortar  fleet.  She  failed,  however,  to  do  any  dam 
age,  and  soon  went  ashore. 

The  forts  being  passed,  New  Orleans  was  ours ;  yet  still 
the  former,  though  completely  cut  off,  refused  to  sur 
render. 

Farragut  sent  Captain  Boggs  in  an  open  boat  through  a 
bayou,  inland,  to  Porter,  to  report  his  success.  One  would 
have  thought  from  his  letter,  that  he  had  encountered  scarcely 
more  than  pretty  stormy  weather.  "  We  have  had  a  rough 
time  of  it,  as  Boggs  will  tell  you,"  he  says,  and  then  pro- 


374  FALL    OF    NEW   ORLEANS. 

ceeds  to  tell  him  that  as  soon  as  he  goes  to  New  Orleans  he 
will  come  back  and  finish  the  forts. 

The  next  morning  he  steamed  up  towards  the  astonished 
city.  The  inhabitants  had  deemed  it  unapproachable  by  any 
naval  armament  whatever,  and  in  their  fancied  security  were 
building  vessels  of  offensive  warfare,  that  soon  would  have 
given  us  far  more  trouble  than  the  Merrimac.  Lovell,  in 
command  of  the  troops  in  the  city,  immediately  left,  for 
it  lay  completely  at  the  mercy  of  our  vessels.  The  mayor 
undertook  to  avoid  the  humiliation  of  a  formal  capitulation, 
and  wrote  a  ridiculous  letter  to  the  commander,  but  it  mat 
tered  little  how  it  was  done — the  great  commercial  port  of 
the  confederate  states  surrendered,  and  the  most  difficult  part 
of  opening  the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  was  accomplished. 

Martial  law  had  long  been  established  in  New  Orleans, 
and  the  city,  bereft  of  its  commerce,  drained  of  its  money, 
and  even  of  its  provisions,  was  in  a  deplorable  state.  The 
people,  either  cowed,  or  sullen,  looked  moodily  on  the  old 
flag  as  it  once  more  floated  in  its  accustomed  place  from  the 
public  buildings.  But  little  Union  feeling  was  found,  nor 
could  it  be  expected  till  the  armies  in  the  field  had  measured 
strength.  Captain  Bailey,  who  had  so  ably  seconded  Farra- 
gut,  and  won  from  him  the  highest  commendations,  was  sent 
home  with  dispatches.  On  arriving  at  fortress  Monroe,  he 
sent  the  following  telegraph  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy : 
"  I  have  the  honor  to  announce  that  in  the  providence  of 
God,  which  smiles  upon  a  just  cause,  the  squadron  under 
flag  officer  Farragut  has  been  vouchsafed  a  glorious  victory 
and  triumph  in  the  capture  of  New  Orleans,  forts  Jackson, 
St.  Philip,  Lexington,  and  Pike,  the  batteries  above  and  be 
low  New  Orleans,  as  well  as  the  total  destruction  of  the  ene 
my's  gun  boats,  steam  rams,  floating  batteries  (iron-clad,) 
fire  rafts,  and  obstructions,  booms,  and  chains.  The  enemy 
with  their  own  hands  destroyed  from  eight  to  ten  millions 


ORDER    OF    FARRAGUT.  375 

of  cotton  and  shipping.  Our  loss  is  thirty-six-killed  and  one 
hundred  and  twenty-three  wounded.  The  enemy  lost  from 
one  thousand  to  fifteen  hundred  besides  several  hundred  pris 
oners.  The  way  is  clear,  and  the  rebel  defenses  destroyed 
from  the  Gulf  to  Baton  Rouge,  and  probably  to  Memphis. 
Our  flag  waves  triumphantly  over  them  all.  I  am  bearer  of 
dispatches. 

THEODORUS  BAILEY." 

General  Butler  soon  after  arrived  with  his  army,  and  took 
possession  of  the  city,  establishing  his  head-quarters  at  the 
St.  Charles  Hotel.  A  part  of  the  garrison  at  fort  Jackson 
having  mutinied,  it  surrendered  with  all  the  other  forts. 
The  gun  boats  then  began  to  ascend  the  Mississippi,  clearing 
their  way  towards  Memphis,  seven  hundred  and  ninety  miles 
distant  by  water. 

As  a  finale  to  their  daring  exploit,  nothing  could  be  more 
appropriate  or  beautiful  than  the  following  order  of  Farra- 
gut,  issued  three  days  after  the  passage  of  the  forts. 

UNITED  STATES  FLAG  SHIP  HARTFORD,  ) 

Off  the  City  of  New  Orleans,  April  26^,  1862.  j 

GENERAL  ORDER.  Eleven  o'clock  this  morning  is  the  hour 
appointed  for  all  the  officers  and  crews  of  the  fleet  to  return 
thanks  to  Almighty  God  for  his  great  goodness  and  mercy 
in  permitting  us  to  pass  the  events  of  the  last  two  days  with 
so  little  loss  of  life  and  blood. 

At  that  hour  the  churcn  pennant  will-be  hoisted  on  every 
vessel  of  the  fleet,  and  their  crews  assembled,  will,  in  humil 
iation  and  prayer  make  their  acknowledgments  therefor,  to 
the  Great  Dispenser  of  all  human  events. 

D.  G.  FARR/VGUT, 
Flag  Officer  Western  Gulf  Blockading  Squadron. 

Thus  both  our  naval  captains  who  had  won  such  im 
mortal  renown  on  the  western  waters,  delighted  to  lay  their 
laurels  at  the  feet  of  their  Maker,  and  humbly  give  Him  all 
the  glory.  Such  conduct  on  the  part  of  our  commanders, 


376  LETTER    FROM    PORTER. 

inspired  the  people  with  as  much  confidence  as  did  their 
victories.  That  dependence  on  God,  which  the  Puritans  ac 
knowledged  in  their  great  struggle  for  liberty,  has  never 
been  forgotten  by  their  descendants. 

The  character  of  the  bombardment,  and  the  magnitude  of 
the  naval  preparations  at  New  Orleans  for  our  defeat  are 
graphically  given  in  a  private  letter  of  Captain  Porter,  in 
which  among  other  things  he  says,  "The  topographical  corps 
triangulated  every  position  occupied  by  the  mortar  vessels, 
and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  we  knew  to  a  yard  the  exact  dis 
tance  of  the  mouth  of  the  mortars  from  the  center  of  the  fort. 
The  enemy  never  saw  us  except  for  one  day,  when  one  of  the 
divisions  of  six  vessels  was  placed  in  sight,  getting  pretty 
roughly  handled.  I  moved  them  under  a  point  of  woods, 
where,  with  their  masts  covered  with  green  bushes,  and  their 
rigging  with  vines,  they  were  invisible  to  the  best  glasses. 
Our  firing  was  a  matter  of  calculation,  and  you  may  judge 
how  accurate  it  was  when  I  tell  you  that  one  thousand  three 
hundred  and  thirteen  bombs  struck  in  the  center  and  solid 
parts  of  the  works ;  two  thousand  three  hundred  and  thirty  in 
the  moat  near  the  foundations,  shaking  the  whole  fort  to  its 
base;  nearly  one  thousand  exploded  in  and  over  the  works, 
and  one  thousand  three  hundred  and  fifty-seven  struck  about 
the  levees,  in  the  marsh  close  around,  and  in  the  paths,  and 
near  the  water's  edge,  where  the  ste  mers  attempted  to  come. 
I  never  saw  so  perfect  a  scene  of  desolation  and  ruin,  nor  do 
I  believe  there  ever  was  such  perfect  mortar  practice.  We 
could  clear  the  batteries  whenever  the  soldiers,  appeared  on 
the  ramparts.  In  fact  no  guns  could  be  worked  there."  Of 
the  rams,  etc.  he  says,  "Four  rams  and  floating  batteries, 
such  as  the  world  never  before  saw,  have  been  destroyed  in 
the  late  attack.  The  Louisiana,  an  invincible  steam  battery, 
was  set  on  fire  and  sent  down  on  the  vessels  while  I  was  en 
gaged  in  drawing  up  a  capitulation  of  the  forts — a  flag  of 


A  FEARFUL  FLOATING  BATTERY.        377 

truce  flying  at  the  time.  She  exploded  within  three  hundred 
yards  of  us,  and  sunk  in  one  minute,  her  splendid  battery  of 
rifled  guns  being  lost  to  us.  That  vessel  was  four  thousand 
tons,  two  hundred  and  seventy  feet  long,  and  had  sixteen 
heavy  rifled  guns.  She  intended  to  take  position  that  night, 
when  she  would  have  driven  off  all  our  fleet.  As  a  proof  of 
her  invulnerability,  one  of  our  heaviest  ships  lay  within  ten 
feet  of  her,  and  delivered  her  whole  broadside,  making  no 
more  impression  on  her  than  if  she  was  firing  peas.  The 
iron  ram  Manassas  hit  three  vessels  before  her  commander 
ran  her  ashore  and  abandoned  her.  In  New  Orleans  our 
officers  found  the  most  splendid  specimen  of  a  floating 
battery  the  world  has  ever  seen,  (sea  going,)  and  had  she 
been  finished,  and  succeeded  in  getting  to  sea,  the  whole 
American  navy  would  have  been  destroyed.  She  was  six 
thousand  tons,  two  hundred  and  seventy  feet  long,  sixty 
feet  beam;  had  four  engines,  three  propellers,  four  inches 
(and  in  some  places  more)  of  iron,  and  would  steam 
eleven  knots  an  hour.  She  cost  Mallory  and  Co.  two 
millions  of  dollars:  The  best  one  I  saw  floating  by  me, 
a  dry  dock  turned  into  a  floating  battery,  mounting  six- 
guns,  and  the  entire  engine,  which  was  to  propel  it, 
hermetically  sealed  by  a  thick  iron  turret.  Besides  these 
monsters,  the  naval  part  of  the  enemy's  defenses  at  the  fort 
consisted  of  six  or  seven  iron -clad  gun  boats,  almost  imper 
vious  to  shot,  and  certainly  so  against  vessels  coming  bow 
on."  Past  forts  mounting  over  two  hundred  heavy  gunsv 
many  of  them  rifled,  past  three  iron  plated  batteries  mount 
ing  thirty-one  guns,  straight  on  to  these  floating  monsters, 
and  iron-clad  gun  boats,  thirteen  sloops  of  war  and  gun  boats 
together  moved  triumphantly.  It  was  a  marvellous  exploit, 
and  no  wonder  Farragut  felt  like  giving  the  credit  of  success 
to  the  "Great  Dispenser  of  all  things." 

This  statement  shows  two  things  clearly;  first, that  we  were 


378  A   NARROW   ESCAPE. 

not  a  day  nor  an  hour  too  soon  in  making  the  attack.  A  few 
hours  later,  and  the  Louisiana  would  have  taken  position  that 
would  have  driven  every  vessel  off.  A  few  weeks  later,  and 
an  impregnable  sea  going  vessel  would  have  been  afloat,  be 
fore  which  our  entire  navy  must  have  disappeared  like  mere 
toy  ships  in  a  gale.  Secondly :  that  an  overruling  Providence 
saved  us,. and  not  the  naval  department  or  the  government. 
It  had  long  been  known  that  formidable  engines  of  destruc 
tion  were  constructing  at  New  Orleans,  just  as  it  was  known 
that  the  Merrimac  was  being  covered  with  iron  at  Norfolk, 
yet  little  was  done  towards  constructing  any  thing  to 
match  them.  It  makes  one  shudder  to  think  how  near  our 
boasted  naval  superiority  came  being  made  a  by-word,  and 
the  blockade  we  were  so  fearful  the  European  powers  would 
raise,  destroyed  by  the  confederates  themselves. 

But  while  such  momentous  events' at  the  west  and  south 
west  distinguished  the  month  of  April,  it  being  heralded  in 
by  the  capture  of  Island  Number  Ten  and  the  battle  of  Shiloh, 
and  attended  out  by  our  victorious  cannon  before  New  Or 
leans,  others,  though  not  so  startling,  yet  equally  important 
characterized  the  month  at  the  east. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

,  APRIL,  1862. 

SUCCESS    ALONG    THE    ATLANTIC    COAST MC  CLELLAN  WITH    HIS  ARMY  AT    FOll- 

TRESS    MONROE HOW  THE  NEWS  WAS  RECEIVED  BY  THE  PUBLIC GENERAL 

PLAN    OF  THE  WAR PLAN  OF  THE  PENINSULA  CAMPAIGN HOW    BROKEN  UP 

THE  ARMY  ADVANCES    TO    YORKTOWN ESCAPE    OF  THE    NASHVILLE THE 

SUMTER  BLOCKADED    AT    GIBRALTAR VESSELS    RUNNING    THE    BLOCKADE    AT 

CHARLESTON PROGRESS    OF    THE    SIEGE    AT    YORKTOWN FREMONT    IN  THE 

MOUNTAIN     DEPARTMENT AUGUR      ADVANCES    TO     FREDERICKSBURGH THE 

SIEGE    AND    CAPTURE    OF    FORT    PULASKI BATTLE    OF    APACHE    PASS — RENO 

SENT    TO    ELIZABETH    CITY DEFEATS    THE    ENEMY. 

WHILE  the  month  of  April  was  bringing  us  such  a  suc 
cession  of  victories  west,  every  thing  was  prosper 
ous  on  the  Atlantic  slope.  Dupont  was  successful  in  every 
enterprise  on  the  Florida  coast,  while  the  news  from  forts 
Pulaski  and  Macon,  made  it  certain  that  Sherman  and  Burn- 
side  would  soon  place  those  two  strongholds  in  our  possession. 
The  only  drawback  on  these  bright  prospects  east,  was  the 
consciousness  that  we  were  frittering  away  our  strength  too 
much  on  isolated  points,  and  dividing  our  forces  to  seize 
places  that  would  fall  of  themselves,  were  the  great  armies 
in  the  field  defeated.  We  needed  more  concentration,  as 
events  soon  showed. 

But  the  most  exciting  news  was,  that  the  army  of  the  Po 
tomac  had  suddenly  arrested  its  onward  movement,  and  a 
mighty  host  of  over  a  hundred  thousand  men  were  anchored 
in  transports  off  fortress  Monroe.  The'country  had  learned^ 
weeks  previous,  though  the  news  was  scrupulously  kept  out 
of  the  press,  that  every  thing  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York 
which  could  carry  troops,  had  been  chartered  by  the  gov 
ernment,  and  knew  that  a  large  transfer  of  force  was  in  con- 


380         AN  INEXPLICABLE  MOVEMENT. 

templation  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Chesapeake.  The 
address  of  McClellan  to  the  army,  when  he  took  personal 
command,  had  prepared  the  country  for  some  sudden  move. 
But  when  it  became  apparent  that  his  destination  was  York- 
town,  every  one  was  taken  by  surprise.  The  fortifications 
of  this  place  extended  entirely  across  the  peninsula,  from 
York  to  James  rivers,  and  at  either  extremity  were  protected 
by  batteries  of  immense  strength.  Special  attention  had 
been  given  to  them  by  the  rebels  from  the  outset  of  the  war. 
They  knew  it  was  the  most  direct  route  to  Richmond,  and 
hence  had  made  them,  as  they  supposed,  impregnable. 
Mounted  with  heavy  guns,  fronted  with  rifle  pits  and  easy  of 
access  to  the  whole  rebel  force  in  Virginia,  they  presented  a 
most  formidable  appearance,  and  it  seemed  as  though  Mc 
Clellan  had  chosen  the  very  spot  the  rebels  would  have  se 
lected  to  try  the  issue,  had  they  been  consulted.  For  six 
months,  his  enemies  had  been  assailing  him  for  not  moving 
forward  upon  the  enemy  at  Manassas,  and  his  friends  had 
defended  him  on  the  ground  that  it  was  unwise,  and  would 
only  end  in  fearful  slaughter,  to  advance  on  works  which 
the  rebels  had  so  long  been  erecting  there.  But  at  last  they 
were  evacuated,  and  the  enemy  must  either  retreat  to  Rich 
mond,  or  give  him  a  field  fight.  Yet,  just  as  the  whole  coun 
try  was  congratulating  itself  on  this  favorable  turn  of  affairs, 
he  halted  his  magnificent  army,  and  in  sight  of  the  deserted 
fortifications,  wheeled  to  the  right  about,  and  at  an  enor 
mous  expense  to  the  government,  planted  that  army  before 
works  five  times  as  strong  as  those  in  front  of  which  he  had 
so  long  lay  idle,  and  also  incapable  of  being  turned  by  any 
flank  movement  on  land.  His  enemies  sneered,  declaring 
that  we  should  have  a  summer  campaign  before  Yorktown- 
many  military  men  denounced  it  as  a  huge  blunder,  while 
those  who  still  maintained  their  firm  confidence  in  his  skill, 
found  it  difficult  to  explain  satisfactorily  this  extraordinary 


POPULAR   NOTIONS.  OF    WAR.  381 

movement.  That  he  could  effect  any  thing  before  the  rebels 
could  concentrate  their  whole  army  there,  no  one  believed,  and 
instead  of  fighting  it  in  the  field,  he  must  fight  it  behind  the 
strongest  intrenchments  on  the  continent.  The  transporta 
tion  of  such  an  immense  army,  with  all  its  munitions  of  war 
and  forage  almost  simultaneously,  was  a  gigantic  undertaking. 

Such  and  similar  remarks  were  made  by  the  press  and  pub 
lic,  and  many  wise  prophecies  uttered  respecting  the  future. 
The  difficulty  with  the  people  and  men  of  limited  military 
knowledge  was,  that  they  thought  war  consisted  in  fighting 
the  enemy  wherever  you  found  him  at  once,  forgetting  that  a 
campaign  to  be  successful  must  be  based  on  a  well  laid  plan,  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  country—  its  great  strategic  points, 
the  resources  of  the  enemy  and  our  own,  while  all  the  move 
ments  should  tend  to  'a  common  grand  result.  Men  talked 
of  Bonaparte's  victories,  as  though  he  rushed  blindly  with 
his  strong  legions  from  point  to  point,  wherever  the  enemy 
could  be  found.  But  probably  no  man  that  ever  lived,  cer 
tainly  no  warrior  of  modern  times,  equalled  him  in  extensive 
combinations.  Not  a  column  was  ever  started  till  his  whole 
campaign  was  thought  out,  and  every  movement  had  relation 
to  all  others.  His  great  success  grew  out  of  his  not  only 
thinking  quicker,  but  better  than  his  enemy. 

If  ever  there  was  a  country  in  the  world  in  which  to  carry 
on  a  war  successfully,  great  forethought  and  preparation 
are  necessary,  it  is  the  United  States. 

The  tidings  of  the  movements  of  armies  so  remote,  reach 
ing  the  common  center  simultaneously,  from  Missouri,  Tenn 
essee,  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  Mobile,  Savannah,  and 
North  Carolina,  gave  a  vivid  conception  of  the  vast  field 
covered  by  our  military  operations,  and  showed  what  a  com 
prehensive  mind  was  needed  to  embrace  it  all  in  a  single 
harmonious  plan.  The  same  paper  would  tell  the  readers 
of  the  capture  of  Island  Number  Ten,  describe  the  battle  of 


OF  THE 

WITW 


382  PLAN    OF   THE    CAMPAIGN. 

the  giants  at  Pittsburg  landing,  give  a  dispatch  from  Fre 
mont  in  the  mountain  department  stating  that  the  energetic 
Milroy  was  driving  the  enemy  from  his  fastnesses ;  another 
from  McDowell,  that  Fredericksburg  was  probably  evacu 
ated;  state  the  progress  of  our  army  before  Yorktown,  and 
cheer  the  heart  with  the  news  of  triumphs  along  the  Atlan 
tic  coast. 

The  original  plan,  both  of  Scott  and  McClellan  was  to  at 
tack  the  enemy  with  two  great  armies  as  early  in  the  spring 
of  1 862,  as  circumstances  would  permit.  Before  that  time,  the 
necessary  arrangements  could  not  be  completed.  Gun  boats 
were  to  act  in  concert  with  both,  while  smaller  columns  were 
to  advance  on  the  flanks  in  easy  supporting  distance.  Each 
was  to  have  as  near  three  hundred  thousand  men  as  the  force 
in  the  field  would  permit.  One  thousand  guns  were  to  com 
pose  the  artillery  force,  and  when  this  mighty  array,  with  the 
gun  boats,  should  take  up  its  march,  it  was  believed  that 
nothing  the  rebels  had  in  the  field  would  be  able  to  resist  it. 

The  army  of  the  west  was  to  move  down  through  Kentucky 
and  Tennesse,  precisely  as  it  did.  The  only  interference  with 
its  movements  by  the  executive  authority  there,  was  to  order 
it  forward  before  the  army  of  the  east  was  ready.  That  this 
was  a  mistake,  though  not  a  fatal  one,  does  not  admit  of  a 
doubt,  and  in  the  future  will  be  no  more  discussed  than  the 
simplest  axiom  in  mathematics. 

This  movement  west,  as  it  was  intended  it  should,  caused 
the  evacuation  of  Manassas.  Though  the  people  demanded 
a  battle  there  and  jumped  to  the  conclusion  that  it  would  be 
a  decisive  victory,  McClellan  and  every  military  man  knew, 
that  with  such  a  country  in  his  rear,  intersected  by  rivers— 
the  bridges  over  which  could  be  destroyed  as  soon  as  passed 
— and  with  railroads  leading  to  Richmond,  the  enemy  could 
retreat  at  any  time  and  at  leisure,  and  that  no  decisive  battle 
could  be  fought  there,  and  hence  had  better  not  be  fought 


PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN.  383 

at  all.  Why  the  army  did  not  move  en  masse  on  to  Rich 
mond,  the  government  has  not  yet  made  public.  At  all 
events  when  McClellan  had  reached  Fairfax,  he  was  ordered 
to  march  to  Alexandria,  preparatory  to  embarking  for  the 
peninsula. 

The  following  was  the  plan  adopted  by  McClellan  in  con 
junction  with  his  corps  commanders  for  the  peninsula  cam 
paign.  Three  corps,  under  the  former,  were  to  land  at  fort 
ress  Monroe.  Banks  was  to  move  to  the  Rappahannock,  and 
down  the  river  to  Fredericksburg,  thence  southward  to  Han 
over  junction,  north  of  Richmond.  McDowell  with  his  splen 
did  corps  was  to  land  on  Severn  river  in  Mobjack  bay,  and 
marching  to  a  position  nearly  opposite  West  Point,  cross  on 
pontoons  and  cut  off  the  rebel  army  of  the  peninsula — the 
movement  from  fortress  Monroe  not  to  begin  till  McDowell 
was  ready  to  embark. 

If  this  plan  had  been  carried  out,  one  of  two  things  would 
have  happened — either  McDowell's  march  would  have  been 
a  surprise,  and  the  rebel  army  been  cooped  up  between  him 
and  McClellan,  or  advised  of  its  danger,  fallen  back  on  Rich 
mond.  In  the  latter  case,  there  would  have  been  no  battle, 
and  consequently  no  delay  at  York  town,  nor  indeed  any  bat 
tle,  till  the  army  reached  the  rebel  Capital.  Thus  no  time 
would  have  been  allowed  the  enemy  to  fortify  or  concen 
trate  his  forces,  and  the  sudden-  appearance  of  an  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  men  before  the  place  would  have  par 
alyzed  them.  At  least,  the  best  military  meB  to  whom  the 
plan  had  been  submitted,  pronounced  it  almost  certain  of 
success. 

McClellan  reached  Monroe — Banks  bad  nearly  all  his 
troops  concentrated  at  Warrenton,  and  McDowell's  division 
was  partially  embarked,  when  McClellan  was  informed,  to 
his  utter  amazement,  that  these  corps  were  to  remain  where 
they  were,  under  the  direction  of  the  government  at  Wash- 

23 


384         THE  GREAT  PLAN  BROKEN  UP, 

ington — thus  depriving  him  of  the  expected  co-operation  of 
eighty  thousand  men.  It  was  after  receiving  this'  astound 
ing  news,  that  McClellan  solicited  and  obtained  Franklin's 
division,  swelling  his  army  to  one  hundred  and  fifteen  thou 
sand  men. 

Thus  was  the  carefully  matured  plan  of  McClellan  and  his 
corps  commanders  broken  up,  and  the  whole  movement 
threatened  to  prove  a  failure — when  the  Secretary  of  War 
promised,  that  when  McClellan  advanced  on  Richmond, 
McDowell  should  close  up  his  right  wing  by  way  of  Hano 
ver  Court  House.  With  this  promise  MeClellan  was  com 
pelled  to  be  satisfied,  and  began  his  preparations  to  move  on 
Yorktown.  But  without  the  demonstration  of  McDowell  on 
West  Point,  he  knew  that  the  rebels  would  concentrate  an 
immense  force  here,  and  make  a  regular  siege  inevitable: — 
the  last  thing  he  ever  contemplated. 

Whether  .the  course  of  the  government,  in  thus  breaking  up 
the  entire  plan  of  the  campaign  was  in  consequence  of  new 
developments  and  recent  information,  and  on  the  whole  pru 
dent,  or  whether  it  committed  a  blunder,  it  is  impossible  now 
to  say.  The  result  was  the  same — a  defeated  army  and  tens 
of  thousands  of  our  brave  soldiers  fallen  in  vain.  The  time 
for  apportioning  the  tremendous  amount  of  guilt  that  belongs 
somewhere,  has  not  yet  come.  The  outline  of  the  plan 
sketched  above,  is  not  given  to  settle  this,  but  to  show  that 
the  stupendous  failure  that  followed  was  inevitable — and 
that  the  mad  attempt  of  marching  .unsupported  on  Rich 
mond,  with  only  a  little  over  a  hundred  thousand  men,  was 
never  contemplated  by  McClellan  or  his  fellow  commanders. 

While  the  troops  were  landing,  previous  to  taking  uputheir 
march  for  Yorktown,  a  heavy  rain  storm  set  in,  saturating 
the  -clayey  soil,  which  soon  became  a  vast  bed  of  mortar 
under  the  artillery  trains.  The  distance  from  the  point  of 
debarkation  to  Yorktown,  is  about  twenty-three  miles,  toward 


REBEL   PRIVATEERS.  385 

which  the  army  advanced  in  three  divisions.  No  opposition 
was  encountered  in  the  march,  and  on  the  seventh,  a  tele 
graph  announced  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  that  McClellan 
was  before  the  place.  It  was  sent  over  the  wires  the  same 
day  with  the  important  dispatch  from  the  west,  that  Pope  had 
crossed  with  his  army  to  the  Tennessee  shore,  thus  complete 
ly  cutting  off  Island  Number  Ten  from  succor,  and  rendering 
its  capture  inevitable. 

As  remarked  in  a  former  chapter,  the  country  was  much 
chagrined  at  the  escape  of  the  Nashville  from  Beaufort. 
Her  escape  from  our  port  was  the  more  mortifying  from  the 
fact  that  we  had  indulged  in  such  bitter  denunciations  of  the 
British  government  for  letting  her  leave  theirs  without  mo 
lestation.  The  rebel  government  had  only  a  few  privateers 
at  sea,  but  they  were  wonderfully  lucky  in  escaping  our 
cruisers.  The  Sumter  had  been  chased  from  port  to  port  in 
vain,  and  when  at  last  she  was  caged  in  the  port  of  Mar 
tinique,  by  a  bold  and  skillful  movement,  escaped  without 
ever  being  fired  at.  Semmes,  her  commander,  seemed  too 
adroit  for  our  cruisers,  but  he  at  length  made  a  fatal  mistake. 
A  proclamation  issued  by  the  English  government,  that  when 
belligerent  vessels  entered  any  of  her  ports,  they  must  not 
leave  within  twenty-four  hours  of  each  other,  made  him  bold 
to  sail  into  Gibraltar.  He  did  not  care  though  the  Iroquois 
followed  him,  for  the  start  he  would  have,  when  he  wished  to 
leave,  would  give  him  ample  opportunity  to  escape.  But 
the  American  commander  proved  too  shrewd  for  him,  and 
instead  of  entering  the  uncivil  port  of  England,  quietly 
steamed  into -one  on  the  Spanish  coast,  within  full  sight  of  the 
bay  of  Gibraltar,  and  from  which  no  British  proclamation 
could  force  him.  The  privateer  was  nonplussed  at  this  ex 
traordinary  turn  of  affairs,  but  finding  himself  caught  in  a 
trap,  prudently  determined  to  remain  under  the  protection 
of  the  English  guns,  The  Iroquois,  on  the  other  hand,  re- 


386  PROGRESS   AT   YORKTOWN. 

solved  to  act  as  jailor,  and  thus  the  two  vessels  had  lain  for 
a  long  time. 

But  though  our  marine  gradually  recovered  from  its  fright 
respecting  privateers,  our  government  was  much  annoyed  by 
the  continual  report  of  vessels  running  our  blockade,  not  only 
carrying  cotton  to  foreign  markets,  but  bringing  in  supplies 
and  arms  to  the  rebels.  Between  Charleston  and  the  West 
Indies,  a  constant  communication  was  kept  up,  which  no 
vigilance  of  our  commanders  off  the  former  port  seemed  able 
to  stop.  Many  valuable  prizes  were  taken,  but  this,  instead 
of  discouraging,  seemed  to  stimulate  adventurers. 

In  the  meanwhile,  our  splendid  army  lay  comparatively 
quiet  before  Yorktown.  An  occasional  skirmish,  or  a  feeble 
sortie  served  only  to  break  up  the  monotony  of  the  dreary 
weeks.  Berdan's  sharp-shooters,  a  picked  regiment  of  marks 
men,  annoyed  the  enemy  exceedingly.  Armed  with  rifles 
of  a  long  range,  they  lay  ensconced  in  their  hiding  places, 
and  the  moment  a  head  appeared  above  the  ramparts  it  be 
came  the  target  for  a  dozen  bullets.  One  man  from  New 
England,  it  is  said,  actually  silenced  a  heavy  gun — the  enemy 
not  daring  to  show  themselves  long  enough  to  load  it. 

But  amid  all  this  apparent  quiet,  the  most  vigorous  work 
was  going  on.  Trees,  indeed  whole  forests,  were  felled,  and 
logs  cut  and  laid  across  the  impassable  highways,  thus  making 
miles  on  miles  of  corduroy  road,  over  which  the  heavy  siege 
guns  and  the  forage  for  this  immense  army  had  to  be  carried. 
All  this  had  been  unprovided  for,  because  in  the  plan  of 
McClellan  no  delay  could  have  happened  here,  and  no  siege 
guns  would  have  been  wanted.  At  the  same  time,  the  reg 
ular  approaches- were  set  on  foot,  and  McClellan  worked  his 
slow,  difficult,  yet  certain  way  to  the  heari  of  the  enemy's 
position.  Every  day  brought  him  nearer  to  the  goal,  and  it 
was  well  known  that  when  the  final  bombardment  should 
commence,  it  would  be  the  most  terrific  ever  witnessed  in 


FORT    PULASKI.  387 

the  new  world.  The  enemy  were  reported  to  be  over  one 
hundred  thousand  strong,  and  it  was  a  matter  of  wonder  that 
he  made  no  more  serious  efforts  to  check  McClellan's  advance, 
for  if  he  were  left  alone  the  fall  of  the  place  was  inevitable. 

While  events  were  thus  slowly  drawing  to  a  head  at  York- 
town,  Fremont  was  giving  a  good  account  of  himself  in 
the  mountain  department.  His  first  encounter  with  the 
enemy  was  at  Monterey,  where  after  a  sharp  engagement  the 
latter  were  defeated  by  a  column  under  Milroy.  There  were 
some  little  signs  of  life,  too,  in  the  army  in  front  of  Wash 
ington.  General  Augur,  in  McDowell's  division,  by  a  rapid, 
unexpected  march,  took  possession  of  Falmouth,  on  the  oppo 
site  side  of  the  river  from  Fredericksburg,  and  commanding 
the  place,  which  compelled  its  surrender. 

At  length  came  the  long  expected  news  of  the  fall  of  fort 
Pulaski.  Although  cutting  it  off  from  Savannah,  rendered 
the  reduction  of  the  fort  a  mere  question  of  time,  still  the 
starving  process  was  a  slow  and  somewhat  uncertain  one, 
and  Sherman  determined  to  reduce  it  by  bombardment,  from 
guns  placed  on  Tybee  island.  Carrying  out  this  determina 
tion,  lie  had  caused,  during  the  winter,  a  thorough  explora 
tion  of  the  island  to  be  made.  The  result  proving  satisfac 
tory,  he  ordered  heavy  guns  to  be  transferred  thither. 
There  being  no  wharf,  these  had  to  be  landed  at  high  tide, 
and  swung  ashore  by  hand,  and  then  dragged  to  their  des 
tined  places.  The  deep  sand  and  mire,  however,  would,  in 
many  places,  let  the  ponderous  pieces  down  to  their  axles, 
and  a  road  a  mile  long  had  to  be  made  of  fascines  composed 
of  poles  withed  together,  and  laid  beside  each  other,  the 
whole  way.  The  first  battery  was  established  two  miles 
from  the  fort.  The  guns  were  sunk  in  the  sand,  and  pro 
tected  by  the  earth  thrown  up  around  them,  so  as  to  present 
the  least  possible  mark  to  the  garrison.  When  others  were 
established  nearer  the  fort,  the  work  was  done  during  the 


388  SURRENDER    OF    THE    GARRISON. 

night,  to  avoid  the  fire  of  the  enemy.  It  was  a  long  and 
laborious  task ;  and  the  guns  were  not  all  in  position  till  the 
fore  part  of  April.  There  were  eleven  batteries  in  all,  number 
ing  thirty-six  guns ;  Parrott  rifled  pieces,  Columbiads,  mor 
tars,  etc.,  some  of  them  weighing  over  one  thousand  seven 
hundred  pounds,  and  throwing  nine  and  a  half  inch  shells. 
The  whole  was  under  the  direction  of  General  Gilmore,  who 
by  the  assistance  of  able  engineers,  accomplished  his  difficult 
task,  most  satisfactorily.  But  just  as  everything  was  ready, 
and  Sherman  was  about  to  reap  the  fruit  of  his  toil,  he  was 
superseded  in  his  command  by  General  Hunter. 

On  the  ninth,  Gilmore  sent  a  summons  to  the  garrison  to 
surrender.  Colonel  Olmstead,  commanding,  replied  that  he 
was  placed  there  to  defend,  not  to  surrender  it,  and  so  the 
next  morning  early,  the  first  heavy  gun  sent  its  loud  echoes 
far  over  the  sea,  and  the  bombardment  commenced.  The 
shot  at  first  flew  wild,  but  as  the  range  became  more  accu 
rate,  the  batteries  settled  down  to  their  work  in  earnest,  and 
soon  small  clouds  of  brown  dust  told  where  the  heavy  shot 
were  smiting  the  brick  walls  of  the  fortification.  With  the 
aid  of  the  glass,  huge,  ragged  rents  could  be  seen,  showing 
that  they  were  not  knocking  in  vain  for  admittance. 

The  garrison  replied,  and  all  day  long  the  heavy  explo 
sions  shook  the  desert  island.  Night  brought  a  cessation  of 
the  conflict.  The  next  morning,  however,  it  was  resumed, 
and  continued  all  the  forenoon,  during  which  one  man,  a 
member  of  the  Rhode  Island  third  artillery  was  killed ;  the 
only  loss  on  our  side  from  first  to  last.  About  two  o'clock 
the  rebel  flag  was  pulled  down.  General  Gilmore  was  at 
dinner  at  the  time,  from  which  he  was  aroused  by  the  shouts 
of  volunteer  couriers,  witnesses  of  the  fight,  who  came  to 
announce  the  glad  tidings. 

Three  hundred  and  eighty-five  prisoners,  with  all  the 
stores  and  armament  of  the  fort,  fell  into  our  hands.  This 


BATTLE   AT    APACHE    PASS.  389 

was  the  first  fortification  of  any  importance,  retaken  by  our 
troops,  and  was  hailed  as  the  beginning  of  the  righteous 
work  of  repossessing  the  national  strongholds  which  the 
rebels  had  seized  at  the  outset.  Macon,  around  which  Burn- 
side  had  closed  his  lines,  was  regarded  as  the  next  in  the 
series. 

In  the  mean  time,  cheering  news  was  received  from  the 
department  of  New  Mexico.  Rumors,  coming  through  rebel 
channels,  had  long  been  in  circulation,  that  Colonel  Canby, 
after  his  successful  defense  of  fort  Craig,  had  finally  been 
compelled  to  surrender  it  with  his  entire  force.  But  now 
the  war  department  received  a  dispatch,  stating  that  a  por 
tion  of  his  command  under  Colonel  Hough,  had  defeated  the 
rebels  at  Apache  pass,  killing  several  hundred  and  taking 
ninety-three  prisoners,  besides  destroying  fifty-four  wagons, 
laden  with  provisions  and  ammunition.  The  Texans  fought 
with  their  accustomed  desperation,  charging  our  batteries 
four  times,  but  were  repulsed  with  terrible  slaughter.  In 
an  ordinary  war,  this  battle  would  have  been  a  great  event, 
but  in  the  more  important  movements  near  at  hand,  created 
but  little  excitement.  Colonel  Canby,  in  that  remote  region, 
cut  off  from  reinforcements,  true  to  the  national  flag,  was 
exhibiting  the  qualities  of  a  great  commander,  and  showing 
that  he  was  worthy  to  stand  beside  the  heroes  of  the  west. 
The  loss  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  in  this  engagement,  out 
of  his  small  command,  shows  that  he  had  fought  a  desperate 
battle.  The  enemy  under  Colonel  Sibley,  inventor  of  the 
famous  Sibley  tent,  and  formerly  a  United  States  officer,  was 
utterly  discomfited  by  this  reverse,  and  he  was  unable  to 
rally  again  his  scattered,  suffering  troops. 

While  Burnside  was  making  his  preparations  before  fort 
Macon,  he  sent  General  Reno  with  a  few  hundred  men  and 
three  boat  howitzers,  to  Elizabeth  city,  to  destroy  some  locks 
in  the  canal  leading  to  Norfolk.  Landing  below  the  town, 


390  EXPEDITION   OF   RENO. 

on  the  nineteenth,  he  marched  forward  to  the  accomplish 
ment  of  his  object.  About  noon  he  was  attacked  by  the 
rebels,  composed  of  a  Georgia  regiment  and  a  portion  of 
Wise's  Legion.  After  a  sharp  engagement,  the  enemy  was 
totally  routed  with  heavy  loss.  Ours  was  one  hundred  and 
ten  killed  and  wounded. 

In  the  evening,  General  Reno,  hearing  that  the  rebels  had 
been  heavily  reinforced  and  were  advancing  to  attack  him, 
ordered  a  retreat.  The  jaded  soldiers  were  roused  from 
their  bivouacs,  and  commenced  their  toilsome  march  back  to 
their  boats — making  a  forced  march  of  forty  miles  in  twenty- 
four  hours.  It  was  a  night  of  great  toil  and  suffering,  and 
the  force  was  in  such  a  condition,  that  if  it  had  been  attacked 
it  could  scarcely  have  escaped  total  destruction.  Fourteen 
of  his  wounded  were  left  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy  who 
consequently  claimed  a  victory. 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

APRIL,  1862. 

SIEGE  OF  FORT  MACON — DIFFICULTIES  ATTENDING  IT — THE  BOMBARDMENT—. 
ITS  SURRENDER FIGHTING  AT  YORKTOWN ATTACK  ON  LEfi's  MILLS- 
BAYONET  CHARGE  OF  THE  ELEVENTH  MASSACHUSETTS HALLECK  BEFORE 

CORINTH — MITCHELL   IN   ALABAMA CONGRESS — THE    EMANCIPATIONISTS — • 

HUNTER'S   PROCLAMATION — DIGNIFIED    COURSE    OF   THE   PRESIDENT — THE 

QUESTION  OF  SLAVERY  IN  CONGRESS THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY  EM 
POWERED  TO  BUILD  IRON  CLAD  VESSELS REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE  ON  TREAT 
MENT  OF  OUR  DEAD  AT  BULL  RUN VIEWS  OF  FOREIGN  COUNTRIES  RESPECT 
ING  US — NATIONAL  DEBT  AT  THE  END  OF  THE  YEAR  OF  WAR. 

IN  the  mean  time,  Burnside,  with  his  accustomed  energy, 
was  pushing  the  siege  of  fort  Macon,  in  order  to  shake 
himself  clear  of  all  embarrassments,  and  be  able  to  perform 
the  mission  assigned  him  in  the  general  campaign,  the  mo 
ment  events  at  Richmond  should  reach  the  anticipated  crisis. 
The  difficulties  attending  his  operations  against  it,  may  be 
gathered  from  the  following  description  of  the  manner  in 
which  his  heavy  siege  guns  had  to  be  transported  from  New- 
bern  to  near  Beaufort  and  Morehead,  cities  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  fort.  "There  being  no  locomotives  on  the  road  between 
the  two  places,  all  the  siege  materials  must  be  carried  by 
steamer,  fifteen  miles,  to  the  head  of  Slocum's  Creek,  and 
then  hauled  one  mile  to  Havelock  station.  At  the  latter 
place  they  were  placed  on  platform  and  baggage  cars,  and 
by  the  aid  of  mules,  slowly  hauled  to  Carolina  city,  which  was 
the  head-quarters  of  General  Parke.  Here  there  was  a  turn 
out  and  short  track  leading  to  a  wharf  on  the  edge  of  Bogue 
Sound,  where  the  guns,  mortars  and  ammunition  were  re 
ceived  on  board  flat  boats  and  conveyed  across  the  sound  to 


392  ATTACK    ON    FORT   MACON. 

Bogue's  beach,  a  distance  of  a  mile  and  a  half.  When  these 
heavy  guns  .and  other  ponderous  materiel  were  on  board  the 
flats,  the  labor  of  transporting  them  to  the  desired  place  of 
operations  had  just  commenced.  The  sound  is  so  shallow, 
for  more  than  half  the  distance  across,  that  it  can  easily  be 
sounded  by  wading  knee  deep — a  narrow  channel,  containing 
only  some  live  or  six  feet  at  high  water,  intervening.  Having 
reached  the  opposite  shore  at  a  point  four  miles  due  west 
from  fort  Macon,  a  wide  marsh  was  to  be  crossed,  in  which 
the  wheels  of  artillery  carriages  sunk  to  the  hubs,  and  when 
this  obstacle  was  crossed,  a  continuous  line  of  sandy  knolls 
was  reached,  extending  to  the  fort.  These  sand  hills  were 
covered  by  a  stunted  growth  of  brush  and  briar,  in  which 
the  wheels  sunk  to  the  axle,  requiring  a  great  force  to  move 
the  massive  loads." 

But  these  difficulties  were  at  length  all  overcome,  and  the 
guns  one  by  one  were  placed  in  position.  Our  skirmishers 
in  the  mean  time,  crept  under  the  sand  hills  near  the  fort  and 
annoyed  exceedingly  the  garrison,  which  in  vain  endeavored 
to  ascertain  what  Burnside  was  about.  A  man  slung  in  hal 
yards  was  kept  swinging  in  mid  air  to  detect  our  movements, 
but  the  work  steadily  progressed  to  its  completion. 

On  Wednesday,  the  twenty-third,  Burnside  arrived  with 
two  powerful  floating  batteries,  and  the  fort  was  summoned 
to  surrender.  Colonel  White  was  in  command,  and  as  if  to 
give  another,  among  the  illustrations  of  the  horrors  of  civil 
war,  Quarter  Master  Biggs,  a  former  class  mate  of  his,  was 
sent  with  the  demand.  The  most  honorable  terms  were 
offered,  and  the  commander,  a  noble,  high-minded  man,  had 
he  consulted  his  own  feelings,  would  doubtless,  in  the  hope 
lessness  of  his  position,  have  pulled  down  his  flag.  But 
thinking  it  looked  unsoldierlike  to  do  so  without  a  struggle, 
he  declined.  As  soon  as  the  flag  returned,  Burnside  signalled 
the  batteries  to  open  fire.  This  was  prevented,  however,  by 


THE   BOMBARDMENT.  393 

the  appearance  of  a  white  flag  from  the  fort,  with  a  bag  of 
letters,  which  the  commander  wished  to  be  forwarded  to 
their  destination,  evidently  the  messages-  which  they  thought 
might  be  the  last  they  should  send  on  earth. 

Friday  morning,  the  day  that  the  victorious  Farragut,  with 
the  stars  and  stripes  flying  in  the  breeze,  was  standing  boldly 
on  towards  New  Orleans,  the  first  gun  from  Captain  Morris' 
battery,  echoed  along  the  beach.  As  the  sullen  reverbera 
tions  died  away,  the  inhabitants  of  Beaufort  and  Morehead 
flocked  to  the  windows  and  balconies  of  their  houses,  to  wit 
ness  the  fearful  drama,  whose  closing  scenes  might  leave 
many  of  their  homes  houses  of  mourning — for  friends  and 
relatives  and  sons  and  brothers  were  in  the  low  structure  far 
away,  which  was  to  be  the  target  of  our  destructive  batteries. 
Shot  followed  shot  in  quick  succession,  making  the  city  shake 
on  its  sandy  foundations,  and  soon  after  Flagler  swelled  the 
thunder  from  his  battery  of  ten  inch  mortars,  and  in  quick 
succession,  followed  Lieutenant  Prouty's  eight  inch  mortars, 
to  the  right  and  in  advance,  completing  the  horrible  din. 

The  man  swinging  from  the  flag-staff'  of  the  fort,  quickly 
descended  from  his  perilous  watch,  and  soon  the  hitherto  silent 
fort  began  to  belch  forth  flame.  The  roar  of  the  ocean  as  it 
rolled  its  waves  steadily  to  the  shore,  furnished  the  refrain  to 
this  mighty  music.  The  Parrott  shells  made  destructive 
work,  and  whenever  one  smote  the  solid  masonry,  a  cloud 
of  black  dust  showed  that  it  shivered  whatever  it  struck. 
For  over  three  hours  shot  and  shell  were  rained  from  the 
batteries,  when  at  length  the  floating  batteries  got  into  posi 
tion,  and  began  to  pour  in  an  enfilading  fire.  The  garrison, 
appalled  at  this  concentric  fire,  fled  to  their  casemates  for 
shelter. 

For  two  hours  the  floating  batteries  kept  up  their  bom 
bardment,  rendering  the  fort  too  hot  for  flesh  and  blood  to 
stand,  and  the  rebels  finally  turned  their  guns  upon  them. 


394  THE   FORT   SURRENDERS. 

A  thirty-two-pound  shot  soon  crashed  through  the  Daylight 
gun  boat,  and  others  received  similar  damage,  but  without 
any  loss  of  life.  Only  one  man  was  wounded. 

But  at  length  the  sea  had  so  risen  under  the  stiff  gale  that 
was  blowing,  that  the  gunners  could  not  keep  their  range, 
and  the  boats  were  hauled  off.  During  this  time,  the  three 
land  batteries  had  taken  a  breathing  spell,  but  now  they 
commenced  again.  By  two  o'clock,  every  gun  but  two  in 
the  fort  was  deserted.  At  three,  one  of  these  was  abandoned 
in  terror,  and  a  ten  inch  columbiad  alone  kept  up  its  melan 
choly  fire.  But  it  grew  weaker  and  weaker,  and  a  little  after 
four,  ceased  altogether,  when  a  white  flag  was  run  up. 

The  fort  was  ours,  with  the  loss  of  only  one  killed  and  two 
wounded — that  of  the  enemy,  seven  killed  and  eighteen 
wounded.  Five  hundred  men  were  surrendered  prisoners 
of  war,  together  with  all  the  armament  and  stores  of  the  fort. 

The  next  morning,.  Colonel  White  repaired  to  the  steamer 
Alice  Price,  on  which  was  General  Burnside,  to  surrender 
the  fort  in  person.  He  found  the  general  at  breakfast,  who 
received  him  very  cordially,  and  invited  him  to  take  a  seat 
at  the  table.  He  did  so,  and  the  two  discussed  their  break 
fast  together  as  amicably,  as  though  there  had  been  no  hard 
feelings  or  hard  knocks  between  them.  The  garrison  was 
allowed  the  same  terms  that  had  at  first  been  offered,  for 
though  White  was  a  rebel,  he  was  a  gallant  and  gentlemanly 
one*,  to  whom,  notwithstanding  his  misguided  course,  a  gen 
erous  and  courteous  treatment  seemed  due. 

The  bombardment  of  these  two  forts  proved  conclusively 
that  brick  and  stone  can  not  stand  before  rifled  artillery. 
The  instruments  of  destruction  have  got  in  advance  of  the 
means  of  defense,  and  to  restore  their  former  relations,  for 
tifications  will  have  to  be  incased  in  iron. 

On  the  eleventh,  Pulaski  fell ;  on  the  twenty-third,  Macon ; 
and  on  the  twenty-sixth  New  Orleans.  Thus,  within  a  sin- 


FIGHT  AT  LEE'S  MILLS.  395 

gle  fortnight,  the  rebellion  received  on  every  side,  blows 
that  sent  it  staggering  to  its  death. 

Burnside  was  now  left  free  to  co-operate  with  McClellan, 
in  carrying  out  his  plans  for  the  overthrow  of  the  great  army 
in  Virginia,  and  the  capture  of  the  rebel  Capital. 

In  the  mean  while,  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  notwithstanding 
almost  incessant  rains  made  the  progress  of  the  work  slow, 
steadily  .advanced.  The  attacks  on  outworks,  and  the  re 
pelling  of  sorties,  which  characterize  all  sieges,  occasionally 
broke  tip  the  monotony  of  this,  though  there  was  less  hard 
fighting  than  is  usual. 

The  fight  at  Lee's  Mills,  as  it  was  called,  was  the  most  im 
portant  one,  and  gave  a  foretaste  of  what  our  men  would 
do  when  the  final  struggle  should  come.  The  rebels  had 
built  a  fort,  and  mounted  several  guns  so  as  to  command  a 
road  leading,  to  this  place,  which  it  was  important,  in  execu 
ting  the  general  plan,  should  be  carried.  In  front  of  it  was 
a  bog  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  wide,  and  above  this  a 
large  dam.  Artillery  was  brought  to  bear  on  the  fort  all 
day,  which  silenced  the  rebel  guns,  and  dispersed  their  in 
fantry.  Two  companies  of  Vermont  troops  were  then  or 
dered  to  charge  the  works  with  the  bayonet.  Leaving  the 
woods  in  which  they  had  been  sheltered,  they  dashed  for 
ward  toward  the  bog,  and  plunging  in,  some  to  their  waists, 
struggled  through  and  rushed  on  the  rifle-pits  in  front. 
They  found  the  fort  empty,  but  a  ditch  a  little  to  the  left, 
they  saw  to  be  full  of  men.  A  single  volley  scattered  them, 
when  the  companies  advanced  to  a  second  empty  rifle-pit,  and 
stopped  to  load.  But  on  looking  across  the  bog,  and  seeing 
no  reinforcements  arrivingl  they  began  to  fall  back,  carrying 
their  dead  and  wounded  with  them.  Reaching  the  bog, 
they  found  two  feet  more  of  water  over  it  than  when  they 
crossed  only  a  few  minutes  before.  The  rebels  had  cut  the 
dam.  above  it  and  let  in  the  water.  Here  many  of  the 


396  AFFAIRS   AT   THE   WEST. 

Wounded  fell  exhausted,  and  were  afterwards  killed  or  taken 
prisoners.  Those  who  could,  plunged  in  and  endeavored  to 
make  their  way  back  to  solid  ground.  In  the  mean  time, 
the  enemy  returned,  and  commenced  a  fearful  fire  upon  them, 
shooting  them  through  the  head  and  shoulders,  when  our 
artillery  again  opened,  and  scattered  them. 

The  brave  men  had  accomplished  the  work  assigned  them, 
behaving  throughout  with  the  coolness  of  veterans,  though 
they  lost  thirty-five  killed,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty 
wounded.  The  enemy  acknowledged  a  loss  of  over  a  hund 
red  killed. 

The  eleventh  Massachusets  carried  another  outwork  at  the 
point  of  the  bayonet,  without  firing  a  gun.  They  received 
the  enemy's  fire  at  fifty  yards,  and  without  halting,  dashed 
over  ditch  and  parapet  with  a  wild  hurrah,  scattering  the 
enemy  like  sheep.  Destroying  the  work,  they  returned  with 
the  loss  of  four  killed  and  twelve  wounded. 

While  events  were  thus  drawing  to  a  crisis  at  Yorktown, 
Halleck  was  slowly  closing  around  Corinth.  Pope,  who  had 
accompanied  Foote's  flotilla  down  the  Mississippi,  and  taken 
position  on  the  Arkansas  shore,  to  co-operate  with  him  as  he 
did  at  Island  Number  Ten,  had,  in  obedience  to  orders  from 
Halleck,  joined  him ;  while  the  indomitable  Mitchell,  to  whom 
nothing  seemed  done  while  there  was  more  to  do,  had 
pushed  his  victorious  column  into  different  parts  of  Ala 
bama.  A  detailed  account  of  the  marches  and  brilliant  suc 
cesses  of  this  restless,  determined  man,  would  read  like  a 
romance.  Apparently  fond  of  the  hardest  kind  of  work,  he 
had  inspired  his  men  with  the  same  love  ;  and  the  daring  and 
endurance  of  his  brigade,  won  the  admiration  of  the  whole 
nation.  No  officer  in  the  army  better  deserved  the  stars  of 
a  major-general,  which  Congress  conferred  on  him,  than  did 
this  fighting  astronomer. 

Thus  passed  the  eventful  month  of  April,  in  the  field. 


CONGRESS  OK  SLAVERY.  397 

In  Congress,  the  chief  objects  of  discussion  were  the  tax 
bill,  which  dragged  its  slow  length  along — the  confiscation 
bill,  in  perfecting  which,  one  great  difficulty  lay  in  the  ques 
tion,  what  should  be  done  with  the  slaves  of  rebels,  and  the 
subject  of  slavery  itself.  A  portion  of  it  insisted  that  a 
decree  of  universal  emancipation  was  the  only  way  to  put 
down  the  rebellion. 

One  of  the  most  important  measures  of  this  Congress  was 
the  passage  of  the  act  prohibiting  slavery  in  all  the  present 
and  future  territories  of  the  Union. 

Another  question  that  awakened  a  good  deal  of  feeling 
and  brought  out  the  opposition  of  the  border  state  members, 
was  the  emancipation  of  the  slaves  in  the  District  of  Colum 
bia.  Formerly  this  question  had  agitated  the  halls  of  Con 
gress,  and  much  learned  and  much  angry  discussion  had  been 
bestowed  on  it,  in  and  out  of  Washington.  Until  the  rebellion 
broke  out,  it  was  claimed  by  some  that  the  case  was  a  very 
plain  one.  Virginia  and  Maryland,  they  said,  had  ceded  the 
district  to  the  United  States,  without  affixing  any  condition 
as  to  the  future  stains  of  the  slave ;  that  it  was  evident  that 
in  so  doing  they  had  not  anticipated  so  radical  an  interfer 
ence  on  the  part  of  Congress  with  their  social  institutions,  as 
the  abolition  of  slavery  in  a  district  contiguous  to  their  own 
territory;  that  if  Congress,  at  its  first  meeting  after  the  cession 
of  the  District  of  Columbia,  had  emancipated  the  slaves  there 
in,  the  whole  country  would  have  declared  it  a  shameful  viola 
tion  of  an  implied  and  perfectly  understood  contract;  and 
that  what  it  could  not  justly  do  then,  it  certainly  could  not 
do  fifty  years  after.  On  the  other  hand,  all  felt  at  the  north, 
that  slavery  in  the  Capital  was  a  disgrace  to  the  nation,  and 
a  libel  on  our  Declaration  of  Independence;  and  that  at  the 
time  of  the  cession  of  this  territory,  there  was  an  expectation 
north  and  south,  that  slavery  would  gradually  disappear,  and 
that  it  was  an  evil  which  it  was  understood  was  to  be  only 


398  HUNTER'S  PROCLAMATION. 

temporary.  Near  the  middle  of  April,  the  act  of  emancipation 
was  passed,  and  being  signed  by  the  President,  became  a  law. 

In  this  condition  of  things  General  Hunter  issued  an 
order,  proclaiming  all  the  slaves  in  his  department,  free. 
This  movement  might  have  brought  on  a  collision  between 
the  President  and  a  portion  of  the  loyal  North ;  but  the 
President,  with  that  quiet  firmness,  which  amid  all  the  trying 
circumstances  of  his  position  he  had  shown,  and  which  had 
fixed  him  deeply  in  the  confidence  of  the  people,  issued  a 
counter  proclamation  in  which  he  said,  that  both  the  time 
and  manner  of  an  edict  of  general  emancipation,  were  ques 
tions  he  reserved  to  himself,  and  did  not  leave  to  command 
ers  in  the  field.  It  did  not  come  within  their  province,  and 
therefore  General  Hunter  had  transcended  his  powers,  and 
his  action  was  null  and  void.  In  this  discreet  way  of  dispo 
sing  of  the  matter  all  acquiesced. 

Still,  slavery  in  some  form,  engrossed  much  of  the  debates, 
as  it  did  the  attention  of  the  country.  An  attempt  was  made 
to  employ  thousands  of  the  slaves  left  by  the  rebels  at  Port 
Royal,  and  a  school  opened  for  them  at  Newbern.  Efforts 
wera^also  made  to  get  permission  to  form  regiments  of  col 
ored  men  either  to  fight  the  south,  or  to  garrison  southern 
fortresses  during  the  unhealthy  months.  A  resolution  to 
give  half  of  the  value  of  the  steamer  Planter  to  three  ne 
groes,  who  boldly  took  her  out  of  Charleston  harbor,  and 
delivered  her  to  the  blockading  fleet,  also  caused  a  great 
deal  of  bitter  feeling  among  the  border  State  members ;  but 
it  passed,  as  it  ought  to  have  done.  The  recognition  of  Hayti 
as  an  independent  State,  and  sending  ministers  to  its  court, 
also  was  regarded  by  some  as  another  step  towards  putting 
the  blacks  on  an  equality  with  the  whites ;  but  the  country 
could  see  no  good  reason  why  America,  from  the  mere  preju 
dice  of  color,  should  refuse  to  do  what  the  nations  of  Europe 
had  long  since  done. 


BARBARITY    OF    SOUTHERN    SOLDIERS.  399 

Questionable  as  the  action  of  Congress  was  in  many  things, 
it  adopted  one  measure  of  indisputable  wisdom.  It  gave  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  authority  to  construct,  under  contract, 
a  formidable  fleet  of  iron-clad  vessels,  rams  and  gun  boats. 
Half  of  the  failures  for  which  he  had  been  held  accountable, 
grew  out  of  his  inability  to  do  any  thing.  The  previous 
Congress  had  so  fettered  him  that  he  could  not  act  as  the  ex 
igencies  of  the  time  demanded ;  but  now  power  was  given 
him  which  he  was  not  slow  to  use ;  and  all  along  our  sea 
board,  the  keels  of  an  iron  fleet  began  to  be  laid,  which  gave 
ground  for  much  wholsome  reflection  to  England. 

During  this  month  also,  a  committee  which  had  been  ap 
pointed  by  Congress  to  ascertain  the  truth  of  various  rumors 
that  our  dead  had  received  brutal  treatment  from  the  enemy 
at  Manassas,  made  its  report,  fully  confirming  them.  Some 
of  our  unfortunate  men  had  been  buried  in  an  inhuman  man 
ner,,  while  from  others,  skulls  and  bones  had  been  taken  and 
fashioned  into  cups  and  ornaments.  Indeed,  from  the  com 
mencement  of  the  war,  the  southern  troops  had  disgraced 
themselves  by  numberless  acts  of  cruelty,  though  a  great 
number  of  the  stories  set  afloat  in  the  newspapers  were  false. 
In  war,  exaggerated  statements  and  false  accusations  are  to  be 
expected  on  both  sides.  At  the  same,  time  deeds  of  violence 
and  cruelty  will  be  committed  by  some  soldiers  in  every  army. 
Brutish  men  are  found  there  as  elsewhere,  while  circumstan 
ces  favor  the  gratification  of  their  base  and  ferocious  passions. 
The  southern  troops,  being  more  vindictive,  and  looking  up* 
on  the  Union  soldiers  as  invaders  of  their  homes,  would  nat 
urally  be  less  scrupulous  in  the  means  they  used  to  repel  their 
advance,  than  we  to  secure  it.  Besides,  the  poor  whites  that 
composed  the  bulk  of  their  army,  were  but  a  grade  above 
semi-barbarians — ferocious,  malignant  and  destitute  alike  of 
conscience  or  honor;  while  ours  was  made  up  of  the  respect 
able  middle  class.  Again,  the  officers,  most  of  them  being 
24 


400  VIEWS   OF    EUROPE. 

slave  holders,  and  regarding  the  ignorant  whites  as  but  little 
above  slaves,  naturally  looked  with  indifference  on  the  treat 
ment  which  our  private  soldiers  received.  Hence,  cruelty 
from  the  one  and  neglect  from  the  other,  were  to  be  ex 
pected,  and  could  safely  be  assumed  without  an  investiga 
ting  committee. 

During  the  winter,  General  Stone,  commander  at  Ball's  Bluff, 
had  been  suddenly  arrested  and  confined  in  fort  Warren. 
The  senate  at  the  close  of  this  month  passed  a  resolution, 
asking  the  President  why  he  was  not  brought  to  trial.  He 
replied  that  the  necessary  absence  of  important  witnesses 
prevented  it,  and  thus  the  mysterious  affair  rested. 

A  year  ago  this  month,  the  war  commenced  by  the  attack 
on  fort  Sumter.  Twenty-eight  more  or  less  important  bat 
tles,  besides  an  almost  endless  number  of  skirmishe's  had  oc- 
ccured  during  its  progress,  and  in  twenty  of  the  former, 
the  Union  arms  were  victorious.  Never  before  had  the  world 
seen  war  carried  on  upon  so  vast  a  scale.  The  immobility 
of  the  north  during  almost  the  entire  year,  had  excited  the 
derision  of  Europe.  Our  quiet  attitude  was  regarded  as  a 
confession  of  weakness,  and  a  sure  forerunner  of  defeat. 
They  did  not  comprehend  as  we  did,  the  gigantic  task  we  had 
undertaken,  and  the  amount  of  preparation  necessary  before 
we  commenced.  But  when  this  was  completed,  and  tha 
forces  we  had  been  so  long  gathering  began  to  move,  that 
derision  gave  place  to  amazement.  The  vastness  of  our 
complicated  plan  bewildered  them,  while  they  stood  amazed 
at  the  power  we  showed  ourselves  able  to  put  forth.  En 
gland  especially,  thought  that  we  were  distressed,  and  hard 
ly  knew  what  to  do  ourselves.  She  now  saw  that  we  not 
only  knew  what  to  do,  but  how  to  do  it.  The  vast  dimen 
sions  of  the  war  entailed  enormous  expenses,  and  the  money 
needed  to  defray  them,  she  declared  could  be  no  where  ob 
tained.  The  people  would  not  give  it,  and  foreign  capital- 


COST   OF   THE   WAR.  401 

ists  would  not  lend  it.  But  great  as  the  expenditures  were, 
the  necessary  money  was  obtained  within  our  own  limits. 
It  is  true  we  had  run  up  a  frightful  debt,  and  sound  states 
men  feared  the  final  effect  of  the  issue  of  so  much  paper 
money  as  we  were  compelled  to  send  forth,  but  the  people 
said  "  Sufficient  unto  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof."  At  the 
end  of  this  year  of  war  our  national  debt  amounted  to 
$491,448,384.  A  protracted  war  at  this  rate,  would  of 
course  ruin  the  nation,  but  no  one  believed  it  would  be  of 
long  continuance. 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

MAY,  1862. 

IN  APPROACHING  CRISIS—  PUBLIC  FEELING  -  THE  TWO  GREAT  ARMIES  - 
MC  CLELLAN  READY  TO  COMMENCE  THE  BOMBARDMENT  AT  YORKTOWN  -  THE 
ENEMY  EVACUATE  IT  -  SCENE  AT  THE  EVACUATION  -  THE  PURSUIT  -  THE 
BATTLE  OF  WILLIAM8BURQ—  BRAVERY  OF  COLONEL  D  WIGHT—  BERRY  COMES 
TO  THE  RESCUE  _  KEARNEY  FOLLOWS  -  HEROISM  OF  THE  ELEVENTH  MASSA 

CHUSETTS  _  HANCOCK'S  GALLANT  BAYONET  CHARGE  —  INSPIRING  EFFECT  OP 

MARTIAL  MUSIC  _  HEINTZELMAN  AMID  THE  RAINING  BULLETS  —  HOOKER'S 
UNCONQUERABLE  BRIGADE—  THE  NIGHT  AFTER  THE  BATTLE—  FRANKLIN 
ARRIVES  AT  WEST  POINT,  AND  ENGAGES  THE  ENEMY. 


month  of  May,  the  first  of  the  new  year  of  war,  was 
believed  to  be  pregnant  with  the  fate  of  the  republic  ; 
for  events  seemed  to  be  approaching  a  decisive  termination. 
Halleck  was  drawing  his  lines  closer  and  closer  around  Beau- 
regard,  at  Corinth,  and  a  battle  was  daily  expected  there 
that  should  settle  the  war  in  the  west.  McClellan's  prepara 
tions  were  about  complete  before  Yorktown,  and  any  mo 
ment  it  might  flash  over  the  wires  that  the  bombardment 
had  commenced. 

The  mighty  armies  that  confronted  each  other  at  these 
points,  constituted  the  main  strength  of  the  two  sections  in 
the  field,  and  numbered  in  all  nearly  a  million  of  men.  A 
decided  victory  at  both  points  would  virtually  end  the  war 
—  a  victory  at  but  one  would  insure  at  least  another  year's 
war,.  while  our  overthrow  at  both  would  be  irreparable.  No 
wonder  the  nation  held  its  breath  in  suspense  ;  and  fervent 
prayers  went  up  that  God  would  assist  the  right. 

The  standing  of  these  two  armed  hosts  face  to  face,  gath; 
ering  their  energies  like  two  giants  for  the  final  struggle, 


PREPARATIONS    FOR   THE    BOMBARDMENT.          403 

was  a  sublime  yet  fearful  spectacle.  The  imagination  started 
back  appalled  at  the  vision  of  slaughtered  heaps,  and  "  gar 
ments  rolled  in  blood,"  that  rose  in  the  future. 

There  was  one  great  difference,  however,  in  their  compo 
sition,  that  encouraged  the  hopes  of  the  north.  The  south, 
to  present  numerically  an  equal  force,  had  to  resort  to  con 
scription.  The  north,  on  the  other  hand,  had  been  com 
pelled  to  shut  up  its  recruiting  stations,  to  prevent  the  over 
whelming  increase  of  the  army,  and  hence  had  men  ready 
and  eager  to  fight. 

This  dead  logk  of  the  opposing  forces  produced  fitful  com 
plaints,  and  loud  clamors  from  a  few  excitable  individuals  in 
and  out  of  Congress ;  but  the  great  intelligence  of  the  mass 
of  the  people  enabled  them  to  understand  and  appreciate 
the  true  motives  of  delay,  and  the  vital  importance  of  run 
ning  no  needless  hazard. 

The  censorship  of  the  press  shut  out  from  the  public  all 
knowledge  of  what  was  going  on  at  Yorktown,  but  the  great 
confidence  in  McClellan's  sagacity  and  military  ability,  made 
it  patient. 

Quietly,  but  unceasingly,  he  was  bending  all  his  energies 
to  hasten  forward  the  approaches,  and  on  the  third,  he  had 
fourteen  powerful  batteries  constructed— all  mounted  but 
three — ninety- six  heavy  guns,  some  two  hundred  and  one 
hundred-pounders,  and  thirteen-inch  mortars,  being  in  posi 
tion  within  breaching  distance  of  the  walls,  and  all  connected 
with  parallels.  Three  redoubts  were  also  finished.  In  a  few 
more  hours  every  thing  would  be  in  readiness,  and  then  the 
earthquake  shock  would  come.  McClellan,  who  had  had 
ample  opportunity  to  see  what  effect  such  batteries  would 
have  on  earthworks  and  fortifications  in  the  siege  of  Sebas- 
topol,  knew  that  when  he  once  opened  his  fire,  the  works 
before  him  would  melt  like  wax. 

But  an  engineer  equally  skillful*  had,  unknown  to  him, 


404  SCENE   AT   THE   EVACUATION. 

surveyed  his  operations.  Lee  had  been  summoned  to  York- 
town,  and  his  practiced  eye  saw  that  McClellan  had  been 
allowed  to  proceed  with  his  work  till  the  place  was  unten 
able.  An  evacuation,  much  to  the  surprise  of  the  ignorant 
troops,  and  indignation  of  Huger,  who  was  in  command  at 
Norfolk,  was  at  once  determined  upon,  and  immediately  com 
menced. 

EVACUATION   OF   YORKTOWN. 

On  the  third,  the  rebels  kept  up  a  continuous  fire  along 
their  lines,  shaking  the  peninsula  with  their  incessant  cannon 
ade,  while  the  heavy  shot  and  shell  filled  the  air  with  their 
steady  rush  and  shriek.  Nor  did  it  cease  at  night,  and  when 
darkness  settled  over  the  encampment,  from  the  ramparts 
that  stretched  away  from  Yorktown  there  were  constant 
gushes  of  flame,  while  the  heavy  thunder  rolled  far  away  in 
the  gloom.  A  little  after  midnight  it  suddenly  ceased,  and 
an  ominous  silence  rested  over  the  works.  Toward  morn 
ing,  flames  were  seen  to  rise  from  behind  them.  Heintzel- 
man  went  up  in  a  balloon  with  professor  Lowe,  to  ascertain 
its  cause,  and  found  that  the  enemy  had  fired  one  of  their 
storehouses.  Gradually  the  day  broke  over  the  landscape 
below  him,  when  he  saw  that  the  intrenchments  were  empty. 
The  last  of  the  rebel  army  had  fled  during  the  night. 

The  news  spread  like  lightning  from  division  to  division,  and 
through  the  long  line  of  encampments,  when  the  regimental 
bands  struck  up  one  after  another  a  joyous  air  till  the  vast 
plain  echoed  with  the  jubilant  strains,  and  then  the  regiments 
themselves,  in  quick  succession,  sent  up  a  shout  that  shook 
the  field. 

In  the  midst  of  the  general  jubilee,  officers  were  seen  gal 
loping  to  the  heads  of  brigades  and  divisions,  bearing  the 
following  order:  u Commandants  of  regiments  will  prepare 
to  march  with  two  days?  rations,  with  the  utmost  dispatch— 


THE    PURSUIT.  405 

Leave  not  to  return"  The  vast  encampment  was  quickly  all 
astir,  and  by  eight  o'clock  the  cavalry  and  artillery,  supported 
by  infantry,  were  streaming  forward  on  the  road  over  which 
the  last  of  the  fleeing  enemy  had  passed  a  few  hours  before. 

Ninety-one  guns  of  different  kinds  and  calibers  were  left  in 
the  works,  beside  a  great  number  of  tents,  and  a  quantity  of 
ammunition.  The  enemy  had  buried  torpedoes  in  the  road 
and  various  places,  to  blow  up  our  troops,  and  a  few  were 
killed  in  this  barbarous  way. 

Gloucester  Point,  opposite  Yorktown,  across  the  river,  was 
evacuated  at  the  same  time,  in  which  were  found  many  more 
cannon.  This  left  York  river  open  to  our  gun  boats  and 
transports,  and  secured  the  destruction  or  capture  of  all  the 
rebel  vessels  in  it.  McClellan,  though  his  plan  had  been 
broken  up,  prepared  as  well  as  he  could  for  the  sudden 
evacuation  of  Yorktown,  .and  had  Franklin's  division  already 
on  board  transports,  ready  to  start  for  West  Point,  the  main 
head  of  navigation  on  the  York  river,  so  as  to  intercept,  if 
possible,  the  enemy  on  their  retreat  to  Richmond.  How  far 
or  how  fast  they  had  fallen  back,  it  was  impossible  to  say ;  for 
they  had  conducted  their  operations  so  cautiously,  that  the 
advance  of  the  retreating  army  had  been  gone  two  days  be 
fore  any  indications  of  their  movements  were  received  at 
McClellan's  head-quarters. 

He  pushed  the  pursuit,  however,  with  vigor,  and  ^the 
troops,  released  from  their  long  confinement,  were  only  too 
eager  to  march  forward.  Towards  evening,  that  day,  (Mon 
day,)  the  cavalry  under  General  Stoneham,  came  up  with  the 
rear  guard  of  the  enemy,  about  two  miles  from  Williamsburg, 
and  a  sharp  skirmish  followed.  They  were  found  to  be  in 
trenched,  but  the  cavalry  drove  them  from  one  of  their 
works,  though  for  the  want  of  infantry  they  were  compelled 
to  abandon  it,  and  withdrawing  a  short  distance,  they  bi- 
vouaced  for  the  night. 


406  FACE    OF    THE    COUNTRY. 

The  first  and  sixth  regular  cavalry  behaved  admirably, 
closing  in  a  hand  to  hand  fight  with  that  of  the  enemy,  and 
losing  nearly  fifty  killed  and  wounded.  One  gun,  by  getting 
fast  in  the  mud,  was  abandoned. 

It  was  evident  that  the  rebels  purposed  making  a  deter 
mined  stand  with  a  large  force  at  this  place,  in  order  to  gain 
time  for  the  remainder  of  the  army  and  baggage  trains  to 
escape.  The  town  is  twelve  miles  north  of  Yorktown,  and 
fifty-eight  from  Richmond,  and  is  situated  on  a  plain  nearly 
midway  in  the  peninsula,  which  at  that  point  is  eight  or  ten 
miles  wide  from  river  to  river.  Two  roads  lead  from  York- 
town  to  it,  one  near  the  York,  and  the  other  near  the  James 
river,  with  a  vast  forest  between  them.  They  gradually  ap 
proach  each  other  as  they  stretch  towards  Richmond,  and  at 
the  point  where  they  meet,  at  the  northern  extremity  of  the 
woods,  the  enemy  had  taken  their  stand,  and  erected  earth 
works  which  commanded  the  entire  space  over  which  our 
troops  must  advance.  At  the  right,  immense  farms  spread 
away,  dotted  with  five  separate  earth  works,  but  on  the  left, 
the  woods  came  up  near  the  intrenchments,  and  were  filled 
with  rifle  pits  that  could  not  be  seen  till  our  troops  were 
directly  upon  them — outside  of  them  were  three  earth  works. 

BATTLE    OF    WILLIAMSBURG. 

Hooker,  of  Heintzelman's,  and  Smith,  of  Keyes'  division, 
had  come  up  the  evening  before,  and  in  the  morning  ad 
vanced  on  the  enemy's  works, — the  former  moving  through 
the  woods  on  his  right,  and  the  latter  on  his  left.  A  heavy 
rain  storm  was  raging  at  the  time,  giving  a  sombre,  dreary 
aspect  to  every  thing,  and  drenching  the  jaded  soldiers  to 
their  skins.  The  bivouac  on  the  damp  earth  the  night  be 
fore  was  not  favorable  to  elasticity  of  spirits,  and  this  pelting 
rain  storm  was  not  calculated  to  improve  them,  but  the  sol 
diers  pushed  resolutely,  though  slowly  on. 


THE    ATTACK.  407" 

Hooker  had  not  proceeded  far  before  a  heavy  fire  of  grape 
and  canister  from  the  enemy's  batteries  opened  upon  him. 
It  was  impossible  to  move  directly  upon  and  storm  them,  for 
the  rebels  had  cut  down  the  trees  in  front — piling  them  with 
their  bushy  tops  pointing  directly  towards  our  advancing 
troops,  and  presenting  an  obstruction  that  would  hold  them 
so  long  under  fire  if  they  attempted  to  force  their  way 
through,  that  but  few  could  expect  to  survive  it.  Notwith 
standing  this,  the  men  were  deployed  in  the  woods,  and 
bravely  endeavored  to  make  their  way  over  the  fallen 
timber.  They  dropped  fast  on  every  side,  for  the  woods 
were  filled  with  the  incessant  crack  of  musketry,  from  a  foe 
that  was  only  half  visible.  By  desperate  fighting,  however, 
they  won  the  ground  before  them  inch  by  inch,  when  the 
rebels,  despairing  of  arresting  their  determined  advance, 
sent  off  for  reinforcements,  that  soon  came  pouring  in  by 
thousands.  Hooker  now  undertook  to  advance  one  of  his 
guns,  but  it  stuck  fast  in  the  mud,  and  he  had  to  shoot  the 
horses  to  prevent  the  enemy,  who  came  rushing  upon  it  in 
overwhelming  force,  from  carrying  it  off.  He  soon  saw  that 
he  could  not  long  hold  his  ground  against  the  tremendous 
odds  that  were  being  brought  to  bear  upon  him,  and  sent  off 
again  and  again  for  reinforcements,  and  charged  desperately 
on  the  enemy  to  keep  him  back  till  they  could  arrive,  but 
hour  after  hour  passed,  yet  they  did  not  make  their  appear 
ance.  Now  his  wearied  troops  by  a  gallant  effort  would 
force  the  enemy  to  retire  for  a  space,  and  then  they  would 
swing  heavily  back  before  the  onset  of  double  their  number. 
Heintzelman  sat  on  his  horse  amid  the  raining  balls,  a  prey 
to  the  most  intense  anxiety.  His  bravest  troops  were  being 
mowed  down  like  grass,  and  unless  help  came  soon  they 
would  have  to  give  way.  It  was  true  the  roads  were  horri 
ble,  and  the  rain  fell  in  torrents,  yet  it  was  plain  there  was 
negligence  or  lack  of  energy  somewhere.  Four  guns  had 


408  BERRY'S  TIMELY  ARRIVAL. 

already  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  around  which 
horses,  riders,  and  gunners  lay  mangled,  and  half  buried  in 
the  mud.  At  length,  part  of  the  Jersey  brigade,  with  their 
ammunition  exhausted  or  wet,  had  to  fall  back ;  and  the  Ex 
celsior  brigade  marched  into  their  places,  when  the  firing 
became  more  terrible  than  ever.  It  was  like  the  roar  of  a 
cataract,  and  the  whole  stormy  woods  seemed  an  element  of 
fire  in  the  dull  and  murky  atmosphere.  Colonel  D wight, 
with  the  first  Excelsior,  though  fearfully  outnumbered,  reso 
lutely  held  his  ground:  Report  came  that  the  enemy  were 
outflanking  him.  "  I  can't  help  it,"  was  his  calm  reply,  "  I 
must  hold  this  spot  while  a  man  is  left  to  stand  by  me." 
Bleeding  from  his  wounds,  he  stood  resolved  to  die  at  his 
post.  A  braver  man  never  led  troops  into  fire,  and  bravei 
troops  never  closed  with  heroic  devotion  round  a  gal 
lant  leader.  Rooted,  rock  fast  on  the  bloody  field,  they  held 
their  ground  till  help  came,  though  every  third  man  had  fallen. 
Veterans  of  a  hundred  battle  fields  could  do  no  more  than  this. 
In  the  mean  time,  Kearney's  division  was  coming  to  the 
rescue.  Officer  after  officer  kept  dashing  up  to  him  with  or 
ders  to  hurry  on.  The  roads  were  miry  and  the  marching 
heavy,  and  the  soldiers  threw  aside  their  haversacks  to  light 
en  their  load,  and  pressed  on  in  the  direction  of  the  firing 
that  rose  in  one  long  thunder  peal  over  the  woods.  The 
minutes  seemed  hours  to  the  brave  Heintzleman,  for  every 
moment  threatened  to  be  the  last  that  Hooker's  brigade  could 
maintain  its  ground.  But  a  great  load  was  suddenly  lifted 
from  his  heart,  as  he  saw  General  Berry  at  the  head  of  a  part 
of  his  brigade,  approaching  with  giant  strides.  Through  the 
storm  and  mud,  with  his  two  regiments  of  Michigan  men  and 
the  thirty-seventh  New  York,  he  had  pushed  fiercely  on, 
passing  troops,  trains  and  artillery,  and  as  he  now  drew  near, 
Heintzelman  gave  a  shout  of  delight,  and  waved  his  cap  in 
Vhe  air.  A  thundering  cheer  responded,  as  the  brave  fel- 


THE  ELEVENTH  MASSACHUSETTS.        409 

lows  bounded  through  the  driving  rain.  It  was  now  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  for  nearly  eight  hours  Hooker's 
single  unconquerable  brigade  had  withstood  the  whole  shock 
of  battle.  Help  came  not  a  moment  too  soon.  Berry  hurled 
his  regiments  like  a  thunderbolt  on  the  foe.  The  fifth 
Michigan,  receiving  the  fire  that  smote  them,  and  too  impa 
tient  to  return  it,  charged  bayonet — clearing  a  rifle  pit  with 
a  thrilling  shout,  and  leaving  a  hundred  and  forty-three  bod 
ies  in  their  fiery  path.  Kearney  immediately  after  came 
up,  and  riding  into  the  thickest  of  the  fire,  led  his  troops 
forward  with  irresistible  impetuosity.  As  they  advanced, 
however,  they  met  the  long  line  of  ambulances  conveying 
the  wounded  of  Hooker's  brigade  to  the  rear,  whose  groans 
and  cries  of  distress,  joined  with  the  mud  and  rain,  and  the  ex 
haustion  of  the  long  and  terrrible  march,  were  not  calculated 
to  produce  a  favorable  impression  on  them  as  they  were  going 
into  action.  General  Heintzelman  saw  it  and  immediately 
ordered  several  of  the  bands  to  strike  up  national  and  mar 
tial  airs.  The  effect  was  electrical,  and  as  the  strains  of  the 
familiar  tunes  reached  the  ears  of  the  wounded  as  they  were 
carried  from  the  field,  their  cheers  mingled  with  those  of 
the  stout  hearted  men  who  were  marching  past  them  into 
battle.  Under  the  sudden  inspiration,  mud  and  rain  and 
weariness  were  forgotten,  and  with  renewed  energy  they  push 
ed  forward  to  where  the  deafening  explosions  told  them  their 
companions  in  arms  were  facing  death.  Berry  charged  furi 
ously  on  the  astonished  rebels,  and  Birney  followed,  reversing 
the  tide  of  battle  and  rolling  it  on  the  foe.  Hooker's  brigade, 
a  portion  of  which  after  their  ammunition  was  exhausted,  held 
its  position  with  the  .bayonet  alone,  was  at  last  relieved ,  for 
Kearney  now  cleared  the  crimsoned  woods  and  swept  the  field. 
Of  the  brave  regiments  which  bled  so  freely  this  day,  none 
was  handled  with  more  skill,  or  hurled  again  and  again  with  * 
more  irresistible  impetuosity  on  the  foe,  than  the  eleventh 


410  A   BAYONET    CHARGE. 

Massachusetts  of  Grover's  brigade,  commanded  by  Colonel 
Blaisdell.  Like  "  Le  Terrible"  of  Napoleon's  army  in  Italy, 
it  broke  regiment  after  regiment  of  the  enemy  in  pieces. 
Its  march  was  like  that  of  fate,  and  its  charging  cheer  was 
the  shout  of  victory. 

While  Hooker  was  thus  breasting  the  storm  on  the  left, 
Peck  advancing  up  the  road,  near  York  river,  came  upon 
the  enemy's  center  in  the  open  space,  in  which  stood  fort 
Magruder.  Though  exposed  to  a  murderous  fire  of  shot 
and  shell  from  the  fort  and  the  long  lines  of  rifle  pits  that 
commanded  all  the  open  ground,  by  keeping  the  cover  of 
a  pine  grove,  he  held  his  ground  the  entire  day. 

In  the  mean  time,  Hancock  had  advanced  on  the  extreme 
right,  and  crossing  a  dam,  took  possession  of  some  deserted 
earthworks.  Late  in  the  afternoon,  the  enemy  anticipating 
an  attack  on  his  extreme  wing,  by  him,  moved  against  him 
with  a  heavy  force.  Fearing  that  his  retreat  might  be  cut 
off,  should  his  "force  prove  too  weak  to  hold  the  advanced 
position,  the  latter  began  to  fall  back  slowly  and  steadily  in 
line  of  battle,  ever  presenting  a  dauntless  front  to  the  foe. 
The  rebels,  taking  this  movement  for  a  retreat,  and  thinking 
the  victory  already  won,  dashed  forward,  cheering  and  firing 
as  they  came.  When  Hancock  had  got  all  his  artillery  safe, 
he  halted  his  brave  band,  only  twenty-five  hundred  strong. 
On  came  the  enemy  till  they  were  nearly  on  the  top  of  the 
sloping  ground,  and  within  forty  yards  of  his  line.  "  Fire," 
rang  along  the  unfaltering  ranks,  and  a  swift,  deadly  volley 
swept  the  rebel  line.  "Charge,"  followed  in  quick  succes 
sion,  and  with  levelled  bayonets  and  leaning  forms,  the  whole 
mass  threw  itself  forward  down  the  slope.  As  the  gleaming 
line  of  steel  drove  swiftly  on,  the  elated  rebels  halted,  ap 
palled  at  the  sight.  One  glance  at  the  determined  counte 
nances,  and  that  even  line  of  bayonets,  moving  steady  and 
swift  as  the  inrolling  wave,  and  they  broke  and  fled  in  dismay. 


THE   FIELD    AFTER   THE    FIGHT.  411 

The  rebel  position  was  turned  by  this  success,  and  night 
having  come  on,  the  enemy  retreated  under  cover  of  dark 
ness.  The  next  morning,  our  victorious  columns  marched 
into  Williainsburg  with  drums  beating  and  colors  flying. 
Enthusiastic  shouts  rent  the  air,  but  they  fell  all  unheeded  on 
the  ears  of  the  brave  sleepers  in  the  woods  and  open  spaces 
where  the  battle  had  raged  the  day  before.  Soaked  with 
rain,  and  covered  with  mud,  the  dead  lay  in  heaps  where 
Hooker  had  so  long  and  grimly  held  his  ground.  Amid  the 
shattered  trees,  and  shivered  branches,  and  mangled  horses, 
and  wrecks  of  the  fierce  fight — the  blood  standing  in  pools 
around  them — they  slept  the  quiet  sleep  of  death.  All  the 
dreary  night,  the  soldiers,  with  torches,  had  threaded  the  woods 
in  search  of  the  wounded ;  still  notwithstanding  their  untir 
ing  labors,  many  the  next  morning  lay  where  they  fell,  list 
ening  with  dull  senses  to  the  shouts  and  triumphant  strains 
of  their  advancing  comrades.  It  was  a  dreary  sight  to  see 
the  ambulances  slowly  moving  amid  the  dripping  trees,  the 
drivers  carefully  picking  their  way  to  keep  the  wheels  from 
passing  over  the  lifeless  forms. 

Our  loss  in  killed,  wounded,  and  missing,  was  about  two 
thousand,  the  greater  part  of  which  fell  on  Hooker's  brigade. 
Hancock  did  not  lose  over  twenty  in  his  brilliant  charge, 
which  called  forth  a  warm  eulogy  from  McClellan  to  the  two 
regiments  which  made  it. 

While  this  battle  was  raging,  Franklin  was  approaching 
West  Point  with  his  troops,  to  intercept  the  retreat  of  the 
rebel  army.  It  effected  a  landing,  and  on  Wednesday  was 
attacked  by  the  enemy.  A  battle  followed,  in  which  we 
lost  some  two  hundred  killed  and  wounded,  and  a  large 
number  of  prisoners.  Nothing  of  consequence  seemed  to 
have  been  accomplished  by  this  movement,  save  the  rapid 
transportation  of  a  large  force  far  in  advance,  where  it  could 
co-operate  with  McClellan's  army.  Franklin's  division  was 
too  weak  to  attack  the  whole  retreating  force  of  the  enemy. 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 

MAY,  1862. 

OUR     GUN     BOATS     ASCEND     THE     JAMES     RIVER SURRENDER    OF     NORFOLK- 
DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  MERRIMAC GRATIFICATION    OF    THE  PEOPLE ATTACK 

ON    FORT     DARLING MC  CLELLAN's     ADVANCE     ON     RICHMOND — BATTLE    OF 

HANOVER    COURT  HOUSE THE    ROAD    OPENED  FOR  MC  DOWELL  TO  ADVANCE 

RICHMOND    NOT    TO    BE    TAKEN     UNLESS    HE    DOES DISSATISFACTION    AND 

UNREASONABLENESS    OF    THE    PUBLIC — A    DEAR    EXPERIMENT  OF    THE  SECRE 
TARY    OF    WAR. 

WHILE  our  army  was  chasing  the  flying  enemy  towards 
Richmond,  important  events  were  passing  in  the  re 
gion  of  its  long  encampment  before  Yorktown.  The  day 
after  the  battle  at  West  Point,  the  Galena,  and  two  other  gun 
boats,  passed  the  batteries  on  the  James  river,  and  began  to 
feel  their  way  towards  Richmond.  Two  days  after,  General 
Wool,  with  five  thousand  men,  effected  a  landing  at  Wil- 
loughby  point,  and  advanced  on  Norfolk.  The  rebel  General, 
Huger,  had  evacuated  it  when  it  was  decided  to  abandon 
Yorktown,  and  it  was  left  defenseless.  On  the  approach  of 
our  forces,  a  delegation  from  the  city  came  out  to  meet  them, 
and  the  place,  which  had  been  the  great  depot  for  the  sup 
ply  of  heavy  ordnance  for  the  rebels,  fell  into  our  hands 
without  firing  a  shot.  It  actually  fell  with  Yorktown,  for 
after  that  event  it  was  entirely  cut  off  from  help.  The  tak 
ing  it  with  an  armed  force,  therefore,  was  a  mere  matter 
of  form,  though  a  part  of  the  public  made  a  laughable  at 
tempt  to  convert  it  into  a  brilliant  military  exploit  of  the 
President  himself,  who  happened  to  be  at  fortress  Monroe 
at  the  time. 

The  fate  of  the  Merrimac  was  also  sealed  with  the  fate  of 
Yorktown ;  for  she  was  totally  unfit  for  the  sea,  while  her 


THE   MERRIMAC    BLOWN   UP.  413 

draft  of  water  was  too  great  to  allow  her  to  go  up  to  Rich 
mond.  It  therefore  occasioned  no  surprise,  to  hear  that  she 
had  been  blown  up  by  her  crew. 

Wool  entered  Norfolk  on  Saturday.  The  same  night,  this 
rebel  craft,  which  had  caused  us  so  much  damage,  was  set  on 
fire.  She  presented  a  grand  spectacle  in  her  ignominious 
death.  When  she  was  fairly  aflame,  she  lighted  up  the  tran 
quil  waters  of  the  bay  for  miles  around  and  wrapped  in  her 
fiery  shroud,  burned  on  for  hours,  till  the  flames  reached 
the  magazine,  when  her  iron  ribbed  sides  burst  with  the  sound 
of  thunder,  shaking  the  shores  with  the  explosion ;  then  she 
suddenly  sunk  in  the  deep,  a  companion  at  last  to  the  Cum 
berland  and  Congress.  The  news  of  her  destruction  was  re 
ceived  with  intense  satisfaction,  not  merely  because  she  had 
sent  to  the  bottom  two  national  vessels  with  a  part  of  their 
gallant  crews,  but  her  menacing  attitude  in  the  waters  of 
the  Chesapeake,  keeping  a  whole  fleet  occupied  in  watching 
her  motions,  irritated  the  national  pride.  Her  presence  there 
was  regarded  as  a  perpetual  insult  and  taunt.  Our  self  re 
spect  demanded  that  she  should  be  disposed  of;  hence  there 
was  a  sort  of  personal  gratification  in  having  her  commit 
suicide.  To  this,  there  was  added  a  sense  of  relief,  for  no 
one  could  exactly  measure  her  power  to  do  mischief,  and  as 
long  as  she  was  in  existence  there  was  a  feeling  of  insecurity. 
Besides,  she  being  disposed  of,  left  the  Galena,  Naugatuck, 
and  other  vessels,  at  liberty  to  go  up  the  James  river,  and 
operate  against  the  batteries  that  lined  its  banks,  and  perhaps 
reach  Richmond  itself. 

The  rebels,  before  evacuating  Norfolk,  destroyed  the  navy 
yard,  inflicted  what  injury  they  could  on  the  granite  dry 
dock,  and  left  as  complete  a  wreck  as  their  time  and  abil 
ity  would  permit.  Sewall's  Point,  and  all  the  other  neigh 
boring  batteries  fell,  of  course,  and  a  large  quantity  of  heavy 
ordnance  came  into  our  possession.  General  Viele  was  ap- 


414  ATTACK    ON    FORT    DARLING. 

pointed  military  Governor,  and  gave  universal  satisfaction, 
by  the  quiet,  yet  stern,  manner  in  which  he  maintained  order. 
It  had  been  supposed  that  a  great  deal  of  Union  feeling  pre 
vailed  in  the  city,  as  its  entire  prosperity  had  grown  out  of 
the  national  patronage,  but  whatever  had  existed  seemed  to 
have  been  extinguished  by  the  war,  and  though  there  was 
much  suffering  among  the  inhabitants,  they  manifested  a  sul 
len  spirit  under  their  transfer  back  to  the  old  confederacy. 

The  Galena  proceeded  at  once,  up  the  James  river,  silenc 
ing  or  passing  the  batteries  on  the  way,  until  she  arrived 
nearly  opposite  Williamsburg.  Joined  by  the  Monitor,  Ar- 
ostook,  Naugatuck,  and  Port  Royal,  she  proceeded  on  towards 
Richmond,  constantly  assailed  from  rifle  pits  on  shore,  till 
she  came  to  a  sharp  bend,  about  seven  miles  from  the  city. 
Here,  on  a  bluff  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  they  found  a 
strong  fortification  called  fort  Darling,  mounted  with  guns 
of  large  caliber,  and  loiig  range,  which  completely  com 
manded  the  river.  Here  too,  piles  were  driven  across  the 
channel,  and  vessels  sunk  to  arrest  the  farther  progress  of  the 
boats,  and  hold  them  under  the  terrible  fire  of  the  battery. 

BOMBARDMENT    OF    FORT    DARLING. 

The  Galena  boldly  ran  to  within  six  hundred  yards  of  the 
battery,  and  was  swung  across  the  channel,  which,  at  that 
point,  was  only  about  twice  as  wide  as  the  vessel  was  long,  and 
in  this  stationary  position,  a  little  before  eight  in  the  morn 
ing  of  the  fifteenth,  opened  fire.  The  Monitor,  at  first  an 
chored  near  her,  then  passed  above,  but  finding  the  elevation 
too  great  for  her  guns,  dropped  down  the  stream  again,  and 
taking  up  her  position,  wheeled  her  turret  on  the  bluff,  and 
began  to  hurl  her  ponderous  shots  up  the  hights.  The  other 
vessels  took  the  positions  assigned  them,  and  the  bombard 
ment  commenced.  The  battery  replied,  sending  her  heavy 
metal  down  with  terrible  effect.  For  more  than  two  hours 


REPULSE    OF    THE    FLEET.  415 

the  firing  was  constant,  the  heavy  reports  echoing  above  the 
houses  of  Richmond  like  heavy  thunder,  and  filling  the  in 
habitants  with  terror.  But  the  fight  was  too  unequal — the 
boats  were  never  designed  to  act  against  works  placed  on 
such  an  elevation,  and  a  vast  majority  of  their  shots  were 
thrown  away ;  while  the  plunging  balls  of  the  battery  went 
through  and  through  the  sides  and  deck  of  the  Galena.  She 
however  gallantly  maintained  the  fighf,  till  twenty-four  of  her 
crew  were  killed  and  wounded,  her  ammunition  exhausted, 
and  her  sides  pierced  with  eighteen  shots,  when  she  dropped 
out  of  fire.  Her  heavy  loss  and  damage  were  owing  to  the 
fact,  that  she  was  compelled,  from  the  narrowness  of  the 
stream,  to  remain  stationary.  Hence,  when  the  rebel  gun 
ners  once  got  the  range,  they  had  but  to  load  and  fire.  The 
Monitor  was  hit  three  times — once  square  on  the  turret  by 
a  solid  eight  inch  shot,  but  she  maintained  her  reputation 
for  invincibility — not  one  piercing  her  armor,  and  produc 
ing  no  effect  save  to  bend  the  plates.  Not  a  man  was  hurt 
aboard  her.  The  Naugatuck  had  fired  her  one-hundred- 
pound  Parrot  gun  but  a  few  times,  when  it  burst  into  frag 
ments,  and  she  became  powerless.  The  other  vesels  suffered 
only  slightly.  For  the  first  time  since  the  attack  on  fort 
Donelson,  our  gun  boats  had  met  with  a  reverse,  and  the  peo 
ple  of  Richmond  were  highly  elated. 

In  the  mean  time,  McClellan  was  pushing  his  immense 
army  steadily  towards  Richmond,  until  at  length  he  drew  it 
up  on  the  banks  of  the  Chickahominy  river,  a  small  stream 
within  ten  miles  of  the  rebel  Capital.  Here  the  building  of 
bridges,  and  the  presence  of  the  enemy,  arrested  his  progress, 
and  he  was  compelled  to  take  each  step  with  great  caution. 
General  Stoneham,  with  the  cavalry,  kept  constantly  in  ad 
vance,  and  with  a  vigilance,  and  energy,  and  patient  endurance 
of  toil  that  won  the  admiration  of  the  country,  carried  out 
every  plan  of  his  commander  successfully. 
25 


MJt 


416  A    BOLD    EXPEDITION. 

Skirmishing  ,with  pickets,  and  bold  reconnoissances,  occur 
red  almost  every  day,  and  it  became  more  and  more  evident 
that  the  rebels  were  determined  to  make  a  desperate  stand 
for  their  capital.  The  public  had  looked  for  its  speedy  over 
throw,  but  it  was  now  clear,  that  the  march  to  it,  if  performed 
at  all,  must  be  over  heaps  of  slain. 

M.cClellan  kept  drawing  his  lines  closer  and  closer  round 
the  city — pushing  his  columns  across  the  Chickahominy,  pre 
paratory  to  a  final  advance.  By  a  bold  dash  on  Mechanics- 
ville,  he  had  been  able  to  cut  the  Fredericksburg  and  Rich 
mond  rail  road,  thus  preventing  a  sudden  concentration  of 
forces  on  McDowell. 

The  month  wore  away  in  this  manner  without  any  deci 
sive  results,  but  in  the  last  week,  public  expectation  was 
raised  by  a  telegraphic  dispatch,  stating  that  our  forces  after 
a  sharp  contest  had  captured  Hanover  Court  House.  This 
town  lies  nearly  twenty  miles  north  of  Richmond,  and  is  in 
tersected  by  the  Richmond  and  Potomac  and  Central  rail 
roads.  Being  so  far  north  of  Richmond,  and  away  from  the 
main  army,  its  capture  pointed,  unmistakably  it  was  thought, 
to  a  sudden  advance  of  McDowell  from  Fredericksburg  with 
his  division,  estimated  to  be  forty  thousand  strong.  McClel- 
lan  was  reaching  out  his  hand  nearly  a  third  of  the  way  to 
him,  asking  him  in  mute  but  pleading  accents,  to  fulfill  the 
promise  of  the  government,  without  which  he  knew  his  long 
and  terrible  march  would  end  in  failure. 

This  important  expedition  was  entrusted  to  General  Por 
ter.  At  daylight  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty-seventh,  the 
reveille  was  beat  in  the  camps,  and  in  an  hour  after,  the 
columns  were  in  motion — Major  Williams,  with  a  squadron 
of  cavalry,  moving  in  advance.  A  regiment  of  infantry, 
acting  as  skirmishers,  followed,  plunging  into  every  thicket, 
and  exploring  every  doubtful  locality.  Then  came  the  bat 
teries,  and  the  division.  It  was  a  gloomy  morning  in  which 


A    GLOOMY    MARCH.  417 

to  march,  for  the  soldiers  had  not  finished  their  breakfasts 
when  the  black  and  heavy  clouds  that  curtained  the  sky 
opened,  and  the  rain  came  down  in  torrents.  For  three 
hours  it  poured  like  a  heavy  thunder  shower,  making  it  dif 
ficult  to  keep  the  ammunition  dry,  and  drenching  the  sol 
diers  so  thoroughly  that  the  water  ran  in  rivulets  from  them, 
while  the  road  became  a  pool  of  mud.  The  march,  how 
ever,  was  pushed  steadily  forward  for  six  miles,  when  some 
mounted  pickets  were  encountered.  These  being  quickly 
dispersed,  the  column  kept  on  till  noon,  when  it  halted  with 
in  three  miles  of  the  Court  House. 

The  troops  had  now  marched  about  twelve  miles,  and 
had  three  more  to  go  before  they  reached  Hanover.  The 
storm  had  broke,  and  for  the  last  three  hours  the  march 
had  been  under  a  broiling  sun,  and  •  the  men  were  much 
fatigued.  The  halt  was,  however,  a  short  one,  and  the  col 
umn  moved  on. 

BATTLE    OF    HANOVER    COURT    HOUSE. 

The  advance  soon  came  upon  a  body  of  the  enemy  con 
cealed  in  the  woods,  when  a  sharp  contest  began.  The  regi 
ments  held  their  ground  bravely,  biit  could  make  no  head 
way  against  the  force  before  them.  Soon,  however,  the  ar 
tillery  came  up  on  a  gallop,  and  unlimbering,  sent  canister 
and  shell  through  the  woods.  The  Berdan  sharp  shooters 
also  hurried  forward,  and  taking  such  concealed  positions  as 
they  could,  or  lying  flat  on  their  stomachs,  picked  off  the 
enemy  rapidly.  Reinforcements  in  the  mean  time  continued 
to  arrive  from  Martindale's  and  Butterfield's  brigades,  and 
the  engagement  became  general.  The  artillery  kept  the 
woods  alive  with  shells  bursting  in  every  direction  amid  the 
concealed  foe,  while  the  roll  of  musketry  was  fierce  and  con 
stant.  Sheltered  by  the  trees,  the  rebels  made  a  stubborn 


418  KAIL    ROAD    DESTROYED. 

resistance,  and  for  two  hours  the  contest  was  close  and  se 
vere,  but  at  last  they  gave  way. 

As  they  reluctantly  broke  cover,  and  became  exposed  to 
view,  our  volleys  smote  them  with  such  deadly  effect  that 
their  retreat  changed  into  a  wild  run.  With  a  cheer,  our 
troops  now  pressed  forward  in  pursuit,  but  were  brought  to 
a  halt  by  General  Porter,  who  had  arrived  on  the  ground. 
Martindale's  brigade  was  then  detached  from  the  main  body, 
and  directed  to  push  on  to  the  Central  rail  road,  and  destroy 
the  bridges  over  the  Pamunkey  river.  Preceded  by  a  de 
tachment  of  cavalry,  it  pressed  rapidly  forward,  and  accom 
plished  its  object  without  resistance.  As  they  were  ap 
proaching  the  road,  they  saw  a  train  of  cars  moving  up  from 
Richmond,  filled  apparently  with  troops,  but  as  the  conductor 
caught  sight  of  our  flag,  and  the  .line  of  glistening  steel,  he 
reversed  his  engine,  and  rapidly  backed  the  train. 

In  the  mean  time,  Butterfield's  and  McQuade's  brigades 
pushed  on  after  the  fugitives  who  had  fled  to  the  left,  to 
wards  where  the  rail  road  crossed  the  turnpike.  Along  the 
road,  through  the  meadows,  grain  fields,  and  woods,  they 
swept  on  till  they  came  upon  the  enemy,  who  had  probably 
been  reinforced  by  the  troops  on  the  train,  and  were  drawn 
up  in  the  woods  near  Mrs.  Harris'  house.  The  contest  here 
was  sharp  but  not  long.  Martindale's  regiments,  after  the 
destruction  of  the  rail  road,  had  stacked  their  arms,  and 
were  sitting  and  lying  on  the  ground,  taking  a  short  rest, 
when  the  heavy  boom  of  cannon  brought  them  to  their  feet, 
and  swiftly  closing  up  their  ranks,  they  moved  off  in  the 
direction  of  the  fire.  The  enemy,  though  protected  by  a 
dense  forest,  a  second  time  gave  way  and  the  firing  for  a  while 
ceased.  The  rebels  retreated  to  another  piece  of  woods, 
nearer  the  Court  House,  and  made  a  third  and  last  stand. 
Our  tired  regiments,  determined  to  make  a  clean  sweep  of 
the  field,  moved  forward  again,  apparently  as  fresh  as  in  the 


THE    VICTORY.  419 

morning.  They  knew  not  the  number  of  the  enemy  op 
posed  to  them,  they  only  knew  the  woods  were  full  of  them, 
for  it  was  ablaze  with  their  volleys.  The  artillery  was  hur 
ried  forward,  a  part  taking  position  in  the  road,  and  the  rest 
in  an  adjoining  field,  the  two  batteries  placed  so  as  to  pour 
a  concentric  fire  into  the  timber.  Griffin's  terrible  guns  were 
there,  and  soon  the  green  arcades  were  alive  with  the  hurt 
ling  storm.  The  infantry,  coming  up  on  the  double-quick 
with  cheers,  filled  the  space  between  the  batteries,  and  blended 
their  steady  volleys  with  the  roar  of  the  guns.  It  was  five 
o'clock  when  the  action  began,  and  it  was  kept  up  without 
cessation  till  darkness  began  to  gather  over  the  landscape, 
when  the  rebels  abandoned  the  contest,  and  the  field  was 
won. 

The  sun  went  down  behind  the  green  trees  without  a  cloud, 
and  the  tranquil  stars  came  out  one  after  another  upon  the 
sky,  shedding  their  gentle  light  upon  field  and  wood,  all  un 
conscious  of  the  dead  and  dying  who  had  looked  their  last 
on  the  blue  heavens. 

The  loss  of  the  enemy,  as  usual,  could  only  be  guessed  at, 
while  ours  amounted,  in  killed,  wounded,  and  missing,  to 
three  hundred  and  forty-five,  chiefly  from  Butterfield's  and 
Martindale's  brigades,  on  which  the  heaviest  of  the  fighting 
fell.  We  took  one  gun,  several  trophies,  and  seven  hundred 
and  seventy-one  prisoners. 

Porter  had  conducted  this  hazardous  expedition  with  great 
skill,  in  which  he  was  nobly  sustained  by  Butterfield,  Mar 
tin  dale  and  McQuade. 

Now,  if  ever,  seemed  the  time  for  government  to  send 
forward  McDowell  to  close  up  McClellan's  right  wing,  and 
add  that  force  without  which  it  would  be  madness  to  move 
on  Richmond,  and  attempt  to  take  it  by  assault.  It  was 
only  a  little-  over  fifty  miles  from  Fredericksburg  to  Hanover 
Court  House,  and  the  whole  army  expected  him  to  advance  at 


420  MCDOWELL    EXPECTED    TO    ADVANCE. 

once.  It  was  because  the  enemy  expected  this  movement, 
that  Richmond  was  in  such  consternation,  and  the  inhabit 
ants  preparing  to  leave.  In  fact,  they  supposed  at  first,  that 
the  attack  on  Hanover  Court  House  was  made  by  McDowell. 

Apart  from  the  troops  left  to  keep  open  his  communica 
tion  and  protect  his  supplies,  McClellan  had  not  a  hundred 
thousand  men  with  whom  to  advance  on  the  rebel  capital, 
while  it  was  known  that  Davis  had  on  his  lines  of  defense  or 
within  call,  at  least  a  third  more.  With  his  inferior  force, 
and  his  right  wing  unprotected,  to  move  on  strong  fortifi 
cations,  so  heavily  defended,  would  have  been  madness, 
and  sure  to  end  in  disaster.  Neither  he  nor  his  corps 
commanders  ever  proposed  to  do  any  such  thing.  Though 
their  united  plan  had  been  broken  up,  yet  relying  on  the 
promise  of  the  government,  that  when  they  arrived  before 
Richmond,  McDowell  should  join  them  from  Fredericksburg, 
they  had  carried  forward  the  tedious  siege  of  Yorktown, 
and  fought  their  way  gallantly  to  the  gates  of  the  rebel  cap 
ital.  Farther  than  this  they  never  expected  to  go,  without 
the  co-operation  of  the  other  portion  of  the  army,  unless  some 
blunder  of  the  enemy  gave  an  unexpected  advantage.  Neither 
they  nor  McClellan  ever  proposed  to  do,  with  a  little  over  half 
the  army,  what  the  whole  had  been  gathered,  drilled  and  pre 
pared  to  accomplish.  The  army  had  not  been  divided  for  the 
purpose  of  leaving  half  of  it  idle,  while  the  other  half  did  all 
the  work.  It  would  seem  that  the  public  might  have  seen  this, 
but  did  not.  So  possessed  had  it  become  with  the  idea  that 
Richmond  must  fall,  that  it  would  not  listen  to  reason  nor 
take  into  account  the  relative  strength  of  the  forces  in  the 
field.  It  made  no  difference  whether  McClellan  had  fifty  or 
a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  men,  and  the  enemy  two  hun 
dred  thousand,  he  should  take  Richmond,  or  be  disgraced. 
The  people  expected  it  and  that  was  enough. 

Perhaps  there  never  was  another  instance  on  record,  in 


IMPATIENCE  OF  THE  PEOPLE.          421 

which  popular  impatience  exhibited  itself  in  such  an  unreason 
able  and  unjust  manner.  To  every  man  who  was  capable  of 
understanding  the  situation  of  things,  it  was  just  as  plain  now 
that  without  the  co-operation  of  McDowell's,  or  a  similar  corps, 
Richmond  would  not  be  taken,  as  it  was  two  months  after. 
McClellan  and  his  brave  corps  commanders  had  fought  their 
way  to  this  point  on  a  promise,  and  if  that  promise  was  not 
fulfilled,  they  knew  they  had  fought  in  vain.  The  appeals 
of  their  chief  to  the  government  for  its  fulfillment  were  most 
moving,  but  to  the  public,  not  a  word  of  complaint,  not  an 
explanation  was  given.  A  cloud,  dark  as  death,  began  to 
settle  around  that  devoted  army. 

The  popular  feeling  soon  after  became  clamorous  and  vin 
dictive — on  the  one  hand  denouncing  McClellan  and  demand 
ing  his  disgrace — on  the  other  upbraiding  the  government 
and  accusing  it  of  wantonly  perilling  the  country  to  effect  the 
ruin  of  McClellan.  Sweeping,  unjust,  irrational  accusations 
filled  the  press  and  the  streets — on  the  one  hand  making 
McClellan  unfit  to  command  a  regiment,  on  the  other  the 
President  and  Secretary  of  War  little  better  than  traitors. 

The  truth  can  be  told  in  a  few  words,  McClellan  never 
proposed,  or  promised,  or  expected  to  take  Richmond  loith  the 
forces  given  him.  The  government  withheld  the  requisite 
force  for  reasons  which  at  the  time  unquestionably  seemed 
right  and  proper,  and  demanded  by  the  public  safety. 

It  does  not  follow  that  because  McClellan's  plans  were 
broken  up,  they  would  have  been  successful  if  they  had  been 
carried  out.  In  the  execution  of  them,  defects  may  have 
been  discovered  which  rendered  their  abandonment  necessa 
ry,  or  at  least  apparently  so.  Whatever  blame  is  attached  to 
him,  must  be  attributed  to  the  theory  of  his  plan,  not  to  its 
failure  practically,  for  it  never  had  a  trial. 

This  much,  however,  may  be  said:  the  government  tried 
an  experiment  in  this  campaign,  which  we  believe  no  other 


422  A   SERIOUS   MISTAKE. 

government  of  modern  times  ever  dared  to  make.  Having 
an  army  of  over  two  hundred  thousand  men,  designed  to  act 
against  a  common  center,  Richmond — and  thus  occupy  in 
fact  one  great  battle  field^— it  divided  it  up  into  independent 
corps,  with  no  Commander-in-Chief  to  direct  the  movements 
of  the  whole,  except  the  Secretary  of  War,  who  knew  less 
of  military  science  than  any  regular  colonel  in  the  field.  It 
is  not  necessary  to  condemn  this  or  that  commander  to  get 
at  the  cause  of  failure.  It  will  always  come  under  such  an 
arrangement — if  not  to  day,  then  to  morrow.  It  was  one 
of  the  most  stupendous  blunders  ever  committed  by  a  great 
nation. 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

MAY-JUNE,  1862. 

A    FLOOD    IN    THE    CHICKAHOMINY MC  CLELLAN's  FORCES  SEPARATED    BY    IT 

THE    ENEMY -RESOLVES    TO    ATTACK    THE    PORTION     ACROSS    THE    KIVER    AND 

DESTROY    IT BATTLE    OF    FAIR    OAKS ROUT    OF    CASEY'S   DIVISION /IEINT- 

ZELMAN    COMES    TO    THE    RESCUE KEARNEY^S    DIVISION-1- BERRY'S    BRIGADE 

SUMNER    SUCCEEDS  IN    CROSSING THE    SECOND  DAY^S    BATTLE BAYONET 

CHARGE  OF  THE  SECOND  EXCELSIOR THE  VICTORY APPEARANCE  OF  THE 

FIELD — MC  CLELLAN'S  DISPATCH. 

THE  brilliant  victory  at  Hanover  Court  House,  proved  the 
prelude  to  the  most  desperate  battle  thus  far  of  the  war — 
that  of  Pittsburg  Landing  perhaps  alone  excepted.  Three* 
days  after,  a  terrible  storm,  accompanied  with  fearful  exhibi 
tions  of  lightning  and  explosions  of  thunder,  broke  over  the 
Union  camps.  The  water  came  down  in  floods  all  night,  com 
pletely  inundating  the  valley  through  which  the  Chick ahom- 
iny  flowed,  turning  the  narrow  stream  into  a  broad  and  mighty 
river,  converting  the  adjacent  swamps  into  expansive  lakes, 
and  carrying  away  one  bridge  and  rendering  another  unsafe. 
McGlellan,  in  pushing  forward  towards  Richmond,  had 
crossed  the  river  with  part  of  his  forces,  when  this  sudden 
and  unprecedented  flood  came.  Casey's  division,  numbering, 
when  it  left  Washington,  thirteen  thousand  men, — now  re 
duced  to  about  half  that  number — occupied  the  advance 
within  about  six  or  seven  miles  of  the  rebel  capital.  The 
Williamsburg  stage  road  runs  west,  direct  from  Bottom's 
bridge  across  the  Chickahominy  to  Richmond;  nearly  par 
allel  to  it,  and  varying  in  distance  from  a  mile  to  two  and  a 
half  or  three  miles,  is  the  West  Poir_t  rail  road.  On  and  be 
tween  these,  beyond  Fair  Oaks,  lay  his  division,  forming  the 
advance  of  the  left  wing,  his  pickets  extending  nearly  to  the 


424  POSITION    OF    OUR   FORCES. 

Chickahominy  north,  which,  flowing  from  the  north-west, 
formed  a  line  that  made  rather  an  acute  triangle  with  the 
rail  road.  Thus,  a  line  running  directly  north  and  south 
would  cut  the  river,  rail  road  and  stage  road,  making  a  gore 
of  land  between  the  river  and  either  of  the  roads.  Couch's 
division  lay  in  rear  of  Casey's,  on  the  stage  road.  A  space 
of  country,  about  a  mile  square,  enclosed  the  mass  of  these 
two  divisions,  on  the  front  and  left  of  which  was  a  belt  of 
forest,  occupied  by  our  pickets.  Between  this  cleared  space 
and  the  rail  road  was  a  wooded  swamp,  beyond  which  spread 
another  wide  extent  of  cultivated  fields,  in  which  was  sta 
tioned  Naglee's  brigade.  Wassell's  brigade  held  the  center, 
joined  on  the  left  by  General  Palmer's.  Heintzelman's  divis 
ion  was  directly  in  rear  of  the  whole,  on  the  same  side  of  the 
river,  though  several  miles  distant.  The  rest  of  the  forces 
were  on  the  other  side,  though  Sumner  was  just  ready  to 
cross,  farther  north,  where  Casey's  line  of  pickets  almost  cut 
the  river.  Casey  had  pushed  his  advance  as  far  as  he  could, 
and  had  commenced  intrenching  himself. 

This  was  the  position  of  affairs  when  that  terrible  storni 
suspended  operations.  Whether  the  resolution  of  the  rebels 
was -suddenly  taken  or  not  on  account  of  the  unexpected 
flood,  its  purpose  was  to  break  up,  capture  and  destroy 
Casey's,  Couch's  and  Heintzelman's  divisions,  before  rein 
forcements  could  be  thrown  across  the  Chickahominy  to  their 
relief.  If  the  movement  was  decided  upon  before  the  storm, 
its  unexpected  sudden  advent  and  destructive  power  must 
have  seemed  like  a  special  interposition  of  Providence,  for  it 
made  it  very  doubtful  whether  reinforcements  could  be 
thrown  over  at  all,  leaving  them  to  finish  those  isolated 
divisions  at  their  leisure. 

The  storm  having  done  its  work,  sending  a  turbulent  flood 
and  spreading  a  wide  lake  between  the  two  portions  of  the 
army,  the  rebels  believed  that  the  overthrow  of  the  divisions 


'COMMENCEMENT    OF    THE    BATTLE.  425 

between  them  and  the  Chickahominy  was  certain.  During 
the  whole  night  before,  the  dull  sound  of  heavy  trains  coming 
in  from  Richmond  and  halting  only  a  short  distance  in  front, 
awakened  suspicion  that  some  hostile  movement  was  on  foot. 
The  next  morning,  an  aid  to  the  rebel  general  Johnson, 
having  on  his  person  a  complete  description  of  our  forces 
and  their  various  positions,  and  evidently  seeking  some  more 
definite  information  concerning  some  of  the  cross  roads,  was 
captured  by  our  pickets.  The  pickets  also  reported  that  the 
enemy  was  showing  himself  in  force  in  front.  This,  how 
ever,  being  a  common  occurrence,  occasioned  very  little 
alarm — still  a  regiment  was  sent  out  to  their  support.  It 
had  not  been  gone  long  before  a  vidette  came  dashing  in, 
saying  that  the  enemy  in  heavy  columns  and  extended  line 
was  moving  down  upon  our  line  of  pickets. 

BATTLE    OF    FAIR    OAKS. 

• 

Instantly  the  long  roll  was  beat — the  working  parties  re 
called,  and  the  whole  division  ordered  under  arms.  It  was 
now  about  noon,  and  when  the  alarm  was  given,  preparations 
for  dinner  were  going  on  in  the  various  camps.  Instantly 
every  thing  was  in  commotion,  and  four  regiments  and  four 
pieces  of  artillery  were  sent  forward  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to 
meet  the  advancing  enemy.  Casey  soon  discovered,  how 
ever,  that  it  was  putting  up  a  straw  to  stop  the  hurricane; 
for  the  tactics  of  the  other  Johnston  at  Pittsburg  Landing 
were  here  practised  over  again.  Not  cautiously  feeling  his 
way  by  detached  brigades,  nor  stopping  to  make  sure  work 
with  his  artillery,  did  the  enemy  advance;  but  in  massive 
columns,  and  threefold  lines,  and  wide  enfolding  wings,  led 
by  Hill  and  Longstreet,  he  came  boldly  down  like  an  on 
sweeping  wave,  determined  to  crush  all  obstacles  by  the 
suddenness  and  weight  of  the  onset.  Some  of  the  regiments 


426  A   STRANGE   SPECTACLE. 

and  portions  of  regiments  bore  up  gallantly,  hour  after  hour, 
against  this  overwhelming  force ;  and  our  artillery  in  front, 
especially  Regan's,  with  canister  and  grape,  and  in  rear  with 
shells,  sent  devastation  through  the  crowded  ranks.  Deficient 
in  artillery,  the  rebels  seemed  to  rely  chiefly  on  small  arms, 
and  from  the  outset  were-rletermined  to  come  to  a  hand  to  hand 
conflict,  in  which  their  overwhelming  numbers  would  decide 
the  contest  before  help  could  arrive.  Casey's  line  of  battle  was 
soon  broken,  some  of  the  regiments  fleeing  in  the  wildest  panic, 
and  never  stopping  till  they  reached  the  Chickahominy,  nor 
even  then.  His  second  line  was  formed  behind  his  redoubts, 
but  this  too  after  a  short,  vain  struggle,  also  yielded,  and 
many  of  our  guns  fell  into  their  hands — among  them  a  bat 
tery  of  brass  pieces,  in  endeavoring  to  save  which,  Captain 
Bailey  was  killed.  Regan's  battery,  which  did  fearful  exe- 
cution,  was  saved  by  a  charge  of  bayonet.  The  camp  was 
swept  with  such  fury  that  nothing  was  saved.  The  panic 
stricken  soldiers  thought  only  of  themselve's,  and  lost  alike 
to  patriotism  and  honor,  came  pouring  down  the  muddy  stage 
road  like  a  herd  of  frightened  cattle.  General  Peck,  with 
his  military  family,  was  quietly  seated  in  the  open  air,  taking 
his  coffee  and  rice,  when  the  regular  and  sustained  volleys  in 
front  suddenly  brought  all  to  their  feet  and  to  the  saddle. 
The  long  roll  was  beaten,  hurried  orders  were  dispatched  to 
put  the  brigade  under  arms,  and  in  a  few  minutes  from  the 
time  his  noonday  lunch  was  interrupted,  Peck  was  spurring 
forward  to  the  scene  of  action.  He  had  not  gone  far,  how 
ever,  before  he  met  the  great  straggling  flow  of  the  fugitives, 
filling  up  the  entire  road  in  their  disorderly  flight.  The  cow 
ardly  crew,  when  they  saw  the  officers  barricading  the  road, 
began  to  limp,  and  hide  their  hands  in  their  bosoms,  to  make 
believe  they  were  wounded — their  ridiculous  contortions  and 
the  shamed  expression  of  their  faces  all  the  while  exposing 
the  disgraceful  deception  they  were  attempting  to  practise. 


HEINTZELMAN    COMES    TO   THE    RESCUE.  427 

The  officers  dashed  among  them,  cursing  them  fiercely  to 
their  faces  as  poltroons.  But  still  the  flow  kept  deepening — 
while  great  stalwart  men,  with  muskets  in  their  hands,  simu 
lated  sickness,  and  gave  lying  excuses  to  each  stern  demand 
what  they  meant  by  this  shameful  cowardice ;  and  limped  by, 
presenting  at  once  a  sickening  and  maddening  spectacle. 
Covered  with  mud,  showing  that  they  had  thrown  themselves 
on  the  ground  in  terror,  to  escape  the  shot  and  shells  that 
screamed  through  the  air,  they  presented  a  sad  specimen  of 
freemen  fighting  for  the  national  flag.  A  guard  was  finally 
stretched  across  the  road  to  arrest  this  steadily  increasing 
stream  of  cowards,  and  drive  them  back  to  their  duty.  But  it 
was.  all  in  vain — they  heard  the  steady  roar  of  the  guns,  sound 
ing  momentarily  nearer,  and  impelled  onward  by  fear,  they 
turned  off  into  the  fields  and  neighboring  woods — still  fleeing 
towards  the  Chickahominy.  It  was  an  amazing  spectacle. 

It  was  soon  evident  that  Casey's  division  was  gone ;  shat 
tered  into  irrecoverable  fragments ;  and  Keys  hurried  off  his 
staff  officers  to  Heintzelman  for  help.  But  the  old  hero  was 
already  on  the  march — his  '  practiced  ear  had  told  him  by 
the  tremendous  volleys  that  shook  the  field,  that  an  over 
whelming  force  was  moving  down  upon  our  positions.  As 
soon  as  he  heard  the  astounding  news  of  the  utter  rout  of 
Casey's  division,  he  sent  back  for  Kearney's  and  Birney's 
brigades,  and  the  chivalric  Berry's,  whose  bayonets  he  had 
greeted  with  a  shout  when  so  hard  bestead  at  Williamsburg. 

Brave  troops  were  soon  on  the  march ;  but  what  would  be 
the  effect  on  them  of  this  wild  panic-stricken  horde,  their 
own  iron-hearted  leaders  trembled  to  contemplate.  The 
fifty-fifth  New  York  was  ordered  to  march  forward  into  the 
fight;  but  instead  of  advancing  with  firm  and  confident 
front,  it  moved  spasmodically,  its  hitches  and  starts  showing 
beforehand  where  it  would  be  when  the  hurricane,  of  fire 
should  smite  them. 


428  HEROIC   ACTION. 

But  there  were  other  sights,  cheering  to  the  hearts  of  the 
brave.  Just  then  the  sixty-second  came  up  with  an  easy  tread, 
and  gay  and  confident  bearing,  and  as  they  saw  the  shirking, 
timorous  regiment  ahead,  instead  of  catching  the  fear,  pour 
ed  a  torrent  of  scorn  upon  them,  and  though  the  great  coni 
cal  shot  were  shrieking  overhead,  and  shells  bursting  on 
every  side,  haughtily  exclaimed,  "  fall  in  behind,  the  sixty- 
second  is  good  shelter,"  and  moved  steadily  forward  into  the 
rain  of  death.  Officers,  with  their  arms  in  a  sling,  arose  from 
their  sick  beds,  to  lead  their  troops  to  the  charge ;  soldiers 
with  mutilated  fingers,  left  their  ranks  only  long  enough  to 
get  their  wounds  dressed,  and  hurried  back  into  the  fight. 
It  was  passing  strange,  that  men  of  the  same  blood,  and 
fighting  under  the  same  flag,  should  differ  so  widely  in  bear 
ing.  But  this  shameful  rout  was  to  be  stopped  at  the  point 
of  the  bayonet,  by  true  men. 

It  was  now  nearly  four  o'clock,  and  ever  since  half  past 
one,  the  rebels  had  had  it  all  their  own  way.  Couch  and 
Peck,  finding  the  enemy  moving  down  in  heavy  masses  to 
wards  Fair  Oaks,  on  our  right,  crossed  the  field  at  right  an 
gles  to  the  road,  and  meeting  them  in  the  woods,  held  them 
fiercely  at  bay,  till  overwhelmed  by  superior  numbers,  they 
were  compelled  to  fall  back.  Peck's  horse,  while  clashing 
through  the  fire,  received  a  ball  through  the  neck — the  next 
instant  another  pierced  his  flank.  Still  unhurt,  this  gallant 
commander  was  spurring  on,  when  a  cannon  ball  took  off 
both  of  the  hind  legs  of  his  steed,  and  he  sunk  to  the 
ground.  Mounting  another,  he  cheered  on  the  troops  by 
his  dauntless  bearing. 

In  the  mean  while,  Kearney,  of  Heintzelman's  division, 
led  his  regiments  forward,  who,  as  they  met  the  broken 
battalions  of ,  Casey's  divisions,  sent  up  a  loud  hurrah  of  de 
fiance,  and  breasting  fiercely  the  human  torrent,  divided  it, 
as  the  strong  ship  parts  the  waves.  "  This  is  not  the  way  to 


KEARNEY'S  DIVISION.  429 

Richmond"  shouted  the  fearless ' Kearney  to  the  frightened 
fugitives,  but  he  spoke  in  vain,  and  he  saw  that  he  must  look 
to  his  own  brave  men  to  save  the  day,  not  to  them.  Berry 
led  forward  his  glorious  Michigan  men  to  sure  victory.  A 
ball,  carrying  away  his  cap,  he  rode  at  the  head  of  his  col 
umn  bareheaded. 

The  third  Michigan  of  his  brigade  was  the  first  up,  and  this 
Kearney  ordered  into  the  felled  timber,  where  it  maintained  a 
most  desperate  contest  till  ten  of  its  officers  and  a  hundred  and 
fifty  men  were  killed  or  wounded.  A  company  of  picked 
marksmen,  numbering  fifty  men,  stood  and  loaded  and  fired, 
till  half  of  its  entire  number  had  fallen,  together  with  its  cap 
tain  and  lieutenant.  The  enemy  in  front  of  them  fell  like 
corn  before  the  sickle.  The  fifth  Michigan,  that  won  such 
laurels  at  Williamsburg,  came  up  next,  and  dashing  forward 
with  a  shout,  opened  a  most  rapid  and  destructive  fire.  At 
Williamsburg  it  lost  a  hundre'd  and  fifty-four  men — here 
under  the  overwhelming  fire  to  which  it  was  exposed,  it  lost 
a  hundred  and  fifty -three  more.  Soon  Jamieson  came  up 
with  his  brigade,  from  the  rear,  and  pushing  through  the 
abattis  in  front,  met  a  large  body  of  the  enemy,  moving 
on  swiftly  and  in  fine  order,  and  repelled  them  gallantly. 
The  one  hundred  and  fifth  Pennsylvania,  of  this  brigade, 
lost  in  this  short,  severe  fight,  eleven  officers  and  two  hund 
red  and  forty  men.  Napoleon's  veterans  never  stood  firmer 
tinder  a  devastating  fire.  The  firing  on  both  sides  now  be 
came  awful.  There  was  no  interval  to  it,  as  though  the  op 
posing  forces  were  advancing  and  retiring,  but  one  continu 
ous  thunder  peal,  ribbed  with  the  screaming  conical  shot, 
and  interspersed  with  bursting  shells,  that  fell  rapidly  as  hail 
stones  from  heaven,  amid  the  rock  fast  ranks.  The  din  and 
uproar  were  so  terrific,  that  officers,  though  their  saddles 
touched,  had  to  scream  to  each  other  to  be  heard. 

Above  the  sulphurous  canopy  that  curtained  in  the  hosts, 


430  SUMNER    CROSSES   THE    RIVER. 

an  immense  balloon  hung'  high  in  heaven,  with  telegraph 
wires  dropping  from  it  to  McClellan's  head-quarters,  report 
ing  every  movement  of  the  enemy,  and  reminding  one  of 
the  fabled  gods  of  old,  looking  down  on  the  conflict.  The 
boast  of  the  enemy,  that  he  would  drive  our  weak  divisions 
into  the  Chickahominy,  seemed  at  first  about  to  be  accom 
plished  ;  but  Heintzelman  had  suddenly  built  an  iron  wall 
across  his  path,  against  which  he  dashed  in  vain.  Though 
assailed  by  vastly  superior  numbers,  the  brigades  and  regi 
ments  stood  firm.  Berry  and  Kearny  and  Jamieson,  per 
formed  prodigies  of  valor,  and  exposing  themselves  like  the 
commonest  soldier,  made  their  troops  invincible.  Heintzel 
man  had  his  horse  shot  under  him,  and  so  did  Jamieson, 
whose  brigade  suffered  terribly,  while  Peck  was  slightly 
wounded. 

At  length,  the  long  lines  of  the  gleaming  bayonets  of  Gor 
man's  brigade,  the  advance  of  Simmer's  division,  appeared  on 
the  field,  near  Fair  Oaks  station.  This  General  who  occupied 
the  right,  some  three  miles  up  the  river,  had  received  or 
ders  from  McClellan,  as  soon  as  he  heard  of  Casey's  defeat 
to  cross  at  once  with  his  division,  and  help  Heintzelman. 
Of  the  two  bridges  he  had  built,  one  had  just  been  carried 
away  by  the  flood,  and  the  other  was  swaying  before  the 
rushing  tide,  threatening  every  moment  to  share  the  fate  of 
its  companion.  Engineers  were  at  once  set  to  work,  strength 
ening  the  trembling  structure,  while  the  massive  columns 
went  pouring  across  it.  Through  the  water  to  reach  it,  and 
across  the  flooded  fields  after  they  were  over,  they  hurried 
on,  and  when  firm  footing  was  obtained  dashed  forward  at 
the  double-quick.  At  first,  it  seemed  impossible  to  get  the 
artillery  over.  The  horses  floundered  in  the  mud  and  water, 
and  the  heavy  pieces  stuck  fast ;  but  by  lifting  and  urging, 
they  were  at  length  got  upon  the  crazy  structure,  that  threat' 
ened  every  moment  to  give  way  and  engulph  the  whole. 


CLOSE    OF    FIRST    DAY^S    BATTLE.  431 

Almost  superhuman  exertions  were  put  forth,  and  they  at 
length  reached  solid  ground.  The  rapidly  rising  river  was 
now  flowing  even  with  the  timbers,  and  scarcely  was  the  last 
gun  over,  when  they  began  to  float  away  on  the  turbulent 
stream.  Before  the  division  arrived  on  the  field,  the  strug 
gle  in  the  center  had  become  frightful,  and  Kearney  no  longer 
able  to  hold  his  ground  against  the  tremendous  masses  that 
kept  accumulating  against  him,  had  to  abandon  his  position. 
He  held  it,  however,  until  he  was  completely  outflanked, 
and  his  line  of  retreat  cut  off.  In  this  critical  situation, 
he  ordered  the  thirty-seventh  New  York,  a  regiment  dis 
tinguished  for  its  discipline  and  valor,  to  face  about  and 
cover  the  rear,  which  they  did  most  gallantly,  holding  back 
the  enemy  flushed  with  victory  and  confident  in  his  supe 
rior  numbers,  until  the  advance  regiments  .could  fall  back, 
when  by  taking  an  old  saw  mill  road  through  the  woods, 
known  to  the  scouts,  they  reached  the  strong  position  they 
had  left  at  noon. 

In  the  mean  time  Sedgwick's  brigade  came  up,  and  quickly 
ranging  twenty-four  guns  in  an  open  field,  poured  in  a  horri 
ble  fire,  strewing  the  earth  with  dead.  Flesh  and  blood  could 
not  stand  the  tempest  of  iron,  and  the  enemy,  after  vainly 
attempting  to  breast  it,  wheeled  and  left  the  field  piled  with 
his  dead. 

Night  now  put  an  end  to  the  combat,  and  the  two  armies, 
face  to  face,  bivouaced  on  the  bloody  field  where  they  had 
fought,  within  half  musket  shot — the  pickets  being  within 
talking  distance  of  each  other.  Amid  the  dead  and  dying 
they  lay,  waiting  for  the  morning  light  to  decide  the  issue. 
The  uproar  of  the  day  had  ceased — the  heated  cannon  still 
darkly  frowning  on  each  other,  slumbered  in  their  places,  and 
silence  rested  on  the  torn  and  trampled  plain,  broken  only 
by  the  dull  rumble  of  ambulances,  carrying  off  the  wounded, 
or  the  low  moans  of  the  sufferers  as  they  were  lifted  from 

26 


432  A   FEARFUL   SABBATH. 

their  gory  bed.  Darkness  covered  the  ghastly  spectacle  of 
the  slain,  who  lay  in  heaps  on  every  side. 

The  Sabbath  day  of  the  first  of  June  dawned  mild  and 
tranquil — day  of  hallowed  rest  and  promise  of  a  peaceful  life 
to  come — of  rest  indeed  to  the  thousands  that  lay  on  that 
bloody  field,  who  had  gone  from  the  smoke  and  carnage  of 
battle  to  that  still  land  where  the  tread  of  armies  is  never 
heard — day  of  rest  to  the  millions,  who  rose  to  their  morning 
devotions,  ere  the  bell  summoned  them  to  the  place  of  prayer 
and  praise,  but  not  one  of  rest  to  the  tired  and  decimated 
armies  that  the  roll  of  the  drum  called  from  their  wet  beds 
of  earth  to  the  shock  of  battle. 

The  rebels,  after  solacing  themselves  with  the  stores  and 
accommodations  found  in  Casey's  and  Couch's  camps,  pre 
pared  to  renew  the  attack;  but  their  able  leader  Johnson  was 
not  with  them  to  lead  them  to  victory,  for  he  had  been  car 
ried  wounded  to  Richmond. 

At  daylight,  Hooker's  division  rested  on  the  railroad — on 
the  farther  side,  in  a  semi-circle,  were  the  divisions  of  Rich 
ardson  and  Sedgwick,  their  left  joining  his  right.  To  the 
extreme  left,  were  the  remnants  of  Casey's  and  Couch's  di 
vision.  About  six  o'clock,  Heintzelman  and  Hooker  sat 
down  behind  our  breast  works,  and  soon  arranged  the  order 
of  battle.  A  reconnoissance  was  made,  when  the  enemy  was 
found  to  be  in  great  force  on  both  our  flanks.  The  brigade 
under  Sickles,  composed  of  the  five  Excelsior  regiments,  and 
the  fifth  and  sixth  New  Jersey,  moved  forward  at  a  quarter 
past  seven,  and  drew  up  in  line  of  battle  in  a  wheat  field,  di 
rectly  in  front  of  a  large  piece  of  woods  in  which  the  rebels 
were  concealed.  The  latter  immediately  opened  fire,  and  the 
battle  commenced.  Of  those  seven  regiments,  not  a  man 
flinched.  The  fifth  and  sixth  New  Jersey,  though  thinned 
at  every  discharge,  loaded  and  fired  as  coolly  as  though  en 
gaged  only  in  target  practice.  The  Excelsior  regiments 


GALLANT   BAYONET   CHARGE.  433 

steadily  advanced  as  they  fired,  but  Sickles  saw  that  with  the 
enemy  covered  by  the  woods,  the  fight  was  too  unequal  to  be 
maintained  long  and  resolved  to  clear  them  at  the  point  of 
the  bayonet.  To  the  second  Excelsior  was  assigned  the  des 
perate  undertaking.  With  firm  set  ranks,  and  leveled  pieces 
this  gallant  regiment  moved  rapidly  over  the  intervening 
space  and  approached  the  woods.  The  rebels  gazed  on  the 
glittering  line  without  dismay,  and  closing  their  ranks  sternly 
awaited  the  onset.  It  was  a  fearful  sight — the  flashing  eyes 
and  leveled  pieces  of  the  enemy  on  the  one  side,  and  that 
noiseless  unwavering  line  of  steel  on  the  other.  The  rebels 
reserved  their  fire  till  the  bayonet  points  were  within  six 
ty  yards  of  them,  when  a  sheet  of  flame  ran  along  their  ranks 
and  a  murderous  volley  swept  the  advancing  regiment.  Tak 
ing  it  full  in  their  faces  without  flinching  or  faltering,  with 
one  wild  thrilling  shout  they  bounded  on  the  foe.  As  the 
smoke  of  the  volley  lifted,  the  rebels  saw  that  line  of  steel 
still  unbroken,  close  upon  them.  Appalled  at  the  desperate 
daring,  they  broke  in  utter  panic.  Their  Colonel,  overthrown 
in  the  shock,  suddenly  recovered,  and  cried  out,  u  Rally  once 
more  my  boys,n  but  the  next  moment  he  saw  that  the  bayo 
nets  that  environed  him  were  not  those  of  his  friends,  and 
the  loud  hurrahs  that  rent  the  air  came  from  his  conquerors. 
The  battle  now  raged  furiously  along  the  whole  center  and 
right,  and  when  the  gallant  regiments  could  not  clear  their  way 
with  their  deadly  volleys,  they  advanced  with  the  bayonet, 
enacting  over  a"*ain  the  heroic  deeds  of  the  second  Excelsior. 

O  o 

Meanwhile,  Richardson  and  Sedgwick  were  steadily  clos 
ing  their  semicircle  on  the  enemy.  Where  the  left  wing 
of  the  division  rested  on  the  rail  road,  the  ground  was  cov 
ered  with  woods,  with  here  and  there  an  opening ;  but  on 
the  right  a  cleared  field  a  mile  in  extent,  spread  away. 
Here  Richardson  posted  a  battery  of  ten-pound  Parrott  guns, 
which,  with  the  brigade  of  French,  and  one  regiment  of 


434  THE   ENEMY   REPULSED.  ' 

Howard's,  formed  the  first  line.  The  remaining  three  regi 
ments  of  Howard's  brigade  formed  the  second,  and  Meagher's 
with  eighteen  pieces  of  artillery,  the  third.  Early  in  the 
morning  the  enemy's  skirmishers  formed  in  line  and  ad 
vanced  over  this  field,  while  a  large  body  of  cavalry,  their 
sabers  gleaming  in  the  light,  were  preparing  to  charge.  The 
Parrott  guns  were  immediately  directed  on  these,  which  dis 
persed  them,  when  the  enemy  swung  round  towards  the  left, 
and  came  down  in  tremendous  force  along  the  rail  road  track, 
till  they  arrived  at  two  common  wood  roads  that  crossed  it, 
up  which  they  rapidly  pushed  heavy  columns,  and  deployed 
in  line  of  battle.  When  within  half  musket  shot,  French 
and  Howard  opened  a  terrible  fire  upon  them,  which  for  an 
hour  and  a  half  without  intermission,  swept  their  ranks  with 
deadly  effect.  Howard  exposed  himself  like  the  commonest 
soldier,  until  at  last  he  was  struck  by  a  ball  which  shattered 
his  arm.  Instantly  waving  the  mutilated  member  aloft  as  a 
pennon,  he  cheered  on  his  men  to  the  charge,  and  was  then 
borne  from  the  field. 

The  enemy  now  fell  back  and  the  battle  here  seemed 
ended;  but  suddenly  receiving  reinforcements,  he  gave  a 
tremendous  shout,  and  moved  forward  again  to  the  attack. 
Meagher's  gallant  brigade  was  then  brought'  up  to  relieve 
the  hard  pressed  regiments.  Advancing  with  their  well 
known  war  shout,  they  closed  with  fearful  ferocity  on  the 
foe,  and  for  an  hour  mowed  them  down,  almost  by  compa- 
panics.  Unable  to  gain  one  inch  of  ground,  the  enemy 
again  retreated,  their  flight  hastened  by  a  storm  of  shells 
from  the  Parrott  guns. 

Thus,  along  the  whole  line  of  battle,  from  left  to  right, 
they  were  driven  back  in  confusion. 

About  noon  McClellan  rode  on  the  field  with  his  staff,  and 
as  he  swept  along  the  lines,  the  enthusiasm  of  the  troops 
was  raised  to  the  highest  pitch,  and  the  deafening  cheers 


THE    BATTLE    FIELD.  435 

rolled  like  thunder  over  the  field.  Spurring  on  in  search  of 
Heintzelman,  he  found  the  tired  hero  dismounted,  and  sit 
ting  on  the  ground  under  a  tree.  Handing  his  horse  to  his 
orderly,  he  seated  himself  beside  him,  and  questioned  him 
rapidly  of  the  state  of  things.  Other  generals  soon  joined 
them,  forming  a  brilliant  group  there  on  the  edge  of  battle. 
The  reports  were  all  alike,  the  enemy  were  falling  back  in 
every  part  of  the  field. 

'  All  our  lost  ground  was  at  length  won,  and  it  WJLS  deter 
mined  not  to  advance  farther,  as  only  a  portion  of  the  army 
was  over  the  river,  or  could  be  got  over  till  the  flood 
subsided.  Had  McClellan  been  able  to  move  the  whole 
army,  he  would  have  followed  the  enemy  to  the  streets  of 
Richmond,  and  then  and  there  settled  the  fate  of  the  rebel 
capital. 

After  the  battle  was  over,  McClellan  rode  with  his 
body  guard  through  the  victorious  ranks.  The  shouts  that 
greeted  him,  told  how  deeply  he  had  fixed  himself  in  the 
affections  of  the  army.  Even  the  wounded  raised  their 
heads,  and  added  their  feeble  cheers  to  the  thundering  hur 
rahs  that  rolled  over  the  plain. 

It  was  a '  great  victory,  though  won  at  a  fearful  cost. 
Mangled  heaps  of  friends  and  foes  spotted  the  fields  and 
woods  in  every  direction,  and  lay  in  long  and  mournful  lines 
along  the  roads.  Men  of  the  same  faith  and  blood,  members 
of  the  same  church,  who  should  have  been  worshiping  in 
God's  blessed  temple  on  this  Sabbath  day,  lay  side  by  side, 
their  spirits  having  passed  together  to  that  land  where  no 
confusion  of  right  and  wrong  makes  enemies  of  those  who 
should  be  friends.  It  was  a  sight  over  which  angels  might 
weep.  More  than  ten  thousand  had  fallen  there  amid  the 
springing  grass  and  grain,  and  under  the  shadow  of  the 
green  woods.  The  ghastly  bayonet  wounds  on  every  side, 
were  a  new  spectacle  to  American  soldiers.  Four  separate 


436  RESULT    OF   THE   BATTLE. 

charges  had  been  made  during  the  day,  and  each  time  with 
complete  success. 

Our  total  loss  in  killed,  wounded,  and  missing,  was  five 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  thirty-nine.  The  enemy  took, 
beside  many  prisoners,  nineteen  cannon  from  Casey's  division, 
which  they  hurried  off  on  Saturday  night  to  Richmond,  as 
trophies,  and  a  large  quantity  of  stores  of  all  kinds.  Their 
loss  was  variously  estimated  at  from  ten  to  twelve  thousand ; 
but  their  own  reports  afterward  made  it  only  a  few  hundred, 
more  than  ours. 

Several  distinguished  officers  fell  into  our  hands,  among 
whom  was  General  Pettigrew.  But  the  heaviest  loss  of  the 
enemy  was  that  of  the  Commander -in- Chief,  Johnson,  whose 
wound  removed  him  from  active  service.  Twenty  thousand 
men  could  have  been  better  spared  than  he. 

For  days  after  the  battle,  the  field  covered  with  the  wrecks 
of  the  fight,  presented  a  frightful  spectacle.  Between  three  and 
four  hundred  horses  lay  strewed  along  where  the  battle  had 
raged  fiercest.  These  were  collected  in  huge  pyramids 
and  burned. 

As  in  the  battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  both  sides  claimed 
the  victory,  and  as  in  that,  the  first  day  the  enemy  was  vic 
torious.  His  tactics  were  the  same  in  both  ;  his  object  being 
to  drive  a  part  of  the  army  into  a  river,  before  the  other 
part  could  come  up,  and  he  nearly  succeeded  in  both.  But 
in  each  case  he  failed  to  carry  out  his  plan,  and  was  driven 
from  the  field,  leaving  his  dead  behind  him. 

So  far  as  immediate  results  were  concerned,  it  was  a  bar 
ren  victory  to  both  sides,  for  it  left  the  two  armies  in  pre 
cisely  the  same  relative  position  that  they  were  in  before.  The 
battle,  however,  did  not  in  any  way  interrupt  the  plans 'of 
McClellan,  but  a  disaster  to  our  armies  in  the  Shenandoah 
valley,  that  occurred  about  this  time,  did  most  seriously 
interfere  with  those  of  the  government,  and  thus  eventually 
overwhelmed  him  with  disaster. 


CASEY'S  DIVISION.  437 

McClellan's  dispatch  to  the  government,  announcing  the 
victory,  awarded  unbounded  praise  to  his  troops  with  the 
exception  of  Casey's  division,  of  which  he  spoke  in  severe 
terms.  More  accurate  information  obtained  afterwards, 
caused  him  to  modify  his  charges  against  it  somewhat ;  still 
he  evidently  felt  that  its  behavior  was  disgraceful  and  well 
nigh  caused  his  ruin.  The  gallant  conduct  of  some  of  the 
regiments  and  portions  of  regiments,  by  which  the  enemy 
was  held  in  check  for  a  long  time,  could  not  shield  the  di 
vision  from  condemnation.  The  efforts  afterwards  made  to 
defend  its  conduct  were  only  partially  successful.  Even 
Casey's  and  Naglee's  dispatches  saved  the  reputation  only 
of  individual  regiments. 


CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

MAY,  1862. 

MC  DOWELL  ABOUT  TO  JOIN  MC  CLELLAN SHIELDS'  DIVISION  DETACHED  FROM 

BANKS— JACKSON  RESOLVES  TO  ATTACK  THE  LATTER GALLANT  DEFENSE 

OF  KENLY  AT  FRONT  ROYAL BANKS  RESOLVES  TO  FALL  BACK  TO  THE 

POTOMAC THE  REAR  GUARD  CUT  OFF BATTLE  AT  WINCHESTER THE  ARMY 

REACHES  THE  POTOMAC  IN  SAFETY  AND  CROSSES  INTO  MARYLAND — BANKS 

AS  A  GENERAL FRIGHT  OF  THE  SECRETARY  OF  WAR THE  MILITIA  CALLED 

OUT SUCCESS  OF  JACKSON?S  FLAN MCDOWELL  AND  FREMONT  ORDERED 

TO  INTERCEPT  JACKSON'S  RETREAT. 

BEFORE  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks  occurred,  McDowell,  at 
Fredericksburg,  was  preparing  at  last  to  move  down  to 
the  assistance  of  McClellan.  The  news  that  his  army  had 
crossed  the  Rappahannock,  and  turned  its  face  towards  Rich 
mond,  was  received  with  intense  satisfaction,  and  the  bitter 
complaints  and  angry  discussions  gave  way  to  general  con 
gratulations  that  the  government  had  finally  moved  -in  the 
right  direction ;  for  it  was  confidently  believed,  that  the  junc 
tion  of  his  troops  with  those  of  McClellan,  would  be  the  sig 
nal  of  an  immediate  advance  on  the  rebel  capital.  To  give 
him  greater  strength,  Shields,  with  fifteen  thousand  men, 
had  been  detached  from  Banks'  division  to  join  him. 

After  the  victory  at  Winchester,  over  Stonewall  Jackson, 
as  he  was  called,  Banks  had  for  a -while  steadily  pursued 
him  without  being  able  to  bring  on  a  battle.  At  length 
there  seemed  to  be  a  suspension  of  his  movements,  and  like 
McDowell  he  was  thought  to  be  awaiting  the  progress  of 
affairs  at  Yorktown.  The  surrender  of  that  place,  however, 
and  the  movement  of  the  army  on  to  Richmond  caused  no 
change  of  attitude  in  either  of  these  generals. 


ATTACK   ON    COLONEL   KENLY.  439 

Banks,  at  this  time,  was  at  Strasburg,  with  the  remnant  of 
the  army  left  to  him,  numbering  about  five  thousand  men, 
with 'fifteen  hundred  cavalry.  Of  course  he  was  not  expected 
to  hold  his  position  with  that  force,  against  Jackson,  should  he 
advance  upon  him.  In  that  event,  retreat  would  be  inevita 
ble  ;  but  why  he  did  not  fall  back  simultaneously  with  the  de 
parture  of  Shields,  or  at  least  so  dispose  his  trains  as  to  be 
unincumbered  by  them,  if  called  upon  to  retreat  hastily,  was 
a  little  surprising.  At  all  events,  he  remained  quietly  at 
Strasburg  with  his  little  army,  having  taken  the  precaution 
to  station  a  Maryland  regiment,  under  Colonel  Kenly,  at 
Front  Eoyal,  twelve  miles  in  advance.  Jackson,  through  his 
spies,  had  been  informed  of  the  departure  of  Shields,  and  of 
the  weakness  of  Banks,  and  resolved  to  make  a  sudden  dash 
on  the  latter  and  capture  his  entire  force,  threaten  the  Poto 
mac,  and  thus  alarm  the  government  at  Washington,  and 
make  it  withhold  the  troops  from  McClellan. 

On  the  twenty- third,  Jackson,  in  pursuance  of  his  plan, 
suddenly  appeared  on  the  banks  of  the  Shenandoah,  in  front 
of  Kenly's  regiment.  The  long  roll  at  once  sounded,  and 
Colonel  Kenly  drew  up  his  regiment  so  as  to  command  the 
approach,  and  awaited  the  attack.  In  a  short  time  the  enemy 
appeared  in  overwhelming  numbers,  and  opened  with  artil 
lery  and  musketry,  on  the  Marylanders.  They  returned  the 
fire  with  such  precision  and  coolness,  that  the  advancing 
columns  were  checked,  though  not  driven  back.  A  desper-  . 
ate  fight  followed,  in  which  this  single  regiment,  contending 
against  five  times  its  number,  won  for  itself  a  reputation 
equal  to  that  of  the  old  Maryland  Continentals  of  revolution 
ary  fame. 

In  the  mean  time,  swift  riders  had  started  for  Strasburg, 
for  help.  Banks  received  the  report  of  the  large  body  of 
troops  opposed  to  Kenly  with  incredulity ;  still  "he  sent  off*  a 
regiment  of  infantry,  and  a  body  of  cavalry  to  his  assistance. 


440  A   GALLANT   REGIMENT. 

Ke'nly,  mean  while,  bore  up  against  the  fearful  odds  pressing 
on  him  with  desperate  resolution,  and  hour  after  hour  held 
his  ground  without  yielding  an  inch.  At  three  o'clock,  the 
clatter  of  horses'  hoofs  on  the  Shenandoah  bridge  announced 
the  arrival  of  help,  and  a  hundred  of  the  Ira  Harris  cavalry 
dashed  up.  They  were  immediately  ordered  to  charge,  but 
the  force  was  too  small  to  effect  any  thing.  The  numbers 
of  the  enemy  kept  increasing,  and  Kenly  seeing  that  it  was 
impossible  to  maintain  his  position  longer,  gave  the  order  to 
fall  back  over  the  river.  This  was  done  in  good  order,  and 
the  bridge  heaped  with  rails  and  fired.  The  ignition,  how 
ever,  was  slow,  and  before  any  damage  could  be  done,  the 
enemy  dashed  upon  it  and  extinguished  the  flames,  and 
then  poured  in  one  wild  torrent  across.  It  then  became  a 
hand  to  hand  fight.  Kenly,  seeing  the  rebels  swarming  like 
locusts  on  both  his  flanks,  threatening  to  cut  off  his  retreat, 
summoned  his  men  to  a  desperate  charge,  and  leading  them 
on,  fell  with  such  fury  upon  the  enemy  that  they  gave  way, 
and  he  fell  back  along  the  space  he  had  cleared  by  his  valor. 
But  it  was  plain  that  the  doom  of  the  regiment  was  sealed. 
With  four  or  five  thousand  men  hanging  on  his  rear  and 
flanks,  and  a  force  of  cavalry  greater  than  his  entire  regiment, 
charging  at  every  step,  it  was  clear  that  he  could  never  get 
to  Strasburg.  Still  he  would  not  yield,  and  when  a  short 
time  after,  though  completely  inclosed,  he  was  ordered  to 
surrender,  he  shot  the  man  wTho  summoned  him.  It  was 
pitiful  to  see  that  single  regiment  stand  so  helpless,  and  yet 
so  fearless,  amid  the  crowding,  overwhelming  foe.  At 
length,  their  gallant  leader,  who  had  hitherto  seemed  to 
bear  a  charmed  life,  fell,  severely  wounded,  when  the  regi 
ment  broke  and  scattered.  Not  a  fifth  of  them,  however, 
succeeded  in  making  their  escape,  and  almost  the  entire 
o umber  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 

Late  in  the  evening,  the  sad  tidings  reached  Banks:  and 


RETREAT  DETERMINED  UPON.          441 

instantly  dispatching  officers  to  recall  the  reinforcements  he 
had  started  for  Kenly,  he  at  midnight  hurried  off  scouts  in 
every  direction  to  ascertain  the  truth  of  the  startling  reports 
of  Jackson's  strength.  To  their  surprise,  go  which  way  they 
would,  they  came  upon  the  rebel  pickets,-  which  were  swarm 
ing  over  the  whole  country.  Galloping  back  to  head-quar 
ters,  they  made  their  report,  which  convinced  Banks  beyond 
all  doubt,  that  the  enemy  was  on  him  in.  tremendous  force, 
and  that  his  entire  command  was  in  deadly  peril  of  complete 
destruction.  Prompt,  instant  action  was  necessary,  for  it  was 
clear  that  this  overwhelming  demonstration  in  front,  would 
not  be  without  a  corresponding  movement  in  flank.  Three 
courses  were  open  to  him — to  await  the  attack  of  the  enemy, 
and  risk  every  thing  on  a  battle — to  retreat  across  the  moun 
tains — or  to  attempt  to  fall  back  rapidly  on  Winchester,  and 
thus  restore  his  communications  with  the  base  of  his  operations 
—the  Potomac.  His  slender  force  would  not  justify  him  in 
hazarding  the  first — the  second  involved  the  abandonment 
of  his  trains — and  he  therefore  resolved  on  the  last.  No 
sooner  was  the  decision  taken,  than  the  retreat  commenced. 
At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  seven  hundred  disabled 
men  were  put  on  the  march,  and  wilh  the  wagon  train  es 
corted  by  a  strong  body  of  cavalry  and  infantry,  started  for 
Winchester.  It  was  dark  and  gloomy,  for  the  moon  had  been 
down  an  hour  and  a  half,  when  this  column  of  sick  and 
wounded  limped  out  of  Strasburg.  The  other  columns  fol 
lowed  after,  General  Hatch  being  left  with  nearly  the  whole 
body  of  cavalry,  and  six  pieces  of  artillery,  to  protect  the 
rear,  and  destroy  such  army  stores  as  he  had  not  the  means 
of  bringing  off.  He  was  also  to  hold  Strasburg  as  long  as 
he  could. 

The  army  had  proceeded  but  three  miles,  when  word  was 
brought  from  the  trains  in  front,  that  the  enemy  held  the 
road  ahead.  On  the  heels  of  the  tidings  came  the  frightened 


442  PANIC   IN    THE   TRAIN. 

fugitives,  and  teamsters,  some  on  horse  back,  having  cut  their 
teams  lose  from  their  wagons  in  their  panic — others  with 
their  wagons,  lashing  their  animals  to  the  top  of  their  speed. 
Tumbling  forward  in  utter  confusion,  and  charged  with  the 
most  exaggerated  accounts  of  the  enemy's  force,  they  threat 
ened  for  a  moment  to  create  a  stampede  among  the  troops. 
But  Banks  immediately  ordered  the  column  forward,  and  it 
soon  shook  itself  clear  of  the  immense  train,  which  shifted  its 
place  to  the  rear.  It  was  now  broad  daylight,  and  the  army 
moved  on  with  more  confidence.  Nothing  occurred  to  ar 
rest  their  march  until  they  approached  Middletown,  thirteen 
miles  from  Winchester.  Here  the  enemy  were  drawn  up  to 
dispute  their  passage.  Colonel  Donnelly  halted  his  brigade, 
and  the  forty-sixth  Pennsylvania  was  ordered  to  drive  the 
enemy's  skirmishers  from  a  piece  of  woods  on  the  right.  A 
force  of  rebel  cavalry  was  drawn  up  in  an  open  field  in  rear 
«f  this  piece  of  woods,  ready  at  the  first  opportunity  to 
charge.  The  artillery  was  brought  to  bear  upon  them,  the 
fire  of  which  they  coolly  faced  for  a  while,  but  finding  it  too 
hot,  at  length  wheeled,  and  trotted  off  the  field,  pursued  by 
our  skirmishers.  The  twenty-eighth  New  York  was  then  or 
dered  up,  and  poured  in  a  destructive  fire  on  the  enemy,  caus 
ing  him  to  retire  back.  Our  infantry  and  artillery  followed, 
plunging  through  the  fields,  and  drove  them  back  two  miles 
from  the  turnpike.  The  road  was  now  clear  to  Winchester, 
and  the  columns  moved  on.  With  the  first  stampede  of  the 
trains,  Banks,  not  knowing  what  force  was  before  him,  had 
dispatched  a  courier  to  Strasburg,  with  orders  for  Hatch  to 
join  him.  The  latter  immediately  put  his  brigade  in  motion 
but  had  not  proceeded  far,  before  he  came  upon  the  enemy 
which  closed  behind  Banks.  Unable  to  force  a  passage 
through  them,  he  took  a  parallel  road  to  the  left  and  pushed 
on.  Not  long  after,  twelve  companies  of  his  cavalry  came 
dashing  along  the  turnpike,  but  finding  it  to  their  surprise 


A   CRITICAL   SITUATION.  443 

completely  blocked  with  the  enemy's  infantry,  artillery  and 
cavalry,  fell  back  to  Strasburg,  where  they  found  the  Zou 
aves  d'Afrique.  The  rebels  had  thrown  their  forces  forward 
so  rapidly  in  every  direction,  that  the  various  detachments 
which  had  been  ordered  to  join  the  main  column,  found  it  im 
possible  to  do  so,  and  were  wandering  in  various  cross  roads 
and  by-ways,  seeking  some  mode  of  escape  to  the  main 
body. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  hard  pressed  little  army  pushed 
cautiously,  but  rapidly,  forward  towards  Winchester.  Soon 
word  was  received,  that  the  train  in  the  rear  was  attacked, 
Bank's  position  was  every  moment  becoming  more  and 
more  critical,  and  was  well  calculated  to  bewilder  a  more  ex 
perienced  commander  than  he.  It  was  a  serious  question 
with  him  whether  he  should  not  abandon  his  trains,  and  try 
to  save  his  army — but  with  that  tenacity  of  purpose  which 
characterizes  him,  he  determined  to  do  all  that  human  effort 
could  to  save  both.  The  rear  guard,  now  under  Colonel  Gor 
don,  immediately  marched  to  the  relief  of  the  trains,  and  to 
hold  the  enemy  in  check.  As  he  was  moving  back,  he  found 
the  latter  in  force  in  Newtown.  Three  regiments  were  or 
dered  to  clear  the  town,  while  the  artillery  opened  a  destruct^ 
ive  fire  upon  the  enemy's  batteries.  Deploying  into  the  fields, 
they  moved  resolutely  on  the  place  and  cleared  it  with  loud 
cheers.  Following  hard  on  the  flying  traces  of  the  rebels, 
they  endeavored  to  reach  Middletown,  and  open  a  passage 
for  Hatch's  cavalry,  of  whose  services  Banks  was  in  des 
perate  need,  in  order  to  cover  his  rear.  But  the  increasing 
swarms  of  rebels  arrested  their  progress,  and  they  were  com 
pelled  to  fall  back.  The  enemy  now  brought  forward  his 
cavalry,  and  made  a  furious  charge,  determined  to  break 
through  the  barrier  that  opposed  them,  and  scatter  the  train. 
But  these  brave  regiments  threw  themselves  into  solid  squares 
and  poured  in  such  murderous  volleys,  that  they  wheeled  and 


444  BATTLE    OF   WINCHESTER. 

galloped  down  the  road.  These  regiments  behaved  nobly, 
fighting  like  veterans  hour  after  hour  to  save  the  train. 
The  teamsters,  in  the  mean  time,  urged  forward  their  animals, 
with  voice  and  whip,  and  soon  the  long  line  of  white  tops 
disappeared  over  the  farthest  hill.  Burning  the  wagons  that 
were  disabled  and  could  not  be  got  off,  this  noble  rearguard 
turned  and  followed  on  after  the  retreating  army.  As  the 
latter  approached  Winchester,  news  from  every  quarter  ar 
rived,  that  the  enemy  were  in  the  vicinity  in  overwhelming 
force.  Some  rebel  officers,  not  doubting  that  the  place  was 
in  their  possession,  and  supposing  Banks'  army  to  be  their 
own,  galloped  unsuspiciously  into  our  lines. 

BATTLE   AT    WINCHESTER. 

Arriving  in  the  town,  Banks  resolved  to  halt  there  for  the 
night.  Donnelly's  brigade  was  posted  on  the  Front  Royal 
road,  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  town,  constituting  the  left 
of  the  line,  and  Colonel  Gordon  on  the  right.  Without 
tents  or  covering,  these  exhausted  troops  bivouaeed  on  the 
damp  ground.  Banks  was  completely  in  the  dark  as  to  the 
enemy's  numbers,  but  he  was  determined  to  test  it  here  by 
actual  experiment.  It  was  a  bold  and  hazardous  resolution, 
for  it  was  afterwards  ascertained  that  the  enemy  was  over 
twenty  thousand  strong. 

The  night  passed  wearily,  and  long  before  daylight  the 
sharp  rattle  of  musketry  in  front  showed  that  the  foe  was 
driving  in  our  outposts.  As  soon  as  day  dawned,  the  heavy 
boom  of  artillery,  echoing  across  the  broken  country,  an 
nounced  that  the  enemy  had  commenced  his  attack.  Con 
sternation  siezed  the  inhabitants  of  the  town,  and  the  cries 
of  women,  the  hurrying  to  and  fro  of  teamsters,  and  shouts 
of  men,  made  a  wild,  disorderly  scene;  but  amid  it  all, 
Banks  moved  with  the  same  quiet  demeanor  he  was  ever 


RETREAT   CONTlNtED.  445 

wont  to  wear  when  presiding  over  the  stormy  debates  of 
Congress. 

The  enemy  moved  first  against  Donnelly,  on  the  left,  but 
the  line  though  weak,  held  its  own  gallantly.  They  ad 
vanced,  firing  as  they  came  on,  till  within  less  than  fifty  yards, 
and  were  still  pressing  forward,  when  our  troops  charged 
and  drove  them  back.  For  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  the 
fight  here  was  most  desperate.  Neither  wholly  yielded  the 
ground,  and  the  opposing  lines  swayed  backward  and  for 
ward  like  two  contending  waves.  The  enemy  suffered  dread 
fully  from  our  superior  fire,  one  regiment  being  almost  anni 
hilated,  and  at  last,  they  gave  way.  As  the  dense  cloud  of 
smoke  which  covered  the  fields  drifted  away  before  the  wind, 
it  was  discovered  that  they  were  moving  in  immense  force 
on  our  right,  under  Colonel  Gordon.  Met  here  with  the 
same  deliberate  volleys,  they  were  unable  to  advance  a  step, 
until  at  length,  a  portion  of  our  troops  mistaking  an  order, 
began  to  fall  back.  In  a  moment  the  crest  of  the  hill  in 
front  was  black  with  the  swarming  thousands,  filling  the  air 
with  maddening  shouts.  This  retrograde  movement  made 
it  necessary  to  order  the  whole  line  to  fall  back — an  order 
most  reluctantly  obeyed  by  the  brave  fellows,  who  had 
showed,  though  outnumbered  three  to  one,  that  they  could 
hold  the  enemy  at  bay.  Confusion  followed,  and  a  part  of 
the  troops  passed  through  the  town  in  disorder,  but  they 
were  quickly  re-formed  beyond,  and  continued  their  march. 
It  is  said  that  the  inhabitants  fired  from  their  windows  upon 
them;  even  women  shooting  down  with  revolvers  the  re 
treating  soldiers. 

Beaten  back  by  overwhelming  numbers,  yet  still  unsub 
dued,  the  army  retreated  for  five  miles  in  order  of  battle. 
The  rebel  infantry  did  not  pursue  them  beyond  Winchester, 
but  the  cavalry  and  a  few  pieces  of  artillery  kept  on.  As 
Banks  saw  the  hovering  clouds  of  horsemen,  he  longed  for 


446  A   SAD   SUNDAY. 

his  own  cavalry ;  but  it  was  either  far  back  among  the  hills, 
struggling  desperately  to  reach  him,  or  captured  and  in  the 
hands  of  the  enemy.  At  Bunker  Hill  a  halt  was  ordered,  to 
give  the  exhausted  troops  a  little  rest.  In  the  mean  time, 
Captain  Bowen  of  the  rear  guard,  found  himself  suddenly 
surrounded  with  three  hundred  cavalry.  The  men  immedi 
ately  formed  into  line,  and  with  fixed  bayonets  moved 
straight  upon  and  through  them,  joining  the  main  column, 
amid  loud  cheers. 

From  this  point  they  were  not  seriously  molested,  and  in 
three  parallel  columns,  each  ^with  a  rear  guard,  kept  on  to 
wards  Martinsburg.  As  they  approached  the  place  they 
heard  a  steam  whistle,  and  Bank's  eye  kindled,  for  he  hoped 
that  reinforcements  had  arrived,  and  he  would  be  able  to 
turn  back  on  his  exulting  foe.  Soon  after,  two  squadrons 
of  cavalry  came  dashing  in  a  swift  gallop  along  the  road. 
The  soldiers  caught  the  gleam  of  their  sabers,  and  the  flut 
tering  guidons,  and  sent  up  a  wild  hurrah,  that  was  taken 
up  by  each  succeeding  regiment,  till  down  the  whole  line 
rolled  the  deafening  shout.  Instead,  however,  of  being  the 
advance  of  a  reinforcing  column,  they  proved  to  be  only  the 
train  guard  that  had  been  sent  on  in  the  morning. 

For  five  hours  Banks  had  held  back  the  enemy  at  Win 
chester,  during  which  time  the  train  of  five  hundred  wagons 
had  streamed  on  towards  the  Potomac.  This  delay  saved  it, 
and  left  the  road  clear  for  the  retreating  army.  At  Martins- 
burg,  Banks  rested  his  weary  troops  for  two  hours  and  a- 
half,  and  then  recommenced  his  march  to  the  Potomac. 

It  had  been  a  sad  Sunday  for  him,  and  sadder  still  for 
many  of  his  poor  soldiers.  Scores  of  young  men  had  fallen 
there  in  the  mountain  valleys,  whose  parents  at  the  same 
hour  were  sending  up  prayers  in  their  places  of  worship 
among  the  secluded  hills  of  New  England,  for  their  safety. 
To  one,  the  harshest  sound  that  had  greeted  the  ear,  was 


THE  POTOMAC  REACHED  447 

that  of  the  "church-going  bell,"  while  the  other  had  heard 
only  the  roar  of  cannon,  the  rattle  of  musketry,  and  the 
pealing  bugle,  heralding  the  charge,  until  the  fatal  shot  had 
ended  all  sights  and  sounds  at  once.  They  lay  amid  the 
budding  flowers  and  springing  grass,  and  bursting  leaves  of 
the  sweet  spring,  but  not  those  of  their  fair  New  England 
home. 

The  army  resumed  its  march,  and  at  length  a  loud  cheer 
went  up,  for  the  Potomac  gleamed  in  the  sunlight.  Soon 
on  every  hill  slope,  camp  fires  were  burning,  as  the  hungry 
soldiers  prepared  their  hard  earned  supper. 

The  rear  guard  arrived  at  sundown,  making  a  march  of 
fifty-three  miles  in  forty-eight  hours — thirty-five  of  it  on  that 
Sabbath,  a  part  of  the  time  fighting  their  way.  The  poor 
fellows  had  been  pushed  to  the  limits  of  their  endurance,  and 
now,  completely  fagged  out,  with  thinned  regiments,  looked 
back  on  the  day  with  bitter  feelings,  and  angry  denunciations 
of  the  policy  or  power,  that  had  doomed  them  to  this  igno 
minious  retreat  from  a  foe  they  had  so  long  chased  before 
them. 

The  scene  on  the  banks  of  the  river  was  of  the  most  anima 
ting  kind.  A  thousand  wagons  and  carriages  were  huddled 
together  and  strung  along  the  shore,  while  all  along  the  hill 
sides  lay  the  army,  looking  anxiously  across  to  the  farther 
side,  where  they  at  last  might  obtain  rest,  free  from  all  dan 
ger  of  attack. 

There  was  but  a  single  ferry  at  this  point,  which  was  ap 
propriated  by  the  ammunition  wagons.  A  ford  crossed  near 
by,  but  it  was  so  deep  that  the  wagons  which  held  it,  could 
not  cross  in  regular  succession,  and  only  the  strongest  teams 
were  permitted  to  try  it  that  night.  Fortunately,  some  boats 
for  the  pontoon  bridges  had  been  brought  back  in  the  train 
from  Strasburg,  which  were  launched,  and  the  troops  m 
small  detachments  embarked.  By  noon  the  next  day,  the 

27  .    ' 


448  SICK   LEFT   BEHIND. 

entire  army  was  on  the  Maryland  shore,  safe  at  last,  though 
with  the  loss  of  fifty-five  wagons,  stores,  etc.  The  killed, 
wounded  and  missing  amounted  to  nine  hundred  and  five, 
of  which  over  seven  hundred  were  either  captured  or  strag 
gled  off  in  the  retreat. 

The  escape  of  the  detachments  cut  off  at  Strasburg  and 
Winchester — one  taking  a  by-way  through  the  mountains — 
were  almost  miraculous,  and  reflected  great  credit  on  the 
respective  commanders.  The  Vermont  cavalry  suffered 
severely,  being  almost  annihilated  in  a  single  rash,  desperate 
charge.  A  jv. 

Banks  had  conducted  the  retreat  with  "masterly  skill,  and 
by  his  firm  bearing  and  cool,  confident  orders,  held  his  gal 
lant  army  completely  in  hand.  To  do  this,  required  greater 
generalship  than  to  win  a  battle.  His  friends  were  loud  in 
their  complaints  against  the  government  for  stripping  him 
of  his  troops,  and  thus  leaving  him  at  the  mercy  of  the 
enemy. 

Banks  was  compelled  to  leave  behind  him  sixty-four  sick 
at  Strasburg,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  at  Winches 
ter.  Eight  surgeons  nobly  volunteered  to  stay  and  take  care 
of  these,  and  thus  of  their  own  accord  surrendered  themselves 
prisoners  of  war.  Jackson,  with  a  generosity  that  might 
well  be  imitated  on  both  sides,  refused  to  consider  them  as 
such,  and  they  were  left  free  to  return  to  our  lines. 

The  rebel  leader  had  executed  a  bold  and  daring  ma 
neuver,  but  failed  to  accomplish  his  first  object — the  destruc 
tion  of  Banks'  command,  thanks  to  the  energy  and  skill  of 
that  officer,  who  in  the  management  of  the  retreat  had  proved 
what  his  friends  had  always  asserted  of  him,  that  he  had  all 
the  qualities  of  a  great  general.  The  second  object,  how 
ever,  he  most  successfully  accomplished,  viz.  frightening  the 
Secretary  of  War  out  of  his  propriety.  He  had  achieved 
no  substantial  victory  over  Banks,  but  he  did  over  the  War 


MOVEMENTS    TO    CUT    OFF    JACKSON.  449 

Department.  The  Secretary  immediately  ordered  Fremont 
to  move  across  the  mountains,  and  cut  off  Jackson's  retreat, 
and  McDowell  from  the  east  to  detach  a  division  for  the  same 
purpose,  while  he  telegraphed  to  the  North  for  troops  to  be 
sent  forward  in  all  haste,  as  the  Capital  was  in  danger.  The 
former  was  wise  action — the  latter  absurd,  and  created  a 
needless  panic.  The  entire  militia  was  at  once  called  out 
for  three  months,  though  only  a  part  of  them  proceeded  to 
Washington. 

That  a  general,  with  the  capacity  that  Jackson  had  showed 
himself  to  possess,  would  with  twenty  or  twenty-five  thousand 
men,  push  a  hundred  miles  from  the  base  of  his  operations, 
between  two  flanking  armies,  cross  the  Potomac,  dash  on 
Washington,  and  expect  ever  to  get  back  again,  was  too  ab 
surd  an  idea  to  be  entertained  for  a  moment. 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

MAY,  1862. 

QUIET   ALONG    THE     COAST — PENSACOLA    EVACUATED — HALLECK    AT    CORINTH 

— THE  ENEMY'S  COMMUNICATIONS  CUT  OFF — NAVAL  ACTION  AT  FORT  WRIGHT 

FIGHT     AT     FARMINGTON     NEAR  CORINTH GALLANT    CAVALRY    CHARGE 

CORINTH     EVACUATED ELLIOTS     CAVALRY     EXPEDITION BUTLER      AT    NEW 

ORLEANS HIS  VARIOUS   ORDERS MITCHEL  IN  ALABAMA STATE  OF  AFFAIRS 

AT    THE    CLOSE    OF    THE  MONTH IMPORTANCE  OF  A  VICTORY    BEFORE    RICH 
MOND — ANXIOUS   STATE  OF    THE    PUBLIC  MIND. 

WHILE  such  stirring  events  signalized  the  month  of  May 
around  Richmond  and  Washington,  exciting  news 
was  received  from  other  portions  of  the  country.  Quiet  how 
ever,  reigned  along  the  Atlantic  slope — nothing  of  especial 
interest  occurring  in  Burnside's  command  or  Hunter's  depart 
ment,  except  the  appointment  of  Stanley  as  Governor  of  North 
Carolina,  who  was  formerly  a  member  of  Congress  from  that 
state.  South,  Pensacola  was  evacuated  on  the  twelfth,* (the 
troops  having  gone  to  reinforce  Beauregard)  and  the  navy 
yard  destroyed. 

Halleck  at  Corinth  was  slowly,  yet  surely,  tightening  his  coils 
around  the  enemy,  and  the  two  great  armies  of  the  east  and 
west  were  concentrated  for  a  decisive  blow.  The  fall  of 
New  Orleans  at  the  close  of  April  had  given,  a  new  phase  to 
military  affairs  in  the  south  west;  for  no  sooner  was  it  accom 
plished  than  Farragut  began  to  move  up  the  Mississippi,  cap 
turing  cities  as  he  went.  It  was  a  long  way,  it  was  true, 
to  Memphis,  and  fortifications  lined  the  banks,  which  were 
especially  strong  at  Yicksburg.  Still,  the  control  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  was  considered  an  accomplished  fact,  and  Beauregard 
must  regard  it  as  such,  and  change  his  plans  accordingly. 

Meanwhile,  however,  Halleck  steadily  pushed  forward  his 


NAVAL   ACTION.  451 

works,  and  every  week  found  him  nearer  the  enemy's  fortifi 
cations.  Various  skirmishes  took  place,  in  which  we  usually 
gained  more  or  less  important  advantages.  One  expedition 
cut  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  rail  road  at  Purdy,  destroying  Beau- 
regard's  communication  with  the  north.  On  the  third,  Gen 
eral  Pope,  commanding  the  left  wing,  sent  a  force  under 
General  Paine  to  Farmington,  where  it  encountered  the  ene 
my  between  three  and  four  thousand  strong,  and  defeated 
them  with  a  loss  of  only  fourteen  killed  and  wounded.  At 
the  same  time,  an  artillery  reconnoissance  was  made  to  Ellen- 
dale,  and  destroyed  a  part  of  the  track  of  the  Memphis  and 
Charleston  rail  road,  thus  circumscribing  sadly  Beauregard's 
means  of  obtaining  supplies.  In  the  meantime,  the  rebel 
commander  received  the  news  of  the  capture  of  Baton  Rouge. 
Thus,  turn  which  way  he  would,  he  saw  only  disaster.  The 
sky  was  black  with  the  gathering  tempest,  and  it  thundered 
all  around  him. 

At  fort  Wright,  but  little  progress  was  made,  and  it  began 
to  look  as  though  nothing  would  be  done  there  until  Farra- 
gut  should  come  up  from  below.  The  rebels,  however,  seeing 
the  straightened  condition  into  which  they  were  being  forc 
ed,  resolved  to  destroy  Foote's  fleet  before  the  former  should 
arrive,  and  on  Saturday,  the  tenth,  boldly  came  up  from  un 
der  the  guns  of  the  fort  and  attacked  it. 

NAVAL   ACTION   AT   FORT   WRIGHT. 

Eight  iron-clad  gun  boats,  four  of  them  fitted  up  as  rams, 
advanced  early  in  the  morning  aTid  offered  battle.  The  rebel 
ram,  Louisiana,  appeared  first  around  the  point,  accompanied 
by  four  gun  boats.  The  Cincinnati  was  lying  in  shore  at  the 
time  and  allowed  her  to  pass  in  silence.  She  then  swung  out 
into  the  stream,  when  the  ram  turned  with  the  intention  of 
running  her  down.  Captain  Stemmel  of  the  Cincinnati  im 
mediately  opened  "his  broadsides,  sending  his  shot  crashing 


452  REBEL  STEAMER  SUNK. 

against  the  monster,  but  without  checking  her  progress. 
Bow  on,  under  a  full  head  of  steam  she  came,  shaking  the  pon 
derous  shot  from  her  mailed  sides  like  hail  stones.  Stemmel, 
seeing  he'  could  not  stop  her  progress,  turned  the  head  of  his 
vessel  so  that  the  ram  instead  of  striking  him,  shot  alongside, 
coming  within  close  pistol  range.  Coolly  leveling  his  revol 
ver,  he  shot  the  rebel  pilot  at  the  wheel,  at  the  same  time 
receiving  a  ball  in  his  own  shoulder.  The  boarding  crews 
of  both  now  opened  with  a  close  and  deadly  fire  of  small  arms. 
The  ram  endeavored  to  get  her  head  around  again  so  as  to 
drive  her  iron  prow  into  the  Cincinnati  and  sink  her.  Failing 
in  this,  the  rebel  captain  determined  to  board  his  antagonist. 
The  vessels  were  now  so  near  each  other,  that  the  gunners 
could  not  swab  out  their  guns,  and  the  rebel  craft  swarmed 
with  boarders,  armed  to  the  teeth.  Stemmel  immediately 
ordered  his  steam  batteries  to  open,  and  the  hose  was  turn 
ed  on  the  deck  of  the  ram.  A  cloud  of  steam  obscured 
the  combatants  for  a  moment,  and  then  shrieks  and  cries 
arose  from  the  scalded  wretches,  many  of  whom  jumped  over 
board  to  escape  their  agony.  Astounded  at  this  new  mode 
of  warfare,  the  ram  withdrew  in  all  haste.  In  the  meantime 
other  rebel  gun  boats  arrived,  among  them  the  Mallory, 
which  attempted  to  repeat  the  experiment  of  the  Louisiana. 
As  she  came  rapidly  on,  the  Federal  gun  boat  St.  Louis, 
rushed  upon  her  with  a  full  head  of  steam,  and  striking  her 
amid-ships  with  a  terrible  crash,  nearly  cut  her  in  two.  .The 
water  poured  into  the  ugly  rent  that  was  made,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  she  went  to  the  bottgm,  with  nearly  all  on  board.  A 
few  clung  to  the  sides  of  the  St.  Louis,  and  a  few  were  picked 
up  by  the  Cincinnati — the  rest  found  their  graves  in  the  mud 
dy  waters  of  the  Mississippi.  The  other  gun  boats  of  our 
fleet  now  entered  the  contest,  and  a  close  and  fierce  cannon 
ade  followed.  A  dense  cloud  of  smoke  covered  the  river, 
Wrapping  the  combatants  in  its  folds — now  settling  down 


THE    VICTORY.  453 

over  the  boats  and  now  shooting  in  swift  contortions  upward 
as  the  heavy  broadsides  rent  it  asunder.  Soon,  a  heavy  ex 
plosion,  louder  than  the  roar  of  artillery,  made  the  banks 
tremble.  A  rebel  gun  boat  had  been  blown  up,  leaving  only 
fragments  of  shattered  timber  where  she  had  floated.  Captain 
Davis,  on  the  flag-ship  Benton,  coolly  directed  all  the  move 
ments  of  his  flotilla,  and  the  answering  signals  showed  that 
the  captains  were  fighting  their  ships  as  composedly  as  they 
would  execute  a  maneuver. 

At  length,  the  shattered,  disabled  rebel  fleet  gave  up  the  con 
test,  and  retired  under  the  guns  of  the  fort.    Davis  had  showed 
that  he  was  worthy  to  stand  in  the  place  of  the  gallant  Foote. 
Our  loss  was  slight,  though  it  was  afterwards  discovered  that' 
the  Cincinnati  had  received  serious  injury. 

Only  the  day  before,  Beauregard  had  made  an  equally  un 
successful  attempt  on  the  land  forces  that  environed  him. 
Farmington,  which  Pope  had  captured  on  the  third,  and 
which  the  enemy  retook  two  or  three  days  after,  was  Again 
occupied  by  him  on  the  eighth,  while  the  cavalry  pushed  on 
to  within  three  miles  of  Corinth.  The  next  day  the  enemy 
advanced  against  him  in  force  under  General  Bragg. 

FIGHT   AT    FARMINGTON. 

The  action  commenced  at  ten,  with  artillery,  and  continued 
till  noon,  when  it  ceased.  General  Paine,  who  was  in  com 
mand  of  our  forces,  discovering  that  the  rebels  were  ma 
neuvering  to  get  in  rear  of  him,  and  cut  him  off  from  the 
main  army,  determined  to  withdraw.  A  swamp  was  in  his 
rear,  across  which  only  a  single  road  led,  over  which  he 
must  carry  his  entire  command.  In  the  mean  time,  the 
rebels  had  moved  their  artillery  so  as  to  deliver  a  cross  fire 
on  this,  while  their  extended  wings  were  sweeping  down  on 
either  flank.  To  leave  nothing  behind,  and  gain  time  to  get 


454  A   CAVALRY   CHARGE. 

his  columns  across  this  single,  narrow  causeway,  Paine  or 
dered  the  second  Iowa  cavalry  to  charge  the  enemy's  guns. 
.  It  was  a  desperate  order,  but  Colonel  Hatch,  to  whom,  it  was 
delivered,  cared  little  for  that.  Five  hundred  were  to 
charge  in  the  face  of  ten  thousand ;  but  his  only  anxiety 
was  lest  his  men  should  refuse  to  follow  him.  But  the  brave 
lowans  were  ready  to  a  man.  Filing  up  a  ravine  as  far  as 
they  could,  to  avoid  the  shot  and  shell  that  swept  the  field, 
they  boldly  ascended  the  slope,  face  to  face  with  the  battery. 
Quickly  forming,  they  responded  to  the  pealing  bugle  with 
loud  shouts,  and  with  sabers  flashing  above  their  heads, 
dashed  full  on  the  guns.  The  skirmishers  in  front  went 
clown  like  bending  grain,  before  their  fierce  gallop ;  but  the 
moment  the  field  was  cleared  of  these,  the  artillery  opened 
on  them  with  canister  and  shrapnel.  Before  the  destructive 
fire,  that  line  of  horsemen  would  have  disappeared  like  mist 
in  the  hurricane,  had  not  the  guns,  in  the  astonishment 
caused  by  this  sudden  apparition,  been  too  much  depressed. 
The  fiery  loads  tore  up  the  ground  in  front  of  them,  cutting 
down  a  hundred  horses,  but  did  not  stop  the  remainder. 
Seeing  the  clattering  tempest  full  upon  them,  the  affrighted 
gunners  quickly  limbered  up  their  pieces.  The  object  of  the 
charge  being  thus  accomplished,  which  was  to  silence  the  bat 
tery  while  the  columns  could  swiftly  pass  where  its  cross  fire 
swept,  Hatch  ordered  the  bugle  to  sound  a  recall.  But  the 
excited  troopers  never  heard  it,  or  if  they  did,  heeded  it 
not,  and  dashing  on  the  gunners,  sabred  them  at  their 
pieces.  They  then  fell  back  to  the  swamp,  and  the  column 
safely  effected  its  retreat  to  the  farther  side. 

Pope  was  not  reinforced  so  as  to  enable  him  to  hold  his 
ground,  because  Halleck  did  not  wish  to  bring  on  a  general 
engagement  at  that  time,  nor  on  that  ground.  Refusing  to 
take  any  great  risk,  where  a  cautious  advance  made  success 
Certain,  he  pushed  his  army  forward,  step  by  step,  forcing 


CORINTH   EVACUATED.  455 

Beauregard  to  remain  idle  behind  his  intrenchments,  or  give 
battle  with  all  the  odds  against  him.  But  if  a  position  was 
needed  he  took  it.  Thus  ''Russell  House,"  being  occu 
pied  by  the  enemy,  he  ordered  Sherman  to  take  it,  which  he 
did,  though  suffering  considerable  loss. 

At  length,  having  completed  all  his  preparations,  he,  on 
the  twenty-eighth,  advanced  three  reconnoitering  columns 
along  his  whole  line,  to  feel  the  enemy  and  unmask  his  bat 
teries,  which  were  concealed  by  the  woods.  A  sharp  con 
test  followed,  in  which  the  rebels  were  driven  back  at  every 
point.  The  next  day,  Sherman  established  a  powerful  bat 
tery  within  a  thousand  yards  of  the  works,  and  the  day  fol 
lowing  it  was  expected  that  the  mighty  army  would  move 
forward  to  the  attack.  Instead  of  this,  however,  Pope, 
about  ten  o'clock,  opened  on  the  enemy  with  his  artillery, 
and  a  heavy  cannonading  was  kept  up  all  day.  That  night, 
our  advanced  lines  heard  the  incessant  rumbling  of  rail  road 
cars,  and  the  shriek  of  the  steam  whistles,  showing  that  some 
important  movement  was  going  on  in  the  rebel  army.  At  day 
light,  several  loud  explosions  were  heard.  Immediately  skir 
mishers  were  thrown  out,  and  a  general  advance  ordered. 
But  no  opposition  was  offered,  and  Pope  entered  a  deserted 
place.  Troops,  stores,  guns,  ammunition,  all  were  gone,  and 
none  knew  whither.  As  the  news  spread  from  regiment  to 
regiment,  and  brigade  to  brigade,  shouts  rent  the  air,  the 
bands  struck  up  triumphant  strains,  till  from  limit  to  limit 
of  the  extended  lines,  from  wood,  and  field,  and  slope,  the 
atmosphere  was  alive  with  jubilant  echoes.  The  stars  and 
stripes  were  planted  on  the  works  where  so  long  had  floated 
defiantly  the  rebel  flag,  and  the  stern  front  of  battle  changed 
into  a  scene  of  the  wildest  excitement.  The  mayor  came 
out  to  surrender  the  town,  and  the  place,  which  it  was  be 
lieved  would  be  entered  only  over  heaps  of  the  slain,  was 
ours  without  a  struggle.  The  position  was  a  strong  one, 


456  A   CAVALRY   EXPLOIT. 

and  it  could  not  be  conjectured  why  it  was  so  tamely  aban 
doned,  unless  the  rebel  army  was  so  demoralized  that  Beau- 
regard  could  not  trust  it  in  a  pitched  battle.  The  evacuation 
had  been  going  on  for  days,  and  so  secretly  was  it  done,  that 
not  a  hint  of  it  reached  our  lines,  or  if  it  did,  came  in  so 
unreliable  a  shape,  that  it  was  not  credited. 

The  place  presented  a  desolate  appearance,  for  most  of 
the  inhabitants  had  left  with  the  rebel  army,  and  all  the  stores 
were  closed  as  on  the  Sabbath  day. 

The  next  day,  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks  took  place.  Thus, 
while  the  vast  army  on  the  Mississippi  was  revelling  in  the 
abandonment  of  victory,  that  on  the  Chickahominy  was 
struggling  for  its  life. 

One  of  the  most  brilliant  exploits  of  this  long  siege  was 
performed  by  Colonel  Elliot,  who,  on  the  Wednesday  previ 
ous  to  the  capture,  started  with  a  large  body  of  cavalry  to 
destroy  a  bridge  on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  rail  road.  Taking 
a  circuitous  route  along  cross  roads,  and  through  an  un 
known  country,  he  pushed  rapidly  forward  among  the  aston 
ished  inhabitants,  and  reaching  his  point  of  destination,  ac 
complished  the  work  assigned  him. 

Cutting  himself  off  from  the  main  army — relying  alone  on 
his  own  sagacity,  and  the  bravery  of  his  followers,  Elliot 
swept  through  the  enemy's  country  with  a  celerity  that  made 
his  coming  and  going  appear  like  a  vision,  rather  than  a  ter 
rible  reality.  The  history  of  the  expedition  from  first  to 
last,  reads  like  a  romance.  It  took  the  enemy  by  surprise, 
and  seriously  damaged  his  plan  of  retreat. 

Pope,  with  his  usual  energy,  pushed  on  in  the  direction 
the  main  army  was  reported  to  have  taken,  and  soon  came 
upon  straggling  regiments  and  took  several  prisoners. 

While  these  events  were  passing,  up  the  Mississippi,  But 
ler  was  endeavoring  to  bring  order  out  of  confusion  in  New 
Orleans.  The  people  were  threatened  with  famine,  and  he 


BUTLER  AT  NEW  ORLEANS.  457 

distributed  the  confederate  stores  he  found  there,  for  the 
relief  of  the  poor.  He  appointed  a  Provost  Marshal,  and 
while  offering  every  inducement  to  the  citizens  to  return  to 
their  loyalty,  ruled  the  disaffected  with  an  iron  hand.  Sup 
pressing  some  of  the  newspapers,  he  appropriated  the  Delta  to 
his  own  use,  and  appointed  an  editor  from  the  army.  Order 
followed  order  in  quick  succession,  and  the  proud  and  sul 
len  inhabitants  soon  found  that  open  hostility  would  bring 
swift  vengeance.  While  he  would  use  his  whole  military 
power  to  preserve  order  and  procure  food,  he  would  also 
use  it  to  punish  treason.  The  circulation  of  confederate 
scrip  was  forbidden — the  stores  were  ordered  to  be  opened, 
and  banks  made  to  resume  their  business.  Ladies,  relying 
on  the  impunity  of  their  sex,  daily  insulted  soldiers  and  offi 
cers  in  the  streets,  and  he  issued  an  order  declaring  that 
those,  who  did  it  in  future,  should  be  treated  as  women  of 
the  town,  plying  their  vocation;  and  though  it  was  met 
with  howls  of  rage  and  threats  of  assassination,  he  would 
not  retract  it.  A  reward  was  offered  for  his  head,  and  when 
the  order  reached  Europe,  the  most  bitter  denunciations 
were  hurled  against  him  and  the  government,  for  retaining 
him  in  command.  Butler,  however,  was  not  to  be  swerved 
from  his  course,  and  a  man  who  had  torn  down  and  trampled 
on  the  national  flag,  was  hung,  and  all  soon  found  that  he 
was  determined  they  should  feel  that  the  "way  of  trans 
gressors  is  hard."  Under  his  rule,  things  quickly  began  to  as 
sume  a  better  aspect ;  and  the  President,  in  the  middle  of  the 
month,  havingl>y  proclamation  opened  the  ports  of  Beaufort, 
Port  Royal,  and  New  Orleans,  it  was  expected  that  peaceful 
commerce  would  soon  effect  what  the  bayonet  had  begun. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  fleet  was  not  idle,  but  cleared  the 
banks  of  the  Mississippi  up  to  Yicksburg,  and  it  was  ex 
pected  that  the  river  would  soon  be  opened  its  entire 
length. 


458  GENERAL   ASPECT   OF   AFFAIRS. 

Our  situation  at  the  close  of  this  month  was  full  of  prom 
ise.  Butler  was  at  New  Orleans — Curtis  was  once  more  on 
the  march,  pushing  his  way  to  Little  Rock,  the  capital  of 
Arkansas — Halleck  was  at  Corinth — Davis,  though  still  at 
Fort  Wright,  evidently  saw  his  way  to  Memphis — while 
Mitchell,  in  Alabama,  advanced  from  victory  to  victory,  hold 
ing  a  vast  territory  in  subjection,  and  with  but  little  loss  of 
life  taking  possession  of  important  points.  Pensacola  was 
ours,  Mobile  was  threatened,  while  Hunter  was  feeling  his  way 
towards  Charleston.  The  government  had  adopted  vigorous 
measures  to  redeem  the  ground  lost  by  Banks,  and  but  little 
solicitude  was  felt  for  the  national  cause  in  any  direction  ex 
cept  before  Richmond.  Great  confidence  was  reposed  in 
McClellan,  but  it  was  universally  believed  that  the  original 
plan  of  the  peninsula  campaign  had  been  abandoned,  and  the 
country  feared  that  the  government  had  left  him  to  perform 
a  task  for  which  he  had  not  sufficient  means.  It  was  felt  that 
the  annihilation  of  the  rebel  army  there  would  practically 
end  the  rebellion,  while  a  defeat  to  our  army  would  prolong 
the  war  indefinitely,  and  possibly  bring  about  complications 
that  might  entirely  change  the  character  of  the  struggle. 
The  French  minister  at  Washington  had  visited  Richmond 
on  an  unknown  mission,  causing  many  anxious  surmises, 
which  the  advance  of  the  French  army  towards  Mexico,  with 
the  evident  intention  of  conquering  that  country,*  did  not 
tend  to  allay.  The  reports  from  England  showed  an  uneasy 
state  of  things  there,  and  it  seemed  of  the  most  vital  import 
ance  that  our  career  of  unbroken  success,  sirfce  the  spring 
opened,  should  not  be  arrested  by  a  disaster  in  front  of  the 
rebel  capital.  A  mystery  hung  round  the  government  at 
Washington  in  respect  to  the  army  of  McClellan,  that  greatly 
disturbed  the  public  feeling,  which  a  thousand  vague  rumors 
increased.  Congress,  which  seemed  destitute  of  statesmen 
of  large  expansive  views  concerning  the  subject  of  slavery, 


REDUCING   THE   ARMY.  459 

occupied  itself  in  harangues  about  individual  and  isolated 
cases,  instead  of  treating  it  as  a  national  question. 

There  was  scarcely  a  commander  in  the  field  that  was  not 
in  turn  denounced  by  members  either  for  sending  back  fugi 
tives,  or  forbidding  them  to  enter  the  lines.  If  a  general 
took  proper  precautions  to  prevent  pillage,  it  was  stigmatized 
as  a  protection  of  rebel  property.  Even  McClellan  was  ac 
cused  of  protecting  the  "White  House"  as  it  was  called, 
while  our  sick  and  wounded  suffered  for  shelter  and  water, 
and  the  Secretary  of  War  was  called  upon  to  put  a  stop  to  it. 
In  reply  to  a  letter  of  inquiry  from  the  latter  respecting  the 
charge,  he  denied  it  emphatically,  and  for  once,  provoked 
from  his  studied  silence,  denounced  those  who  circulated  and 
gave  credence  to  such  reports,  as  enemies  of  their  country. 

But  nothing  showed  so  strikingly  the  incapacity  of  Con 
gress,  and  its  inability  to  comprehend  the  true  position  and 
wants  of  the  country  as  the  proposal  of  its  leading  members 
to  reduce  the  army.  But  more  astounding  than  all,  the  Sec 
retary  of  War  had  actually  issued  an  order  stopping  enlist 
ments  of  volunteers,  and  this  month  witnessed  the  anomalous, 
extraordinary  spectacle  of  disbanded  regiments  and  closed 
recruiting  stations.  The  two  great  rebel  armies  were  still  in 
the  field,  while  the  confederate  government  had  completed 
its  conscription,  which  embraced  all  able  bodied  men  be 
tween  eighteen  and  thirty-five,  and  thus  more  than  doubled 
its  military  force.  We,  in  the  mean  time,  were  losing  by 
sickness,  wounds  and  death,  more  than  ten  thousand  men  a 
month,  and  the  great  decisive  battles  were  yet  to  be  fought. 
It  would  seem  that  our  victories  west  had  deluded  the  govern 
ment  into  the  belief  that  the  war  was  actually  over,  or  that 
some  strange  hallucination  had  seized  it.  The  Secretary  of 
War  saw  the  rebel  army  doubling—ours  rapidly  diminishing, 
while  the  great  struggle  was  yet  to  take  place,  and  despite  all 
bade  the  people  who  were  rushing  to  the  field,  lay  down  their 


460  UNION   ACTION. 

arms  and  go  home.  There  is  no  occasion  to  go  any  farther, 
to  account  for  the  disasters  that  followed — the  two  acts, 
one  taking  away  a  military  head  from  the  army,  and  substi 
tuting  in  its  place  the  department  at  Washington — the  other, 
reducing  the  army  in  presence  of  the  enemy,  while  he  was 
doubling  his  own — are  quite  sufficient  without  seeking  other 
causes  for  it.  They  cost  and  will  cost  us  millions  of  treasure 
and  tens  of  thousands  of  lives. 

From  these  and  many  other  reasons,  it  was  felt  that  a 
defeat  before  Richmond  would  be  most  calamitous,  while  a 
decisive  victory  there  would  dispose  of  all  difficulties,  and 
give  us  a  clear  field  for  the  future.  The  public,  therefore, 
made  up  its  mind  that  McClellan  should  give  us  one.  It 
would  not  entertain  the  idea  of  probable  defeat,  listen  to  no 
excuses,  not  even  contemplate  facts.  It  was  of  vital  impor 
tance  to  the  country  that  Richmond  should  fall,  and  there 
fore  fall  it  must. 

The  people,  however,  soon  learned,  that  the  immutable 
laws  of  Providence  can  not  be  arrested  by  clamor,  but  march 
on,  apparently  heedless  of  consequences  to  men  or  nations, 
to  their  legitimate  results. 


CHAPTER    XXXVI. 

JUNE,  1862. 

MOVEMENTS  AT  THE  WEST EVACUATION  OF  MEMPHIS — NAVAL  ACTION  BEFORE 

IT EXPEDITION    UP    THE    WHITE    RIVER EXPLOSION    ON  BOARD  THE  MOUND 

CITy FORT  AT  SAINT  CHARLES    CAPTURED    BY    COLONEL    FITCH BUTLER   AT 

NEW    ORLEANS PIERRE    SOULE  SENT  NORTH  UNDER  ARREST CHATTANOOGA 

TAKEN BUELL  SUPPOSED  TO  BE  ADVANCING  TO  THE  RELIEF  OF  EAST  TEN 
NESSEE GRATIFICATION  OF  THE  PEOPLE SUFFERINGS  OF  THE  UNIONISTS 

THERE PARSON      BROWNLOW KEEPS      THE     OLD     FLAG     FLYING HEROISM 

OF  HIS  DAUGHTER RELIEVED  AND  COMES  NORTH HIS  STORY  OF  THE  BAR 
BARITIES  OF  THE  REBELS HIS  RECEPTION  IN  THE  NORTHERN  CITIES MOR 
GAN  SEIZES  CUMBERLAND  GAP. 

AFTER  the  evacuation  of  Corinth  the  rebels  fell  back  to 
different  positions,  at  none  of  which  were  they  attacked 
by  our  army,  and  a  long  period  of  inaction  in  the  field  fol 
lowed,  broken  only  by  the  dashes  of  Mitchell  in  Alabama. 

Our  flotilla  on  the  Mississippi,  however,  continued  to  ad 
vance  down  the  river,  and  there  seemed  every  prospect  of 
its  soon  forming  a  junction  with  that  of  Farragut.  Forts 
Wright  and  Pillow  were  successively  evacyated,  and  it  slowly 
proceeded  towards  Memphis,  and  on  the  sixth  came  in  sight 
of  the  city,  with  its  spires  and  cupolas  glittering  in  the  morn 
ing  sun.  All  was  quiet  and  tranquil,  and  the  occupation  of 
the  place  promised  to  be  as  bloodless  as  that  of  the  forts 
above.  But  as  the  fleet  proceeded  towards  the  lower  end 
of  the  town,  the  rebel  flotilla  was  discovered  lying  close  to 
the  Arkansas  shore. 

NAVAL   ACTION   BEFORE    MEMPHIS. 

Our  boats  had  drifted  down  stern  foremost,  and  now 
Davis  signalled  to  have  the  engines  reversed,  and  to  proceed 


462  FIERCE    NAVAL   FIGHT. 

up  stream,  designing  to  give  his  crews  breakfast  before  the 
fight.  The  rebels  construed  this  into  a  retreat,  and  immedi 
ately  came  on  in  high  spirits,  sending  shot  after  shot  at  the 
Benton.  There  were  eight  rebel  gun  boats,  while  Davis  had 
but  five.  Attached  to  the  latter,  however,  were  four  rams, 
commanded  by  Captain  Ellet,  under  whose  personal  super 
vision  they  had  been  got  up,  though  in  great  haste,  being 
made  from  ferry  boats,  or  such  vessels  as  could  be  most  easily 
transformed  into  them.  From  the  outset  of  the  war,  he  had 
urged  upon  the  government  the  efficiency  of  such  vessels,  and 
experience  having  proved  his  views  to  be  correct,  he  had 
been  assigned  to  duty  on  the  Mississippi. 

The  rebels  had  the  advantage  both  in  the  number  of  gun 
boats,  and  in  being  able  to  fight  up  stream,  by  which  they 
had  more  perfect  control  of  their  vessels  in  the  swift  current. 
They  were  evidently  aware  of  this,  and  came  on  with  full 
confidence  that  they  could  destroy  our  fleet.  The  inhabit 
ants  of  Memphis  shared  in  this  feeling,  and  issuing  from  their 
houses  as  the  first  shots  awoke  the  morning  echoes,  crowded 
the  banks  of  the  river  to  witness  the  fight. 

The  Lancaster,  one  of  our  rams,  having  met  with  an  acci 
dent,  could  not  share  in  the  engagement,  and  was  taken  in 
tow  by  her  consort  the  Switzerland.  The  other  two,  Queen 
of  the  West,  and  Monarch,  as  soon  as  the  firing  commenced, 
clapped  on  steam,  and  came  bowling  along  at  a  tremendous 
rate — sweeping  past  the  gun  boats,  and  steering  straight  for 
the  rebel  vessels.  Throwing  up  an  angry  swell  from  her 
bow  in  her  headlong  speed,  the  little  Queen  of  the  West 
made  boldly  for  the  Beauregard.  It  was  an  exciting  mo 
ment,  the  firing  ceased,  and  all  eyes  were  turned,  both  from 
the  decks  of  the  vessels  and  the  shore,  on  these  two  vessels. 
The  captain  of  the  Beauregard,  seeing  that  the  ram  was 
making  for  him,  by  a  skillful  movement  avoided  the  blow, 
and  as  the  former  rushed  past,  opened  with  cannon,  firing 


REBEL    FLEET    DESTROYED.  463 

ten  shots  at  her,  one  of  which  passed  clean  through  her. 
The  riflemen  from  the  ram,  however,  picked  off  the  gunners 
as  they  undertook  to  reload,  and  dashing  on,  made  for  the 
next  boat  below,  the  General  Price.  The  latter  attempted 
to  elude  the  blow  but  failed,  and  the  ram  came  into  her  hull 
with  a  tremendous  crash.  The  chimneys  of  both  boats  bent 
over  till  they  almost  touched  the  water,  while  the  sound  of 
the  breaking,  rending  timbers  told  how  fearful  was  the  shock. 

The  Beauregard,  as  the  Queen  swept  past  her,  wheeled  in 
pursuit,  and  now  coming  up,  dashed  against  her,  carrying 
away  her  wheel  house,  and  disabling  her  engine,  but  she 
§lipped  away  so  quickly  that  the  full  force  of  the  blow  came 
upon  the  Price,  ripping  her  wheel  completely  off  and  making 
a  wreck  of  her.  The  Monarch,  in  the  mean  time,  was  crowd 
ing  all  steam,  making  for  the  whole  three  as  they  lay  grind- 
ing  and  pounding  together.  She  struck  the  Beauregard  full 
in  the  bow,  which  placed  her  in  a  sinking  condition,  and  she 
ran  up  the  white  flag,  as  the  Price  had  just  done.  The  Ben- 
ton  now  attacked  the  Lovell,  raking  her  terribly.  In  a 
short  time  the  boilers  of  the  latter  exploded,  enveloping  her 
in  steam,  out  of  which  arose  piercing  cries  of  agony,  and 
shrieks  for  help.  In  five  minutes  more  she  went  down  in  a 
hundred  feet  of  water  with  all  on  board,  save  a  few  that  suc 
ceeded  in  swimming  ashore,  and  a  handful  rescued  by  the 
Benton.  The  rest  of  the  rebel  fleet  now  attempted  to  escape, 
but  the  Jeff.  Thompson  was  soon  run  ashore  and  fired.  The 
•Sumter  next  went  ashore,  followed  by  the  General  Bragg, 
the  crew  of  which,  fled  up  the  banks.  The  Van  Dorn,  alone 
of  the  whole  fleet,  escaped. 

The  rebel  leader,  Thompson,  sat  on  his  horse,  a  spectator 
of  the  fight,  and  seeing  the  total  wreck  of  the  flotilla,  ex 
claimed,  "  It's  all  up  with  us,"  and  galloped  off. 

The  fight  began  twenty  minutes  before  six  and  ended  at 
seven — thus  lasting  an  hour  and  twenty  minutes.  Our  gal- 

28 


464         CAPTURE  OF  REBEL  BATTERIES. 

lant  sailors  had  done  a  heavy  piece  of  work  before  break 
fast,  and  with  scarcely  any  loss.  The  only  one  hurt  on  board 
the  rams,  was  Ellet  himself,  who  received  a  wound  from 
which  he  afterwards  died. 

This  once  flourishing  city  presented  a  desolate  appearance. 
Many  of  the  inhabitants  had  fled,  the  stores  were  closed, 
and  the  whole  place  showed  the  ruin  which  every  where 
marked  the  track  of  the  rebellion. 

In  the  mean  time,  Farragut  had  been  arrested  in  his  pass 
age  up  the  river,  at  Vicksburg.  The  fortifications  at  this 
place  from  their  elevated  position,  proved  more  formidable 
even  than  those  above  Memphis,  and  presented  an  effectual 
barrier  to  the  opening  of  the  Mississippi,  much  to  the  disap 
pointment  of  the  country. 

Not  many  days  after  this,  an  expedition  consisting  of  four 
gun  boats,  and  accompanied  by  the  forty-sixth  Indiana  regi 
ment  under  Colonel  Fitch,  proceeded  up  the  White  river, 
from  Memphis,  for  the  purpose  of  removing  any  obstruc 
tions  to  navigation  that  might  exist.  On  the  seventeenth  it 
reached  St.  Charles  city,  eighty -five  miles  above  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  where  two  rebel  batteries  were  found,  mount 
ing  seven  guns,  supported  by  a  body  of  infantry.  The  gun 
boats  engaged  the  batteries,  while  Colonel  Fitch  landed  his 
force  two  and  a  half  miles  below,  to  make  an  attack  in  flank 
and  rear.  Soon  after  the  action  commenced,  a  rifled  shot 
struck  the  Mound  City  and  entered  her  steam  drum,  causing 
a  sudden  escape  of  steam,  which,  rushing  into  every  part 
of  the  boat,  killed  and  disabled  nearly  all  her  officers  and 
crew.  Many  of  the  latter  jumped  overboard  in  their  agony, 
and  attempted  to  swim  ashore,  but  were  coolly  shot  through 
the  head  by  the  rebel  marksmen — furnishing  a  striking  con 
trast  to  the  conduct  of  our  men  at  the  recent  action  before 
Memphis,  where  every  exertion  was  made  to  save  the  scalded 
rebels  who  leaped  overboard  for  safety. 


UNIONISTS    OF    TENNESSEE.  465 

In  the  mean  time,  Colonel  Fitch  signaled  the  gun  boats 
to  cease  firing,  and  advancing  on  the  rebel  works,  carried 
them  with  a  shout,  without  the  loss  of  a  man.  The  rebel 
commander  was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner,  and  the  place 
with  all  its  ordnance  and  ammunition  fell  into  our  hands. 

In  the  mean  time,  Curtis  was  making  his  slow,  perilous 
way  across  the  state  of  Arkansas.  Cut  off  from  his  base  of 
operations,  and  compelled  to  live  on  the  country  through 
which  he  passed,  considerable  solicitude  was  felt  for  his 
safety. 

At  New  Orleans,  Butler  still  maintained  his  vigorous  rule. 
He  had  come  in  collision  with  the  French  and  English  con 
suls,  boldly  seizing  large  amounts  of  money  found  in.  their 
possession,  which  he  declared  had  been  put  there  for  safe 
keeping  by  the  rebels.  Men  and  women  were  hurried  with 
out  ceremony,  to  fort  Jackson ;  Pierre  Soule  and  the  sheriff 
of  the  city  sent  under  arrest,  north ;  and  the  traitors  given 
to  understand  that  the  only  alternative  was  submission  or 
punishment 

The  army  under  Halleck  was  divided  up  into  different 
corps,  in  order  to  hold  the  vast  territory  that  had  fallen  into 
our  hands.  Naglee  advanced  against  Chattanooga  and  took 
it ;  but  it  unfortunately  was  again  abandoned  to  the  enemy. 

A  heavy  force  under  Buell  advanced  into  the  heart  of  the 
country,  and  it  was  supposed  its  destination  was  East  Tennes 
see.  This  was  hailed  with  delight  by  the  people ;  for  that 
portion  of  the  state,  though  still  under  rebel  sway,  was  loyal 
to  the  Union,  for  which  she  was  enduring  all  the  pains  of 
martyrdom.  From  the  outset  of  the  rebellion,  the  people, 
though  isolated  and  alone,  had  never  acknowledged  the 
southern  confederacy.  This  had  brought  upon  them  the 
concentrated  wrath  of  the  treacherous  government,  and 
guerilla  bands  had  been  sent  among  them  to  hunt  down  and 
destroy  every  man. who  dared  to  avow  his  love  for  the  old 


466  REBEL   BARBARITES. 

flag.  Their  cry  for  help  moved  the  deepest  sympathy  of 
the  nation,  but  the  government  could  do  nothing  for  them 
without  interfering  seriously  with  the  general  plan  of  the 
campaign.  Though  apparently  deserted,  and  shut  in  by  hos 
tile  armies,  they  still  suffered  on  in  hope.  Those  who  could, 
men,  women  and  children,  abandoned  their  homes,  and  made 
their  dangerous  way  to  the  northern  armies — the  men,  many 
of  them,  to  enlist  under  the  Union  flag,  and  the  women  and 
children  to  seek  the  protection  denied  them  at  home. 

Others  formed  themselves  into  patriotic  bands,  and  took  to 
the  mountains  to  defend  themselves  till  the  longed  for  help 
could  arrive,  and  secretly  destroyed  the  rail  road  bridges  that 
facilitated  the  transportation  of  troops  and  supplies  to  the 
different  rebel  armies.  These  latter  when  caught  were  hung 
without  mercy.  Unsubdued  to  the  last,  they  proclaimed  their 
loyalty  at  the  foot  of  the  gallows,  and  dying,  hurled  defiance 
in  the  face  of  their  murderers.  The  harrowing  details  of 
the  sufferings  of  this  noble  people,  during  the  winter  and 
spring,  would  fill  a  volume.  Chief  among  them  was  Parson 
Brownlow,  as  he  was  called.  For  many  years  editor  of  the 
Knoxville  Whig,  he  early  took  ground  in  his  paper  against 
the  rebellion,  and  wielding  a  trenchant  pen,  dealt  the  leaders 
of  it  telling  blows.  ^  For  a  long  time  he  kept  the  stars  and 
stripes  flying  over  his  office,  and  when  the  rebels  threatened 
to  tear  it  down,  he  declared  he  would  shoot  the  first  man 
who  dared  to  touch  it.  Once,  being  away,  a  rebel  officer  came 
to  his  house  to  take  it  down,  but  was  met  by  the  Parson's 
daughter  with  a  pistol  in  her  hand,  who  declared  she  would 
shoot  him  on  the  spot  if  he  made  the  attempt.  The  parson's 
profession  (for  he  was  widely  known  as  a  methodist  clergy 
man)  protected  him  a  long  time  from  personal  violence,  but 
his  influence  was  too  potent  to  be- disregarded,  and  his  office 
was  finally  shut  up,  and  himself  thrust  into  prison.  Threats 
"having  proved  unavailing,  bribes  were  tried  on  the  old  pa- 


JOHNSON    AT   NASHVILLE.  467 

triot,  but  in  vain.  He  was  then  given  permission  to  leave  for 
the  north,  but,  instead  of  being  allowed  to  go,  was  kept  lock 
ed  up  till  a  dangerous  fever  prostrated  him,  and  he  lay  for 
weeks  at  the  gate  of  death.  Too  feeble  to  turn  in  his  bed, 
he  was  constantly  insulted  by  his  enemies,  and  scarcely  a  day 
passed  that  he  was  not  threatened  with  the  gallows.  In  this 
condition,  though  physically  prostrated,  his  spirit  remained 
unshaken,  and  he  employed  his  little  remaining  strength  in 
exhorting  his  fellow  prisoners  to  remain  firm  in  their  loyalty. 
One  by  one  they  were  taken  from  him,  to  be  tried  or  execu 
ted  ;  and  in  daily  expectation  of  sharing  their  fate,  he  pre 
pared  his  dying  speech  to  be  delivered  just  before  he  should 
swing  off.  But  after  months  of  suffering,  he  was  finally  re 
leased,  and  during  the  spring  came  north,  to  electrify  the 
people  with  the  recital  of  his  own  wrongs,  and  those  of  his 
fellow  Unionists.  The  north  had  boasted  of  its  loyalty,  but 
till  now  did  not  know  the  full  meaning  of  the  word.  Those, 
who  had  never  ceased  to  abuse  the  border  states,  and  sneer 
at  the  loyalty  of  their  people,  were  abashed  at  the  story  that 
the  fearless  Parson  told.  To  be  faithful  to  the  Union,  had  cost 
them  something  more  than  money  and  words — it  had  de 
manded  imprisonment,  poverty,  the  loss  of  all  things  and  the 
felon's  doom. 

Though  the  people  could  not  reach  these  noble  Tennessee- 
ans,  they  opened  their  purses  and  hearts  to  their  fearless  rep 
resentative,  and  cheers  and  blessings  and  material  aid  follow 
ed  him  wherever  he  moved. 

At  Nashville,  Johnson  the  governor,  labored  unweariedly 
to  restore  tranquillity  to  the  distracted  state.  He  called  Un 
ion  meetings,  and  appealed  in  stirring  language  to  the  people 
to  come  heartily  back  to  the  old  Union.  Trade  was  opened 
with  the  city,  and  cotton  and  tobacco  that  had  escaped  the 
torch  of  the  rebels  began  to  flow  north. 

But  the  work  he  had  undertaken  was  an  arduous  one — 


468  CUMBERLAND    GAP   TAKEN. 

secessionists  plotted  around  him,  and  spies  lurked  on  every 
side.  Even  the  mayor  and  common  council  of  the  city  re 
fused  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance,  while  most  of  the  clergy 
openly  defied  him.  His  sway  though  quiet,  was  firm,  and 
his  gloved  hand  closed  like  iron  on  traitors,  no  matter  what 
their  rank,  or  how  sacred  their  profession.  The  clergy  who 
refused  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  were  thrown  into  prison 
to  await  a  convenient  opportunity  to  be  sent  south  to  the 
government  they  upheld. 

In  the  mean  time  General  Morgan  took  possession  of  Cum 
berland  Gap,  which  was  considered  the  key  to  East  Tennessee. 
The  position  was  too  strong  to  be  taken  by  a  direct  attack, 
and  after  taking  his  division  across  a  difficult  country,  he  as 
cended  the  precipitous  sides  of  the  Pine  and  Cumberland 
mountains,  dragging  his  artillery  up  after  him  by  the  aid  of 
block  and  tackle — two  hundred  men  being  required  to  bring 
up  each  piece.  He  thus  succeeded  in  flanking  the  position, 
which,  as  soon  as  the  astonished  rebels  discovered,  they,  on  the 
eighteenth  abandoned  it  without  risking  a  battle.  It  was  now 
hoped  that  East  Tennessee  would  be  released  from  its  thral 
dom,  and  the  day  of  deliverance  come  to  the  thousands  of 
Unionists  in  whom  for  a  longtime  "hope  deferred  had  made 
the  heart  sick." 


CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

JUNE,  1862. 

FREMONT  STARTS  IN  PURSUIT  OF  JACKSON HIS  ENERGY HIS  CAVALRY  AM 
BUSHED BATTLE  OF  CROSS  KEYS RETREAT  OF  JACKSON  AND  ATTACK  ON 

SHIELDS'  ADVANCE,  AT  PORT  REPUBLIC — ABANDONMENT  OF  THE  PURSUIT — 
PUBLIC  DISAPPOINTMENT  AT  JACKSON's  ESCAPE OBJECT  OF  HIS  RAID PER 
PLEXITY  OF  GOVERNMENT THE  PRESIDENT  REORGANIZES  THE  VIRGINIA  DE 
PARTMENT GENERAL  POPE  PLACED  IN  COMMAND HIS  ADDRESS  TO  THE 

ARMY MOVEMENT  AGAINST  CHARLESTON — BATTLE  OF  JAMES  ISLAND HE 
ROISM  OF  THE  EIGHTH  MICHIGAN  AND  SEVENTY-NINTH  HIGHLANDERS OUR 

DEFEAT CAUSE  OF DISGRACE  OF  BENHAM. 

WHILE  these  events  were  occurring  in  the  west,  move 
ments  of  still  greater  magnitude  were  taking  place  on 
the  Atlantic  slope.  Fremont  no  sooner  received  the  orders 
from  Washington  to  intercept  Jackson  in  his  retreat  from 
Winchester,  than  he  put  his  army  in  motion.  He  left  Frank 
lin  on  Sunday,  the  twenty-fifth  of  May,  and  striking  across 
the  Shenandoah  mountains,  carried  his  enthusiastic  columns 
with  all  his  artillery  trains  and  wagons  over  roads  that  would 
have  seemed  impassable  to  a  less  energetic  man.  Accom 
plishing  a  march  of  a  hundred  miles  during  the  week,  he  ar 
rived  on  the  first  of  June,  within  five  miles  of  Strasburg, 
where  he  overtook  Jackson  in  full  retreat.  Colonel  Cluseret 
commanding  the  advance  brigade  came  upon  the  enemy  strong 
ly  posted  with  artillery,  which  immediately  opened  on  him. 
Fremont  in  the  rear,  rapidly  brought  forward  his  main  col 
umn,  and  formed  in  line  of  battle.  The  rebel  leader  however, 
declined  the  fight.  He  could  not  afford  to  stop  here  and  risk 
a  battle,  while  a  strong  force  was  marching  from  Fredericks- 
burg  up  the  Shenandoah  to  intercept  his  passage,  and  Banks 
was  hurrying  back  from  the  Potomac  to  avenge  his  late  dis- 


470  FREMONT    PURSUES   JACKSON. 

asters.  A  storm  was  gathering  around  him  which,  daring  and 
skillful  as  he  was,  would  tax  all  his  resources  to  avoid.  Fre 
mont  was  unable  to  follow  up  the  pursuit  that  night,  on  ac 
count  of  the  fatigue  of  his  men,  and  a  heavy  thunder  storm, 
which  made  the  night  as  dark  as  Erebus.  The  next  morning, 
however,  he  commenced  the  pursuit,  and  the  advance  of  Me- 
Dowell's  force  under  General  Bayard  arriving,  it  was  hurried 
forward,  and  cavalry  and  artillery  thundered  after  the  re~ 
treating  enemy.  The  latter  made  successive  stands  with  his 
artillery,  and  skirmishing  was  kept ,  up  all  day.  Fremont 
however,  with  that  sleuth-hound  tenacity  which  character 
ized  him,  pressed  on  his  flying  traces  with  a  vigor  bordering 
on  ferocity,  and  which  gave  the  rebels  not  a  moment's  rest. 
Day  after  day  his  cannon  thundered  on  his  rear,  until  Jackson 
reached  the  north  fork  of  the  Shenandoah,  which  he  rapidly 
crossed,  burning  the  bridge  behind  him.  Fremont  immedi 
ately  hurried  up  his  pontoon  train,  but  a  tremendous  rain  storm 
was  raging,  which  so  swelled  the  stream  with  the  torrents  it 
sent  tumbling  from  the  mountains,  that  a  day  elapsed  before 
he  could  crpss.  It  was  a  lucky  storm  for  Jackson,  for  it  gave 
him  an  opportunity  to  rest  his  wearied  troops.  The  next 
day,  however,  Fremont  was  upon  him  again,  and  Jackson 
found  that  he  had  to  deal  with  an  enemy  as  tireless,  and  rapid 
in  his  movements  as  himself.  Continuing  to  fall  back  to 
wards  Harrisonburg,  his  rear  guard  harrassed  at  every  step 
by  our  cavalry  and  artillery,  he  on  the  fifth  passed  rapidly 
through  it.  The  latter  entered  the  town  on  the  evening  of 
the  sixth.  When  the  cavalry  force  had  come  up,  eight 
hundred  in  all  under  Colonel  Wyndham,  the  latter  was  directed 
to  advance  a  short  distance  beyond  the  town  to  reconnoitre. 
Sweeping  through  the  main  street  of  the  place  at  a  rapid  trot, 
and  turning  to  the  left  at  the  farther  end,  he  passed  through 
some  fields  to  a  hill  overlooking  an  open  valley  beyond. 
Skirmishers  were  sent  out  to  ascertain  the  whereabouts  of  the 


AMBUSH    OF    CAVALRY.  471 

enemy,  but  failing  "to  get  any  satisfactory  information  he  de 
cided  to  advance  still  further.  Proceeding  on  a  brisk  trot  for 
about  two  miles,  he  came  upon  the  rebel  cavalry  drawn  up 
in  line  across  the  road,  and  stretching  through  the  fields  to  the 
woods  on  either  side.  Without  waiting  to  send  out  skirmish 
ers  to  feel  their  flanks  and  ascertain  whether  there  was  a  sup 
porting  body  of  infantry,  he  ordered  a  charge.  The  bugles 
rang  out,  and  along  the  road,  up  the  slope,  the  clattering 
squadron  dashed  on  a  gallop.  A  large  wheat  field,  well 
grown,  spread  aWay  on  the  right  of  the  road  before  the  rebel 
line  was  reached,  and  in  this  lay  concealed  several  hundred 
rebel  infantry.  The  moment  the  close  packed  squadrons 
came  opposite  this  field  the  ambushed  enemy  opened  a  close 
and  deadly  volley  which  threw  into  irrecoverable  confusion 
the  leading  battalion.  Colonel  Wyndham's  horse  was  shot 
under  him,  and  he  taken  prisoner,  and  Captain  Shellman  who 
bravely  endeavored  to  rally  the  men  was  killed.  The  officers 
dashed  hither  and  thither  to  restore  order,  horses  reared  and 
plunged,  and  the  fierce  riders  jostled  each  other  in  the  nar 
row  way,  but  the  broken  squadron  could  not  be  re-formed  and 
fell  back  pell-mell  down  the  hill.  .  The  second  squadron  see 
ing  the  disaster,  endeavored  to  pass  into  the  woods  on  the 
left,  to  escape  the  fire  of  the  infantry  and  attack  the  rebel 
cavalry  in  flank,  but  the  movement  came  too  late  and  the 
whole  force  fell  back  in  confusion. 

A  large  body  of  infantry  under  General  Bayard  was  imme 
diately  ordered  forward  to  retrieve  the  disaster,  and  among 
them  a  portion  of  the  "Bucktail"  regiment  of  Pennsylvania. 
The  latter  had  scarcely  taken  position  when  they  were  at 
tacked  by  a  whole  brigade  of  the  enemy.  Yet  they  main* 
tained  their  ground  with  daring  resolution,  doing  fearful  ex 
ecution  with  their  deadly  rifles,  till,  with  their  commander, 
Colonel  Kane,  wounded  and  a  prisoner,  and  nearly  half  of 
their  number  killed  and  wounded,  they  were  compelled  to 


472  BATTLE    OF   CROSS   KEYS. 

yield  the  field.  The  enemy  lost  a  large  number  in  killed  and 
wounded,  and  among  the  former  was  the  famous  rebel  cavalry 
leader  Ashby.  From  the  commencement  of  the  war,  he  had 
been  distinguished  for  his  daring  and  successful  movements, 
and  his  loss  was  a  severe  blow  to  the  enemy.  Jackson  now 
took  up  a  strong  position  eight  miles  from  Harrisonburg,  de 
termined  to  give  Fremont  battle. 


BATTLE    OF   CKOSS   KEYS. 

On  Sunday  the  eighth,  Fremont  having  determined  to  fight 
him  whenever  and  wherever  found,  advanced  to  the  attack. 
Jackson  had  planted  himself  in  an  amphitheatre  of  hills,  a  posi 
tion  so  admirably  fitted  for  defense  that  he  was  confident 
double  his  own  force  could  not  dislodge  him.  He  had  been 
over  this  ground  before,  and  knew  the  range  of  every  hill,  so 
that  from  the  outset  he  could  fling  his  shot  and  shell  with 
terrible  precision  on  an  advancing  enemy. 

Milroy  commanded  the  center,  Schenck  the  right,  and  Stahl 
the  left — the  advance  being  the  little  brigade  of  Cluseret, 
consisting  of  the  eighth  Virginia,  sixtieth  Ohio,  and  the 
Garibaldi  Guard.  The  line  advanced  slowly  and  cautiously, 
driving  the  rebel  skirmishers  before  it.  Descending  into  an 
open  valley,  the  cluster  of  hills,  covered  with  woods  on  their 
summits  in  which  the  enemy  were  concealed,  lay  before  them. 
Fremont  took  his  position  on  a  commanding  eminence,  and 
anxiously  watched  the  movements  of  his  columns  as  they  ad 
vanced  to  the  attack.  Wishing  to  ascertain  the  position  of 
the  enemy's  batteries,  Schenck  threw  some  shells  into  the 
woods  in  front,  but  not  a  shot  replied.  In  the  mean  time 
Cluseret1  s  brave  little  brigade  moved  steadily  over  the  roll 
ing  ground,  their  bayonets  gleaming  in  the  summer  sun,  till 
the  woods  on  the  right  swallowed  them  from  sight.  In  a 
few  minutes,  the  sharp  rattle  of  musketry  was  heard,  and  by 


JACKSON    RETREATS.  473 

the  advancing  line  of  smoke  that  rose  above  the  green  tree 
tops,  Fremont  saw  that  Cluseret  was  pushing  the  enemy 
before  him. 

The  batteries  were  now  ordered  up,  and  quickly  from  every 
commanding  eminence,  white  puffs  of  smoke  arose,  and  a 
fierce  artillery  fight  along  the  whole  line  followed.  The  ene 
my's  guns  were  worked  with  the  precision  of  rifle  practice, 
and  scarcely  a  shot  missed  its  intended  mark. 

While  this  tremendous  fire  of  the  batteries  was  going  on, 
Milroy  with  his  brigade,  moved  straight  on  the  center,  while 
Stahl,  supported  by  Bolen  took  the  woods  on  the  left,  and 
soon  from  out  its  dark  bosom  came  incessant  crashes  of  artil 
lery  and  volleys  of  musketry.  The  fight  here  for  a  time  was 
desperate,  but  Jackson  moving  forward  a  heavy  body  of  in 
fantry  to  outflank  Stahl,  the  latter  was  compelled  to  fall  back 
to  a  more  open  position.  This  was  about  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  and  soon  after  Milroy  was  compelled  to  retire 
also.  Cluseret,  however,  still  held  his  position  in  the  woods 
on  the  right  until  he  was  ordered  to  fall  back.  All  this  time 
Fremont,  surrounded  by  a  conspicuous  group,  occupied  a  hill 
top,  a  fair  target  for  the  enemy,  until  a  shell  at  length  burst 
right  in  their  midst,  when  they  moved  away. 

The  fight  was  over  before  dark,  and  Fremont  finding  the 
position  too  strong  to  be  carried,  did  not  renew  the  attack. 
The  rebel  loss  must  have  amounted  to  a  thousand  men  in  this 
determined  onset,  while  ours  could  have  been  little  less  than 
seven  or  eight  hundred.  Jackson  leaving  his  dead  behind 
him  and  two  cannon  in  our  possession,  retreated  at  midnight 
towards  the  south  branch  of  the  Shenandoah. 

This  was  construed  by  Fremont  into  a  confession  of  defeat, 
but  it  was  a  mistake.  Jackson  had  heard  that  Shields  was 
advancing  on  Port  Republic,  directly  in  his  rear,  and  he  left 
the  battle  field  at  Cross  Keys  to  give  the  latter  battle  next 
day  before  our  forces  could  form  a  junction. 


474  SHIELDS'  MOVEMENTS. 

When  McDowell  received  orders  to  send  aid  to  Fremont, 
lie  dispatched  Shields  up  the  Luray  valley,  along  the  south 
branch  of  the  Shenandoah,  to  intercept  Jackson,  while  an 
other  column  moved  direct  on  Strasburg. 

Carroll  led  the  advance,  and  pushing  on  by  heavy 
marches,  reached  a  place  called  Conrad's  store,  on  the  fourth, 
where  he  received  orders  to  push  on  to  Port  Republic,  some 
thirty -five  miles  distant.  But  heavy  rains  had  so  swollen 
the  creeks  on  his  route,  that  he  was  totally  unable  to  move 
till  the  seventh,  when  with  less  than  a  thousand  infantry,  and 
six  pieces  of  artillery,  and  only  a  hundred  and  fifty  cavalry, 
he  set  out.  With  this  small  force,  he  pressed  forward  with  des 
perate  energy,  hoping  to  be  able  to  reach  Port  Republic  and 
destroy  the  bridge  across  the  Shenandoah  there,  before 
Jackson  reached  it.  The  next  day,  Sunday,  while  Fremont 
was  fighting  the  battle  of  Cross  Keys,  he  reached  the  place, 
with  his  advance,  driving  the  small  force  of  the  enemy  there, 
out.  He  immediately  planted  two  guns  which  he  had 
brought  forward  so  as  to  protect  himself  from  an  attack  of 
the  train  guard,  until  his  command  could  arrive.  His  orders 
were,  after  destroying  the  bridge  here,  to  proceed  nearly 
thirty  miles  farther  up  stream  to  Waynesboro,  and  thus  hem 
in  Jackson,  so  that  he  could  be  finished  by  th$  combined 
forces  of  Fremont  and  McDowell.  But  before  he  had  been 
in  the  place  twenty  minutes,  he  was  suddenly  attacked  .by 
three  regiments  of  infantry,  with  eighteen  pieces  of  artillery, 
and  a  large  body  of  cavalry.  Compelled  to  retire  before 
this  overwhelming  force  before  he  could  destroy  the  bridge, 
he  slowly  retreated  about  two  miles  and  a  half,  and  took 
the  first  defensible  position  he  could  find,  where  he  was  soon 
after  joined  by  General  Tyler,  with  two  thousand  men.  The 
next  day,  Jackson  having  eluded  Fremont,  and  crossed  the 
river  in  safety,  burning  the  bridge  behind  him,  advanced 
with  his  whole  army  against  him.  It  was  a  skillful  move  on 


BATTLE    OF    PORT    REPUBLIC.  475 

the  part  of  the  rebel  leader,  and  Fremont,  while  moving 
forward  next  morning  in  pursuit,  as  he  supposed,  of  a  flying 
foe,  was  saluted  with  the  roar  of  cannon  in  the  distance,  that 
told  him  his  adroit,  daring  enemy,  was  breaking  in  pieces 
the  force  sent  to  cut  off  his  retreat.  The  fates  seemed  to 
favor  his  escape,  for  had  it  not  been  for  the  heavy  rains  that 
fell,  while  he  was  beating  back  Fremont  at  Cross  Keys  Car 
roll  would  have  been  destroying  the  bridge  over  which  the 
former  the  next  night  marched  in  safety.  But  every  farmer 
in  the  region  was  a  spy,  and  undoubtedly  Jackson  was  kept 
perfectly  informed  of  all  our  movements;  and  had  not 
Shields'  column  been  delayed,  he  would  not  have  fought  the 
battle  of  Cross  Keys  at  all,  but  continued  his  retreat  until  he 
had  put  the  river  between  him  and  his  pursuer. 

The  fight  at  Port  Republic  was  a  very  desperate  one,  for 
Jackson  could  lose  no  time  in  making  cautious  movements. 
He  knew  when  he  first  entered  the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah, 
to  attack  Banks,  that  he  would  be  compelled  to  move  rapidly ; 
and  pushing  the  latter  as  far  as  he  dared,  he  depended  for 
safety  in  his  retreat  on  swift,  long  marches,  and  sudden  on 
sets.  So  when  he  turned  from  Fremont  on  Shields,  he  threw 
himself  in  overwhelming  force  on  that  portion  of  the  army 
at  Port  Republic,  before  the  remainder  could  arrive.  Tyler 
and  Carroll,  however,  held  their  position  firmly  for  nearly 
five  hours.  Most  of  their  troops  were  western  men,  and 
fought  with  their  accustomed  gallantry.  The  seventh  In* 
diana  almost  annihilated  the  seventh  Louisiana  regiment  in 
its  desperate  charges. 

Carroll  behaved  with  great  gallantry,  leading  three  regi 
ments  successfully  to  the  charge.  The  fight  was  almost  a 
hand-jto-hand  one,  our  artillery  using  nothing  but  grape  and 
canister,  which  cut  frightful  lanes  through  the  close  ranks  of 
the  enemy.  But,  at  length,  being  outflanked,  this  gallant 
band  was  compelled  to  retire. 


476  OBJECT  OF  JACKSON'S  RAID. 

Though  various  movements  were  now  planned  and  set  on 
foot,  this  virtually  ended  the  pursuit,  for  Jackson  was  where 
he  could  easily  be  reinforced  to  any  extent,  and  Fremont 
finally  retired  to  Strasburg. 

It  had  been  confidently  believed  that  Jackson's  escape  was 
impossible,  and  when  it  was  found  that  he  had  slipped 
through  our  fingers,  carrying  all  his  immense  spoils  with 
him,  and  dealing  us  full  as  heavy  blows  as  we  had  given 
him,  the  public  disappointment  was  great,  and  McDowell, 
Shields,  Carroll,  and  Fremont,  were  by  turns  the  objects  of 
popular  clamor.  Even  at  this  late  day,  it  is  not  easy  to  form 
a  clear  idea  of  the  combined  movements  set  on  foot  to  in 
tercept  Jackson,  or  determine  where  the  blame  of  his  escape, 
if  any,  should  be  laid.  This  much,  however,  may  be  said : 
Jackson,  when  he  started  on  his  raid  down  the  valley,  was 
perfectly  aware  of  the  position  of  the  forces  he  would  leave 
on  his  flanks,  and  had  all  his  arrangements  complete  for  re 
ceiving  early  information  of  every  movement.  He  also 
knew  every  foot  of  the  country,  and  hence  could  lay  his 
plans  with  almost  mathematical  certainty.  He  had  not,  as 
the  public  fondly  supposed,  run  his  head  into  a  noose,  leav 
ing  us  nothing  to  do  except  to  tighten  the  rope.  On  the 
contrary,  he  knew  so  well  what  he  was  about,  that  his  escape 
might  be  relied  on  as  a  certainty,  unless  some  unexpected 
accident  should  interpose  to  disarrange  his  plans.  The  sud 
den  movement  of  our  forces  on  his  flanks  was  certainly  not 
that  unexpected  interposition.  Our  error  was  in  giving  him 
credit  for  a  daring  and  skillful  movement,  and  then  expect 
it  to  turn  out  the  hugest  blunder  imaginable. 

Among  the  captures  we  made  was  a  letter  from  the  rebel 
leader,  Johnson,  which  stated  that  the  sole  object  of  the 
movement  was  to  prevent  reinforcements  leing  sent  to  Me- 
Clellan.  According  to  their  own  confession,  therefore,  the 
great  object  of  the  raid  could  be  accomplished  only  by  the 


THE    PRESIDENT    VISITS    SCOTT.  477 

consent  of  our  government.  The  rumors,  however,  that 
from  time  to  time  were  received,  that  Jackson  had  been 
heavily  reinforced,  and  with  an  immense  army  was  about  to 
move  back  towards  Washington,  more  than  offset  the  proof 
of  this  letter,  and  government  was  perplexed  as  to  the  course 
it  ought  to  adopt. 

Our  position  at  the  close  of  this  movement  against  Jack 
son,  was  humiliating  in  the  extreme.  This  daring  leader, 
with  probably  less  than  twenty  thousand  men,  had  driven 
Banks  to  the  Potomac — forced  Fremont  and  McDowell  into 
a  long,  wasting,  and  yet  fruitless  march,  inflicting  on  them 
quite  as  much  damage  as  he  received — beaten  back  Shields' 
column  with  heavy  loss,  and  escaped  with  all  his  spoils  and 
trophies.  All  this  had  been  done  while  at  least  eighty  thou 
sand  troops  were  within  striking  distance  of  him. 

The  President  now  saw  clearly  the  terrible  blunder  that 
had  been  made  in  the  creation  of  these  several  independent 
corps,  that  could  act  in  unison  only  as  they  received  orders 
from  Washington,  and  he  resolved  to  remedy  it  at  once. 
Feeling  that  he  had  listened  to  counsel  that  was  not  safe,  he 
privately  left  Washington,  and  made  a  hurried  visit  to  West 
Point,  to  consult  with  the  old  veteran  Scott.  He  saw  that 
in  time  of  adversity  and  peril,  the  rash  and  the  ignorant 
must  be  put  aside,  and  those  whose  counsels  experience  had 
shown  to  be  wise,  be  consulted.  This  visit,  so  out  of  the 
ordinary  course  of  action  by  the  Chief  Executive,  gave  rise 
to  much  conjecture,  and  some  alarm.  But  the  simple  truth 
was,  the  condition  of  things  along  the  Potomac — causing  a 
still  more  perilous  condition  of  the  army  of  McClellan — re 
quired  an  entire  reorganization  of  military  affairs,  and  the 
President  in  doing  it  did  not  want  to  fall  into  a  mistake 
worse  than  the  first. 

The  first  step  in  the  new  order  of  things,  that  was  about 
to  take  place,,  was  the  consolidation  of  the  departments  of 


478         POPE  PLACED  OVER  THE  ARMY. 

Virginia  into  one  command  under  Pope,  who  had  been  called 
from  the  West  for  that  purpose.  This  officer  had  distin 
guished  himself  in  several  campaigns,  as  a  daring,  energetic, 
and  brave  officer,  and  his  appointment  to  this  post  of  great 
responsibility,  was  received  with  general  satisfaction ;  for  it 
was  certain  that  the  unaccountable  apathy  that  had  reigned 
so  long  beyond  the  Potomac  would  be  broken  up.  There 
were  serious  doubts,  however,  whether  his  administrative 
was  equal  to  his  executive  capacity ;  but  the  President 
thought,  on  the  whole,  he  was  the  best  man  that  under  the 
circumstances  could  be  selected.  In  giving  him  this  posi 
tion,  however,  he  had  to  perform  the  ungracious  task  of 
placing  an  officer  above  those  who  ranked  him,  and  it  was 
feared  that  it  might  cause  great  dissatisfaction  in  the  army. 
Fremont,  who  had  been  his  superior  officer  in  Missouri,  and 
in  that  capacity  had  some  difficulty  with  him,  immediately 
resigned  his  position  and  left  the  army.  This  conduct,  while 
in  presence  of  the  enemy,  was  loudly  condemned  by  his 
enemies,  and  scarcely  apologized  for  by  his  friends.  Per 
haps,  under  the  circumstances,  it  was  an  unfortunate  step, 
but;  unless  Fremont  saw,  that  by  taking  it  he  should  greatly 
imperil  his  country,  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  he  could  do 
otherwise.  So  on  the  other  hand,  unless  the  President  felt 
that  the  welfare  of  the  Republic  imperiously  demanded  it,  it 
was  both  unjust  and  dangerous,  thus  to  jump  a  subordinate 
over  the  heads  of  his  superiors  in  rank. 

The  address  which  Pope  afterwards  issued  to  the  army  on 
taking  personal  command,  though  full  of  promise  in  words, 
was  ominous  of  defeat.  In  it  he  said,  "I  hear  constantly  of 
taking  strong  positions  and  holding  them — of  lines  of  retreat, 
and  of  bases  of  supplies — let  us  discard  such  ideas."  And 
again,  uLet  us  study  the  probable  line  of  retreat  of  our  op- 
•  ponents  and  leave  our  own  to  take  care  of  themselves"  Aside 
from  the  bad  taste  of  such  language,  casting  as  it  did,  an 


MOVEMENT   AGAINST    CHARLESTON  479 

implied  reproach  on  those  generals  who  had  preceded  him, 
it  showed  a  contempt  of  established  rules  that  boded  no 
good.  It  was  most  marvellous  that  the  press  and  public 
received  it  with  a  shout  of  approval.  To  military  men,  it 
predicted  more  than  any  oracle  could,  a  terrible  defeat. 

While  affairs  before  Washington  were  thus  getting  into 
irretrievable  confusion,  our  army  met  with  a  severe  disaster 
in  front  of  Charleston.  As  early  as  the  fore  part  of  May, 
Benham,  in  command  of  the  northern  department  of  the 
south,  obtained  information  that  led  him  to  believe  that 
Charleston  could  be  approached  by  the  way  of  the  Stono. 
He  thought  that  our  forces  could  be  suddenly  concentrated 
on  James  Island,  which  commanded  the  approach  to  it, 
fort  Johnson  be  taken,  and  the  city  reached  by  our  bat 
teries.  The  project  received  Hunter's  approval,  and  on  the 
second  of  this  month,  the  two  generals  left  Hilton  Head 
with  a  part  of  the  troops  under  General  Stevens,  and  reach 
ing  Stono  river  the  same  afternoon,  landed  at  u  Old  Battery." 
Owing  to  the  want  of  means  of  transportation,  a  large  por 
tion  of  the  troops  were  sent  to  the  Edisto,  to  be  marched 
across  John's  island,  and  were  expected  to  be  at  the  Stono 
the  next  day.  But  from  lack  of  ferry  boats,  and  through 
other  delays,  they  did  not  arrive  till  the  fifth,  and  did  not 
get  across  to  James  island  till  the  ninth.  But  for  this  mis 
hap,  fort  Johnson  which  was  feebly  garrisoned,  and  wholly 
unprepared  for  any  attack,  would  probably  have  fallen. 

In  the  mean  while,  Stevens  had  had  some  skirmishing 
with  the  enemy,  in  which  he  captured  a  battery  of  iron  car- 
ronades,  and  lost  twenty  prisoners.  On  the  tenth  it  was  as 
certained  that  the  rebels  were  erecting  a  fort  at  a  place 
called  Secessionville,  from  which  they  could  command  Gen 
eral  Wright's  and  a  part  of  Stevens'  camps,  and  reach  evera 
our  gun  boats  in  the  Stono.  It  was  immediately  determined 
to  attempt  a  reconnoissance  in  force  next  morning,  and  if 

29 


480  BATTLE    OF   JAMES   ISLAND. 

possible  make  a  rush  and  capture  the  fort.  That  afternoon, 
however,  the  enemy  attacked  our  lines  near  Wright's  camp, 
but  were  repulsed  with  heavy  loss.  The  reconnoissance  was 
now  given  up,  and  a  project  set  on  foot  to  reduce  the  fort 
with  artillery. 

In  this  crisis  of  affairs,  Hunter  left,  with  orders  not  to  ad 
vance  on  Charleston,  or  attack  fort  Johnson  u  until  reinforced 
or  ordered  from  head-quarters,  but  that  the  camps  should  be 
made  sure  and  intrenched."  Yet  the  camps  could  not  be 
made  "secure"  so  long  as  the  guns  of  the  fort  commanded 
them— it  must  be  taken  or  they  abandoned.  Why  Hunter 
left  while  the  army  was  in  this  critical  position,  leaving  an 
order  so  indefinite  and  contradictory,  requires  a  more  satis 
factory  explanation  than  has  yet  been  given. 

The  bombardment  producing  no  effect,  and  deserters  stat 
ing  that  the  garrison  consisted  of  only  eight  hundred  men, 
defended  by  six  guns,  and  that  the  whole  force  on  the  island 
amounted  to  but  twelve  thousand,  Benham  resolved  to  storm 
the  fort. 

BATTLE    OF    JAMES   ISLAND. 

Four  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  sixteenth,  was  the 
hour  selected  for  the  assault.  General  Stevens,  with  four 
thousand  men,  was  to  move  suddenly  in  one  overwhelming 
mass  on  the  enemy's  works  on  the  right,  while  General  Wil 
liams,  with  three  thousand  more  approached  on  the  left  to 
his  support.  The  Michigan  eighth,  only  four  hundred  strong, 
advancing  at  the  double-quick  in  dead  silence,  first  ap 
proached  the  enemy's  works,  but  being  discovered  before 
they  reached  them,  were  met  by  a  murderous  volley  of  grape 
and  canister,  which  mowed  them  down  like  grass.  They 
kept  on,  however,  in  the  face  of  the  horrible  tempest,  until 
nearly  half  their  entire  number  were  killed  or  wounded, 
when  reduced  to  a  mere  handful,  and  unsupported,  they 


A   GALLANT    REGIMENT.  481 

were  compelled  to  fall  back,  a  band  of  heroes  every  one. 
On  the  heels  of  this  repulse  came  the  indomitable  seventy- 
ninth  Highlanders,  on  the  double-quick,  and  formed  in  line 
of  battle  in  a  large  cotton  field,  directly  in  front  of  the  guns 
of  the  fort.  As  they  passed  General  Stevens  they  cheered 
him.  He  lifted  his  cap  and  smiled  as  he  watched  the  solid 
ranks  with  fixed  bayonets,  sweeping  like  a  dark  shadow  over 
the  field  in  the  early  dawn. 

The  rain  was  falling  gently,  and  through  the  misty  air 
stretched  the  dark  earth  works  silent  as  death.  Not  a  shot 
was  fired  till  they  came  within  a  thousand  yards  of  the  batte 
ries,  when  all  at  once  the  guns  opened  with  grape  and  canis 
ter,  sweeping  the  open  ground  like  driving  haiL  Without 
returning  a  shot,  the  regiment,  still  at  the  double-quick,  closed 
up  its  rent  ranks,  and  moved  swiftly  forward  through  the 
desolating  fire  till  they  reached  the  fort.  Waving  his  sword 
above  his  head,  and  shouting  to  his  men  to  follow  him,  Lieu 
tenant  Colonel  Morrison  leaped  on  the  ramparts.  Several 
of  his  brave  men  followed  him,  but  as  fast  as  they  reached 
the  top,  they  were  dropped  by  marksmen  concealed  in  rifle 
pits  in  the  rear,  and  finally  Morrison  was  borne  back  wound 
ed  in  the  head. 

A  part  of  the  regiment  now  filed  to  the  right  of  the  fort 
• — a  part  maintained  its  position  in  front,  while  the  right  wing 
got  behind  an  embankment  and  by  its  deadly  fire,  nearly 
silenced  the  guns  and  prevented  any  sally.  Though  rapidly 
picked  off  by  the  hidden  foe,  they  stubbornly  maintained 
their  ground,  and  looked  anxiously  back  for  the  regiments 
that  were  to  support  them.  Had  they  come  up,  the  fort 
would  have  been  ours,  but  instead  of  help,  there  arrived  an 
order  to  fall  back.  Maddened  and  mortified,  these  heroic 
men  then  retreated,  leaving  half  of  their  killed  and  wounded 
behind  them. 

The  seventh  Connecticut  which  should  have  been  up  long 


482  THE   DEFEAT. 

before,  now  advanced  through  the  same  terrible  fire,  but  were 
driven  back  as  the  two  regiments  that  preceded  them  had 
been.  It  was  said  that  a  hedge  crossed  the  field  with  only  a 
single  opening,  through  which  each  regiment  had  to  pass  in 
a  narrow  line,  and  thus  made  the  premeditated  simultaneous 
attack  impossible.  It  was  also  asserted  that  our  batteries 
did  not  fire  until  after  the  repulse,  and  then  threw  shot  and 
shell  into  our  own  ranks,  completing  the  discomfiture. 
Williams  division  moved  into  the  fire  and  fought  gallantly, 
but  never  reached  the  works.  Our  loss  in  killed  and  woun 
ded  was  about  five  hundred,  three  fifths  of  which  fell  on  the 
eighth  Michigan  and  seventy -ninth  Highlanders. 

This  disaster  was  the  more  mortifying  from  its  having  oc 
curred  before  Charleston.  This  city  which  first  lighted  the 
torch  of  civil  war,  had  suffered  less  than  most  of  the  other 
portions  of  the  rebellious  states,  and  to  be  defeated  here, 
caused  the  deepest  chagrin  and  indignation.  Benham  was 
placed  under  arrest  and  sent  home  and  finally  deprived  of 
his  rank.  A  victim  was  demanded,  and  he  was  chosen,  with 
how  much  justice  it  is  difficult  to  determine.  Stevens  blam 
ed  him,  and  he  in  turn  censured  Stevens  for  not  bringing  up 
the  supports  as  he  was  ordered  to  do,  thus  losing  the  battle. 

From  all  that  can  be  gathered,  however,  it  does  not  seem 
to  have  been  a  more  desperate  undertaking  than  the  storming 
of  Stony  Point  by  Wayne  in  the  revolution,  and  had  it  suc 
ceeded  would  have  been  pronounced  one  of  the  most  brilliant 
actions  of  the  war,  the  glory  of  which  neither  Hunter  nor  Ste 
vens  would  have  refused  to  share.  At  all  events,  it  was  just 
one  of  those  desperate,  daring  adventures  which  the  people 
had  long  been  clamoring  for ;  and  for  not  attempting  which, 
Halleck  and  McClellan  had  been  blamed  and  ridiculed.  The 
people  will  judge  a  General  by  his  success,  and  yet  demand 
that  he  shall  take  terrible  risks.  Perhaps  this  is  right,  but 
it  places  commanders  in  an  unenviable  position. 


CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 

JUNE,  1862. 


MC  CLELLAN    BEFORE    RICHMOND  —  LABOR  OF  THE  SOLDIERS  —  MC  CLELLANS  AD 

DRESS  TO  THE  ARMY  -  MC  DOWELL  EXPECTED  -  REBEL  KNOWLEDGE  OF  HIS 
PLANS  —  MC  CALL'S  DIVISION  SENT  TO  HIS  SUPPORT  —  THE  FORCE  LEFT  WITH 

WHICH  TO  ATTACK  RICHMOND  -  ANXIETY  OF  MC  CLELLAN  -  INSUFFICIENCY 
OF  HIS  FORCE  TO  PROTECT  HIS  RIGHT  FLANK  -  STUART'S  CAVALRY  RAID  - 
ENCIRCLES  OUR  ENTIRE  ARMY  -  ATTACKS  A  RAIL  ROAD  TRAIN  -  ATTEMPTS 
TO  CROSS  THE  CHICKAHOMINY  -  THE  COLUMN  SAVED  BY  A  LUCKY  ACCIDENT 
-  ITS  SAFE  RETURN  TO  RICHMOND  —  ITS  EFFECT  ON  THE  REBEL  ARMY  -  BAL 
LOON  ASCENSION  IN  VIEW  OF  THE  REBEL  CAPITAL  —  MOVEMENTS  AND  RU- 
MORS  -  REBEL  PLAN  TO  DESTROY  MC  CLELLAN's  ARMY. 


Battle  of  Fair  Oaks  which  commenced  on  the  last 
JL  day  of  May  and  ended  on  the  first  day  of  this  month, 
though  it  retarded  McClellan's  advance  towards  Richmond, 
did  not  in  the  least  manner  change  his  plans.  The  unexpec 
ted  disastrous  flood  caused  more  delay  than  the  battle. 
Not  only  were  the  bridges,  constructed  with  so  much  labor 
by  the  troops,  to  be  rebuilt,  but  the  timbers  had  to  be  drag 
ged  through  deep  mud  and  water,  while  the  ground,  swampy 
before,  now  became  a  bed  of  mortar.  The  men  suffered 
dreadfully  from  the  deluge,  not  only  on  account  of  the  terrible 
state  to  which  it  reduced  their  camps,  but  because  being  fol 
lowed  by  hot  weather,  the  air  was  filled  with  malaria.  The 
fatigues  and  annoyances,  they  were  called  upon  to  endure  for 
the  next  two  weeks,  were  harder  to  bear  than  the  dangers 
and  carnage  of  the  battle  field.  McClellan,  however,  was  not 
discouraged,  for  if  the  help  promised  him  should  come  at 
the  last  hour,  he  felt  certain  that  his  gallant  army  would  car 
ry  the  flag  triumphantly  into  the  rebel  Capital.  To  keep  up 


484         MO  CLELLAN'S  ADDRESS. 

their  spirits  amid  the  disheartening  circumstances  that  sur 
rounded  them,  he  issued  the  following  address : 

HEAD-QUARTERS  ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC,  ) 
Camp  near  New  Bridge,  Va.,  June  2,  1862.      } 

SOLDIERS  OF  THE  ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC  :  I  have  fulfilled 
at  least  a  part  of  my  promise  to  you.  You  are  now  face  to 
face  with  the  rebels,  who  are  held  at  bay  in  front  of  the  Cap 
ital.  The  final  and  decisive  battle  is  at  hand.  Unless  you 
belie  your  past  history,  the  result  cannot  be  for  a  moment 
doubtful.  If  the  troops  who  labored  so  faithfully,  and  fought 
so  gallantly  at  Yorktown,  and  who  so  bravely  won  the  hard 
fights  at  Williamsburgh,  West  Point,  Hanover  Court  House 
and  Fair  Oaks,  now  prove  worthy  of  their  antecedents,  the 
victory  is  surely  ours. 

The  events  of  every  day  prove  your  superiority.  Where- 
ever  you  have  met  the  enemy  you  have  beaten  him.  Where- 
ever  you  have  used  the  bayonet,  he  has  given  way  in  panic 
and  disorder. 

I  ask  of  you  now  one  last  crowning  effort.  The  enemy 
has  staked  his  all  on  the  issue  of  the  coming  battle.  Let 
us  meet  him  and  crush  him  here,  in  the  very  center  of  the 
rebellion. 

Soldiers,  I  will  be  with  you  in  this  battle,  and  share  its 
dangers  with  you.  Our  confidence  in  each  other  is  now 
founded  upon  the  past.  Le,t  us  strike  the  blow  which  is  to 
restore  peace  and  union  to  this  distracted  land.  Upon  your 
valor,  discipline  and  mutual  confidence  the  result  depends. 
(Signed,)  GEO.  B.  MCCLELLAN, 

Major-  General  Commanding. 

In  holding  out  this  bright  future  he  intended  no  deception, 
for  he  still  believed  that  he  was  to  have  the  co-operation  of 
the  other  portion  of  the  army,  and  nothing  had  yet  occurred 
to  weaken  his  confidence  in  ultimate  success.  Burnside,  be 
low,  was  anxiously  waiting  for  the  great  decisive  battle,  when 
he  would  move  upon  the  shattered  forces  in  rear,  and  help  to 
give  the  death  blow  to  the  rebellion.  No  one  in  the  army 
before  Richmond  yet  believed  that  the  great  scheme,  of  which 
their  march  from  Yorktown  was  only  a  part,  was  to  be  aban- 


REBEL  VIEW  OF  OUR  PLAN.  485 

doned,  and  the  war  all  begun  over  again.  This  belief  was 
strengthened  by  a  rumor  that  passed  through  the  camps,  that 
McDowell  had  started,  and  .his  strong  columns  were  pushing 
their  way  towards  Hanover  Court  House. 

The  rebel  leaders,  from  the  outset  of  the  war,  had  obtained 
early  information  of  every  important  plan  of  our  govern 
ment,  and  thus  been  able  often  to  defeat  it.  From  some 
source  or  other  they  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  plan  of  this 
great  campaign,  though  too  late  to  break  it  up,  had  the  gov 
ernment  acted  with  promptness  and  daring.  What  our  people 
only  guessed  at,  and  afterwards  in  their  indignation  that  Rich 
mond  was  not  captured  entirely  forgot,  the  rebels  well  under 
stood,  and  were  candid  enough  to  say  ought  to  have  proved 
successful.  Thus  the  Richmond  Whig  of  June 'fourteenth, 
after  speaking  of  the  defeat  of  Banks,  and  failure  of  Fremont  to 
cut  off  Jackson,  says:  "These  several  corps  were  to  have 
been  consolidated  and  brought  across  the  Blue  Ridge  en  route 
for  Richmond.  When  they  reached  the  Rappahannock, 
McDowell,  with  his  Fredericksburg  army,  was  to  fall  into  line 
and  the  united  columns  were  to  be  precipitated  on  the  devo 
ted  city  from  the  north.  At  the  same  time,  Burnside  was 
expected  to  be  on  hand  from  the  south,  advancing  up  the 
south  side  of  the  James,  from  the  direction  of  Suffolk,  in  con 
junction  with  the  Monitor  and  its  consorts  in  the  river.  The 
Capital,  being  thus  assailed  from  the  north  and  south,  Mc- 
Clellan  was  to  make  the  grand  attack  from  the  east,  in  front. 
The  plan  was  a  gigantic  one,  and  in  all  probability  would 
have  succeeded,  but  for  the  masterly  movements  of  Jackson, 
completely  paralyzing  the  valley  force  and  compelling  Mc 
Dowell  to  detach  a*  large  portion  of  his  army  to  save  Banks 
and  Company  from  demolition,  and  their  Capital  from  cap 
ture.  Thus  left  without  co-operation  and  succor,  McClellan 
is  afraid  to  strike.  Within  sound  almost  of  the  church  bells 
of  Richmond,  within  sight  almost  of  the  long  coveted  treas- 


486  A  REBEL  CONFESSION. 

ure,  a  sudden  disappointment  strikes  him,  a  cold  tremor 
seizes  him,  and  he  skulks  and  hides  himself  like  a  craven  in 
the  dismal  marshes  of  the  Chickahominy — one  day  sending 
to  Washington  a  braggart  and  mendacious  bulletin  of  what 
his  invincible  army  had  done  and  is  about  to  do,  and  the  next 
bawling  with  all  his  might  for  reinforcements.  For  the  pres 
ent,  at  least,  he  is  cornered  by  the  bold  dash  of  Jackson — 
the  next  move  should  be  a  checkmate." 

Here  is  an  important  confession,  one  that  concedes  that  the 
plan,  which  after  mature  reflection  had  received  the  sanction 
of  our  government,  would  have  been  successful  except  for  the 
sudden  dash  of  Jackson.  But  it  is  easy  to  see  that  this  raid 
would  never  have  been  attempted,  had  McDowell  moved  at 
the  time  and  in  the  way  originally  contemplated.  As  far  as 
human  foresight  can  see,  Richmond  would  have  fallen  long 
before  this,  for  the  concentration  of  forces,  which  the  rebels 
acknowledged  ought  to  have  given  us  success,  would  have 
been  accomplished.  Who  is  to  blame  for  this  ? 

The  correspondence,  that  passed  between  McClellan  and 
the  government  at  this  critical  period,  when  it  is  allowed  to 
see  the  light,  will  form  an  interesting  chapter  in  our  history. 
The  latter,  alarmed  for  the  safety  of  Washington,  began  to 
vacillate  and  could  no  longer  reiterate  with  the  same  emphasis 
its  promise  of  co-operation ;  and  the  former,  without  it,  could 
see,  not  only  no  way  to  victory,  but  scarcely  one  of  escape. 
The  grand  imposing  structure,  on  which  such  vast  expense  and 
time  had  been  lavished,  and  which  both  believed  to  be  firm 
and  complete,  they  now  saw  suddenly  to  assume  the  appear 
ance  of  a  cloudy  fabric  to  vanish  at  the  next  breath  into  thin 
air.  How  the  government  at  Washington  felt  we  know  not, 
but  we  are  told  by  eye  witnesses  that  the  countenance  of 
McClellan  grew  inexpressibly  sad,  when  alone.  His  heart 
might  well  be  overwhelmed,  for  the  vision  of  a  mighty  wreck 
began  to  loom  up  in  the  distance. 


WAITING   FOR   MCDOWELL.  487 

Still,  to  his  army  lie  seemed  confident  as  ever,  and  steadily 
pressed  his  works  on  towards  the  gates  of  the  rebel  capital. 
Skirmishes  were  of  almost  daily  occurrence,  and  the  eager, 
expectant  army  awaited,  without  misgivings,  the  order  to 
advance.  The  hot  weather  of  summer  was  telling  fearfully 
on  the  troops  in  those  pestiferous  swamps,  thinning  the 
ranks  as  fast  as  though  swept  by  the  enemy's  batteries — Yet 
their  spirits  remained  unbroken,  for  ever  and  anon  came  the 
rumor  that  McDowell  had  started.  Four  times  was  the  army 
raised  to  the  highest  pitch  of  excitement  by  this  news,  only 
to  sink  back  into  disappointment  and  angry  mutterings. 

•  Meanwhile,  the  government,  pressed  by  McClellan  for  re 
inforcements,  sent  down  to  him  McCall's  division  of  eleven 
thousand  men.  His  army  previous  to  this,  had  from  sickness, 
loss  on  the  battle  field,  and  furloughs  most  of  which  were 
obtained  through  political  or  personal  influence  at  Wash 
ington,  dwindled  down  to  less  than  one  hundred  thousand 
men.  McCall's  additional  force  made  it  a  little  over  a  hund 
red  thousand,  twenty  thousand  of  which  were  necessary  to 
guard  his  communications  with  the  White  House,  leaving 
him  only  seventy  or  eighty  thousand  with  which  to  advance 
on  Richmond,  defended,  as  McClellan  knew,  by  over  a  hund 
red  and  fifty  thousand  men,  protected  by  works  of  the  most 
formidable  character. 

In  ten  days  after  the  battle  at  Fair  Oaks,  he  had  all  his 
bridges  completed,  and  was  ready  soon  after  with  his  left 
wing  to  move  on  Richmond,  the  moment  the  corps  of  Mc 
Dowell  closed  up  his  right  wing. 

Affairs  were  resting  in  this  condition,  when  on  Thursday, 
the  twelfth,  a  cavalry  expedition  was  started  from  Rich 
mond,  with  the  design  of  dashing  on  our  rear,  to  capture  and 
destroy  what  it  could,  and  ascertain  the  number  and  position 
of  our  troops  between  the  main  army  and  the  White  House, 
on  the  Pamunkey  river. 


488  THE   POSITION. 

The  Pamunkey  and  Chickahominy  rivers,  in  the  rear  of  where 
McClellan  was  encamped,  run  nearly  parallel  to  each  othei 
in  a  south-easterly  direction,  and  the  main  army  being  across 
the  Chickahominy,  the  path  of  the  raid  lay  between  the  two, 
cutting,  of  course,  as  it  swept  from  the  north  to  the  south, 
the  rail  road  that  connected  the  White  House,  the  base  of 
supplies,  and  the  army  itself.  McClellan,  having  possession 
of  all  the  bridges  below  him,  the  expedition  could  not 
sweep  round  him  south — north,  his  pickets  extended  nearly 
to  Hanover  Court  House,  twenty  miles  from  Richmond; 
but  with  only  a  hundred  thousand  men,  he  could  not  stretch 
his  army  that  distance.  The  danger  of  raids  in  that  quarter 
he  was  perfectly  aware  of,  but  without  a  larger  force  he 
could  not  effectually  guard  against  them. 

His  army  occupied  a  semicircle,  of  which  Richmond  was 
the  center — hence  the  enemy  could  concentrate  their  entire 
force  on  any  given  point  twice  as  rapidly  as  he  could.  He 
had  to  rely  solely  on  such  information  of  their  movements 
as  spies  and  scouts  could  furnish  him,  while  the  farmers  of 
the  entire  country,  through  their  knowledge  of  all  the  wood 
paths,  and  by-ways,  kept  the  rebels  perfectly  informed  of 
the  forces  and  position  of  the  Union  troops. 


STUART'S  CAVALRY  RAID. 


This  was  the  state  of  things  when  jStuart,  with  some  fif 
teen  hundred  or  two  thousand  chosen  cavalry,  started  on  his 
daring  mission.  With  the  knowledge  he  possessed  of  the 
country,  and  the  strength  and  position  of  our  forces  along 
the  route  he  had  marked  out  for  himself,  he  knew  he  could 
easily  reach  our  rear  and  cause  a  large  amount  of  mischief — 
the  trouble  was,  to  get  back  again,  for  he  could  not  tell  how 
quickly  we  might  close  behind  him,  preventing  his  return. 

Starting  at  daylight  on  Thursday,  he  marched  all  day  along 


STUARTS    CAVALRY    RAID.  489 

the  Charlottsville  turnpike,  meeting  nothing  but  a  large  com 
pany  of  fugitive  slaves  making  their  way  towards  our  lines. 
These  he  sent  back,  and  kept  on  to  Ashland,  where  he  stop 
ped  for  the  night.  A  little  before  daylight,  he  sent  up  signal 
rockets  to  tell  the  rebel  leaders  of  his  whereabouts,  and  as 
soon  as  he  saw  the  blazing  curves  of  answering  rockets  far  in 
the  rear,  he  put  his  column  in  motion,  and  proceeding  cau 
tiously,  soon  came  upon  our  horse  pickets,  showing  that  he 
was  piercing  our  lines.  These  retired  upon  the  main  body, 
composed  of  some  squadrons  of  the  United  States  cavalry, 
near  Hanover  Court  House.  The  latter,  as  the  enemy  ap 
proached,  also  retired  still  farther  towards  Hanover,  where 
they  made  a  stand.  As  the  ninth  Virginia  cavalry  of  the  reb 
els  came  trotting  down  the  road  with  clattering  sabres,  they 
could  hear  the  Union  commander  calling  on  his  men  to  stand 
firm.  Seeing  the  enemy  approach,  the  latter  ordered  the 
bugles  to  sound  the  charge,  and  wheeling,  shouted  to  his 
men  to  follow  him,  but  they  shamefully  turned  and  galloped 
off.  Finding  himself  deserted,  he  too  turned  his  horse  to  fol 
low  after,  when  a  bullet  struck  him,  and  he  reeled  from  his 
saddle.  Sweeping  the  deserted  camps,  the  rebels  now  moved 
rapidly  forward,  when  their  scouts  brought  word  that  a  still 
larger  force  was  awaiting  them  a  little  in  advance.  Our 
troops  this  time  came  on  in  admirable  order,  but  swept  by  a 
destructive  volley  by  a  large  body  of  dismounted  men,  act 
ing  as  infantry,  they  fell  back.  But  re-forming  again  at  the 
foot  of  a  gentle  slope,  and  the  bugle  pealing  forth  the  charge, 
they  came  up  in  gallant  style.  The  rebel  officer  Latane,  shout 
ed,  "  On  to  them  boys,"  and  dashed  forward  of  his  men.  The 
Union  leader,  calling  to  his  men  to  follow,  spurred  forward  to 
meet  him.  The  two  forces  met  in  full  career,  and  so  fierce 
and  sudden  was  the  shock  that  the  front  of  both  columns  was 
unhorsed.  The  two  commanders  singled  out  each  other  and 
came  furiously  together.  As  they  passed,  Latane  cleft  the 


490  ATTACK   ON   A   RAIL   ROAD   TRAIN. 

cap  of  the  Union  leader,  while  the  pistol  of  the  latter  explo 
ded  almost  against  the  side  of  the  rebel,  hurling  him  a  life 
less  corse  under  the  feet  of  the  plunging  horses.  Overpow 
ered  by  numbers,  our  troops  at  length  gave  way,  leaving 
their  gallant  commander  behind  them,  who  was  cut  down 
while  spurring  after  a  rebel  adjutant.  Shouting  in  triumph, 
the  rebels  now  dashed  on  through  abandoned  camps,  scatter 
ing  teams,  setting  fire  to  quartermaster's  stores,  and  captur 
ing  horses  and  prisoners.  Reaching  Putney's  landing  on  the 
Pamunkey,  where  three  schooners  were  lying,  they  succeeded 
in  burning  two,  besides  a  large  quantity  of  sutlers  stores,  wagon 
trains,  &c.  Still  pushing  on,  they  approached  the  York  riv 
er  rail  road,-  near  Tunstall's  station,  when  they  heard  the 
scream  of  a  steam  whistle  from  a  descending  train.  Dismount 
ing,  they  rolled  logs  on  the  track,  and  ranged  themselves 
along  side  of  it  to  fire  into  the  cars.  Nearly  three  hundred 
passengers  were  aboard  of  the  train,  some  of  them  officers  of 
high  rank,  and  there  seemed  every  prospect  of  the  rebels 
making  a  splendid  prize.  As  the  head  of  the  train  came 
dashing  around  a  bend  of  the  road,  a  volley  was  fired  at  the 
engineer,  while  a  deadly  fire  was  poured  into  some  platform 
cars,  loaded  with  officers  and  men.  Luckily  the  engineer  es 
caped,  though  the  bullets  rattled  like  hail  around  him,  and 
with  admirable  presence  of  mind  clapped  on  steam,  and 
dashing  over  the  obstacles  placed  on  the  track,  thunderedf^'on 
towards  the  White  House.  Some  of  the  frightened  passen 
gers  jumped  from  the  train,  and  made  for  the  woods — four 
teen  were  killed  and  wounded,  but  the  rich  prey  escaped. 
The  alarm  was  given  to  the  ninety-third  New  York  regiment, 
stationed  on  the  rail  road  just  above  the  White  House,  and 
all  the  forces  in  the  vicinity  were  hurriedly  concentrated  to 
protect  the  place,  the  sutlers  and  occupants  of  which  were 
seized  with  the  utmost  consternation. 

News  of  the  raid,  in  the  mean  time,  had  traveled  in  vari- 


CROSSING   THE   CHICK  AHOMINY.  491 

ous  directions,  to  our  main  army,  and  the  rebel  leader  soon 
saw  that  a  storm  was  gathering  around  him  from  which  noth-^ 
ing  but  the  most  consummate  daring  and  good  fortune  would 
enable  him  to  escape.  His  mission  of  destruction  was  now 
clearly  over,  and  the  question  was  how  he  should  get  back 
to  his  lines.  He  saw,  at  a  glance,  that  the  way  along  which 
he  had  come  would  be  closed  against  him,  and  in  sheer  des 
peration  he  determined  to  push  on  below  and  around  our 
entire  army,  and  trust  to  fortune  to  help  him  back  across  the 
Chickahominy.  Scattering  every  thing  from  his  path,  he 
proceeded  boldly  to  New  Kent,  thus  completing  safely  one- 
half  the  semicircle. 

The  victorious  squadrons  were  now  below  all  the  bridges, 
and  within  two  miles  of  McClellan's  head-quarters,  while  a  deep 
river  lay  between  them  and  Richmond.  Striking  for  the c '-  Blind 
Ford,"  as  it  was  called,  they  found  to  their  dismay  that  the 
water  was  fifteen  feet  deep.  It  was  now  dark,  and  as  they 
gazed  on  the  silent,  rapidly  flowing  stream,  and  knew  from 
their  scouts  that  the  whole  country  was  alive  with  troops  in 
pursuit  of  them,  they  scarcely  knew  which  way  to  turn. 
Luckily  for  them,  they  were  in  the  last  place  where  they 
would  be  looked  for,  and  taking  every  precaution  to  prevent 
surprise,  they  threatened  the  prisoners  with  instant  death  if 
they  made  any  noise,  and  then  plunged  one  after  another 
into1  the  stream,  hoping  in  single  squads  to  be  able  to  get 
over  by  swimming  the  horses.  Struggling  forward  through 
the  gloom,  they  were  borne  down  by  the  rapid  current,  and 
scattered  so,  that  after  a  long  time  of  desperate  efforts,  only 
fifty  succeeded  in  reaching  the  farther  shore.  At  this  criti 
cal  juncture,  one  of  the  residents  of  the  neighborhood  came 
forward,  and  told  Stuart  that  a  little  farther  up  stream,  was 
an  old  bridge  that  had  been  only  partially  destroyed,  and 
could  be  easily  mended.  Some  officers  were  immediately 
sent  forward,  who  found  the  joyful  news  to  be  true,  and  im- 


492  SUCCESS   OF   THE   RAID. 

mediately  men  were  set  to  work  felling  trees  and  hauling 
logs  to  the  shore.  The  sharp,  quick  blows  of  the  axe  rang 
out  in  the  darkness — trees  came  one  after  another  with  a 
crash  to  the  ground,  which  were  as  quickly  cut  up  and  drag 
ged  to  the  timbers  that  were  left  standing.  Limbs  and 
brush  were  piled  on,  making  a  rough  but  safe  footing,  and 
over  it  in  long,  silent  procession,  guns  and  prisoners  were 
hurried  in  desperate  haste.  But  on  the  farther  side  was  a 
marsh  into  which  the  artillery  sunk  to  its  axles.  Un discour 
aged  by  this  new  obstacle,  they  hitched  ten  horses  to  each 
piece,  and  whipping  up  the  jaded  animals,  succeeded  in  getting 
them  all  through.  It  had  been  a  long,  anxious,  and  toilsome 
night,  and  when  the  morning  dawned,  they  were  still  within 
our  lines.  Keeping  in  the  woods  to  escape  observation,  they 
moved  cautiously  forward,  till  suddenly  the  advance  came 
upon  a  squad  of  Federal  horsemen,  acting  as  pickets.  u  Who 
goes  there  ?  "  shouted  the  officer  on  duty.  The  rebels  with 
out  replying,  dashed  into  the  open  ground,  followed  by  a 
volley,  when  they  wheeled  and  made  for  the  woods  where 
their  main  body  was  concealed.  The  mounted  pickets  spur 
red  forward  in  pursuit,  and  the  next  moment  found  them 
selves  surrounded  and  prisoners. 

Having  thus  stopped  all  knowledge  of  their  movements 
from  teaching  our  lines,  they  made  their  way  unmolested 
along  the  Charles  City  road,  and  weary  and  dirty,  in  the 
early  dawn  reached  their  pickets,  from  which  they  moved 
leisurely  to  the  rebel  capital.  The  news  of  their  safe  arri 
val,  and  their  daring  adventure  soon  spread  through  the 
city,  and  crowds  gathered  around  them  with  shouts  of  ex 
ultation. 

It  was  a  bold,  successful  exploit,  reflecting  great  credit  on 
leader  and  men,  and  causing  scarcely  greater  admiration  in 
the  rebel  army  than  in  our  own.  They  had  been  in  the  sad 
dle  most  of  the  time  from  Thursday  morning  to  Saturday 


ACTIVE   PREPARATIONS.  493 

noon,  .scarcely  halting  to  eat,  except  as  they  rioted  on  our 
suttlers'  stores,  which  furnished  them  luxuries  to  which  they 
had  long  been  strangers — destroyed  a  great  deal  of  prop 
erty,  captured  a  large  number  of  horses  and  mules,  and  over 
a  hundred  prisoners,  with  the  loss  of  hardly  a  man.  Still, 
they  overestimated  the  damage  they  had  inflicted,  while 
many  of  their  prisoners  were  teamsters  and  noncombatants. 
As  far  as  material  benefit  to  them  was  concerned,  the  grand 
result  footed  up  small.  Its  chief  advantage  consisted  in  the 
moral  effect  upon  the  army.  Such  a  daring  and  singular 
adventure  becomes  the  theme  of  conversation  around  every 
camp  fire,  and  exerts  a  wonderful  influence  in  enlivening  the 
spirits,  and  strengthening  the  confidence  and  courage  of  the 
men. 

After  the  excitement  created  by  this  event  had  subsided, 
affairs  settled  down  into  their  old  monotonous  round  of  un 
important  skirmishes,  bold  reconnoissances,  and  cautious, 
steady  preparation  for  the  coming  struggle.  Balloon  ascen 
sions  were  made  so  near  the  rebel  capital,  that  the  streets 
could  be  distinctly  marked  out,  and  the  word  "UNION," 
painted  in  flaming  capitals  on  the  aerial  monster,  could  be 
plainly  read  with  the  aid  of  glasses  by  the  astonished  inhab 
itants. 

Greater  activity,  however,  seemed  to  pervade  the  enemy's 
camps,  and  the  nightly  running  of  cars,  the  shriek  of  steam 
whistles,  and  the  beating  of  drums,  seemed  to  indicate  that 
some  great  movement  was  at  hand ;  while  the  sound  of  heavy 
cannonading,  booming  over  the  Chickahominy  swamp,  from 
James  river,  gave  rise  to  the  hope  in  our  army  that  our  gun 
boats  were  pushing  their  way  up  to  Richmond.  The  rumor 
that  Burnside  was  marching  on  fort  Darling,  also  filled  the 
army  with  exultation,  and  all  believed  that  the  final  strug 
gle  was  close  at  hand.  But  these  indications  of  an  onward 
movement  passed  away  as  others  had  done,  and  the  army 


494  LEE'S  PLAN. 

patiently  lay  down  again  in  the  pestiferous  swamps  of  the 
Chickahominy. 

In  the  mean  time,  there  seemed  to  be  some  change  in  the 
programme,  for  heavy  siege  guns  began  to  arrive  from  York- 
town.  Their  appearance  at  this  late  day  looked  like  in 
creased  delays  which  the  feverish  state  of  the  public  mind 
would  scarcely  bear. 

During  all  these  weary  weeks,  both  armies  had  been  busy 
fortifying,  till  a  double  row  of  earth  works  now  stood  front 
ing  each  other.  The  rebels  chafed  under  their  imprison 
ment,  and  began  to  despair,  if  McClellan  were  allowed  to 
advance  against  them  by  the  slow  process  of  a  regular 
siege. 

But  Lee,  who  was  now  their  commander-in-chief,  finding 
that  Jackson's  raid  had  succeeded  in  its  object,  and  no 
troops  were  moving  from  the  Shenandoah  to  reinforce 
McClellan,  resolved  to  call  in  the  forces  scattered  through 
Virginia,  and  suddenly  concentrate  them  in  an  overwhelm 
ing  mass  on  him,  and.  finish  the  long  siege  in  a  clap  of 
thunder. 


CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

JUNE,  1862. 

PROXIMITY  OF  OUR  EARTH-WORKS  TO  THOSE  OF  THE  ENEMY CHARACTER  OF 

THE  GROUND  BETWEEN  THEM MC  CLELLAN  RESOLVES  TO  SIEZE  IT AR 
RANGEMENTS  FOR  THE  BATTLE HEINTZELMAN's  AND  KEARNEY'S  DIVISIONS 

HOOKER'S  BRIGADE — THE  BATTLE — MC  CLELLAN'S  ARRIVAL  ON  THE  FIELD — 
HIS  ENTHUSIASTIC  RECEPTION TAKES  PERSONAL  COMMAND GALLANT  EF 
FORT  OF  CAPTAIN  DUSENBURY THE  ENEMY  BEATEN  AT  ALL  POINTS — MC- 

CLELLAN'S  DISPATCH  TO  WASHINGTON — PUBLIC  EXPECTATION — PREPARA 
TIONS  TO  CELEBRATE  THE  FALL  OF  RICHMOND PERPLEXITY  OF  OUR  GOV 
ERNMENT GREAT  PLAN  OF  THE  REBEL  LEADER,  LEE MC  CLELLAN  INFORM 
ED  THAT  MC  DOWELL  WOULD  NOT  BE  SENT  TO  HIS  AID EFFECT  OF  THE 

NEWS TRYING   SITUATION GLOOMY    PROSPECTS FINAL    DETERMINATION 

ITS  DISCOVERY  BY  THE  ENEMY. 

fTlHE  earth- works  which  had  been  thrown  up  on  both  sides 
JL  were  so  near  to  each  other,  that  no  farther  advance 
could  be  made  without  bringing  on  a  battle.  A  belt  of 
woods  stretched  between  the  hostile  fortifications,  conceal 
ing  them  from  each  other's  view.  This  piece  of  woods  was 
debatable  ground,  and  it  was  necessary  that  McClellan 
should  have  it  before  he  made  his  final  advance.  On  Tues 
day  night,  therefore,  of  the  twenty-fourth,  he  made  his  ar 
rangements  for  getting  possession  of  it  in  the  morning, 
which  might  bring  on  a  general  battle. 

The  ground  which  he  wished  to  occupy  lay  along  the  line 
of  the  Williamsburg  road,  and  was  a  portion  of  that  occu 
pied  by  Casey's  division  nearly  a  month  before.  Between 
this  road  and  the  rail  road,  on  the  right,  was  stationed  Heint- 
zelman's  division,  with  Simmer's  still  farther  to  the  right,  and 
back,  to  act  as  emergencies  might  demand.  Corresponding 

with    Heintzelman's    division,    Sickles'    Excelsior    brigade 
30 


496  HOOKER'S  BRIGADE. 

stretched  away  to  the  left  of  the  road,  joined  on  its  extreme 
limit  by  Kearney's  division.  At  seven  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing,  the  brigades  were  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle,  and  the 
first  Massachusetts  sent  forward  as  skirmishers,  supported  by 
the  second  New  Hampshire,  and  twenty-sixth  Pennsylvania, 
with  the  eleventh  Massachusetts  acting  as  their  reserve. 
Beyond  the  woods  that  hid  Heintzelman's  position  from  the 
enemy,  was  a  swamp,  from  the  farther  edge  of  which  ex 
tended  a  peach  orchard,  situated  nearly  opposite  the  spot 
occupied  by  Hooker's  brigade.  Still  farther  on,  beyond  the 
peach  orchard,  was  a  cleared  space,  on  the  farther  side  of 
which  were  rebel  rifle  pits.  There  were  rifle  pits  also  in 
front  of  Kearney,  on  the  other  side  of  the  road,  and  the 
main  object  of  the  movement  was  to  get  possession  of  these. 
Kearney  met  with  very  little  stubborn  resistance,  and  mov 
ing  steadily  forward,  brushing  the  skirmishers  from  his  path 
as  he  advanced,  soon  had  possession  of  the  rifle  pits.  But 
on  the  other  side  of  the  road  the  contest  was  very  severe, 
the  weight  of  it  falling  on  Hooker's  brigade.  His  advance 
regiment  soon  cleared  the  woods  of  the  enemy's  pickets, 
and  forcing  them  back  into  the  swamp,  followed  them 
fiercely  up,  though  sinking  to  their  knees  at  every  step,  in 
mud  and  water.  Artillery  could  not  be  handled  here  and  it 
had  to  be  an  affair  of  infantry  altogether,  except  as  the  Par- 
rott  guns  in  the  rear  pitched  shells  at  hazard  over  the  heads 
of  our  men  into  the  woods  and  fields  beyond  them. 

The  swamp  was  finally  cleared,  and  the  supporting  regi 
ments  having  come  up,  the  united  force  pushed  on  through 
the  peach  orchard,  driving  the  rebels  before  them  till  they 
emerged  on  the  open  field  swept  by  the  rifle  pits.  Here  the 
contest  became  fierce  and  bloody,  for  our  troops,  wholly  un 
sheltered,  had  to  advance  against  a  steady,  long  line  of  fire 
from  the  rifle  pits,  above  the  tops  of  which  only  the  enemy's 
heads  could  be  seen  as  they  rose  to  deliver  their  volleys  at 


MC  CLELLAN    DIRECTS   THE    BATTLE.  497 

rest.  Our  loss  here  was  three  to  one  of  the  rebels,  yet 
the  dauntless  regiments  stood  their  ground,  and  rained 
a  perfect  hail  storm  on  the  crest  of  the  rifle  pits.  The 
enemy,  at  first,  seemed  determined  not  to  yield  the  po 
sition  ;  but  at  length,  seeing  a  column  from  Kearney's  divis 
ion,  moving  from  the  rifle  pits  on  the  other  side  of  the  road 
to  take  them  in  flank,  they  broke  and  fled,  when  our  troops 
dashed  forward  with  a  cheer,  and  occupied  the  position,  and 
held  it  until  an  order  came  for  them  to  fall  back.  The  reb 
els  made  no  attempt  to  follow  them,  and  there  came  a  lull 
to  the  contest,  which  lasted  till  eleven  o'clock.  At  this  time 
McClellan  rode  on  to  the  field,  his  approach  heralded  by  the 
thundering  cheers  of  the  regiments  in  reserve.  With  cap 
in  hand,  he  swept  with  his  escort  along  the  shouting  lines, 
and  taking  his  position  by  an  old  well,  near  where  Casey's 
head-quarters  were  before  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  listened 
to  the  reports  of  the  different  generals,  and  their  aids,  and 
then  assumed  command  in  person,  and  directed  the  remain  • 
ing  operations  till  the  close  of  the  action.  Soon  after,  a 
battery,  stationed  on  the  rail  road,  began  to  throw  shells  over 
the  heads  of  our  men  into  the  woods  and  swamp  beyond. 
The  exact  locality  of  the  enemy  being  concealed  by  the  for 
est,  an  officer  ascended  a  lofty  tree  that  overlooked  the  sur 
rounding  country,  and  signalled  the  battery  where  to  direct 
its  shells.  After  a  sharp  fire  had  been  kept  up  for  some 
time,  a  second  advance  was  ordered,  to  retake  the  rifle  pits 
which  we  had  abandoned. 

In  the  mean  time,  Couch's  division  under  General  Palmer, 
which  had  been  ordered  forward  to  the  support  of  Hooker, 
came  up  in  splendid  order,  while  two  Napoleon  guns  of  De- 
Russey's  battery  under  Captain  Dusenbury,  went  tearing 
in  a  fierce  gallop  along  the  Williamsburg  road,  towards 
the  front.  It  was  deemed  hardly  possible  to  drag  them 
through  the  swamp,  where  they  were  needed,  in  order  to  do 


498  THE   YICTOKY. 

any  service,  but  by  dint  of  lifting  and  pulling,  and  the  most 
desperate  efforts,  they  were  got  across  and  placed  in  position. 
As  the  rebels  saw  these  brass  pieces  glittering  in  the  sun 
light,  they  knew  they  must  be  captured  or  the  ground  could 
not  be  held,  and  moved  forward  in  solid  ranks  upon  them. 
But  suddenly  a  strong  force,  as  if  rising  ,out  of  the  earth, 
emerged  from  the  swamp  to  their  support.  The  guns  were 
now  advanced,  and  the  whole  force  moved  forward  over  the 
open  field.  In  fifteen  minutes  the  contest  was  over,  and  our 
men  cheering  once  more  in  the  enemy's  rifle  pits. 

It  was  now  about  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  bat 
tle  seemed  over,  when  the  enemy  suddenly  burst  with  tremen 
dous  force  on  the  rifle  pits  held  by  Kearney.  Overwhelmed 
by  the  unexpected  onset,  our  troops  gave  way,  retiring  over 
the  open  field,  till  they  reached  the  edge  of  a  piece  of  woods 
where  they  made  a  determined  stand,  and  resisted  every  at 
tempt  of  the  rebels  to  advance  farther.  The  latter  moved 
forward  into  the  desolating  fire  with  high  courage,  but  each 
time  they  approached  the  edge  of  the  woods  they  recoiled 
before  the  fearful  volleys  that  met  them,  and  at  length  gave 
over  the  effort  to  carry  them,  and  abandoned  the  field,  strewn 
thick  with  their  dead.  Birney's  brigade,  on  the  left  of 
Kearney's  division,  suffered  severely  in  this  last  contest. 

When  night  had  put  an  end  to  the  conflict,  we  had  driven 
the  enemy  as  far  as  he  drove  us  a  few  weeks  before  at  the 
battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  and  held  the  ground  we  had  won.  Hook 
er's  pickets,  that  night,  were  posted  within  less  than  five 
miles  of  the  rebel  capital. 

All  night  long,  working  parties  were  -  busy  throwing  up 
intrenchments  so  as  to  be  able  to  hold  the  position  we  had 
gained.  But  the  rebels,  first  in  one  direction  then  in  another, 
kept  advancing,  driving  in  our  pickets  and  compelling  the 
soldiers  to  fling  down  the  spade  and  pick,  and  seize  their 
muskets. 


PUBLIC    EXPECTATION.  499 

About  one  o'clock,  heavy  and  sustained  firing  broke  sud 
denly  through  the  gloom,  bringing  officers  to  their  saddles, 
and  for  a  time  there  was  swift  hurrying  to  and  fro  in  the  star 
light,  but  the  tumult  soon  subsided,  and  our  forces  maintain 
ed  their  ground.  But  for  the  terrific  battle  that  a  few  weeks 
before  had  raged  on  this  very  spot,  and  the  tremendous 
struggle  which  was  believed  to  be  close  at  hand,  this  would 
have  been  considered  a  severe  engagement.  Our  loss  was 
two  hundred  in  killed  and  wounded.  An  importance  how 
ever,  far  greater  than  its  immediate  results,  was  attached  to 
the  movement.  The  ground  which  was  gained — it  being 
immediately  in  advance  of  our  earth- works,  was  conclusive 
evidence  in  the  minds  of  the  people  that  the  crisis  had  final 
ly  come,  and  every  quiver  of  the  telegraph  wires  was  watch 
ed  with  the  most  intense  solicitude.  The  dispatches  of  Mc- 
Clellan  strengthened  this  belief.  To  one  written  amid  the 
roar  of  guns,  in  which  he  says,  u  our  men  are  behaving  splen 
didly — the  enemy  are  fighting  well  also,"  he  makes  this 
significant  addition,  "  If  we  succeed  in  what  we  have  under 
taken  it  ^v^U  be  an  important  advantage  gamed."1'  When 
therefore  the  second  dispatch  came,  saying,  "  The  affair  is 
over  and  we  have  gained  our  point  fully y"  there  was  no  doubt 
that  he  meant  to  be  understood  as  having  gained  the  foot 
hold  he  wanted,  before  he  launched  his  army  on  the  rebel 
Capital.  So  fully  possessed  was  the  public  with  this  belief, 
that  preparations  were  made  in  many  parts  of  the  country  to 
celebrate  the  triumphant  entry  of  our  flag  into  Richmond. 
Leading  presses  in  New  York  city  had  fire  works  arranged 
around  their  buildings,  ready  to  be  let  off  the  moment  the 
electric  wires  should  flash  the  news  from  Washington.  The 
near  approach  of  the  fourth  of  July  gave  increased  strength  to 
this  belief.  The  celebration  of  the  anniversary  of  our  Declara 
tion  of  Independence  was  to  mark  a  new  triumph — the  down 
fall  of  the  rebel  Capital  and  the  death  blow  to  the  rebellion. 


500  PERPLEXITY    OF    THE    GOVERNMENT. 

The  sudden  arrest  of  all  telegraphic  news  from  the  seat  of 
war,  and  the  profound  silence  that  all  at  once  fell  on  the 
army,  instead  of  depressing  public  feeling,  seemed  rather  to 
elevate  it.  u  The  government,"  said  the  enthusiastic,  "  is  pre 
paring  a  surprise  for  the  people  for  the  fourth  of  July." 
But  the  few,  who  from  closely  watching  the  course  of 
events,  had  obtained  a  correct  idea  of  the  general  plan  of 
the  campaign,  were  filled  with  alarm.  They  knew  that  if  Mc 
Dowell  did  not  form  a  junction  with  McClellan,  that  plan  was 
broken  up  and  this  grand  outlay  of  labor  and  life  was  in  vain. 
The  two  governments  presented  a  painful  contrast  in  this 
terrible  crisis.  Letters  were  flowing  into  Washington,  beg 
ging  that  reinforcements  be  sent  on  with  all  haste  to  Mc 
Clellan.  Louder  than  all,  went  up  the  cry  from  the  army 
for  help,  while  from  the  interior  of  Virginia  came  rumors  that 
a  fearful  storm  was  about  to  burst  on  the  National  Capital. 
Should  it  abandon  the  great  plan  that  had  been  so  long  matur 
ing,  and  give  up  all  the  hopes  of  taking  the  rebel  capital,  or 
push  on  to  the  end,  and  leave  Washington  to  take  its  chances, 
were  the  painful  questions  our  government  kept  balancing. 
Confronted  with  sudden  and  unexpected  dangers,  it  did  not 
know  what  to  do.  The  magnificent  scheme,  every  part  of 
which,  a  short  time  ago,  seemed  moving  harmoniously  to  the 
grand  desired  result,  had  been  thrown  into  utter  chaos.  Its 
councils  were  divided  as  to  the  best  course  to  be  adopted  in 
this  dire  emergency.  While  hesitation  and  delay  were  mark 
ing  its  action,  at  Richmond  every  thing  was  moving  with  pro 
digious  energy  and  order  to  one  great  result.  Many  had 
supposed  that  the  comparatively  feeble  resistance  which  the 
rebels  had  made  to  McClellan's  last  attack,  proved  them  to 
be  weak  and  discouraged ;  but  the  truth  was,  they  could  not 
afford  to  waste  men  or  time  to  prevent  an  advance  they  knew 
never  would  be  made.  For  days,  the  rail  road  leading  to  the 
Shenandoah  valley,  had  been  groaning  under  the  weight  of 


MCDOWELL    NOT    TO    COME.  501 

soldiers  and  munitions  of  war,  moving  towards  Richmond, 
while  from  North  and  South  Carolina,  and  even  from  Geor 
gia,  the  regiments  had  been  hurrying  forward  with  desperate 
speed.  McClellan  was  aware  of  this  sudden  concentration  of 
the  enemy's  force  in  his  front, -and  the  anxious  expression  of 
his  countenance  grew  daily  more  intense  as  he  turned  his  ear 
northward  to  catch  the  tread  of  McDowell's  columns.  The 
rumor  had  reached  the  camps  that  they  were  within  a  day's 
march  of  them,  and  should  it  prove  true  all  was  well.  Burn- 
side  too  had  been  ordered  up  from  Newbern,  and  soon  per 
haps  the  bayonets  of  his  strong  battalions  would  be  seen  mov 
ing  across  the  Chickahominy. 

While  events  were  thus  crowding  to  a  fearful  crisis,  and 
even  one  day's  delay  might  precipitate  a  common  ruin,  Mc 
Clellan  was  informed  by  the  Secretary  of  War  that  McDowell 
would  not  be  sent  to  him  at  all.  The  thunderbolt  had  at  last 
fallen,  and  an  abyss,  whose  depths  he  shuddered  to  contem 
plate,  opened  at  his  feet.  What  now  was  to  be  done?  was 
the  anxious  question,  as  he  called  his  gallant  corps  commanders 
around  him.  To  move  en  masse  with  his  inferior  force  upon 
the  strong  fortifications  in  front  would  be  courting  destruction. 
Should  he  attempt  to  hold  his  position  until  troops  could  ar 
rive  at  Washington,  relieving  those  there  which  he  needed 
in  order  to  take  Richmond?  But  June  was  drawing  to  a 
close,  and  the  hot  month  of  July  in  these  pestilential  swamps 
would  diminish  his  army  almost  as  fast  as  it  could  be  rein 
forced.  Beside,  would  the  enemy  wait  if  he  did?  The  line 
of  defense  had  been  stretched  northward  already  too  far  to 
allow  it  sufficient  strength  at  the  center,  and  at  any  timo 
in  that  direction,  the  enemy  could  sweep  round  him  if  he  had 
sufficient  force  behind  the  fortifications  to  protect  Richmond 
in  front,  and  the  rapidity  with  which  he  was  concentrating 
troops  showed  that  he  would  very  speedily  be  able  to  do 
this.  There  was  but  one  course  left  open — to  retveat.  But 


502  A   CRITICAL   SITUATION, 

would  the  enemy  let  him  retreat?  With  the  first  backward 
movement  he  would  launch  his  overwhelming  force  upon  him. 
It  was  painful  enough  for  McClellan  to  see  the  grand  edifice 
he  had  reared  with  so  much  care,  and  which  had  been  ce 
mented  with  some  of  the  best  blood  of  the  land,  tumble  into 
irrecoverable  fragments  at  his  feet.  But  this  was  not  the 
worst  of  it ;  that  gallant  army,  which  had  followed  him  with 
such  unwavering  fidelity,  and  trusted  him  so  implicitly,  must 
be  waked  from  its  dream  of  victory  to  find  that  it  had  been 
beguiled  into  a  trap,  a  snare,  from  which  there  might  be  no. 
escape,  or  if  one,  to  be  traversed  only  over  the  bodies  of 
thousands  of  their  brave  comrades.  And  how  would  the 
country  look  upon  this?  Whom  would  it  hold  to  a  strict  and 
terrible  account?  The  position  in  which  he  found  himself 
was  one  to  try  the  stoutest  heart,  and  crush  the  very  life  out 
of  a  man  of  keen  sensibilities.  His  fondest  hopes  lay  crushed 
at  his  feet,  and  now  must  come  the  struggle  for  life,  and  if  he 
survived,  over  the  roar  of  battle  and  the  groans  of  the  dying, 
would  come  the  bitter  outcry  of  an  angry  and  disappointed 
nation.  But  to  retreat  was  his  only  chance  of  escaping  utter 
annihilation.  If  he  could  get  off  all  his  trains  and  army  mate- 
rial  before  the  enemy  discovered  his  intentions,  so  that  he 
would  have  his  gallant  army  free  of  incumbrance,  he  might 
hold  his  enemy  at  bay  as  he  retired  to  a  safe  position.  Quietly, 
and  without  display  he  commenced  to  do  this,  and  though  the 
enemy  were  very  quickly  informed  by  their  spies  of  what  was 
going  on,  they  could  not  at  first  decide  what  it  meant.  At  last 
however  their  suspicions  were  aroused,  and  they  resolved  to 
fall  in  overwhelming  force  on  his  flank,  and,  cutting  him  off 
from  his  supplies,  make  an  utter  end  of  the  entire  army. 


NOfE. 

EXCHANGE    OF   PRISONERS. 

,%i 

•  The  exchange  of  prisoners  is  a  matte*  very  easily  adjusted  between  tw6 
belligerent  nations,  but  in  a  civil  war,  between  thd  established  government 
and  that  portion  of  it  In  revolt,  it  becomes  very  complicated,  In  the  former 
case  it  is  only  necessary  to  follow  an  established  law  of  nations  which  gives 
equal  rights  and  privileges  to  both.  In  the  latter,  by  the  aame  law,  the  f<3* 
bellious  government  is  supposed  to  have  no  rights  at  all  except  those  of  a  com 
mon  humanity.  Theoretically,  the  moment  they  arc  treated  as  equals  on  this 
point,  independent  national  rights  are  conceded.  But  in  this  as  in  many  other 
cases,  theories  have  to  bend  to  the  stern  logic  of  events.  Thus  for  a  long 
time  the  English  commissioners  refused  to  address  Washington  by  any  other 
title  than  "George  Washington,  Esq.,"  and  when  pushed  hard,  only  as  "George 
Washington,  Esq.,  <kc.  &c.  &c.,"  but  finding  they  oould  have  no  intercourse 
with  him  at  all  except  by  giving  him  the  full  rank  accorded  him  by  the  Con 
tinental  Congress,  yielded  the  point.  So  we  at  the  outset  of  the  war  could 
not  consent  to  put 'ourselves  on  an  equality  with  the  rebels  by  entering  into 
any  negotiations  on  the  subject  of  exchange  of  prisoners.  They  had  no 
right  to  take  or  hold  prisoners — but  to  treat  with  them  admitted  that  they 
had.  It  was  worse  than  to  acknowledge  them  as  belligerents.  If  we  could 
have  had  suppressed  the  rebellion  at  once,  this  would  All  have  been  very 
well,  but  when  the  war  became  protracted  it  would  not  do  to  let  our  brave 
men  languish  in  southern  prisons.  On  the  other  hand,  we  dare  not  treat 
prisoners  that  we  took  as  rebels,  and  hang  them  as  they  deserved,  for  it  would 
bring  swift  retaliation  and  the  war  thus  become  a  mere  butchery.  The 
first  privateers  captured  were  condemned  as  pirates,  as  they  were,  but  the 
moment  they  were  placed  in  close  confinement  as  felons,  Colonel  Corcoran 
and  other  of  our  brave  officers  taken  at  Bull  Run,  were  confined  in  the  same 
manner  reserved  for  the  same  fate  to  which  they  should  be  doomed.  Be 
sides,  the  prisoners  on  both  sides  soon  numbered  by  tens  of  thousands,  and 
something  must  be  done  with  them.  Petitions  from  all  parts  of  the  country 
poured  into  Washington,  asking  for  some  action  on  this  subject,  and  even 
State  Legislatures  took  it  up.  At  first  the  government  undertook  to  avoid 
the  necessity  of  negotiations  with  the  rebel  government  by  appointing  com 
missioners  to  proceed  south  and  attend  to  the  wants  of  our  soldiers  in  pris 
on,  but  they  of  course  were  not  permitted  to  go.  Generals  in  the  field  were 
also  allowed  to  make  exchanges  on  their  own  responsibility,  and  individuals 
to  procure  their  own  exchange.  Various  devices  and  proposals  were  sought 
and  made  but  all  would  not  do — humiliating  as  it  was,  we  had  to  come  to 
direct  negotiations  on  the  subject. 


504  EXCHANGE   OF   PRISONERS. 

It  was  designed  at  first  to  follow  in  this  work  the  progress  and  changes 
that  marked  this  delicate  question,  but  it  became  so  complicated  and  per 
plexing  that  it  was  abandoned.  It  is  curious  and  interesting  as  a  matter 
of  history,  but  instead  of  treating  of  it  in  detail,  we  give  the  final  result 
arrived  at  after  more  than  a  year's  trifling.  It  is  a  pity  that  it  could  to 
have  been  reached  sooner  on  account  of  our  brave  soldiers,  to  whom  a  year's 
confinement  in  southern  prisons  seemed  a  high  price  to  pay  for  a  theory  that 
after  all  could  not  oe  carried  out.  The  principle  on  which  our  government 
acted  was  unquestionably  right,  but  as  before  remarked,  the  logic  of  events 
was  too  strong  for  it.  Commissioners  were  therefore  appointed  on  both  sides 
to  settle  the  vexed  question,  and  the  following  is  the  result  of  their  protracted 
labors : 

TUB  CARTEL  AGREED  UPON 

BY    GEN.    DIX    FOR    THE  UNITED  STATES,  AND    GEN.    HILL  FOR  THE    REBELS. 

HAXALL'S  LANDING,  ON  JAMES  RIVER,  Va., ) 
July  22,  1862.       j 

The  undersigned  having  been  commissioned  by  the  authorities  they  re 
spectively  represent,  to  make  arrrangcments  for  a  general  exchange  of  prison 
ers  of  war,  have  agreed  to  the  following  articles : 

ARTICLE  ] .  It  is  hereby  agreed  and  stipulated  that  all  prisoners  of  war 
held  by  cither  party,  including  those  taken  on  private  armed  vessels,  shall  be 
discharged  upon  the  conditions  and  terms  following :  Prisoners  to  be  ex 
changed  man  for  man,  and  officer  for  officer ;  privateers  to  be  placed  upon 
the  footing  of  officers  and  men  of  the  navy ;  men  and  officers  of  lower  grades 
may  be  exchanged  for  officers  of  a  higher  grade.  And  men  and  officers  of 
the  different  services  may  be  exchanged  according  to  the  following  scale  of- 
equivalents :  a  General  Commanding-in-Chief  or  an  Admiral  shall  be  exchang 
ed  for  officers  of  equal  rank,  or  for  sixty  privates  or  common  seamen  ;  a  Flag- 
Officer  or  Major-General  shall  be  exchanged  for  officers  of  equal  rank,  or  for 
forty  privates  or  common  seamen ;  a  Commodore,  carrying  a  broad  pennant 
or  a  Brigadier-General  shall  be  exchanged  for  officers  of  equal  rank,  or  twenty 
privates  or  common  seamen  ;  a  Captain  in  the  nav^,  or  a  Colonel  shall  be  ex 
changed  for  officers  of  equal  rank,  or  for  fifteen  privates  or  common  seamen ; 
a  Lieutenant-Colonel,  or  a  Commander  in  the  navy,  shall  be  exchanged  for 
officers  of  equal  rank,  or  for  ten  privates  or  common  seamen  ;  a  Lieutenant- 
Commander  or  a  Major  shall  be  exchanged  for  officers  of  equal  rank,  or  eight 
privates  or  common  seamen.  A  Lieutenant  or  a  Master  in  the  Navy,  or  a 
Captain  in  the  Army  or  Marines,  shall  be  exchanged  for  officers  of  equal  rank, 
or  six  privates  or  common  seamen.  Masters  Mates  in  the  navy,  or  Lieuten 
ants  and  Ensigns  in  the  Army,  shall  be  exchanged  for  officers  of  equal  rank, 


CARTEL  AGREED  UPON.  505 

or  four  privates  or  common  seamen.  Midshipmen  and  Warrant  officers  in 
the  Navy,  Masters  of  merchant  vessels  and  Commanders  of  privateers,  shall 
be  exchanged  for  officers  of  equal  rank,  or  three  privates  or  common  sea 
men.  Second  Captains,  Lieutenants,  or  Mates  of  merchant  vessels  or  priva 
teers,  and  all  petty  officers  in  the  Navy,  and  all  non-commissioned  officers  in 
the  Army  or  Marines,  shall  be  severally  exchanged  for  persons  of  equal  rank, 
or  for  two  private  soldiers  or  common  seamen  ;  and  private  soldiers  or  com 
mon  seamen  shall  be  exchanged  for  each  other,  man  for  man. 

ART.  2.  Local,  State,  civil  and  militia  rank  held  by  persons  not  in  actual 
military  services  will  not  be  recognized,  the  basis  of  exchange  being  the 
grade  actually  held  in  the  naval  and  military  service  of  the  respective  parties. 

ART.  3.  If  citizens  held  by  either  party  on  charges  of  disloyalty  or  any 
alleged  civil  offense  are  exchanged,  it  shall  only  be  for  citizens,  captured  sut 
lers,  and  teamsters,  and  all  civilians  in  the  actual  service  of  either  party  are 
to  be  exchanged  for  persons  in  similar  position. 

ART.  4  All  prisoners  of  war  are  to  be  discharged  on  parole  in  ten  clays 
after  their  capture,  and  the  prisoners  now  held,  and  those  hereafter  taken,  to 
be  transported  to  the  points  mutually  agreed  upon,  at  the  expense  of  the 
capturing  party.  The  surplus  prisoners  not  exchanged  shall  not  be  permitted 
to  take  up  arms  again,  nor  to  serve  as  a  military  police  or  constabulary  force 
in  any  fort,  garrison  or  field  work  held  by  either  of  the  respective  parties,  nor 
as  guards  of  prisons,  depots  or  stores,  nor  to  discharge  any  duty  usually  per 
formed  by  soldiers,  until  exchanged  under  the  provisions  of  this  cartel.  The 
exchange  is  not  to  be  considered  complete  until  the  officer  or  soldier  ex 
changed  for  has"  been  actually  restored  to  the  lines  to  which  he  belongs. 

ART.  5.  Each  party  upon  the  discharge  of  prisoners  of  the  other  party  is 
authorized  to  discharge  an  equal  number  of  their  own  officers  or  men,  from 
parole,  furnishing  at  the  same  time  to  the  other  party  a  list  of  their  prisoners 
discharged,  and  of  their  men  relieved  from  parole,  thus  enabling  each  party 
to  relieve  from  parole  such  of  their  own  officers  and  men  as  the  party  may 
choose.  The  lists  thus  mutually  furnished  will  keep  both  parties  advised  of 
the  true  condition  of  the  exchange  of  prisoners. 

ART.  6.  The  stipulations  and  provisions  above  mentioned  to  be  of 
binding  obligation  during  the  continuance  of  the  Avar,  it  matters  not  which 
party  may  have  the  surplus  of  prisoners,  the  great  principle  involved  being: 
first — An  equitable  exchange  of  prisoners,  man  for  man,  officer  for  officer, 
or  officers  of  higher  grade  exchanged  for  officers  of  lower  grade,  or  for  pri 
vates,  according  to  the  scale  of  equivalents.  Second — That  privates  and  of 
ficers,  and  men  of  th,e  different  services  may  be  exchanged,  according  to  the 
same  scale  of  equivalents.  Third — That  all  prisoners,  of  whatever  arms,  of 


506  CARTEL   CONTINUED. 

the  service  are  to  be  exchanged  or  paroled  in  ten  days  from  the  time  of  their 
capture,  if  it  be  practicable  to  transfer  them  to  their  own  lines  in  that  time, 
if  not,  as  soon  thereafter  as  practicable.  Fourth — That  no  officer,  soldier  or 
employee  in  the  service  of  either  party  is  to  be  considered  as  exchanged  and 
absolved  from  his  parole  until  his  equivalent  has  actually  reached  the  lines  of 
his  friends.  Fifth — That  the  parole  forbids  the  performance  of  field,  garrison, 
police  or  guard  or  constabulary  duty. 

(Signed,)  JOHN  A.  Dix,  Major- General 

>  D.  H.  HILL,  Major-General,   C.  S.  A. 

/ 

SUPLEMENTARY    ARTICLES. 

ART.  7  All  prisoners  of  war  now  held  on  cither  side,  and  all  prisoners 
hereafter  taken  shall  be  sent  with  all  reasonable  dispatch  to  A.  M.  Aiken's 
below  Dutch  Gap,  on  the  James  River,  or  to  Vicksburg,  on  the  Mississippi 
river,  in  the  State  of  Mississippi,  and  there  exchanged,  or  paroled  until  such 
exchange  can  be  effected,  notice  being  previously  given  by  each  party  of  the 
number  of  prisoners  it  will  send,  and  the  number  of  prisoners  it  will  send, 
and  the  time  when  they  will  be  delivered  at  those  points,  respectively ;  and 
in  case  the  vicissitudes  of  war  shall  change  the  military  relation  of  the  places 
designated  in  this  article,  to  the  contending  parties,  so  as  to  render  the 
same  inconvenient  for  the  delivery  and  exchange  of  prisoners,  other  places 
bearing  as  nearly  as  may  be,  the  present  local  relations  of  said  places  to 
the  lines  of  said  parties,  shall,  by  mutual  agreement,  be  substituted.  But 
nothing  in  this  article  contained,  shall  prevent  the  commanders  of  two  op 
posing  armies  from  exchanging  prisoners,  or  releasing  them  on  parole,  afc 
other  points  mutually  agreed  on  by  said  commanders. 

ART.  8.  For  the  purpose  of  carrying  into  effect  the  foregoing  articles  of 
agreement,  each  party  will  appoint  two  agents  to  be  called  "  Agents  for  the 
exchange  of  prisoners  of  war,"  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  communicate  with 
each  other  by  correspondence  and  otherwise,  to  prepare  the  lists  of  prisoners, 
to  attend  to  the  delivery  of  the  prisoners,  at  the  places  agreed  on,  and  to 
carry  out  promptly,  effectually,  and  in  good  faith  all  the  detailed  provisions 
of  the  said  articles  of  agreement. 

ART.  9.  And  in  case  any  mistindertanding  shall  arise  in  regard  to  any 
clause  or  stipulation  in  the  foregoing  articles,  it  is  mutually  agreed  that  such 
misunderstanding  shall  not  interrupt  the  release  of  prisoners  on  parole  as 
herein  provided,  but  shall  be  made  the  subject  of  friendly  explanation,  in  or 
der  that  the  object  of  this  agreement  may  neither  be  defeated  nor  postponed. 

(Signed,)  JOHN  A.  Dix,  Major- General. 

1  D.  H.  HILL,  Major-General,    C.  S.  A- 


HEADLEY'S 

HISTORY  OF  THE  GREAT  REBELLION.   .; 

THE  magnitude  of  the  subject  of  the  present  work — the  Great  Eebellion  in  the  United 
States — being  not  only  the  Great  Event  in  American  History,  but  the  most  fearful  tragedy 
of  modern  times,  is  of  itself  calculated  to  render  this  book  one  of  the  most  exciting  and 
interesting  ever  ottered  to  the  public.  The  publishers,  fortunately,  have  been  enabled  to 
enlist  the  eminent  and  splendid  talents  of  the  Hon.  J.  T.  Ilcadley,  who  is  well  known  to 
the  public  as  the  most  brilliant  and  popular  writer  of  Military  History  of  modern  times. 
In  depicting  the  numerous  battles  and  warlike  scenes  of  the  present  contest,  his  power  of 
vigorous  and  stirring  description  finds  full  scope.  His  great  and  remarkable  talent  for  con 
densation  by  which  ho  is  enabled  to  render  his  narratives  vivid,  comprehensive,  and  full, 
in  fewer  words  than  almost  any  other  writer,  is  invaluable  in  disposing  of  the  immense 
mass  of  materials  relating  to  the  present  subject.  To  more  fully  qualify  himself  for  tho 
work,  he  passed  several  months  with  our  armies  and  obtained  valuable  information  through 
his  acquaintance  with  many  of  the  most  distinguished  officers  of  the  Army  and  Navy. 

The  following  testimonials  to  Mr.  Headley's  ability  as  an  author,  are  a  few  of  the  many 
which  have  appeared  in  the  leading  journals  of  the  country : 

"  Mr.  Headley  is  especially  graphic  and  powerful  in  narratives  of  exciting  events.  He  brings  his  reader 
into  the  immediate  presence  of  the  act  he  describes ;  hir  words' have  a  burning,  rushing  power.  In  buttle 


scenes  he  lias  succeeded  better  than  any  writer  of  the  day." — New  York  Courier  iS,-  Enquirer. 

"  His  descriptions  are  graphic,  his  history  correct,  and  his  summing  up  character 
parison  with  similar  pages  in  Tacitus." — New  York  Evening  Post. 


iptions  are  graphic,  his  history  correct,  and  his  summing  up  character  scarcely  suffers  by  a  corn- 
similar  pages  in  Tacitus." — JfetO  York  Evening  Post. 

"  Mr.  Headley  is  truly  eloquent  in  his  description  of  character.  He  presents  to  you  the  strong  points  of  the 
man,  with  a  clearness  that  seems  to  place  him  before  you  as  an  old  acquaintance."—  Cleveland  Herald. 

"  Each  one  of  his  Biographies  is  a  grand  historical  picture,  conveying  in  a  most  impressive  way  a  true 
idea  of  the  events  of  the  time," — Cincinnati  Herald. 

"  Whatever  critics  may  choose  to  say,  Mr.  H.  will  never  lack  readers.  The  stir  and  fire  of  his  descriptions 
will  touch  a  popular  chord.  In  describing  the  battle  field  and  the  tumultuous  Stirring  life  of  the  camp,  Mr. 
H.  is  what  Cooper  was  upon  the  Sea."— New  York  Evangelist. 

"  He  speaks  heartily,  earnestly,  truthfully  ;  and  the  warm  heart  answers  to  his  voice." — N.  Y.  Observer. 

From  Rev.  C.  B.  CRANE,  Ilariford  Correspondent  of  the  Rochester  Union  &  Advertiser. 

"I  want  to  call  your  attention  to  Headley's  history  of  the  present  war,  publishing  in  this  city.  About  two 
hundred  pages  have  been  submitted  to  me.  In  many  respects  it  will  be  the  best  of  his  works.  All  his  peculiar 
excellencies  of  description  and  style  appear ;  many  of  his  former  faults  are  corrected.  He  is  fearless  and  out 
spoken.  I  cannot  always  agree  with  his  opinions,  but  value  his  book  the  more  because  of  my  dissent  from 
them.  He  has  found  his  way  into  the  interior  history  of  these  times,  as  few  others  have  done.  More  than  once 
I  have  been  startled  by  his  assertions,  and  by  his  knowledge  of  subjects  which  implies  either  an  access  to  un 
published  official  documents,  or  an  intimacy  with  those  distinguished  men  .who  are  a  part  of  our  history.  I 
like  the  grim  humor  with  which  he  always  speaks  of  the  bogus  President  of  the  bogus  Confederacy,  as  "Davis." 
He  gives  him  no  title.  He  slnps  the  administration,  the  congress,  the  incompetent  generals,  the  radicals,  the 
conservatives,  with  the  utmost  impartiality  and  nonchalance.  He  seems  to  respect  things  rather  than  persons 
— as  he  ought  to  do.  His  first  chapter  is  an  admirable  syllabus  of  the  causes  of  the  present  conflict.  Like  a 
horse  of  good  bottom,  he  is  just  as  vigorous  and  nervous  in  the  last  pages  as  in  the  first.  I  am  sure  that  you 
will  do  your  readers  a  favor  to  encourage  them  to  purchase  this  history  so  soon  as  it  appears." 

The  work  will  embrace  a  comprehensive  account  of  the  whole  contest,  neatly  printed 
from  a  beautiful,  clear,  new  type,  on  good  paper,  and  will  be  illustrated  with  numerous 
fine  Steel  Engravings,  representing  the  most  important  and  exciting  scenes  in  the  war, 
from  original  Designs  by  Barley  and  other  eminent  artists,  together  with  life-like  Por 
traits  of  leading  actors  on  both  sides  ;  engraved  expressly  for  this  worlc,  at  great  expense, 
It  will  contain  over  one  thousand  pages,  royal  octavo,  handsomely  bound  in  two  volumes, 
and  be  furnished  to  order,  only  through  our  authorized  traveling  Agents. 

To  meet  the  wants  of  a  portion  of  the  public  the  publishers  have  prepared  an  edition  of 
the  work  in  the  Gei-man  language,  which  will  be  issued  in  the  same  style  as  the  English.  • 

In  view  of  the  above  facts,  tho  undersigned  offer  the  present  work,  believing  that  they 
are  thus  rendering  an  important  and  valuable  service  to  a  discerning  public.  Confident 
that  it  will  secure  a  patronage  in  some  degree  commensurate  with  its  merits,  they  offer  to 
intelligent,  energetic  agents,  who  will  engage  in  its  sale,  a  very  profitable  and  useful  em 
ployment.  IIURLBUT,  WILLIAMS  &  CO.,  PUBLISHERS,  Hartford,  Conn. 
E,  B,  &  R.  C,  TREAT,  Chicago,  Illinois. 


NOTICES  OF  THE   WORK. 
From  Rev.  Dr.  ANDERSOX,  President  of  Rochester  University. 

"I  have  examined  the  prospectus  and  specimen  pages  of  the  History  of  the  Greut  Rebellion,  in  the  process 
of  preparation  by  J.  T.  Headley.  From  the  specimen  shown,  arid  tile  well  known  ability  of  the  author  as  a 
military  historian,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  recommending  it  to  the  patronage  of  the  public. 

Rochester,  Oct.  ]3th,  18G2.  M.  B.  ANDERSON." 

From  the  Hartford  Daily  Courant. 

"The  importance  of  preserving  a  correct  Narrative  of  the  events  now  transpirin?,  can  not  be  over-estima 
ted.  Every  body  will  want  a  book  that  will  tell  concisely  but  graphically  the  incidents,  statistics,  and  eene- 
ral  history  of  this  war  And  we  are  happy  to  announce  that  we  have  seen  specimens  of  a  work  on  the  sub 
ject  from  the  Publishing  House  of  Hurlbut,  Williams'&  Co.,  Hartford,  Conn.,  (from  the  pen  of  J.  T.  Headley,) 
which  is  worthy  of  a  place  in  every  family  and  library  of  the  land.  The  publishers  have  spared  no  expense 
to  make  this  the  most  valuable  and  attractive  history  of  the  war.  It  is  beautifully  illustrated  with  engrav 
ings  on  steel,  from  original  designs,  by  Darley,  Parsons,  arid  other  eminent  artists — embracing  military  and 
naval  scenes,  and  portraits  of  officers  prominent  in  the  war,  both  North  and  South.  The  work  is  written 
from  the  stand-point  of  thorough  loyalty  and  patriotism,  by  one  who  is  universally  acknowledged  to  be  the 
most  vigorous  and  spirit-stirring  historian  of  the  age,  and  who  as  a  writer  of  military  history,  especially  in  the 
description  of  battles  and  warlike  scenes,  has  no  superior,  as  the  thousands  of  readers  of  Head  ley's '' Nnpo- 
leon  and  his  Marshals,"  and  "  Washington  and  his  Generals,"  will  testify.  The  style  of  the  writing,  the 
beautiful  type,  large  page,  and  accurate  portraits  of  men  of  the  time  prominent  in  the  war,  with  the  beauti 
ful  "  get  up"  of  the  work,  make  it  really  a  "  Memorial  Volume" — and  one  to  be  possessed  by  every  family, 
especially  those  who  are  connected  by  ties  of  relationship  or  affection  with  the  men  who  have  periled  their 
lives  to  sustain  the  honor  of  the  flag  nnd  the  integrity  of  the  Nation." 

"  Mr.  Headley  is  a  popular  and  striking  writer,  and  his  Book  will  be  readable  and  valuable." — H'fd  Times. 
•'It  is  a  very  valuable  and  destined  to  be,  a  very  popular  work  ;  and  the  letter  press  could  be  intrusted  to  no 
one  who  will  more  vividly  paint  the  war  in  words  than  J.  T   Ileadley." — Hartford  Press. 

From  the  Syracuse,  N.  Y.  Courier  and  Union. 

"That.!.  T.  Ileadley  has  the  ability  to  make  his  history  the  popular  one  of  the  times,  every  person  who  has 
read  his  charming  writings,  will  at  once  concede.  As  the  talented  author  of  "  Washington  and  his  Generals," 
''Napoleon  and  his  Marshals,"  "Sacred  Mountains,"  ''Travels  in  Italy,"  etc.,  lie  is  well  known  to  the  reading 
community,  with  whom  he  is  very  popular.  The  introductory  chapters  of  his  history  of  the  Rebellion  speak 
of  his  exceed i ugly  clear  and  brilliant  style,  with  occasional  diamond  flashes  from  his  brilliant  powers  of  rheto 
ric.  The  work,  so  far  as  we  have  examined  it,  is  in  every  respect  worthy  the  confidence  of  every  American, 
nnd  we  feel  at  liberty  to  heartily  commend  it  to  public  favor.  It  is  written  in  that  easy,  graceful,  dignified 
nnd  flowing  style  for  which  Hendley  is  so  noted  through  all  his  writings.  There  is  no  "floodwood  "  about  it, 
to  lumber  up  the  reader's  faculties  at  becoming  acquainted  with  the  history  of  the  rebellion  in  the  shortest, 
possible  titne,  while  there  is  ^hat  charming  fascination  about  it  that  will  lead  the  reader  on  from  page  to  page, 
to  the  end  of  each  volume." 

"Those  familiar  with  the  writings  of  Headley  will  not  doubt  that  a  history  of  thi*  Rebellion  from  his  pen 
will  be  an  intensely  interesting  volume." — Mbany  ./Idas  and  rfrgus. 

From  the  Whitehall  N.  Y.  Times. 

"The  distinguished  author,  Hon.  J.  T.  Ileadley,  is  now  engaged  in  writing  a  history  of  this  mighty  rebel 
lion,  which  will  truthfully  reflect  the  great  events  through  which  we  are  rapidly  passing.  His  superior  de 
scriptive  ability,  his  keen  analysis  of  character,  and  capacity  for  beautiful  illustration,  will  render  the  work  of 
peculiar  and  immense  value  to  those  who  would  look  into  the  mirror  of  the  ''  American  War,  and  behold  a 
vivid  reflex  of  the  wonderful  scenes  that  are  crowding  upon  the  experience  of  the  American  people.  The 
sad  fatalities  of  buttle  by  field  and  flood  will  glow  with  a  living  truth  upon  every  page.  The  History  is  to  be 
bound  in  elegant  style.  It  will  be  the  finest  and  most  valuable  work  of  the  age,  and  the  name  of  Mr. 
Ueadley  is  a  sufficient  guarantee  of  its  popular  reception  by  the  people..  It  will  be  sold  only  by  subscription, 
not  in  the  expensive  form  of  serial  numbers,  but  already  bound  for  the  table  or  library." 

"  A  faithful,  truthful  history  of  the  most  important  event  of  the  age,  by  an  author  whose  chaste  style  and 
descriptive  talent  stands  second  to  no  historian  in  America." — Providence  R.  I.  Evening  Press. 

"Such  a  work  can  not  fail  to  supply  a  want  felt  by  the  American  public  ever  since  the  rebellion  was  fairly 
under  headway.  Written  by  the  greatest  describer  of  warlike  scenes  this  country  has  yet  produced,  it  will 
glow  with  life  in  every  line.  That  the  work  will  be  superior  to  any  of  its  kind  ever  issued  from  the  Ameri 
can  press,  will  not  be  doubted." — Buffalo  Commercial  Advertiser. 

"Asa  descriptive  writer  Mr.  Ileadley  has  no  equal,  and  as  he  has  spent  much  time  with  the  army,  hi» 
forthcoming  work  will  be  one  of  the  best  issued  from  the  American  Press." — Northampton  J\Iass.  Press. 

From  the  Syr  anise  N.  Y.  Journal.' 

"HEADLEY'S  HISTORY  or  THE  REBELLION. — We  arc  glad  to  see  that  this  truly  splendid  work  is  meeting 
•with  success,  commensurate  with  its  merits,  among  our  literary  and  business  men.  WTe  notice  among  the  list 
•  of  subscribers  many  of  our  most  prominent  citizens.  Mr.  Ueadley,  believing  that  there  would  be  secured  a 
more  general  circulation  of  the  work  in  every  section  of  the  country  has  put  it  into  the  hands  of  an  exclusively 
Subscription  Publishing  House.  We  have  taken  pains  to  ascertain  the  fact,  through  our  book  stores  and 
otherwise,  that  the  work  will  not  be  obtained  except  through  the  publisher's  canvassing  agents.  W7e  speak  of 
this  particularly,  that  all  who  may  desire  Mr.  Headley's  work,  may  embrace  the  present  opportunity  to  secure 
it.  All  who  have  examined  the  introductory  chapters  of  the  work,  agree  that  Mr.  Headley  is  outdoing  himself, 
nnd  that  this  will  be  the  chr.f  d'ouvre  of  his  productions.  The  mechanical  execution  of  the  work  \vill  he  su 
perior  to  any  work  produced  in  America.  The  canvass  for  the  work  is  proceeding  a»  fast  us  possible,  and  we 
advise  all  to  wait,  rather  than  patronize  other  and  inferior  works. 

From  the  Elmira  N.  Y.  Gazette. 

"Many  of  our  citizens  know  Mr.  Ileadley  personally,  and  all  are  acquainted  with  hi*  writings,  nnd  desire 
his  work  on  the  great  event  of  the  world's  history.  This  is  without  doubt  the  best  history  that  will  be  written 
\vhile  the  wnr  is  going  on,  and  until  the  more  critical  reviews  of  future  years,  will  be  invaluable  for  reference, 
lo  say  nothing  of  its  power  to  interest  those — especially  the  young---who  would  never  read  dry  details." 


U1H7ER3IT7 


THE 


GREAT  REBELLION; 


A  HISTORY  OF  THE 


Civil  War  in  the  United  States. 


BY   J.   T.    HEADLEY, 

AUTHOR  OP  "NAPOLEON  AND  HIS  MARSHALS,"  "WASHINGTON  AND  HIS  GENERALS," 
"SACRED  MOUNTAINS,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


WITH  NUMEROUS  FINE  STEEL  ENGRAVINGS. 


3  n   €  j»  o   1)  o  I  u  m  e  a :    & * 
Volume  II. 


AMERICAN   PUBLISHING   COMPANY, 

BRANCH    OFFICE,    COLUMBUS,   OHIO. 
R.   C.   TREAT,  CHICAGO,   ILL. 

SOLD  BY  SUBSCRIPTION  ONLY. 

1866. 


ENTERED  ACCORDING  TO  ACT  OF  CONGRESS,  IN  THE  YEAR  1866,  BY 

AMERICAN   PUBLISHING   COMPANY, 
IN  THE  CLERK'S  OFFICE  OF  THE  DISTRICT  COURT  OF  CONNECTICUT. 


;  ii  3  r,i  i!  1  o  fj    o  *n  5    ff  t 


PUBLISHERS'  NOTICE. 


IT  is  with  no  ordinary  satisfaction  and  confidence  that  we  issue 
this  Second  Volume  of  the  History  of  the  Great  Eebellion.  No 
other  History  of  this  mighty  and  memorable  conflict,  has  won  so 
large  a  favor  from  the  American  people.  Mr.  Headley's  genius 
has  here  found  a  subject  worthy  of,  and  demanding  its  amplest 
resources ;  and  he  has  successfully  risen  to  the  height  of  the  great 
occasion.  He  here  completes  a  historic  record,  that  will  be  read 
with  amazement  and  the  deepest  interest  by  present  and  future 
generations — the  record  of  the  sacrifices  and  successes  of  a  people, 
sacredly  cherishing  the  traditions  and  legacies  of  the  Fathers  and 
Founders  of  their  Eepublic,  and  shrinking  from  no  cost  of  treas 
ure  and  blood  necessary  to  subdue  the  most  causeless  and  crimi 
nal  insurrection  against  human  rights  and  human  freedom,  that 
ever  challenged  a  nation  to  the  bitter  and  bloody  arbitration  of 
the  battle  field. 

Ours  is  no  dry  and  dreary  compilation,  which,  even  if  read, 
can  be  of  little  profit,  save  to  a  few  minds.  It  is  not  the 
speculations  of  the  political  theorist  or  philosopher,  upon  the 
causes  and  obscure  agencies  culminating  in  this  atrocious  con 
spiracy  against  the  best  human  Government.  But,  it  is  the 
vivid  and  faithful  portraiture — by  an  author  of  surpassing  genius 
for  historic  delineation — of  all  the  important  events  in  our  Civil 
"War.  From  it  may  be  got  the  clearest  and  most  adequate  idea 
of  the  spirit  of  the  nation,  and  of  the  sweep  and  shock  of  its 
armies  during  these  four  eventful  years  of  heroism  and  glory. 
It  is  a  splendid  and  faithful  panorama  of  a  great  people  in  arms, 
inspired  with  a  sublime  enthusiasm  for  Law  and  Liberty.  It 
shows  the  prominent  actors  in  the  Tragedy  which  has  held  the 
gaze  of  the  civilized  world — some  of  them  incompetent  or  un- 


I 

8  PUBLISHERS'  NOTICE. 

faithful  and  disappearing  in  defeat  or  dishonor — others  grand, 
heroic,  moving  to  victory  or  honorable  death,  blessed  with  the 
prayers  and  love  of  all  true  patriots,  and  crowned  with  their 
gratitude  and  homage. 

The  delay  in  the  completion  of  the  work,  though  a  pecuniary 
detriment  to  us,  will  however  be  compensated  by  important 
advantages  to  our  subscribers.  If  it  had  been  issued  at  the  close 
of  the  conflict,  it  must  have  been  written,  as  were  some  other 
Histories,  without  the  aid  of  the  official  reports  of  Generals  Grant 
and  Sherman — the  only  reliable  sources  of  information  respecting 
the  last,  great  and  decisive  campaigns  of  the  War. 

No  History  can  possess  perfect  accuracy.  Authorities  of 
apparently  equal  claims  for  credence  often  differ,  and  time  not 
infrequently  makes  disclosures  that  modify  statements  and  judg 
ments  once  regarded  correct.  Special  effort  has  been  made  to 
authenticate  the  statements  of  this  work  by  a  comparison  with- 
every  accessible  authority,  and  we  are  confident  that  it  has  no 
superior,  and,  we  think,  no  equal  in  fidelity  of  historical  narration. 

The  official  reports  of  Generals  Grant  and  Sherman  are  docu 
ments  of  such  national  and  enduring  interest  and  value,  that 
every  reader  of  this  History  will  desire  to  have  them  in  a  per 
manent  form.  We  have  thought  that  such  would  be  grateful  to 
us  for  furnishing  them,  and  fitly  associating  them  with  the  con 
cluding  part  of  the  History  of  a  War,  which  these  able  Chieftains 
by  their  strategy  and  leadership  brought  to  a  glorious  end. 

We  have  employed  the  very  best  Artists  in  the  production  of 
the  fine  steel  engravings  which  embellish  this  volume,  and  though 
these  have  been  executed  during  the  period  of  high  prices,  no 
expense  has  been  spared  to  secure  in  them  the  highest  degree  of 
excellence.  The  engravings  of  the  two  volumes  taken  together 
constitute  a  series  of  elegant  and  varied  illustrations  unequaled 
in  any  other  History  of  the  War. 

In  view  of  its  size,  its  valuable  portraits  and  other  illustrations, 
its  elegant  typography,  and  the  general  excellence  of  its  mechan 
ical  execution,  we  are  conscious  of  having  more  than  fulfilled  the 
pledges  made  to  our  subscribers,  and  in  anticipation  of  their 
entire  satisfaction,  send  forth  this  work. 

AMERICAN  PUBLISHING  COMPANY. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

VOLUME    II. 


1.  PORTRAIT  OF  PRESIDENT  JOHNSON, Frontispiece. 


PAGI 


2.  "  WM.  H.  SEWARD,  Secretary  of  State, 29 

3.  "  EDWIN  M.  ST ANTON,         "          War, 29 

4.  "  GIDEON  WELLES,  "          the  Navy, 29 

5.  "  SALMON   P.  CHASE,  "  Treasury, 29 

6.  BATTLE  OF  ANTIETAM, 70 

7.  EVACUATION  OF  CUMBERLAND  GAP, 110 

8.  PORTRAIT  of  Major-General  J.  C.  FREMONT, 134 

9.  "  "  W.  S.  ROSECRANS, 134 

10.  "  "  JOHN  POPE, 134 

11.  "  "  N.  P.  BANKS, 134 

12.  "  "  O.M.MITCHELL, 134 

13.  "  "  JOSEPH  HOOKER, 134 

14.  "  "  GEO.  G.  MEAETE, 134 

15.  SIEGE  OF  VICKSBURG, 166 

16.  BATTLE  OF  GETTYSBURG, 206 

17.  PORTRAIT  of  General  J.   E.  B.   STEWART, 254 

18.  "  "         STERLING  PRICE, 254 

19.  "  "         LEOXIDAS   POLK, 254 

20.  "  "         J.  C.  PEMBERTOX, 254 


10  THE     GREAT     REBELLION. 

PAGE. 

21.  PORTRAIT  of  General  T.  J.  ("  STONEWALL  ")  JACKSON, 254 

22.  "  "         J.  B.   MAGRUDER, 254 

23.  "  "         R.  S.  EWELL, . .  254 

24.  "  "         JAMES  LONGSTREET, 254 

25.  "  "         A.  P.  HILL, 254 

26.  "  Lieutenant-General  U.  S.  GRANT, 286 

27.  "  Major-General  W.  T.   SHERMAN, 342 

28.  "  "          "         Q.  A.  GILLMORE, 486 

29.  "  "          "         W.  B.  FRANKLIN, 486 

30.  "  "          "         W.  S.  HANCOCK, 486 

31.  "  "          "         G.H.THOMAS, 486 

32.  "  "          "         A.   II.  TERRY, 486 

33.  "  «          "         P.    H.    SHERIDAN, 486 

34.  "  "          "         JOHN  A.  LOGAN, 486 

35.  "  "          "         GEORGE  STONEMAN, 486 

36.  "  "          "         II.  W.  SLOCUM, 486 

37.  "  "          "         JUDSON  KILPATRICK, 486 

38.  THE  FIFTY-FIFTH  MASS.  (COLORED)  REG.  ENTERING  CHARLESTON,.  .  .574 


CONTENTS. 

VOLUME    II. 


CHAPTER    I. 

JUNE-JULY,  1862. 

PAGE, 

The  Seven  Days'  Contest — Remarkable  Foresight — Position  of  our  Ar 
my — Lee's  Plan — The  Movement  Commenced — Battle  of  Games' 
Mill — Severe  Letter  to  the  Secretary  of  War — Destruction  of  Prop 
erty—A  Train  Cut  Adrift— The  Retreat — Army  Train — Battle  of 
Savage  Station — Battle  of  Nelson's  Farm  and  Glendale — Battle  of 
Malvern  Hill — Retreat  to  Harrison's  Landing — Feelings  of  the  Peo 
ple — Letter  of  Thanks  from  the  President — McClellan's  Letter  to  the 
President  on  the  Policy  that  should  be  Adopted  in  Prosecuting  the 
War— Effect  of  it  on  Himself. 31 

CHAPTER    II. 

JULY-AUGUST,  1862. 

Pope's  Campaign — Pope  Called  to  the  Army  of  Virginia — His  Orders — 
Concentration  of  his  Army — Halleck  made  General-in-Chief — His 
Plan  of  Operations — McClellan  Recalled  from  the  Peninsula — His  Let 
ter  of  Remonstrance — Lee  takes  Advantage  of  the  Blunder  of  Hal 
leck — Battle  of  Cedar  Mountain — Lee's  Great  Movement  Begun — 
Account  of  Subsequent  Operations — Battle  of  Bull  Run — Battle  of 
Groveton — The  Last  Day's  Battle — The  Army  Falls  Back  to  the 
Forts — Lee  Moves  toward  the  Potomac — McClellan's  Telegram  to 
Halleck  Asking  Permission  to  Join  the  Army — Placed  Once  More  at 
the  Head  of  the  Army — Pope's  Failure — Review  of  the  Campaign. . .  54 


CHAPTER    III. 

SEPTEMBER,  1862. 

Alarm   at  Washington — Antictam — McClellan  Takes  the  Field — Battle 
of  South  Mountain — Surrender  of  Harper's  Ferry — Battle  of  Antic- 


12  THE    GREAT    REBELLION. 


PAGE. 


tarn — Hooker's  Struggle — Fatal  Delay  of  Burnside — Lee's  Retreat — 
Public  Disappointment — The  Army  Rests — Emancipation  Proclama 
tion — Suspension  of  Habeas  Corpus — Its  Effects — Its  Dangers 66 

CHAPTER   IV, 

JULY- AUGUST-SEPTEMBER,  1862. 

Operations  West — Vicksburg — Ram  Arkansas — Mitchell's  Gallant  Ex 
ploit — Curtis  Crosses  the  State  of  Arkansas — Buell's  Campaign — 
Bragg  Invades  Tennessee  and  Kentucky — Retreat  of  Buell  to  Louis 
ville — Is  Superseded  by  Thomas — Kirby  Smith  Advances  against  Cin 
cinnati — Lane  in  Kansas — New  Orleans — Battle  of  Baton  Rouge — 
Death  of  General  Williams — Porter,  with  the  Essex,  Destroys  the 
Rebel  Ram  Arkansas — Rosecrans  at  Corinth 87 

CHAPTER    V. 

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER,  1862. 

Battle  of  luka — Gallantry  of  General  Hamilton — Failure  of  Grant — 
Attempt  of  the  Enemy  to  Cut  Grant's  Line  of  Supplies — Battle  of 
Corinth — A  Gallant  Texan — Terrific  Slaughter  of  the  Enemy — The 
Victory — Arrival  of  McPhcrson — The  Pursuit — The  Battle-field— 
Rosecrans  Placed  at  the  Head  of  the  Department  of  the  Cumber 
land 93 

CHAPTER    YI. 

OCTOBER,  1862. 

Buell  Restored  to  Command — Moves  Out  of  Louisville — Battle  of  Perry- 
ville — Retreat  of  Bragg — Pursuit — Removed  from  Command — Mor 
gan  at  Cumberland  Gap — Gallant  Defense  of — Call  for  Reinforce 
ments — Is  Surrounded  by  a  Hundred  Thousand  Men — His  Extreme 
Peril — Gallant  Resolve  to  Make  a  Forced  March  of  Two  Hundred 
Miles  to  the  Ohio — Blows  Up  the  Mountain — Destroys  His  Siege 
Guns — Burns  up  Everything — Fearful  Conflagration  and  Explosion — 
Terrific  Scene — Midnight  March — The  Race  for  Life — Sufferings  of 
the  Army — Its  Delight  at  the  Sight  of  the  Ohio— Halleck's  Treat 
ment  of  Morgan — Extraordinary  Statements 104 


\ 

CONTENTS    OF    VOLUME    II.  13 


|  CHAPTER    VII. 

OCTOBER-DECEMBER,  1862. 


PAGE. 


State  of  Affairs  in  the  West — East  Tennessee — Arkansas — Battle  of  Prai 
rie  Grove — Forrest's  Raid  in  Kentucky — Surrender  of  Hartsville,  Ten 
nessee — Butler's  Department — Expedition  Against  Vicksburg — Sur 
render  of  Holly  Springs — Assault  upon  Vicksburg — Gallantry  of  Gen 
eral  Blair — Sherman  Superseded  by  McClernand — Army  of  the  Poto 
mac — McClellan  Delays  to  Move — Correspondence  Between  Him  and 
Halleck — Raid  of  Stuart — McClellan  Ordered  by  the  President  to 
Move — His  Advance — Superseded  by  Burnside — Parting  With  the- 
Army — Review  of  McClellan's  Campaign  Against  Richmond.. .  . ...  .115 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

OCTOBER-DECEMBER,  1862. 

Burnside  Advances  on  Fredericksburg — His  Design — Is  Disappointed — Re 
solves  to  Carry  the  Heights  by  Assault — Terrific  Bombardment  of 
the  Place — A  Striking  Scene — Gallantry  of  the  Seventh  Michigan — 
The  Sharp-shooters — Crossing  of  the  River — The  Battle— The  De 
feat — The  Army  Recrosses  the  River — Feeling  of  the  People — Burn- 
side  Takes  the  Responsibility — Review  of  the  Campaign — Second 
Attempt  Made  and  Abandoned — The  Southern  Department — Death 
of  Mitchell — Foster's  Expedition  into  North  Carolina — Close  of  the 
Year 121 

CHAPTER    IX. 

DECEMBER,  1862-JANUARY,  1863, 

Battle  of  Murfreesboro',  or  Stone  River — Rosecrans  at  Nashville — His 
Delay  to  Move — The  Council  of  War — Rosecrans'  Parting  Words — 
The  March  Commenced — The  Enemy's  Line  of  Battle  at  Murfrees- 1 
boro' — Rosecrans'  Plan  of  Battle — Scenes  and  Incidents — Bragg*5 
Plan  of  Attack — Morning  of  the  Battle — Attack  of  the  Enemy — De 
struction  of  our  Right  Wing — Rosecrans  Incredulous — His  Gallant 
Conduct  when  Informed  of  his  Disaster — Heroic  Defense  by  Sheri 
dan — Forming  a  New  Line  of  Battle — Stubbornness  of  the  Left 
Wing — Splendid  Behavior  of  Hazen — The  Close — Appearance  of  the 


14  THE    GREAT    REBELLION. 

PAGE. 

Field— Our  Heavy  Loss— Operations  of  the  Following  Days— Last 
Battle— Murfreesboro'  Evacuated— Rosecrans  Celebrates  High  Mass 
— The  Army  Rests 129 

CHAPTER    X. 

JANUARY,  1863. 

Capture  of  Arkansas  Post — Grant  Commences  his  Movement  Against 
Yicksburg — The  Canal — A  Year  of  Disaster — Missouri — Attack  on 
Springfield — Expeditions  up  White  and  Red  Rivers — Loss  of  the 
Queen  of  the  West — Loss  of  the  Ariel — Sinking  of  the  Hatteras  by 
the  Alabama — Disaster  at  Sabine  Pass — Banks  in  New  Orleans — 
Expeditions — Capture  and  Loss  of  Galveston — The  Harriet  Lane — 
Westfield  Lost — Death  of  Buchanan— Grand  Expedition  through  the 
State  of  Louisiana — Capture  of  Alexandria  on  the  Red  River 147 

CHAPTER    XI. 

APRIL-MAY,  1863. 

Yicksburg  Campaign — The  Attempts  to  Get  in  Rear  of  Haincs'  Bluff — 
Lake  Providence  Route — Moon  Lake  Route — Steele's  Bayou  Route — 
Bold  Resolve  to  Run  the  Batteries — The  March  Inland — The  Batter 
ies  Run — Difficulties  of  the  March — New  Carthage — Grand  Gulf — 
Port  Gibson — Grand  Resolve  of  Grant — The  March  Inland — Battles 
of  Raymond,  Jackson,  Champion's  Hill,  Blackwater — Yicksburg  In 
vested — First  Assault — Second  Assault — Action  of  the  Gun-boats..  .155 

CHAPTER    XII. 

MAY-JULY,  1863. 

Assault  on  Port  Hudson — The  Siege — Siege  of  Yicksburg — Its  Surren 
der — Results  of  the  Yictory — Surrender  of  Port  Hudson — The  Mis 
sissippi  Opened — Minor  Operations  West — Arrest  of  Yallandigham — 
His  Banishment — Exasperated  State  of  Public  Feeling 169 


CONTENTS    OF    VOLUME    1 1.  15 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

JANUARY-APRIL,  1863. 

PAGE. 

Affairs  East  at  the  Opening  of  the  Year — The  President's  Affirmative 
Proclamation  of  Emancipation — Hooker  placed  Over  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac — Fight  at  Suffolk — Attack  on  Fort  McAllister — Destruction 
of  the  Nashville — The  First  Colored  Regiment — Fights  at  Blackwa- 
ter  and  Kelly's  Ford,  Virginia — Washington,  N.  Carolina,  Attacked 
by  the  Rebels — Attack  by  the  Iron-clad  Fleet  on  Fort  Sumter — Dis 
appointment  at  its  Failure — Injustice  to  Du  Pont. . 177 

CHAPTER    XIV, 

APRIL-JUNE,  1863. 

Chaucellorsville — Excitement  of  the  Country  at  Hooker's  Advance — His 
Confident  Address  to  his  Troops — Plan  of  the  Battle — The  Cavalry 
Sent  Off  to  Sever  Lee's  Communications — Attack  by  "Stonewall" 
Jackson  on  Howard's  Corps — Its  Defeat — Death  of  Jackson — Subse 
quent  Battle — Fredericksburg  Heights  Carried  by  Sedgwick — At 
tacked  by  Lee,  and  compelled  to  Re-cross  the  River — Hooker  With 
draws  his  Army — Disappointment  of  the  Country — Feint  on  the 
Rebel  Capital  from  West  Point — Kilpatrick's  Ride  to  the  Suburbs  of 
Richmond — Siege  of  Suffolk — Gallant  Defense  of  Peck — Lee's  Inva 
sion  of  Maryland — Surrender  of  Winchester — Hooker  Superseded  by 
Meade — Feeling  of  the  People 184 

CHAPTER    XV. 

JULY,  1863. 

Campaign  of  Gettysburg — Pursuit  of  Lee — First  Fight  at  Gettysburg — 
Death  of  Reynolds — Howard  Establishes  Himself  on  Cemetery  Hill 
— Hancock  Sent  Forward  to  Select  a  Battle-field — The  Selection  of 
Cemetery  Hill — Rapid  Concentration  of  the  Army — The  Preparation 
— First  Day's  Battle — Gloomy  Prospect  for  the  Union  Army — Second 
Day's  Battle — The  Great,  Decisive  Charge — Gallantry  of  Farnsworth 
— Retreat  of  Lee — Both  Armies  March  for  the  Potomac — Success 
of  Kilpatrick — Service  of  the  Cavalry — The  Potomac  Swelled  by  the 
Rains — Lee  held  a  Week  on  the  Northern  Bank — Strange  Inaction — 
The  Rebel  Army  Escapes — The  Pursuit — Close  of  the  Campaign 197 


16  THE     GREAT     REBELLION. 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

JULY,  1863. 

PAGE. 

Operations  in  Charleston  Harbor — Gillmore  Effects  a  Lodgment  on  Mor 
ris  Island — Attempt  to  Take  Fort  Wagner  by  Surprise— Grand  As 
sault  on  the  Fort — Death  of  Colonel  Shaw — Cruelty  to  the  Officers  of 
Colored  Regiments — Mobs  in  New  York  City — Hostility  to  the  Draft 
— Order  of  the  President,  Respecting  the  Treatment  of  Colored  Sol 
diers  Held  as  Prisoners  by  the  Rebels — The  Practical  Superiority  of 
the  President — Causes  of  Public  Agitation — Congress ,  ,210 


CHAPTER    XVII.  I 

AUGUST,  1863. 

Cavalry  Action  of  Gregg — Foster's  Expedition  up  the  James  River — 
Fight  Between  Buford  and  Stuart — Averill's  Operations  in  Virginia — 
Gillmore's  Siege  of  Wagner  and  Sumter — Herculean  Labor — "  The 
Swamp  Angel " — Bombardment  of  Sumter  Over  the  Top  of  Wag 
ner — Greek  Fire  thrown  into  Charleston — Remonstrance  of  Beaure- 
gard — Action  of  the  Fleet — Death  of  Rodgers — French  Opinion  of 
the  Siege — Steady  Approaches  Toward  Wagner — Its  Evacuation — 
Evacuation  of  Fort  Gregg — Morris  Island  Ours — Bombardment  of 
Sumter — Refusal  of  Dahlgren  to  Attempt  to  Pass  it — Vindication  of 
Du  Pont — Desolation  of  Charleston — Retribution 219 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

JULY-AUGUST,  1863. 

Events  at  the  West  During  the  Summer — Grant  at  Vicksburg — Raid 
of  Phillips — Rosecrans  at  Murfreeeboro' — Advance  on  Chattanooga 
— Morgan's  Raid  Through  Ohio — The  Pursuit — Attempts  to  Cross 
into  Virginia — Battle  of  Buffington's  Island — Rout  of  the  Band — 
Curious  Aspect  of  the  Battle-field — Quantrell  in  Missouri — Raid 
into  Kansas — Massacre  at  Lawrence — The  Pursuit — The  Flight — His 
Escape 226 


CONTENTS    OF    VOLUME    II.  17 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

SEPTEMBER,  1863. 

PAGE. 

Rosecrans  Before  Chattanooga — Resolves  to  Flank  It — Hazen  Left  to 
Guard  the  River — Bragg  Evacuates  Chattanooga — Rosecrans  Resolves 
to  cut  off  his  Retreat — Scattering  of  his  Corps — Bragg  Marches  back 
on  Chattanooga — Peril  of  Rosecrans — Rapid  Concentration  of  his 
Army — First  Day's  Battle — Second  Day's  Battle — Rout  of  our  Ar 
my — Steadfastness  of  the  Left  Wing — Desperate  Fighting  of  Thomas 
— The  Crisis — Unexpected  Deliverance — The  Gallant  Steedman — A 
Desperate  Charge— The  Battle  Saved— The  Army  falls  back  to  Chat 
tanooga — Causes  of  Defeat 239 

CHAPTER    XX. 

SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER,  1863. 

The  Army  at  Chattanooga — Grant  Placed  in  Command  of  the  Missis 
sippi  Division — Knoxville  Captured  by  Burnside — Joy  of  the  People 
— Besieged  by  Long-street — Grant  takes  Command  at  Chattanooga — 
Sherman  Ordered  to  Join  Him — Hooker  Effects  a  Lodgment  in  Look 
out  Valley — Hazen's  Exploit — Battle  of  Wauhatchie — Sherman's 
Arrival — The  Army  takes  up  its  Assigned  Position — Grant's  Plan — 
Capture  of  Lookout  Mountain — Battle  Above  the  Clouds — The  Battle 
of  Missionary  Ridge — The  Victory — Pursuit  of  the  Enemy — Sher 
man  Sent  to  Relieve  Burnside — Longstreet  Abandons  the  Siege — 
Banks  at  New  Orleans — Expedition  to  Sabine  City — Expedition  to 
Texas — Its  Failure — The  Department 255 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

OCTOBER-DECEMBER,  1863. 

Army  of  the  Potomac — Meade's  Advance  to  the  Rapidan — Compelled  to 
Retreat — Gallantry  of  Kilpatrick  and  the  Cavalry — Battle  of  Bristow 
Station — Successes  at  Kelley's  Ford  and  Rappahannock  Station — 
Meade's  Second  Advance  to  the  Rapidan — The  Retreat — Winter 
Quarters — Averill's  Raid  in  Western  Virginia — National  Cemetery  at 


18  THE     GREAT     REBELLION.- 

PAGE. 

Gettysburg — The  President's  Proclamation  of  Amnesty — Proposi 
tion  to  Admit  Rebel  States  into  the  Union — Political  Excitement — 
Change  of  Plan  in  Carrying  On  the  War — Grant  made  Lieutenant- 
General — Sherman's  Great  March  through  Mississippi 274 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

JANUARY-APRIL,  1861. 

Grant  at  the  Head  of  All  our  Armies — Sherman  Appointed  over  Grant's 
Department  West — A  Survey  of  the  Whole  Field — Farragut  at  Mo 
bile — Call  for  Five  Hundred  Thousand  Men — Butler's  Failure  Before 
Richmond — The  Expedition  into  Florida  under  General  Seymour — 
Battle  of  Olustee — Kilpatrick's  Bold  Attempt  to  Liberate  our  Pris 
oners  in  Richmond — Death  of  Colonel  Dahlgren — Forrest's  Raid  in 
Kentucky — Surrender  of  Union  City — Attack  on  Paducah — Das 
tardly  Conduct  of  the  Rebels— Attack  on  Fort  Pillow — The  Massa 
cre — The  Rebels  Attack  Plymouth,  North  Carolina — A  Rebel  Iron 
clad  Attacks  the  Miami  and  Southfield,  Sinking  the  Latter — Evacua 
tion  of  Plymouth — Popular  Indignation 287 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

MARCH-APRIL,  1861 

Sanitary  Fairs — Banks  in  New  Orleans — Inauguration  of  the  Free  State 
Government — The  Red  River  Cotton  Expedition — Porter's  Ascent  of 
the  Red  River — Capture  of  Batteries  by  General  Smith— March  of 
Banks  across  the  Country  to  Alexandria— Advance  into  the  Interior 
— Defeat  of  Banks — Retreat  of  Steele — Return  of  the  Gunboats  to 
Alexandria — Unable  to  get  Below  the  Falls — Grand  Engineering  Suc- 
'  cess  of  Colonel  Bailey — Passage  of  the  Falls  by  the  Fleet — An  Exci 
ting  Spectacle — Promotion  of  Bailey — Destruction  of  the  Gunboats 
Signal,  Covington,  and  Transport  Warner — Return  of  the  Expedition 
— Canby  Supersedes  Banks  in  the  Field — The  Latter  Returns  to  New 
Orleans — View  of  the  Expedition 305 


CONTENTS    OF     VOLUME    II.  19 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 

MAY-JULY,  1864. 

PAGE. 

Grant's  Delay  in  Front  of  Washington — The  President's  Determination 
not  to  Interfere  any  more  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac — The  two 
Armies  Move — The  Atlanta  Campaign — Its  Difficulties — Composi 
tion  and  Strength  of  Sherman's  Army — Dalton  Flanked — Battle  of 
Resaca — A  Fierce  Struggle — Fight  at  Dallas — Allatoona  Flanked — 
Battle  of  Kenesaw  Mountain — Death  of  Major-General  Polk — Sher 
man  Directs  the  Shot  that  Kills  Him — Sherman's  First  Defeat — Ken 
esaw  Flanked — The  Chattahoehee  Reached  and  Crossed — Atlanta  in 
Sight ' 315 

CHAPTER    XXY. 

JULY-SEPTEMBER,  1864. 

Atlanta  Reached — Hood's  First  Attack — His  Assault  on  McPherson — 
Death  of  the  Latter — Howard  Placed  over  the  Army  of  the  Tennes 
see — Stoneman  and  McCook's  Raid — Hooker  Resigns — Fierce  Attack 
on  Howard — Shelling  of  Atlanta — An  Unsuccessful  Assault — Whee 
ler  Sent  to  Cut  Sherman's  Communications — Kilpatrick  Dispatched 
to  Cut  Hood's — Sherman  Resolved  to  Plant  his  Army  on  the  Macon 
Road — Battle  of  Jonesboro' — Atlanta  Cut  Off — Hood  Evacuates  it — 
Slocum  takes  Possession — The  Rebel  Army  Pursued  to  Lovejoy's  Sta 
tion — Rest  to  the  Army — Summing  Up  of  the  Campaign — Sherman 
Orders  all  the  Inhabitants  to  Leave — His  Correspondence  with  Hood 
and  the  Mayor  on  the  Subject 331 

CHAPTER    XXYI. 

APRIL-JULY,  1864, 

Necessity  of  Unity  of  Action — Sigel  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley — Grant's 
Instructions  to  Butler — Folly  of  Placing  the  Latter  in  the  Important 
Position  he  Held — Number  of  the  Troops  Co-operating  directly 
with  Grant — Our  Entire  Military.  Force — Grant's  Plan  of  Campaign 
— Advance  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac — Crossing  the  Rapidan — 
Commencement  of  the  "Battles  of  the  Wilderness" — First  Day — 


20  THE     GREAT     REBELLION. 


PAGE. 


Second  Day — Third  Day — Retreat  of  the  Enemy — Advance  of  Our 
Army — Fight  of  Warren's  Corps — Death  of  Sedgwick — Grand  As 
sault  on  the  Enemy's  Works — Hancock's  Brilliant  Night  Attack — 
Fearful  Appearance  of  the  Battle-field — A  Week's  Comparative  Rest 
— Change  of  Base,  and  Bringing  Up  of  Reinforcements — The  Dead 
of  the  Wilderness. . , . .  345 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

MAY,  1864. 

Butler's  Advance  to  City  Point — Butler's  Campaign — Bermuda  Hun 
dred—Position  of  the  Army — Kautz's  Cavalry  Expedition — Torpe 
does — Richmond  and  Petersburg  Railroad  Severed — Butler's  Dis 
patch — Operations  against  Drury's  Bluff — Dilatoriness  of  Butler — 
Refuses  to  Intrench  Himself  on  the  Railroad — Morning  Attack  of  the 
Enemy — Capture  of  Heckman  and  his  Brigade — Gillmore  and  Butler 
on  the  Situation  of  the  Army — Retreat  to  Bermuda  Hundred — Total 
Failure  of  the  Peninsula  Movement — Grant's  Opinion  of  Butler's  Con 
duct — Butler's  Treatment  of  War  Correspondents — Brutal  Treatment 
of  a  Chaplain — Naval  Operations  along  the  Coast — In  Florida — Loss 
of  the  Columbine — Investment  of  Newborn — Rebel  Iron-clads — Gal 
lant  Fight  of  Smith  with  the  Albemarle  in  Albemarle  Sound — Con 
duct  of  the  Sassacus — Steele  in  Arkansas 365 


CHAPTER    XXVIII 

MAY-JUNE,  1864 

Survey  of  Grant's  Position — Sigel's  Failure  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley — 
Spottsylvania  Flanked — The  Race  for  the  North  Anna  River — Han 
cock's  and  Warren's  Corps — Fight  of  the  Latter  at  Jericho  Ford — 
Gallantry  of  Griffin — Assault  of  a  Redan  by  Hancock — Gallant 
Charge— The  Enemy  Falls  Back  to  the  South  Anna— Strength  of  his 
Position— Transfer  of  Base  to  Port  Royal— Grant  again  Flanks  the 
Enemy  and  Crosses  the  Pamunkey  at  Hanovertown — Movement  to 
Cold  Harbor — Battle  of  Cold  Harbor — Grant  Resolves  to  Transfer  the 
Army  to  the  James  River — A  Delicate  Operation — Gillmore's  Failure 
to  take  Petersburg — Lee  Deceived' — The  James  Safely  Crossed — At- 


CONTENTS    OF     VOLUME    II.  21 


PAGE. 


tack  on  Petersburg  by  Smith — Outer  Works  Carried — Various  As 
saults — Butler  again  Cuts  the  Richmond  and  Petersburg  Railroad, 
and  again  Driven  Back — Last  Grand  Assault — The  Position  of  Af 
fairs — Review  of  the  Campaign — Grant's  Sagacity  and  Judgment 
Vindicated. .  , . .  380 


CHAPTER    XXIX.  *-M 

JUNE,  1864. 

Difficulties  of  Grant's  Position — His  Plan  to  Sever  the  Communica 
tions  of  Richmond — Sheridan's  Expedition — Hunter's — Averill's  and 
.  Crook's — The  Enemy  Defeated  at  Staunton — Hunter  at  Lynchburg — 
His  disastrous  Retreat — The  Enemy  in  Possession  of  the  Shenandoah 
Valley — Wilson's  Expedition— Defeat  of  the  Second  and  Sixth  Corps 
near  the  Weldon  Railroad — A  Gloomy  Prospect — Operations  along 
the  Atlantic  Coast — Capture  of  the  Water  Witch — Federal  Officers 
placed  under  Fire  at  Charleston — Mr.  Lincoln  Renominated  for  Pres 
ident — Opening  of  the  Political  Campaign 403 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

JUNE,  1864. 

Building  and  Fitting  out  of  the  Alabama  in  an  English  Port — Complaint 
by  our  Government — The  two  years'  Cruise — Returns  to  Cherbourg, 
France — Blockaded  by  Winslow — Semmes  Challenges  WTinslow — 
Morning  of  the  Combat — Spectators  coming  down  from  Paris  to  wit 
ness  it — The  Alabama  Steams  out  of  the  Harbor — The  Combat — Lu 
dicrous  By-play  on  the  Kearsarge — Superior  Firing  of  the  Federal 
Ship — Surrender  of  the  Alabama  in  a  Sinking  State — Picking  up  of 
the  Crew  and  Captain  by  the  English  Yacht  Deerhound — The  Deer- 
hound  Sails  off  with  the  Prisoners  to  Southampton — Semmes'  Report 
of  the  Fight — His  Slanders  and  Falsehoods — The  two  Vessels  Com 
pared — Defense  of  the  Commander  of  the  English  Yacht — Excite 
ment  in  Europe  over  the  Engagement — Winslow  and  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy 419 

32 


22  THE    GREAT    REBELLION. 

CHAPTER    XXXI. 

JULY,  1864. 

PAGE. 

Mr.  Chase's  Resignation — Want  of  a  Financial  System — Low  state  of  Pub 
lic  Credit  when  he  Entered  on  the  Duties  of  his  Office — Estimate 
of  Expenditures  for  1862— Issues  of  Five-twenty  Bonds  and  Treasu 
ry  Notes — First  Loan  made  in  New  York — Loan  taken  by  the  Banks 
of  Philadelphia,  New  York  and  Boston — Sale  of  Bonds,  &c. — Cus 
toms  to  be  paid  in  Gold — Suspension  of  the  Banks — Statement  of 
Revenue  and  Expenditures — Public  Debt  at  the  close  of  the  Year — 
Opening  of  the  Year  1863 — An  Excise  Law  resolved  upon — Raising 
of  Money  in  the  Meantime — Issue  of  Paper  Money — National  Bank- 
inn-  Law — Its  Effect  in  New  York — Gold  Bill — Statement  of  Revenue 

o 

and  Expenditure  for  the  Year — Public  Debt — Mr.  Fessenden  succeeds 
Mr.  Chase — Condition  of  the  Treasury  and  Means  at  its  Disposal — 
Public  Debt  when  he  Resigned  in  March,  1865 433 

CHAPTER    XXXII. 

JULY -AUGUST,  1864. 

Alarm  produced  by  Early's  Invasion — Sigel's  Retreat — Weber  Abandons 
Harper's  Ferry — The  Pirate  Florida  on  our  Coast — The  Rebels  cross 
the  Potomac  and  occupy  Ilagerstown — Ilegira  of  the  People — Militia 
Called  out — General  Wallace  gives  Battle  at  Monocacy — Retreats — 
Alarm  in  Baltimore — Railroad  cut  between  Baltimore  and  Philadel 
phia — General  Franklin  taken  Prisoner — Governor  Bradford's  House 
Burned — The  Main  Army  moves  on  Washington — Skirmishing  in 
Front  of  Fort  Stevens — Arrival  of  the  Nineteenth  and  Sixth  Corps — 
The  Rebels  Retreat — Pursuit  by  Wright — Escape  of  the  Invaders — 
Averill  and  Crook  and  Duffie  engage  a  Portion  of  the  Enemy — Com 
pelled  to  Retreat  across  the  Potomac — The  Rebel  McCausland  ad 
vances  to  Chambersburg  and  Burns  it — Attacked  in  his  Retreat  and 
his  Forces  scattered  among  the  Mountains — Early  prepares  to  remain 
in  the  Shenandoah  Valley — Grant  Visits  Hunter — His  Letter  of  In 
structions — Sheridan  put  in  his  Place — Political  Events — Five  Hun 
dred  Thousand  Troops  called  for — Peace  Negotiations — Jacques  and 
Kirk — Grecley,  Jewett,  Sanders  and  Others — "  To  whom  it  may  Con 
cern" — Absurdity  of  the  Peace  Negotiations 450 


CONTENTS    OF     VOLUME    II.  23 

CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

AUGUST,  1861. 

PAGB. 

Forts  Morgan  and  Gaines — Defenses  of  Mobile  Bay — A  Land  Force 
under  General  Granger  sent  to  Co-operate  with  Farragut — Arrival  of 
the  Tecumseh — Farragut  ready  to  Run  the  Rebel  Batteries — Morning 
of  the  Battle — The  Ships  lashed  two  Together — The  Brooklyn  to 
lead  the  Fleet  against  Farragut's  wishes — The  first  Gun — The  Brook 
lyn  fearing  Torpedoes — Backs  and  Awaits  the  Fleet— Farragut  lashed 
in  the  Main-top,  seeing  the  Delay,  takes  the  Lead  just  as  the  Tecum 
seh  Goes  Down — He  sends  a  Boat  to  Save  the  Survivors — Steams 
Ahead — Enters  the  Bay— Attacked  by  Rebel  Gunboats — The  Selma 
Captured  by  the  Metacomet — The  Rebel  Ram  Tennessee  Attacks 
the  Fleet— The  Combat— Surrender  of  the  Ram — The  Tecumseh— A 
Brave  Ensign — Gallant  Deeds  and  Gallant  Men — Surrender. of  Forts 
Powell  and  Gaines — Siege  and  Bombardment  of  Fort  Morgan — Its 
Surrender — Disgraceful  Conduct  of  its  Commander  and  Officers — 
Mobile  not  Taken — Capture  of  the  Privateer  Georgia 467 

CHAPTER    XXXI Y. 

AUGUST- SEPTEMBER,  1864. 

Grant's  Ceaseless  Activity — Blowing  Up  of  an  Ordnance  Boat — Dutch 
Gap  Canal — Warren's  Fight  for  the  Weldon  Railroad — Battle  at 
Ream's  Station — Defeat  of  Hancock's  Corps — Meade's  Dispatches — 
Sheridan's  Operations  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley — Pursuit  of  Early — 
Capture  of  our  Trains  by  Mosby — Retreat  of  Sheridan — His  Position 
at  Bolivar  Heights — A  Second  Advance — Takes  Position  at  Berrys- 
ville — Unsatisfactory  Campaign — Disappointment  of  the  Country — 
Grant's  Explanation  of  the  Whole  Matter — The  Permission  to  "  Go 
In  " — Sheridan  Moves  in  Earnest — Battles  of  Opequan  Creek  and 
Fisher's  Hill — Total  rout  of  the  Enemy — Early  takes  a  new  Position 
,at  Brown's  Gap — Sheridan  falls  Back 481 


24  THE     GREAT     REBELLION. 

CHAPTER    XXXV. 

<i 

SEPTEMBER,  1864. 

PAGE. 

Ravaging  of  the  Shenandoah  Valley — Sheridan's  Dispatch — His  New 
Position — Leaves  the  Army  for  Washington — Early  Resolves  to  make 
a  Night  Attack — Secrecy  of  his  March — Rout  of  the  Army  of  West 
ern  Virginia  and  of  the  Nineteenth  Corps — Retreat  of  the  Whole 
Army — Sheridan  at  Winchester — His  Approach  to  the  Field — His 
Sudden  Arrival  and  Stirring  Appeals — Forms  a  new  Line  of  Battle — 
Repulse  of  the  Enemy — Advance  of  his  Line — The  Enemy's  Position 
Carried — Complete  Overthrow  of  the  Rebel  Army — The  Pursuit — A 
Supperless  Army — Enthusiasm  of  Officers  and  Men — The  General 
ship  and  Personal  Power  of  Sheridan — The  Rebels  abandon  the  Val 
ley—Hatcher's  Run — Grant  fails  to  Turn  the  Rebel  Right— Butler's 
Demonstration  North  of  the  James — Destruction  of  the  Ram  Albe- 
marle  by  Lieutenant  Gushing — The  Rebels  in  Canada — Raid  on  St. 
Albans,  Vermont 493 

CHAPTER    XXXVI.  |-,    , 

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER,  1864. 

Operations  West  during  the  Autumn — In  Arkansas,  Kansas,  and  Mis 
souri — Price,  Steele,  and  Rosecrans — Capture  of  Athens  by  Forrest 
— His  farther  Operations — General  Burbridge  sent  to  Destroy  the 
Salt-works  at  Saltville,  Virginia — Sherman  at  Atlanta — Davis  in  Geor 
gia — Hood  again  takes  the  Field — Falls  on  Sherman's  Communica 
tions — Gallant  Defense,  by  Corse,  of  Allatoona — Pursuit  of  Hood — 
Thomas  at  Nashville — Sherman  prepares  for  his  Georgia  Campaign — 
Rome  Burned — Destruction  of  Property — Burning  of  Atlanta 509 


CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER,  1864. 

Sherman  prepares  to  March — Orders  respecting  Foraging  Parties — Di 
vision  of  the  Army — Slocum's  Wing — Howard's  Wing — Kilpatrick's 
Cavalry — March  of  the  Former — Pillage  of  Madison — Slocum  enters 


CONTENTS     OF     VOLUME    II.  25 

PAGE. 

Milledgevillc — March  of  the  Right  Wing — The  Enemy  at  Lovejoy's — 
Kil patrick's  Cavalry — Macon  left  in  the  Rear — Sherman  enters  Mil 
ledgevillc  and  Occupies  the  Governor's  House — The  Soldiers  Or 
ganize  a  Legislature — Rebels  Repulsed  at  Griswoldville — Kilpatrick 
drives  Wheeler  before  him  and  Threatens  Augusta — The  Army  at 
Milieu — March  to  Savannah — Capture  of  Fort  McAllister  by  Hazen — 
Savannah  Invested — Hardee  summoned  to  Surrender — Sherman  starts 
for  Port  Royal — The  City  Evacuated — Sherman's  Dispatch  to  the 
President — Review  of  the  Campaign 522 

CHAPTER   XXXVIII. 

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER,  1864. 

Expedition  from  Vicksburg — Grierson's  Expedition — Breckenridge  in 
East  Tennessee — Stoneman  sent  against  Him — Rout  of  the  Enemy — 
Destruction  of  Wytheville  and  the  Salt-works  at  Saltville — Hood  Ad 
vances  against  Nashville — Schofield  Falls  Back  before  Him — Battle 
of  Franklin — Siege  of  Nashville — Impatience  of  Grant — Battle  of 
Nashville — Retreat  of  Hood — Operations  around  Murfreesboro' — 
Close  of  the  Campaign — Events  East — Plot  to  Burn  the  City  of  New 
York — Arrest  and  Execution  of  Rebel  Officers — Warren's  Expedition 
— First  Attempt  to  Capture  Fort  Fisher — Co-operative  Movement 
from  Plymouth — Loss  of  the  Otsego 535 

CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

JANUARY,  1865. 

Guerrillas — Peace  Rumors — Relief  for  the  Destitute  in  Savannah — Grant 
plans  a  Second  Expedition  Against  Fort  Fisher — Terry  Commands 
it — The  Bombardment — The  Assault  and  Victory — Evacuation  of 
other  Forts  in  the  Vicinity — Thomas'  Army  Broken  Up — Smith's 
Command  sent  to  Join  Canby — Schofield's  Corps  ordered  East — 
North  Carolina  made  a  separate  Military  Department — Narrow  Es 
cape  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac — Peace  Commissioners  appointed 
by  Davis — Their  Interview  with  the  President  and  Secretary  of  State 
— Exchange  of  Prisoners — Southern  Prison  Life — Inhumanity  of  the 
South — Andersonville  Prison — Captain  Wirz,  the  Commandant,  tried 
at  Washington  and  Hung 552 


26  THE    GREAT    REBELLION. 

CHAPTER    XL. 

JANUARY-FEBRUARY,  1865. 

PAGE. 

The  Right  Wing  of  Sherman's  Array  Threatens  Charleston— The  Left, 
Augusta — The  Army  delayed  by  Heavy  Floods — Kilpatrick's  Caval 
ry — Forcing  of  the  Salkehatchie — The  Enemy  deceived,  and  their 
Forces  Hopelessly  Separated — Destruction  of  the  Charleston  and 
Augusta  Railroad — Capture  of  Orangeburg — Crossing  the  Edisto — 
Capture  of  Columbia — Burning  of  the  City — Distress  of  the  Inhabit 
ants — Burning  of  Winnsboro' — Charlotte,  N.  C.,  Threatened — Sher 
man  suddenly  strikes  East  for  Fayetteville — Capture  of  Cheraw — Fall 
of  Charleston — Junction  of  the  two  Wings — Capture  of  Fayetteville — 
Communications  Opened  with  Schofield  and  Terry — Battle  of  Ave- 
rysboro'; — Battle  of  Bentonville — Occupation  of  Goldsboro' — End  of 
the  Campaign — Sherman  Visits  Grant  at  City  Point — Speedy  Refit 
ting  of  the  Army 564 

CHAPTER    XLI. 

FEBRUARY— APRIL,  1865. 

Interview  between  Grant  and  Sherman — Review  of  the  Military  Field — 
Canby's  Preparations  Against  Mobile — Stoneman's  Advance  from 
East  Tennessee — Cavalry  Raid  from  Vicksburg — Another  from  East- 
port,  Mississippi — Sheridan's  Raid  up  the  Shenandoah  Valley  and 
round  Richmond  to  the  White  House — He  Reaches  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  the  same  Day  as  Sherman — Grant's  Plan  to  Move  around 
the  Rebel  Right  Flank — Rebel  Attack  on  Fort  Stcadman — Sherman 
Returns  to  his  Army — Grant  Begins  his  Movement — Unexpected  Suc 
cess — Battle  of  Five  Forks — Grand  Assault  of  the  Enemy's  Lines — 
Evacuation  of  Petersburg  and  Richmond — Lee  Retreats  toward  Dan 
ville — The  Pursuit — Lincoln  and  Davis  on  the  Day  of  the  Battle — 
W^eitzel  Enters  Richmond — The  City  Fired  by  the  Rebels — Lee  hard 
Pressed — His  Retreat  Cut  Off— Grant  Demands  his  Surrender — The 
CorrcsfK>ndence — The  Capitulation — Surrender  of  the  Troops  of 
Northern  Virginia — Joy  of  the  North  over  the  Victory 582 


CONTENTS    OF    VOLUME    II.  27 

CHAPTER    XLII. 

APRIL-MAY,  1865. 

PAGE. 

Sherman  Rejoins  his  Army — Receives  the  News  of  the  Fall  of  Peters 
burg  and  Richmond — He  Moves  on  Raleigh — The  Army  Receives 
the  News  of  Lee's  Surrender — Interview  with  Johnson — The  Armis 
tice — Injustice  of  the  Secretary  of  War  and  Halleck — Stoneman's 
Raid — Assassination  of  the  President — His  Last  Order — His  Charac 
ter — Funeral  Obsequies — The  Conspiracy — Arrest,  Trial,  and  Execu 
tion  of  the  Prisoners — Rewards  Offered  for  the  Capture  of  Davis  and 
Others — The  Movement  against  Mobile — Its  Capture — Wilson's  Cav 
alry  Expedition — Raising  the  Flag  at  Fort  Sumter — Grand  Review  of 
the  Armies  of  Grant  and  Sherman  at  Washington — Closing  Scenes — 
National  Debt. .  ..599 


Official  Report  of  Lieutenant-General  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT,  Containing  a 
History  of  the  Operations  of  the  Armies  of  the  United  States  during 
1864-65...  ..617 


Official  Reports  of  Major-General  W.  T.  SHERMAN, 

I.     The  Georgia  Campaign, 667 

II.     Campaign  of  the  Carolinas, 678 

III.     Operations  in  N.  Carolina  and  Surrender  of  Johnston's  Army. .  691 

The  Army  of  the  United  States  during  the  Rebellion 702 


TJHIVEESIT7 


THE  GREAT  REBELLION. 


CHAPTER   I. 

JUNE-JULY,  1863. 

THE     SEVEN     DAYS*     CONTEST — REMARKABLE     FORESIGHT POSITION     OF      OUR 

ARMY LEE'S     PLAN THE     MOVEMENT     COMMENCED BATTLE     OF     GAINES* 

MILL  SEVERE       LETTER       TO        THE       SECRETARY       OF       WAR DESTRUC 
TION      OF      PROPERTY A      TRAIN      CUT     ADRIFT  THE      RETREAT ARMY 

TRAIN BATTLE    OF    SAVAGE    STATION BATTLE    OF    NELSON'S    FARM   AND 

GLENDALE BATTLE  OF  MALVERN  HILL RETREAT  TO  HARRISON'S  LANDING 

FEELINGS   OF  THE  PEOPLE LETTER  OF  THANKS  FROM  THE  PRESIDENT 

MC  CLELLAN'S  LETTER   TO   THE   PRESIDENT    ON  THE   POLICY  THAT  SHOULD 
BE  ADOPTED  IN  PROSECUTING  THE  WAR EFFECT  OF  IT  ON  HIMSELF. 

BEFORE  McClellan   had  fully  determined  that  retreat 
would   be   necessary,  he   had  decided  in  what  direc 
tion  it  should  be,  when  it  became  inevitable,  viz.,  to  James 
River,  and  not  back  to  the  base  of  his  supplies  at  the  White 
House. 

With  a  foresight  that  seems  almost  like  a  divine  premo 
nition,  he  sent  to  Fortress  Monroe  to  have  transports  carry  up 
supplies  to  Harrison's  Landing  on  James  River,  to  be  ready 
for  his  exhausted  troops  when  they  should  arrive  there,  and 
with  them  gunboats,  to  co-operate  with  his  land  forces  as 
circumstances  might  direct.  These  precautions  saved  him 
from  annihilation.  Having  thus  done  all  that  human  sagac 
ity  or  foresight  could  accomplish,  he  anxiously  waited  the 
decisive  movements  of  the  enemy,  which  should  settle  at 
once  his  course  of  action. 


32  POSITION    OF    THE    ARMY. 

To  understand  the  exact  position  of  our  army  at  this  time, 
it  is  necessary  only  to  remember  that  the  Richmond  and 
York  River  railroad,  running  east  to  the  White  House,  (the 
base  of  supplies,)  and  the  Chickahoininy  River,  form  the  two 
sides  of  a  letter  V — Bottom's  bridge  being  at  the  point. 
The  right  arm  of  the  V  looking  north  is  the  river,  which 
our  forces  occupied  up  to  Mechanicsville  north  of  Rich 
mond,  and  the  left  arm  is  the  railroad,  running  directly 
towards  Richmond.  The  Williamsburg  stage  road  ran 
alongside  of  the  railroad,  and  not  far  from  it.  On  the  rail 
road,  directly  in  front  of  the  rebel  capital,  stood  our  in- 
trenchments. 

Here,  and  between  the  river  and  rebel  fortifications,  ex 
tending  northward  from  the  city,  lay  eight  divisions  of  our 
army.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  was  General  Porter, 
with  two  divisions,  and  the  regular  reserves,  to  guard  against 
a  flank  movement  from  the  north,  which  should  ha ve^ been 
taken  care  of  by  McDowell.  The  other  flank,  south  of  the 
railroad  and  turnpike,  was  protected  by  the  White  Oak 
Swamp. 

This  was  McClellan's  position ;  and  in  case  of  retreat,  two 
courses  lay  open  to  him — either  to  fall  back  along  the  route 
by  which  he  had  advanced,  to  the  White  House  "on  York 
River,  or  cross  the  White  Oak  Swamp  southward,  and  reach 
the  James  River,  where  he  still  would  be  in  striking  distance 
of  the  rebel  capital. 

The  various  roads  by  which  the  enemy,  from  his  central 
position  at  Richmond,  could  advance  on  the  Union  army, 
stretching  from  White  Oak  Swamp  nearly  to  Mechanics 
ville,  may  be  understood,  by  standing  with  the  face  toward 
it  in  Richmond  and  placing  the  right  hand  spread  out,  on  the 
map.  The  thumb  would  represent  the  space  between  the 
Central  railroad  and  Mechanicsville  turnpike — the  forefinger, 
the  road  to  the  New  Bridge — the  middle  finger,  the  York 


LEE'S  PLAN.  33 

River  railroad  and  Williamsburg  turnpike  running  near  each 
other — the  space  between  this  and  the  third  finger,  the 
White  Oak  Swamp — the  finger  itself,  the  Charles  City  turn 
pike  south  of  it,  and  the  little  finger  the  Derbytown  road, 
still  nearer  the  James  River.  By  these  two  latter  roads,  the 
rebels  could  swarm  from  Richmond,  and  fall  on  the  heads  of 
columns  as  they  emerged  from  White  Oak  Swamp,  should 
McClellan  attempt  to  retreat  towards  the  James  River. 

As  soon  as  Lee  ascertained  that  McDowell  was  not  to 
advance  to  the  aid  of  McClellan,  and  the  country  was  clear 
around  the  right  flank  of  the  latter,  he  called  in  all  his 
troops  from  the  northern  part  of  Virginia,  including  Stone 
wall  Jackson,  till  he  had  a  force  in  hand  nearly  double  that 
of  the  Union  army.  With  this,  he  resolved  at  once  to  fall 
on  McClellan,  and  utterly  destroy  his  whole  army.  The 
plan  he  adopted  was  a  very  simple  one,  and  almost  certain 
of  success.  It  was  to  send  an  entire  army  beyond  the 
Chickahominy,  and  with  a  single  blow,  crush  the  compara 
tively  small  force  there,  and  keeping  down  its  banks,  get 
between  McClellan  and  the  White  House,  and  thus  cut  off 
supplies  and  starve  him  into  a  surrender,  or  crush  him  be 
tween  the  two  armies  in  front  and  rear — each  equal  to  his 
entire  force. 

If  in  this  dilemma,  he  should  attempt  to  move  off  towards 
James  River,  through  White  Oak  Swamp,  he  was  to  be  re 
ceived  beyond  it,  by  heavy  columns  from  Richmond,  which 
occupying  all  the  roads,  should  hem  him  in  in  that  direction, 
so  that  no  supplies  could  reach  him  from  any  quarter.  It 
was  a  gigantic  scheme,  and  complete  in  every  part,  while 
the  means  were  at  hand  to  carry  it  into  successful  execution. 
Nothing  but  the  most  consummate  generalship,  and  the  steadi 
est  troops,  could  extricate  the  American  commander  from 
the  terrible  position  in  which  it  would  inevitably  place  him. 

The  main  Union  army,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  be- 


34  FLANK    MOVEMENT    OF    THE    ENEMY. 

tween  the  Chick ahominy  and  Richmond.  Fitz  John  Porter, 
however,  with  the  fifth  corps,  was  on  the  north  side — his 
communication  with  it  preserved  by  numerous  bridges.  The 
first  object  of  the  enemy  was  to  sweep  this  force  away,  and 
then  keep  down  the  river  in  our  rear.  At  the  same  time  he 
was  to  attack  in  front,  to  prevent  reinforcements  from  being 
sent  to  Porter. 

The  storm  which  had  been  slowly  gathering,  at  length,  on 
the  26th  of  June,  burst  in  all  its  fury  on  the  devoted  army. 
The  day  was  clear  and  warm,  and  at  about  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  Jackson  moved  from  Ashland  down  the 
Chickahominy.  Driving  our  advanced  pickets  before  him, 
he  uncovered  the  bridge  at  Brook  turnpike,  and  General 
Branch,  who  was  on  the  opposite  side,  crossed  over,  and 
wheeling  to  the  right,  kept  down  the  north  bank  a  little  in 
the  rear  of  Jackson,  who  gradually  worked  off  towards  the 
Pamunkey.  The  two  divisions  kept  on  till  they  reached 
Meadow  Bridge,  from  which  they  also  swept  all  obstacles, 
and  A.  P.  Hill,  on  the  other  side,  crossed  over  and  joined 
Branch.  The  three  columns  now  moved  down  towards 
Mechanicsville — Jackson  in  advance,  stretching  off  towards 
the  Pamunkey  to  get  in  flank  and  rear,  Branch  next,  and 
Hill  last,  resting  his  right  on  the  Chickahominy.  Thus 
moving  en  echelon,  they  advanced  on  the  Union  batteries  and 
a  fierce  artillery  action  commenced,  which  shook  the  shores 
of  the  stream,  and  rolled  in  heavy  thunder  peals  over  the 
city  of  Richmond.  But  our  troops  were  in  a  strong  posi 
tion  along  the  left  bank  of  Beaver  Dam  Creek,  the  left  rest 
ing  on  the  Chickahominy,  and  the  right  on  a  thick  piece  of 
woods.  Seymour's  brigade  held  the  left,  reaching  from  the 
river  to  a  little  beyond  Ellison's  Mills — woods  and  open 
ground  alternating — and  Reynolds  the  right,  mostly  in  the 
woods.  Felled  timbers  and  rifle  pits  strengthened  the 
position,  and  the  creek  could  be  crossed  by  artillery,  only 


THE     OPENING     FIGHT.  35 

i 

on  two  roads,  along  which  the  fight  chiefly  raged.  Our 
batteries  swept  the  ground  beyond  the  creek,  yet  in  face  of 
their  murderous  fire,  the  enemy  advanced  intrepidly  towards 
the  stream,  making  his  most  desperate  effort  along  the 
upper  road,  where  Reynolds  was  posted.  The  struggle  was 
fierce  but  short,  and  the  rebel  host  surged  back.  Deter 
mined,  however,  to  carry  the  position  at  whatever  cost,  the 
rebel  leaders,  under  a  fierce  artillery  fire  along  their  whole 
line,  massed  their  troops  for  another  attack.  With  shouts 
and  yells  that  rose  over  the  roar  of  cannon,  they  again 
advanced,  only  to  be  mowed  down  with  terrible  slaughter 
from  the  steady  murderous  fire  poured  in  from  Seymour's 
brigade.  The  battle  raged  for  six  hours,  or  until  nine 
o'clock  at  night,  when  the  enemy  retired. 

McClellan  now  ascertained  that  Jackson  was  moving 
rapidly  down  on  his  communications,  far  to  the  right  of 
Porter,  and  directed  him  to  fall  back,  while  the  heavy  guns 
and  wagons  were  sent  across  the  river. 


BATTLE    OF    GAINES*    MILL. 


At  Games'  Mill  a  second  position  was  taken,  so  as  to  cover 
the  bridges,  while  Stoneman,  who  had  been  in  command  of: 
a  flying  column  to  protect  Porter's  flank,  was  sent  off  to 
wards  the  White  House,  to  prevent  its  being  cut  off  by- 
Jackson. 

The  new  position  was  the  arc  of  a  circle,  and  opposite  the 
army  of  McClellan,  on  the  other  side  of  the  stream.  Morell's 
division  held  the  left  of  this  line,  which  extended  about  a 
mile  and  a  half,  its  extremity  resting  on  the  slope  that  de 
scended  to  the  stream,  and  commanded  by  Butterfield. 
Martindale  came  next,  and  then  Griffin,  who  touched1  the 
left  of  Sykes'  division,  which  extended  to  the  rear  of  Gold 
Harbor.  Each  brigade  had  two  regiments  in 


36  BATTLE     OF     GAINES'     MILL.  , 

McCalTs  division,  which  had  been  heavily  engaged  the  day 
before,  formed  a  second  line  in  rear,  with  Meade's  brigade 
on  the  left,  near  the  Chickahominy,  and  Reynold's  on  the 
right.  Seymour  was  held  in  reserve  in  the  rear.  The 
artillery  was  posted  on  the  elevations  around,  and  in  the 
spaces  between  the  divisions  and  brigades. 

This  was  the  position  of  that  portion  of  the  army  which 
was  on  the  north  side  of  the  stream  at  noon,  on  the  27th  of 
June.  The  enemy,  relying  on  his  superior  numbers,  ad 
vanced  with  such  determination  upon  our  line  of  battle,  that 
by  two  o'clock.  Porter  sent  to  McClellan  for  reinforcements 
and  more  axes,  to  complete  his  defences.  General  Barnard, 
by  whom  the  order  was  sent,  never  delivered  it, — an  act  of 
disobedience  or  neglect,  meriting  the  severest  condemnation, 
— and  by  three  o'clock,  Porter  was  so  fiercely  pushed,  that 
the  entire  second  line  and  the  reserves  had  to  be  ordered 
forward  to  support  the  first  An  half  hour  later,  SlocumTs 
division  reached  him,  having  been  hurried  across  the  bridges 
by  McClellan  as  soon  as  he  heard  of  Porter's  sore  need. 
When  it  came  into  action,  Porter's  whole  force  numbered 
about  thirty-five  thousand  men,  while  that  of  the  enemy  was 
full  sixty  thousand,  if  not  more.  With  his  overwhelming 
numbers,  he  dashed  now  on  one  portion  of  the  line,  and  now 
on  another,  each  time  repulsed  with  terrible  slaughter.  But 
our  troops,  most  of  which  had  been  severely  tasked  by  the 
previous  day's  fighting,  were  rapidly  becoming  exhausted, 
and  at  five  o'clock  an  officer  dashed  into  McClellan's  head 
quarters,  with  an  urgent  demand  for  more  reinforcements, 
as  the  day  was  going  against  them.  McClellan  had  already 
sent  all  that  Hie  felt  he  could  spare,  for  an  overwhelming 
force  was  on  his  side  of  the  river  also,  ready  to  swoop  down 
on  him,  the  moment  his  exhausted  numbers  gave  them  the 
opportunity.  And  yet  so  pressing  was  the  danger,  that  he 
sent  over  French's  and  Meagher's  brigades. 


THE    POSITION     AT    EVENING.  37 

The  scene  which  the  battle  field  presented  at  this  moment 
was  one  of  imposing  grandeur.  Thirty-five  thousand  ex 
hausted,  beleagured  men,  enveloped  in  the  smoke  of  their 
own  guns,  stood  bravely  battling  against  twice  their  num 
ber,  that  darkened  all  the  surrounding  country  with  their 
moving  masses.  The  last  of  our  reserves  are  in,  and  have 
been  for  some  time,  and  now  the  enemy  is  moving  up  his 
own  for  a  final  assault.  The  thunder  of  artillery,  which  has 
been  breaking  along  the  whole  line  for  four  long  hours,  is 
redoubled,  while  the  crash  of  musketry,  fierce,  rapid  and 
incessant,  tells  the  Commander-in-chief,  that  the  final  hour 
has  come.  Oh  for  but  ten  thousand  of  those  forty  thous 
and  of  McDowell's,  fatally  held  back  in  this  hour  of  ter 
rible  need,  and  the  victory  would  be  sure.  But  alas,  they 
are  lounging  idly  in  their  camps  on  the  banks  of  the  Rappa- 
hannock,  while  their  brave  comrades  here,  are  falling  thick 
as  autumn  leaves,  in  a  vain  effort  to  uphold  the  honor  of  the 
flag. 

The  summer  sun  was  sinking  in  the  western  sky^  which, 
without  a  cloud,  looked  like  a  sea  of  blood  through  the 
smoke  of  battle  that  filled  all  the  air.  In  the  valley,  the 
long  lines  of  lancers  might  be  seen,  their  pennons  fluttering 
in  the  breeze,  waiting  the  pealing  bugle  note  that  shall  send 
them  headlong  on  the  heavy  battalions, — their  sabre-points 
sending  long  lines  of  light  over  the  green  fields,  dotted  with 
groves  on  every  side,  while  the  gentle  stream,  reflecting  the 
crimson  light,  murmurs  gently  along  as  though  its  sweet 
music  was  not  drowned  in  the  wild  uproar  that  shakes  its 
banks.  It  is  a  placid  summer  evening,  and  a  beautiful  land 
scape  spreads  away  on  every  side,  but  the  eye  of  the  com 
mander  sees  naught  of  this.  His  swelling  heart  is  ready  to 
burst,  as  he  sees  the  ever-increasing  flood  of  the  enemy,  and 
no  troops  with  which  to  stem  it.  Oh  for  night  to  come! 
was  his  mental  exclamation.  But  it  is  all  in  vain.  The 


38  A    CAVALRY     CHARGE. 

heavy  reserves  are  steadily  pressing  back  Porter's  left,  and 
it  begins  to  crumble,  until  the  disorder  reaches  the  very  cen 
tre  of  the  Federal  lines.  "  There  is  no  panic,  the  men  do 
not  fly  in  the  wild  excitement  of  fear ;  but  deaf  to  every 
appeal,  they  march  oif  deliberately,  as  if  success  were  im 
possible."  In  vain  the  officers  fling  themselves  in  front  of 
the  troops,  and  shout  to  them  to  stand  by  their  flag — in  vain 
they  offer  to  lead  them  back  on  the  foe.  On  foot,  his  horse 
having  been  shot  under  him,  Butterfield,  surrounded  by  his 
falling  staff,  plants  a  flag  and  calls  on  his  men  to  rally 
around  it, — but  in  vain.  With  sword  in  hand,  aids  dash 
amid  the  broken  ranks  with  stirring  appeals,  in  vain.  Amid 
the  storm  of  shot  and  shell,  the  gallant  leaders  move  and 
fall,  in  vain.  The  battle  is  lost,  and  nothing  now  remains 
but  to  save  it  from  becoming  a  rout.  Then  came  the  order 
for  the  cavalry  to  charge.  The  bugles  rang  out  over  the 
horrible  din  and  uproar,  and  with  sabres  shaking  over  their 
heads,  the  Fifth  cavalry,  shouting  as  they  rode,  dashed 
fiercely  on  the  dense  battalions.  But  they  might  as  well 
have  dashed  on  a  rock.  Broken  into  fragments  by  the 
shock,  they  galloped  wildly  back  through  the  artillery  and 
flying  infantry,  sending  up  a  cloud  of  dust  in  their  headlong 
passage,  and  increasing  tenfold  the  hopeless  disorder.  Borne 
back  for  a  mile,  the  shattered  army  came  upon  the  fresh 
brigades  of  Meagher  and  French,  standing  like  a  wall  of 
iron,  on  the  field.  Undismayed  by  the  frightful  wreck  that 
came  heaving  wildly  down  upon  them,  they  maintained 
their  firm  formation,  and  hurled  it  scornfully  back,  and  sent 
up  a  loud  hurrah  that  rose  over  the  tumult  and  told  the 
enemy  that  fresh  troops  were  on  the  field.  Advancing 
boldly  to  the  front,  they  arrested  the  confident  and  on  rush 
ing  enemy,  and  gave  time  for  our  troops  to  rally.  Twilight 
had  now  settled  over  the  landscape,  and  the  enemy,  having 
exhausted  all  his  reserves,  and  weary  with  his  long  and  des- 


LETTER  TO  THE  SECRETARY  OF  WAR.      39 

perate  conflict,  paused  in  his  victorious  career,  and  fell  back, 
and  the  bloody  day  was  ended.  The  slaughter  had  been  fear 
ful  on  both  sides,  and  the  trampled  green  sward  and  dusty 
roads  were  crimson  with  the  blood  of  brave  men,  and 
sprinkled  thickly  with  the  dead  and  wounded.  Twenty- 
three  guns  were  left  in  the  enemy's  hands  as  trophies,  and 
many  prisoners,  among  them  the  gallant  General  Reynolds. 
It  was  while  smarting  under  this  defeat  and  slaughter  of 
his  brave  troops,  that  McClellan  used  the  following  strong 
and  stinging  language  to  the  Secretary  of  War: — 

"I  know  that  a  few  thousand  more  men  would  have 
changed  this  battle  from  a  defeat  to  a  victory.  As  it  is, 
the  government  must  not,  and  cannot,  hold  me  responsible 
for  the  result. 

"I  feel  too  earnestly  to-night.  I  have  s\3en  too  many 
dead  and  wounded  comrades  to  feel  otherwise  than  that  the 
government  has  not  sustained  this  army.  If  you  do  not  do 
so  now,  the  game  is  lost. 

"  If  I  save  this  army  now,  I  tell  you  plainly,  that  I  owe 
no  thanks  to  you,  or  to  any  other  persons  in  Washington. 

"  You  have  done  your  best  to  sacrifice  this  army." 

This  was  a  terrible  accusation  to  come  from  a  General-in- 
chief  on  the  field  of  battle,  but  it  is  one  from  which  the 
Secretary  of  War  has  never  yet  successfully  vindicated  him 
self.  That  night  the  entire  army  was  transferred  to  the  other 
side  of  the  river,  preparatory  to  the  movement  of  the  whole 
force  to  the  James  River.  All  the  wagons,  heavy  guns,  etc., 
were  also  gathered  there,  and  General  Keycs,  with  his  corps, 
sent  across  the  White  Oak  Swamp  to  seize  strong  positions 
on  the  opposite  side,  so  as  to  cover  the  passage  x>f  the  trains 
and  the  army.  Orders  were  also  sent  to  embark  all  the 
troops  and  stores  at  the  White  House,  and  destroy  what  could 
not  be  removed.  This  was  done,  and  a  whole  loaded  train 
that  could  not  be  saved,  was  afterwards  sent  adrift,  with  a  full 
head  of  steam  on,  which,  rushing  unguided  along  the  track, 


40  IMMENSE    TRAIN. 

plunged  headlong  into  the  stream,  the  bridge  over  it  having 
been  destroyed.  Huge  fires,  caused  by  the  burning  ma 
terial  collected  on  the  route  to  the  White  House,  lightened 
the  midnight  heavens,  leaving  no  fragment  of  the  rich  spoils 
which  the  enemy  had  fondly  hoped  to  seize.  The  bridges 
over  which  our  troops  had  passed  were  also  destroyed,  so 
that  when  morning  dawned,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was 
all  on  the  Richmond  side  of  the  Chickahominy,  while  more 
than  half  of  the  Confederate  forces  were  on  the  opposite 
side,  and  the  bridges  broken  down  between.  This  was  a 
complete  surprise  to  the  enemy,  and  compelled  him  for 
awhile  to  rest — powerless  to  do  mischief.  This  result  had 
been  planned  by  McClellan,  for  he  needed  the  time  it  gave 
him,  to  get  his  immense  trains  across  the  swamp;  before  his 
army  began  to  move.  Tangled  up  between  his  corps,  it 
would  throw  every  thing  into  comfusion.  Only  a  single 
road  crossed  the  swamp,  along  which  five  thousand  wagons, 
twenty-five  hundred  cattle,his  immense  siege  train, and  various 
war  material  had  to  be  transported.  It  required  nice  calcula 
tion  and  prompt,  rapid  movements  to  accomplish  all  this 
before  the  overwhelming  force  of  the  enemy  would  be  on 
his  rear,  and  rushing  down,  at  right  angles,  on  his  line  of 
march  along  the  roads  leading  from  Richmond  beyond  the 
swamp. 

The  28th  was  a  quiet  day  to  both  armies,  so  far  as  hostili 
ties  were  concerned ;  but  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was 
stripping  itself  for  the  race  and  the  struggle  before~it.  The 
distance  to  the  James  River  was  only  seventeen  miles,  so 
that  along  that  single  line  of  road,  scarcely  half  of  the  immense 
train  would  have  entered  the  swamp  when  its  head  would 
be  on  James  River.  All  day  long  it  was  winding,  like  a 
mighty  serpent,  its  tedious  length  through  the  forest,  whose 
gloomy  recesses  resounded  with  the  rumbling  of  wheels,  the 
lowing  of  cattle,  and  the  shouts  and  curses  of  men,  as  they 


RETREAT     COMMENCED.  41 

urged  on  their  teams.  Time  pressed,  and  the  huge  caravan 
was  crowded  along  the  hot  and  narrow  way  to  its  utmost 
speed.  Wounded  men  lay  bleeding  in  the  wagons,  or 
limped  along  beside  them,  while  every  ear  was  turned  to 
catch  the  thunder  of  cannon  from  the  pursuing  foe.  It  was 
oppressively  hot,  yet  all  day  and  night  the  vast  throng  of 
wagons  kept  hurrying  forward  to  give  room  for  the  army, 
for  the  peril  to  which  it  was  exposed  increased  with  every 
hour's  delay.  The  moon  rose  over  the  dark  forest  about 
nine  o'clock,  and  revealed  a  strange,  confused,  wild  spect 
acle;  but  its  light  was  dimmed  by  a  thunder  cloud,  that 
pushing  up  the  heavens,  sent  peal  after  peal  like  the  roar 
of  artillery  over  the  alarmed  multitude. 

The  next  day  was  the  Sabbath,  but  not  a  day  of  rest  to 
that  imperilled  army.  Early  in  the  morning  McClellan 
broke  up  his  head-quarters  at  Savage  Station,  and  moved 
across  the  swamp,  to  examine  the  ground  beyond,  for  the 
disposition  of  the  corps,  and  make  sure  his  communication 
with  the  gunboats,  without  which  all  would  be  lost.  He 
sent  Slocum  also  across,  to  relieve  Keyes,  so  that  the  latter 
could  move  on  to  James  River.  Porter  was  to  follow,  to 
make  the  communication  sure.  The  whole  army  now  began 
to  move.  Sumner,  who  was  at  Fair  Oaks,  started  at  day 
light  towards  Savage  Station,  but  before  he  reached  it  was 
attacked  at  Allen's  field.  With  Richardson  and  Sedg- 
wick's  divisions  he  succeeded  however  in  holding  the  rebels 
at  bay  for  three  hours.  In  the  meantime,  the  enemy,  having 
repaired  the  bridges,  began  to  cross  the  Chickahominy  and 
were  now  advancing  towards  Savage  Station. 

Franklin  hearing  of  it,  sent  word  to  Sumner,  who  pushed 
on  to  that  point  and  assumed  chief  command.  It  was  plain 
that  a  battle  must  be  fought  here  to  cover  the  retreat. 


42  BATTLE     OF    SAVAGE    STATION. 


BATTLE    OF    SAVAGE    STATION. 

Sumner,  Franklin  and  Heintzleman  were  here — on  whom 
the  Commander-in-chief  could  rely,  and  he  told  them  to 
hold  that  position  till  dark,  and  right  gallantly  was  the 
order  obeyed.  The  public  property  which  had  accumulated 
here  was  first  destroyed,  so  as  not  to  fall  into  tbe  hands  of 
the  enemy,  and  then  they  prepared  for  a  stubborn  resist 
ance. 

In  vain  did  the  enemy  move  upon  this  noble  rear  guard, 
determined  to  break  through  to  the  trains  beyond.  It  knew 
the  mighty  trust  which  had  been  reposed  in  it,  and  that  it 
held  the  destiny  of  the  army  in  its  hands.  Sumner  and 
Franklin's  commands  were  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle,  in  an 
open  field,  the  right  stretching  down  the  road,  and  the  left 
resting  on  a  piece  of  woods  held  by  Brooks'  brigade.  About 
four  o'clock  the  rebels,  in  overpowering  masses,  came  mov 
ing  down  the  Williamsburg  road,  and  fell  with  savage  fury 
on  Burns'  brigade.  They  could  not  have  selected  a  worse 
point  of  attack,  for  a  more  gallant  and  stubborn  commander 
never  led  troops  to  battle  than  he.  Rooted  to  the  ground 
— his  hat  pierced  with  balls,  and  bleeding  from  a  wound  in 
his  face,  he  beat  back  the  hostile  battalions  with  a  stern 
courage  that  elicited  the  highest  praise  from  even  the  cau 
tious  Sedgwick.  Hazzard  and  Pettit's  batteries  covered 
themselves  with  glory.  The  battle  raged  for  five  hours,  or 
until'  nearly  nine  o'clock — the  thunder  of  the  guns  breaking 
in  successive  crashes  over  the  forest,  and  sending  consterna 
tion  through  the  struggling  trains  far  ahead,  and  urging 
them  on  to  still  greater  speed. 

As  soon  as  the  battle  was  over,  Sumner  received  orders 
to  fall  back  across  the  swamp.  He  obeyed  reluctantly,  for 
his  blood  was  up,  and  he  wished  to  punish  still  further  the 


PURSUIT     OF     THE     ENEMY.  43 

presumptuous  foe.  But  the  columns  were  quickly  put  in 
motion,  and  by  midnight  were  all  on  the  road  to  White  Oak 
Swamp,  General  French  bringing  up  the  rear.  All  night 
long  the  brave  but  weary  columns  toiled  on  through  the 
forest,  and  just  as  the  rays  of  the  sun  were  tipping  the  tree 
tops,  the  last  regiment  crossed  White  Oak  Swamp  bridge, 
and  then  the  bridge  itself  was  destroyed. 

One  of  the  most  difficult  steps  of  the  perilous  feat  which 
McClellan  had  attempted  to  perform  was  now  accomplished. 
His  trains  were  well  on  towards  James  River;  the  enemy  in 
the  rear  were  arrested  in  their  pursuit,  and  he  had  now 
chiefly  the  forces  sent  down  from  Richmond  to  contend 
with,  which  were  designed  to  fall  on  him  in  flank  and  cut 
his  army  in  two.  The  enemy  on  the  Chickahominy  had  two 
sides  of  a  triangle  to  traverse  to  reach  him  by  this  route, 
while  he  had  but  one,  so  that  though  he  had  to  delay  his 
march  till  his  immense  trains  got  away,  he  was  able  to  have 
heavy  forces  guarding  the  roads  leading  from  Richmond  on 
the  farther  side  of  the  swamp. 

In  the  meantime,  as  soon  as  daylight  revealed  to  the 
enemy  that  Simmer  had  abandoned  Savage  Station,  and 
fallen  back  through  the  swamp,  he  started  in  pursuit,  but 
on  finding  the  bridge  destroyed  was  compelled  to  halt  on 
the  banks  of  the  stream.  Here,  planting  his  batteries,  he 
opened  a  furious  artillery  fire  on  Franklin,  who  with  his 
division  had  been  left  to  defend  the  crossing.  But  Keyes 
handled  his  artillery  with  a  skill  that  baffled  all  his  efforts. 

BATTLE    OF    NELSONS    FARM    AND    GLENDALE. 

But  while  Franklin  was  thus  keeping  back  the  enemy  that 
had  followed  through  the  swamp  from  Savage  Station,  a 
fierce  battle  was  raging  farther  on  towards  the  James  River, 
with  a  rebel  army  under  A.  P.  Hill  which  had  moved  down 


44  BATTLE     OF     GLENDALE. 

from  Richmond,  between  the  swamp  and  iwer.  The 
first  road  that  intersected  our  line  of  inarch  after  crossing 
the  White  Oak  Swamp  was  the  Charles  City  road,,  and  this 
Slocum  was  left  to  guard.  Farther  on  towards  the  James, 
was  the  Newmarket  road,  McCall  was  posted  on  this,  with 
Meade's  brigade  on  his  right,  and  Seymour's  on  his  left ; 
the  batteries  of  Randall,  Kern,  Cooper,  Diedrich  and  Kana- 
han  all  posted  in  front  of  the  infantry  line.  The  country 
was  open  in  front,  leaving  a  clean  sweep  for  the  artillery. 

About  three  o'clock  the  enemy  was  seen  moving  in  heavy 
force  upon  this  position,  and  at  the  same  time  coming  down 
the  Charles  City  road  on  Slocum.  Checked  here  by  the 
artillery,  they,  a  little  later,  fell  with  desperate  fury  on 
McCall's  division.  Right  in  the  face  of  the  death-dealing, 
batteries  they  advanced  with  grand  heroic  courageT  and 
though  swept  by  the  storm  of  grape  and  canister,  closed  up 
their  rent  columns  and  still  faced  the  fiery  sleet  without 
flinching.  The  slaughter  was  frightful,  but  making  good  the 
losses  with  fresh  troops,  the  rebel  leaders  pressed  this  de 
voted  division  with  such  fury  that  at  length  it  was  com 
pelled  to  fall  back.  The  gallant  fiery  leaders.  Hooker  and 
Kearney,  were  hurried  to  the  rescue,  and  falling  with  their 
weary,  heroic  columns  on  the  shouting,  victorious  enemy, 
hurled  him  back  stunned  and  astonished.  The  battle  lasted 
till  after  dark,  and  again  the  Union  troops  had  showed  their 
indomitable  valor.  Here  Burns  again  distinguished 'himself, 
and  here  the  sixty-third  Pennsylvania,under  Colonel  Hays,  and 
the  thirty-seventh  New  York  Volunteers  covered  themselves 
with  glory,  for  by  their  rapid  volleys  and  desperate  charge, 
they  repelled  the  third  attack,  though  made  by  overwhelming 
numbers.  There  was  fighting  everywhere  to-day.  The  rebel 
artillery  was  thundering  on  our  rear  guard  at  White  Oak 
Swamp  bridge ;  where  the  roads  crossed  at  right  angles  our 
line  of  march,  a  fierce  battle  was  raging;  while,  at  the  same 


JAMES     RIVER     REACHED.  45 

time  the  enemy  came  down  on  Porter,  already  on  the 
James  to  help  whom,  the  gunboats  opened  with  their  pond 
erous  guns,  sending  their  awful  missiles  of  death  through 
the  astonished  hostile  lines.  The  latter,  maddened  that 
the  foe  was  about  to  escape  them,  resolved  at  whatever 
sacrifice  of  life  to  break  through  our  long  line  at  some  point, 
and  thundered  on  it  from  the  middle  of  the  swamp  to  the 
James  River  with  frightful  energy.  The  whole  country  was 
dark  with  his  moving  masses,  and  the  summer  sun  went 
down  in  an  ocean  of  rolling  smoke,  that  heaved  and  rifted 
before  the  deafening  explosions  which  made  the  earth  trem 
ble.  Our  wearied,  hungry  troops  moved  amid  this  carnival 
of,  death  with  a  heroism  that  mocked  at  numbers,  and  made 
that  last  day  of  June  one  long  to  be  remembered.  The  bur 
dened  earth  turned  red  with  the  blood  of  the  slain,  but  still 
our  flag  floated  triumphantly  over  the  field.  McCall  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and  Heintzleman,  who  was  in  chief 
command  of  the  troops,  began  at  midnight  to  fall  back 
towards  the  James,  on  the  banks  of  which  our  trains  were 
now  rapidly  gathering.  Franklin  also  retired,  and  McClellan 
ordered  the  whole  army  to  fall  back  to  Malvern  Hill.  He 
had  selected  this  as  the  key  to  his  position.  Although  he 
had  given  General  Barnard,  Engineer-in-chief,  special  orders 
as  to  the  location  of  the  troops  as  fast  as  they  arrived,  he  on 
the  morning  of  the  first  of  July,  made  the  entire  circuit  of 
the  position  himself  with  some  of  his  general  officers,  to  see 
that  no  mistake  should  occur. 

BATTLE    OF   MALVERN    HILL. 

McClellan  had  been  for  the  last  three  days  fighting  at  fear 
ful  disadvantages,  for  his  army  lay  scattered  all  the  way 
from  White  Oak  Swamp  to  the  James  River, — a  line  too 
long  to  be  held  throughout  by  his  enfeebled  army,  and  yet 


46  DESCRIPTION     OF    MALVEBN     HILL. 

which  could  not  be  shortened  without  peril.  The  commu 
nication  with  the  river  must  be  kept  up  on  account  of  his 
transports,  the  trains  be  protected,  the  enemy  in  the  rear 
held  back,  and  all  the  roads  coming  down  from  Richmond 
strongly  guarded ;  hence,  when  the  enemy  appeared  in  over 
whelming  numbers  at  any  given  point,  the  wearied  troops 
guarding  it  were  compelled  to  hx>ld  it  till  reinforcements 
could  be  hurried  up  from  some  other  point.  But  now  all 
this  was  changed.  He  had  his  noble  army  once  more 
well  in  hand,  and  concentrated  where  it  could  strike  its 
powerful  blows  like  a  single  engine.  But  the  rebels  had 
also  concentrated  their  forces,  outnumbering  his  own,  two  to 
one,  and  was  preparing  to  make  one  last  great  effort  to 
wring  victory  from  the  hand,  of  adverse  fate. 

Malvern  Hill,  on  which  McClellan  had  drawn  up  his 
wearied  but  unconquerable  host,  is  a  plateau  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  long,  and  three-quarters  of  a  mile  wide,  with 
several  roads,  converging  to  a  single  point,  running  over  it. 
On  the  side  towards  the  river,  the  slope  ended  in  a  deep 
ravine,  which  stretched  to  the  shore.  Here  Porter  was 
posted,  with  one  brigade  in  the  plain,  to  check  any  flanking 
movement;  and  here,  too,  in  the  stream,  were  stationed  the 
gunboats,  under  Commodore  Rodgers,  for  the  purpose  of 
hurling  their  ponderous  shells  into  the  advancing  columns  of 
the  enemy.  In  front  were  several  ravines,  furnishing  natural 
obstacles  to  an  approaching  enemy,  while  the  ground  sloped 
away,  giving  a  clean  sweep  for  the  artillery.  On  this  plat 
eau  McClellan  massed  his  splendid  artillery,  at  least  three 
hundred  guns,  frowning,  like  a  brov/  of  wrath,  on  the  plain 
below,  while  on  the  highest  point,  dominating  all,  Col.  Tyler 
had  planted  ten  of  his  heavy  siege  guns.  This  officer  had 
made  almost  superhuman  efforts  to  save  his  unwieldy  siege 
train  amid  the  struggling  mass  that  crowded  the  road 
through  White  Oak  Swamp,  and  had  succeeded  with  the 


POSITION     OF    THE    ARMY.  47 

loss  of  only  three  guns,  which  had  broken-  down,  and  so 
could  not  be  brought  off.  Justly  proud  of  his  achievement, 
he  now  determined  they  should  no  longer  remain  useless 
burdens,  and  dragged  these  ten  pieces  to  the  top  of  the  hill, 
that  their  voices  should  first  speak  in  the  coming  conflict. 

McClellan  had  not  enough  men  to  make  his  whole  line  of 
battle  strong  as  it  ought  to  be,  and  so  he  massed  his  main 
force  to  the  north  and  east,  conjecturing  the  weight  of  attack 
would  come  from  that  quarter — against  his  left  wing.  The 
pursuing  force  coming  from  White  Oak  Swamp,  and  that 
rushing  down  from  Richmond,  he  thought,  would  make  the 
attack  in  that  direction,  instead  of  losing  time  by  swinging 
round  down  stream  to  the  right  wing,  which  would  endanger 
their  own  communication  with  the  capital. 

In  front  of  Porter's  division,  the  artillery  was  so  posted 
that  the  tremendous  fire  of  sixty  cannon  could  be  concen 
trated  on  any  single  point,  and  made  that  grim  chieftain  feel 
that  the  troops  which  could  reach  him  must  be  something 
more  than  flesh  and  blood.  Sykes  commanded  his  left,  and 
Morell,  his  right  divisions ;  Couch  came  next,  and  after  him, 
Kearney  and  Hooker,  then  Sedgwick  and  Richardson, 
Smith  and  Slocum,  strong  leaders  every  one,  on  whom  their 
chieftain  could  in  that  last  trying  hour  rely  with  unbounded 
trust.  A  portion  of  Keyes'  corps  finished  the  line,  that 
curved  back  nearly  to  the  river  again  below,  in  a  huge 
semicircle.  The  shattered,  mutilated  Pennsylvania  reserve 
corps  was  stationed  behind  Porter  and  Couch  as  a  reserve. 

Thus  stood  the  immortal  army  of  the  Potomac  on  the 
first  of  July.  When  all  was  completed,  McClellan,  with  his 
brilliant  staff,  galloped  along  the  mighty  line,  followed  by 
the  deafening  cheers  of  his  devoted  battalions,  who  felt  that 
they  were  to  fight  once  more  under  his  immediate  eye.  See 
ing,  at  a  glance,  that  the  fury  of  the  storm,  as  he  had  con 
jectured,  was  to  burst  on  his  left,  he  took  his  station  there. 


48  ADVANCE     OF     THE    ENEMY. 

The  infantry  was  posted  down  the  hill,  so  that  the.  artillery 
had  a  clean  sweep  over  their  heads.  The  scene  was  one  of 
imposing  grandeur,  and  as  the  bright  sun  looked  down 
upon  it,  his  rays  flashed  along  the  triple  lines  of  steel  that 
girdled  the  hill  with  light,  while  the  steady  ranks  belted  it 
with  long  dark  lines — soon  to  be  lines  of  fire.  As  far  as  the 
eye  could  see,  banners  drooped  in  the  still  air,  while  groups  of 
horsemen  here  and  there  told  where  the  respective  com 
manders  awaited  the  coming  shock.  It  seemed  downright 
madness  for  any  troops  to  advance  on  such  an  infernal  fire 
as,  it  was  plain,  could  at  any  moment  open  from  that  plateau. 
But  Magruder,  commanding  the  rebel  forces,  relying  on  his 
overwhelming  numbers,  determined  toL  carry  it.  Skirmish 
ing  in  the  plain  below  commenced  between  nine  and  ten 
in  the  morning,  but  the-  enemy  seemed  in  no  haste  to  enter 
on  the  desperate  undertaking  before  him.  At  length,  how 
ever,  about  two  o'clock,  a  dark  mass  emerged  on  the  plain 
and  moved  steadily  forward  on  Couch's  division.  -  The  artil 
lery  opened  on  both  sides,  and  though  ugly  rents  were  made 
at  every  step  in  the  enemy's  ranks,  they  closed  firmly  upT 
and  kept  unfalteringly  on.  An  ominous  silence  rested  on 
Couch's  division,  which  lay  motionless  on?  the  ground.  Still, 
on  swept  the  hostile  column,  till  within  close  musket  range, 
when  at  the  word  of  command,  the  division  sprung  to  its  feet 
and  poured  in  one  deadly  volley.  Before  it,  that  compact 
mass  was  rent  like  a  cloud,  torn  with  an  explosion  in  its 
own  bosom,  and  was  driven  in  shattered  fragments  over  the 
field.  About  four  o'clock  the  firing  ceased  all  along  the 
line,  and  the  hill  that  for  two  hours  had  groaned  on  its  firm 
foundations,  under  the  heavy  crack  of  artillery,  lapsed 
into  silence  again.  Two  hours  more  passed  by,  but,  about 
six  o'clock,  the  plain  below  suddenly  opened  like  a  volcano 
with  the  fierce  fire  of  all  the  rebel  artillery,  and,  under  its 
cover,  were  seen  advancing  the  heavy  columns  of  the 


THE     BATTLK.  49 

enemy.  In  a  moment  the  hill  was  in  a  blaze  of  light,  and 
from  three  hundred  cannon  rained  a  horrible  tempest  of 
shot  and  shell.  Seeing  that  nothing  could  long  stand  before 
it,  the  rebel  leaders  ordered  the  troops  on  the  double  quick, 
to  carry  the  hill  in  one  impetuous  rush.  Brigade  after 
brigade,  emerging  from  the  distant  \voods,  dashed  on  a 
run  across  the  intervening  space,  and  swept  up,  in  one  black 
overwhelming  tide,  towards  the  batteries.  But  when  they 
came  within  reach  of  the  musketry,  the  vollies.  were  too 
murderous  for  flesh  and  blood  to  withstand.  The  reeling 
lines  shrivelled  up  before  it  and  disappeared  from  sight. 
Still,  bent  on  victory,  the  rebel  leaders  reformed  their  broken 
battalions;  and,  bringing  forward  fresh  troops,  sent  them 
forward  with  drums  beating  and  banners  flying,  in  the  same 
all-en gulphing  fire.  More  desperate  courage  was  never  dis 
played  by  any  troops  on  any  field  than  they  evinced  in 
these  successive  charges.  Again  and  again,  they  crossed 
the  whole  line  of  fire  of  our  batteries,  breasting  the  storm  of 
grape  and  canister  without  flinching,  till  close  upon  our  line  of 
battle,  when  their  shouts  of  victory  arose  within  short  pistol 
shot  of  the  coolly  awaiting  ranks.  Then  the  hill  side  would 
seem  to  gap  and  shoot  forth  flame.  One  volley,  and  in 
stantly  the  shouting  troops  were  on  them  with  the  bayonet, 
sending  them  like  scattered  sheep  to  their  cover,  leaving 
the  slope  carpeted  with  their  dead.  It  seemed  that  each 
repulse  must  be  the  last,  and  that  no  troops  on  earth  could 
be  made  to  advance  again,  on  such  certain  destruction.  But 
in  a  few  moments  the  reformed  columns  would  be  seen 
emerging  from  the  sulphurous  cloud  that  canopied  the  field, 
and  moving  swiftly  upon  the  batteries.  They  advanced, 
however,  only  to  vanish  again  when  they  came  within  reach 
of  the  vollies  of  the  infantry.  In  the  midst  of^the  horrible 
din  and  uproar,  and  this  terrible  slaughter,  ever  and 
anon  came  the  deep  boom  of  the  one  hundred  pounders  on 


50  APPEARANCE     OF     THE     FIELD. 

board  the  gunboats,  followed  by  a  shrieking  mass  rushing 
through  the  clouds  of  smoke — the  next  second  to  explode, 
like  a  clap  of  thunder,  amid  the  ranks  of  the  astonished  foe. 

The  fiery  sun  went  down  on  this  strange  scene,— rhis 
beams  struggling  dimly  through  the  murky  atmosphere,  but 
still  the  work  of  death  went  on.  As  twilight  deepened  over 
the  field,  the  puffs  of  smoke  that  shot  out  over  the  plain 
were  illuminated  with  flame, — while  blazing  shells  crossed 
and  re-crossed  each  other  in  every  direction,  weaving  a  fiery 
net-work  over  the  struggling  armies.  Into  the  midst  of  this 
pandemonium,  every  few  minutes,  fell  one  of  the  ponderous 
shells  from  the  gunboats,  bursting  with  a  sound  that  shook 
the  earth,  and  sent  terror  into  the  rebel  ranks.  Darkness 
at  length  closed  the  scene,  and  the  shattered,  bleeding  host 
of  the  enemy  withdrew  in  despair.  The  last  blow  had  been 
struck  and  failed,  and  a  loud  shout  rolled  along  the  Union 
lines.  But  what  a  field  it  was !  The  ploughed  and  trampled 
earth,  the  shattered  trees  and  buildings,  and  the  fields  strewn 
with  dead  horses,  broken  artillery  wagons,  muskets  and  men, 
looked  as  if  all  the  forces  of  heaven  and  earth  had  been 
striving  to  see  what  a  fearful  wreck  could  be  made. 

Commodore  Rodgers,  of  the  gunboats,  in  a  consultation 
with  McClellan,  had  said  that  the  southern  shore  of  the 
river  was  so  near  at  this  point  that  should  the  enemy  occupy 
it,  it  would  be  impossible  to  get  up  the  supplies  for  the  army, 
and  as  Harrison's  Landing  was  the  nearest  point  of  safety,  it 
had  been  resolved,  two  days  previous,  to  fall  back  there. 
Hence,  all  clay  long,  while  the  earth  was  shaking  to  the 
uproar  of  battle  on  Malvern  Hill,  the  immense  trains  were 
hurrying  forward  towards  Harrison's  Landing.  To  the  same 
point  McClellan  now  directed  the  army  to  be  moved.  This 
was  a  delicate  operation  in  the  presence  of  the  enemy, 
especially  as  the  rear  of  the  trains  still  blocked  the  road. 
General  Keyes,  with  his  corps,  was  appointed  to  cover  the 


HARRISON'S  LANDING.  51 

manoeuvre,  and  nobly  did  he  fulfill  the  trust  reposed  in  him. 
Colonel  Averill,  with  his  cavalry,  who  had  done  good  service 
in  the  advance  beyond  White  Oak  Swamp,  covered  the^vith- 
drawal  of  the  left  wing  under  Porter,  and  so  skillfully  did  he 
manage,  that,  with  only  his  regiment  and  Lieut.  Colonel 
Buchanan's  brigade  of  regular  infantry,  and  one  battery,  he 
so  deceived  the  enemy,  that  they  allowed  him  to  hold  the 
battle-field  unmolested  all  the  next  day.  General  Keyes,  by 
the  way  in  which  he  took  advantage  of  every  formation  of 
ground,  and  kept  the  trains  closed  up,  and  the  army  disen 
cumbered  of  the  countless  wagons  and  vehicles  of  every 
description  that  thronged  the  single  road  over  which  he 
was  compelled  to  move,  showed  executive  ability  equal  to 
the  management  of  a  great  battle,  and  won  the  highest 
praise  of  his  commander. 

The  army  was  at  last  safe,  and  the  terrible  struggle  that 
had  been  kept  up  since  the  26th  of  June,  was  over.  Pressed 
by  overwhelming  numbers,  allowed  no  rest,  scarcely  time  to 
snatch  a  morsel  of  food,  bleeding  at  every  step,  and  leaving 
its  dead  and  wounded  on  almost  every  foot  of  ground 
it  had  traversed,  this  gallant  army  had  fought  its  way 
triumphantly  out  of  the  very  jaws  of  destruction,  and  now 
drew  up  along  the  banks  of  the  James  River,  proud  and 
defiant  as  'ever.  The  mighty  effort  put  forth  by  the  rebel 
government  had  failed  of  success.  At  an  immense  sacrifice 
of  life,  it  had  succeded  only  in  compelling  McClellan  to 
adopt  a  better  base,  from  which  he  could  advance  surely  on 
Richmond.  It  is  true  he  had  lost  15,000  men  in  the  terri 
ble  struggles  of  the  last  seven  days,  but  the  enemy  had 
suffered  still  more  heavily,  and  the  rebel  capital  was  crowded 
with  the  wounded  and  dying. 

The  whole  movement  had  taken  the  country  .by  surprise. 
Though  every  newspaper  correspondent  had  said  that  un 
less  the  army  was  reinforced,  its  overthrow  or  defeat  was 


52  FEELINGS  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

certain,  and  although  the  people  wondered  and  clamored 
because  McDowell,  with  nearly  40,000  men,  was  kept  idle 
at  Fredericksburg,  and  cursed  the  Secretary  of  War  for 
keeping  a  part  of  the  army  from  McClellan,  it  still  would 
not  admit  defeat  to  be  possible.  It  had  resolved  that  Rich 
mond  should  fall,  and  that  the  fourth  of  July  should  cele 
brate  its  overthrow.  Hence,  when  the  first  news  of  the 
retreat  of  the  army  was  received,  it  was  confidently  believed 
that  it  was  an  advance  on  Richmond.  When  the  whole 
truth  burst  upon  the  country,  it  was  stunned  at  the  danger 
it  had  escaped,  and  filled  with  admiration  at  the  valor  of  the 
army  and  skill  of  its  leader,  which  had  not  merely  kept  at 
bay,  but  rolled  back  the  overwhelming  numbers  of  the 
enemy,  even  in  defeat — its  last  blow,  the  greatest  and  most 
fearful  of  all.  Murmurs  and  complaints  were  in  every  body's 
mouth,  and  rage  and  disappointment  filled  the  land,  while 
Richmond  was  ablaze  with  illuminations. 

McClellan  issued  a  spirited  address  to  his  soldiers,  promis 
ing  soon  to  lead  them  into  Richmond.  The  President 
thanked  him  in  a  letter,  saying,  "  I  am  satisfied  that  your 
self,  officers  and  men,  have  done  the  best  you  could.  *  * 
*  ten  thousand  thanks  for  it."  Two  days  after,  when  the 
full  accounts  had  been  received,  he  wrote  again:  "Be 
assured  the  heroism  and  skill  of  yourself,  officers  and  men  is, 
and  forever  will  be,  appreciated."  McClellan  now  asked 
for  reinforcements,  which  the  government  at  Washington 
declared  itself  unable  to  furnish. 

In  this  crisis  of  affairs  he  wrote  a  letter  to  the  President, 
dated  the  4th  of  July,  in  which  he  sketched  out  the  policy 
which  he  thought  should  be  adopted.  This  letter  had  an 
important  influence  on  his  destiny,  for  although  it  was 
not  made  public  for  'more  than  a  year,  it  was  the  cause  of 
his  removal  from  the  command  of  the  army.  The  main 


MC  CLELLAN'S   LETTER.  53 

features  of  the  policy  he  recommended,  were,  no  confisca 
tion — no  emancipation  act  by  the  government — hoping  thus 
to  bring  about  a  reaction  on  the  part  of  the  South.  These 
views  made  him  "the  leader  of  the  opposition,  who  im 
mediately  named  him  as  the  future  candidate  for  the  presi 
dency. 


CHAPTER   II. 

JULY- AUGUST,  1863. 

POPE'S    CAMPAIGN POPE    CALLED  TO  THE    ARMY  OF  VIRGINIA HIS    ORDERS 

CONCENTRATION     OF     HIS     ARMY IIALLECK     MADE     GENERAL-IN-CHIEF HIS 

PLAN    OF    OPERATIONS MC  CLELLAN    RECALLED    FROM    THE    PENINSULA HIS 

LETTER.  OF    REMONSTRANCE LEE    TAKES    ADVANTAGE    OF    THE    BLUNDER    OF 

IIALLECK BATTLE  OF  CEDAR   MOUNTAIN LEE'S  GREAT    MOVEMENT  BEGUN 

ACCOUNT    OF    SUBSEQUENT    OPERATIONS BATTLE    OF    BULL  RUN BATTLE    OF 

GROVETON THE    LAST   DAY*S  BATTLE THE  ARMY  FALLS  BACK  TO  THE  FORTS  ' 

LEE  MOVES  TOWARDS  THE  POTOMAC MC  CLELLAN's  TELEGRAM  TO  HALLECK 

ASKING  PERMISSION  TO  JOIN    THE    ARMY PLACED   ONCE    MORE  AT  THE  HEAD 

OF  THE  ARMY POPfi's  FAILURE REVIEW  OF  THE  CAMPAIGN. 

WHILE  these  momentous  events  were  passing  in  front 
of  Richmond,  great  changes  were  being  introduced 
into  the  army  around  Washington.  The  President  and  the 
country,  had  had  enough  of  the  military  strategy  of  the 
Secretary  of  War,  and  it  became  imperatively  necessary  to 
have  some  other  head,  to  direct  the  corps  of  McDowell, 
Banks  and  Fremont,  which  had  been  taken  away  from  the 
General-in-Chief  General  Pope  was,  therefore,  called  from 
the  West,  to  take  command  of  these,  to  be  called  the  Army 
of  Virginia,  and  also  of  all  the  troops,  in  garrison,  around 
Washington.  He  entered  on  his  duties  the  26th  of  June, 
the  very  day  on  which  commenced  the  seven  days'  struggle 
before  Richmond.  He  began  his  career  by  issuing  two 
orders,  in  which  he  ridiculed  the  idea  of  bases  of  operations 
and  of  u  securing  lines  of  retreat,"  declaring  that  he  should 
leave  that  for  the  enemy  to  do.  This  was  regarded  as  an 
indirect  stab  at  the  General-in-chief,  and  hence  excited  a 
great  deal -of  ill  will  against  him  throughout  the  country. 


POPE'S    PLAN     OF     CAMPAIGN.  55 

Thoughtful  men  looked  upon  it  as  a  bad  omen,  that  he 
should,  at  the  outset  of  the  campaign,  avow  that  he  meant 
to  disregard  the  soundest  military  maxims,  and,  like  the 
First  Napoleon,  revolutionize  the  science  of  war. 

The  u  Army  of  Virginia"  numbered,  at  this  time,  about  fifty 
thousand  men  fit  for  the  field,  with  which  Pope  was  to  protect 
Washington,  and  co-operate,  in  some  way,  with  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac.  This  force  was  scattered  all  along,  from  Fred- 
ericksburg  to  Winchester,  and  his  first  object  was  to  get  it 
together.  Adopting  the  theory,  that  if  the  enemy  should 
attempt  to  advance  on  Washington  by  way  of  the  Shenan- 
doah  Valley,  it  would  be  better,  instead  of  meeting  him 
there,  to  be  more  in  front  of  Washington,  so  as  to  cut 
his  force  in  two  while  on  the  march,  he  therefore,  be 
gan  to  concentrate  his  army,  in  and  about  Sperryville.  By 
occupying  this  position,  he  hoped  to  be  able  also,  to  operate 
on  the  enemy's  line  of  communication,  in  the  direction  of 
Gordonsville  and  Charlottesville,  so  as  to  draw  off  a  part  of 
the  army  arrayed  against  McClellan.  It  has  been  seen, 
however,  that  the  movement  was  too  late  to  effect  the  latter 
object.  In  the  meantime  the  President  began  to  see  that 
to  have  two  distinct  armies  operating  against  the  same  point, 
and  yet  entirely  independent  of  each  other,  with  no  com 
mon  head  but  the  Secretary  of  War  whose  incapacity  to 
direct  movements  in  the  field,  had  been  tested  to  his  satisfac 
tion,  would  only  complicate  the  difficulties  of  the  situa 
tion  instead  of  removing  them,  sent  for  General  Hal- 
leek  to  assume  the  chief  command.  This  officer,  who  had 
never  fought  a  battle,  and  never  conducted  a  campaign 
in  person,  except  the  extraordinary  one  against  Corinth, 
was,  on  the  12th  day  of  July,  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
American  armies,  to  control  all  the  campaigns,  and  push  the 
war  to  a  speedy  issue.  He  at  once  adopted  a  plan  of  cam 
paign  in  accordance  with  the  President's  original  policy,  which 

34 


56  -HALLECK'S   PLAN. 

',  i 

was  to  move  on  Richmond  overland  from  Washington.  Of 
course,  it  became  necessary  to  recall  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
and  abandon  the  peninsula  route  altogether ;  and,  on  the  3d 
of  August,  Halleck  sent  an  order  to  McClellan  to  withdraw 
his  army  at  once,  and  come  up  to  Acquia  Creek,  covering 
his  movements  the  best  way  he  could.  McClellan  was 
astonished  at  this  unexpected  order,  saying  in  reply,  that  "it 
had  caused  him  the  greatest  pain  he  ever  experienced."  He 
sent  in  a  strong  remonstrance  against  it,  demonstrating,  in 
the  clearest  manner,  that  it  was  a  suicidal  policy,  and  clos 
ing  with  these  remarkable  words:  "clear  in  my  convictions 
of  right,  strong  in  the  consciousness  that  I  ever  have  been, 
and  still  am,  actuated  solely  by  the  love  of  my  country, 
knowing  that  no  ambitious  or  selfish  motives  have  influenced 
me  from  the  commencement  of  this  war,  I  do  now  what  I 
never  did  in  my  life  before,  I  entreat  that  this  order  may  be 
rescinded."  The  appeal  was  in  vain.  Halleck  would  not 
rescind  the  order,  and  McClellan,  at  once,  began  to  obey  it, 
and  withdraw  his  army,  in  such  a  way  as  to  save  it  from  being 
cut  up  in  its  retreat.  But  he  was  not  molested.  Such  a  huge 
blunder,  as  the  General-in-chief  had  now  committed,  was 
sure  not  to  escape  the  keen  watchfulness  of  a  man  of  Lee's 
sagacity.  Richmond  being  so  unexpectedly  relieved  from 
all  danger,  he  determined  to  throw  his  army  rapidly  across 
the  country,  overwhelm  Pope,  before  the  Army  of  the  Poto 
mac  could  reach  him,  and  move  boldly  upon  Washington. 

BATTLE   OF    CEDAR   MOUNTAIN. 

General  Pope,  being  informed  that  Jackson  was  rapidly 
approaching  the  Rapidan,  ordered  Banks,  commanding  the 
Second  Corps,  nominally  thirteen,  but  really  only  about  eight 
thousand  strong,  to  move  to  Culpepper  Court  House,  where 
the  whole  army  was  being  rapidly  concentrated.  On  the 


BATTLE     OF     CEDAR    MOUNTAIN.  57 

9th  of  August,  he  directed  him  to  move  forward  towards 
Cedar  Mountain,  and  take  up  a  strong  position,  where  he 
could  resist  the  advance  of  Jackson,  until  the  other  corps 
could  be  brought  up.  Jackson,  in  the  mean  time,  had 
already  crossed  the  Rapidan,  and  occupied  the  sides  of 
Cedar  Mountain,  in  force.  Banks,  as  he  approached  the 
mountain,  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  heard  de 
sultory  firing  from  Bayard's  cavalry,  which  was  disput 
ing  the  progress  of  the  enemy,  and  from  Crawford,  who 
was  engaged  with  his  artillery.  It  was  a  warm  August 
day,  and  the  green  trees  that  covered  the  mountain 
sides,  effectually  concealed  the  force  of  the  enemy.  From 
his  masked  batteries,  Jackson  immediately  poured  in 
a  destructive  fire  on  our  advancing  columns.  Banks  did 
not  believe  the  enemy  was  in  any  considerable  force,  so, 
after  suffering  severely  for  a  while,  from  the  rebel  batteries, 
he  determined  to  charge  those  nearest  him.  General 
Williams  held  the  right,  and  Augur  the  left,  of  the  line  of 
battle.  General  Prince,  of  the  latter  division,  advanced  his 
brigade  from  this  part  of  the  field,  supported  by  General 
Geary,  who  moved  nearly  in  a  line  with  him.  They  swept 
past  our  artillery,  entered  a  corn  field  in  beautiful  order,  and 
moved  steadily  forward  towards  the  hostile  batteries,  that 
all  the  while  played  fast  and  furiously  into  their  exposed 
ranks.  The  brave  men  took  the  desolating  fire  with  aston 
ishing  firmness,  and,  with  their  eyes  bent  on  the  deadly 
guns,  kept  grandly,  devotedly  on.  But  suddenly  a  heavy 
mass  of  infantry,  till  then  concealed  behind  a  low  swell,  rose 
before  them  and  poured  a  fearful  volley  into  their  very  faces. 
This  unexpected  fire,  combined  with  that  of  the  batteries, 
was  too  much  for  them,  and  they  were  compelled  to  fall 
back,  though  not  till  they  had  left  nearly  two-thirds  of  their 
entire  number  on  the  field.  Prince,  while  gallantly  holding 
his  men  to  their  murderous  work,  was  surrounded  and  taken 


58  JACKSON    RETREATS. 

prisoner,  and  Geary  was  borne  back  severely  wounded. 
Crawford  and  Gordon,  in  a  piece  of  woods  on  the  extreme 
right,  contended  with  equal  gallantry  against  the  same  hope 
less  odds ;  but  were  also  compelled  to  fall  back.  The  bat 
tle  proper,  lasted  scarcely  more  than  thirty  minutes,  and 
yet,  in  that  short  space  of  time,  General  Gordon  lost  one- 
fourth  of  his  entire  brigade,  and  the  One  Hundred  and  Ninth 
Pennsylvania  and  One  Hundred  and  Second  New  York 
regiments,  left  half  their  number  behind  them.  Pope, 
hearing  the  cannonade  at  Culpepper,  hurried  forward  with 
McDowell's  Corps,  to  the  rescue.  Sigel  was  also  ordered  to 
close  up  with  all  possible  despatch,  and  every  preparation 
was  made  for  a  great  battle.  Darkness  settled  over  the  sum 
mer  landscape ;  yet,  all  along  that  mountain  side,  occasional 
spots  of  flame  would  flash  out,  as  a  battery,  now  and  then, 
sent  its  heavy  shot  and  shell  into  the  .valley  below  —  but 
before  Pope  could  get  his  forces  up,  Jackson  had  retired 
across  the  Rapidan.  He  had  accomplished  his  purpose — de 
coyed  Banks  into  a  trap,  and  shattered  his  corps  into  frag 
ments,  that  could  unite  no  more,  till  that  campaign  was 
ended ;  for  nearly  one-fourth  of  his  entire  force  was  killed, 
wounded,  and  missing,  at  the  close  of  that  short  desperate 
struggle. 

Pope  blamed  Banks  for  bringing  on  this  disastrous  battle, 
saying  that  his  orders  were  to  stand  on  the  defensive,  until 
he  could  move  up  his  main  body,  and  that  his  neglecting  to 
do  so,  not  only  caused  a  useless  slaughter,  but  saved  Jack 
son  from  total  annihilation.  What  the  ultimate  result  of  the 
campaign  would  have  been,  had  Banks  obeyed  orders,  it  is 
impossible  to  say.  We  only  know  it  was  a  sad  beginning 
of  a  sad  campaign.  Pope,  finding  that  it  was  impossible  to 
hold  his  advanced  position,  on  which  the  enemy  was  mov 
ing  in  overwhelming  force,  resolved  to  abandon  it,  and  on 
the  18th  and  19th,  safely  moving  his  entire  army  across 


A    SWIFT    MARCH.  59 

the  Rappahannock,  for  several  days  succeeded  in  holding 
the  fords  against  the  repeated  attempts  of  the  enemy  to 
cross.  These  demonstrations  of  Lee,  however,  in  front,  were 
not  very  determined,  and  evidently  made  to  mask  his 
grand  movement,  which  was  to  turn  the  right  wing  of 
Pope's  army.  The  situation  was  fast  becoming  one,  that 
might  well  fill  the  latter  with  anxiety.  It  would  not  do  to 
uncover  Fredericksburg,  yet  to  extend  his  lines  so  as  to  keep 
pace  with  the  rebel  movement  to  the  right,  rendered  it  so 
thin  as  to  be  easily  forced  at  almost  any  point.  A  sudden 
freshet  raising  the  river,  so  that  there  were  but  few  points 
where  it  could  be  crossed,  relieved  him  for  a  while.  On  the 
25th  only  seven  thousand  men,  the  Pennsylvania  reserves  un 
der  Reynolds  and  Kearney's  division,  had  reached  him  from 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  But  receiving  word  that  thirty 
thousand  more  were  on  their  way  to  join  him,  he  determined 
to  let  go  his  hold  on  the  lower  fords  of  the  Rappahannock, 
and  concentrate  his  forces  between  Warrenton  and  Gainesville, 
and  give  the  enemy  battle.  On  the  26th  he  ascertained 
that  Jackson,  having  passed  around  his  right,  was  moving 
swiftly  through  Thorough  Fare  Gap,  to  cut  off  his  communi 
cation  with  Washington.  Pope  had  directed  the  approach 
ing  reinforcements  to  take  certain  positions  as  they  arrived, 
which,  he  felt  confident,  would  enable  him  to  checkmate  any 
such  attempt.  But  he  was  disappointed.  In  fact,  the  whole 
movement  of  Jackson  was  a  surprise  to  him.  So  rapid  and 
secret  had  his  march  of  nearly  fifty  miles,  in  forty-eight 
hours  been,  that  his  sudden  appearance  at  Bristow  Station, 
on  the  Orange  and  Alexandria  railroad,  was  like  an  appa 
rition.  Without  wagons  or  provisions,  feeding  his  army  on 
the  standing  corn,  which  the  soldiers  picked  and  roasted  on 
the  way,  he  had  moved  with  the  celerity  of  cavalry,  and  was 
now  thundering  in  the  rear  of  the  puzzled  American  Com 
mander,  breaking  up  his  head-quarters,  and  capturing  his 


60  PURSUIT     OF     JACKSON. 

papers.  Burning  railway  trains  at  Bristow,  the  enemy  moved 
up  to  Manassas  Junction,  Swell's  division  bringing  up  the 
rear.  Destroying  here,  Quarter-Masters'  and  Commissary 
stores,  and  sutlers'  depots,  the  ragged,  famished  soldiers, 
rioted,  for  a  while,  in  luxury  and  drinking,  and  satiated 
themselves  with  the  finest  wines.  But  Jackson  was  now  in 
a  perilous  position,  being  between  Alexandria  and  Warren- 
ton,  and  between  Pope's  army  and  that  of  McClellan.  Turn 
ing  night  into  day,  by  the  immense  conflagrations  he  kindled 
here,  the  enemy  moved  off  to  Centreville,  and  crossed  the 
famous  Bull  Run,  pursued  by  Pope.  Jackson  would  hardly 
have  dared  to  make  this  audacious  movement,  had  he  not 
entertained  a  thorough  contempt  for  his  adversary.  Pope 
thought  he  had  him  in  a  trap,  and  telegraphed  to  Washing 
ton  that  he  could  not  escape.  In  fact,  he  had  him  secure 
two  or  three  times,  yet  the  latter  always  managed  to  get 
off,  but  in  every  case,  through  somebody's  criminal  neg 
lect,  or  almost  equally  criminal  blunders.  The  misfortune  at 
Bristow,  was  owing  to  the  refusal,  on  the  part  of  Porter,  to 
obey  orders,  and  the  dilatoriness  of  Sigel,  who  commanded 
McDowell's  advance.  So  too,  if  McDowell  had  u  moved  for 
ward  as  directed,  and  at  the  time  specified,  they  would  have 
intercepted  Jackson's  retreat  towards  Centreville,"  and  cut 
him  up  badly.  But,  after  all  these  mishaps,  Jackson  was  still 
in  his  toils,  as  he  believed.  Surrounded  by  an  overwhelming 
force,  his  only  way  of  escape  was  through  Thorough  Fare 
Gap,  or  north  to  Leesburgh.  But  McDowell,  with  twenty- 
five  thousand  men,  was  between  him  and  the  Gap,  while 
Kearney  was  pressing  him  so  closely,  that  the  latter  alter 
native  would  be  impracticable.  This  was  the  state  of  things 
on  the  night  of  the  28th.  From  Pope's  point  of  view,  it  did 
seem  a  desperate  case  for  Jackson.  Between  him  and  the 
Gap,  lay  twenty-five  thousand  men — behind  him,  ready  to 
fall  on  him  in  the  morning,  were  twenty -five  thousand 


A    BAYONET     CHARGE.  61 

more,  while  the  rebel  leader  could  not  have  had  more  than 
twenty  thousand  men  all  told.  But  here  again,  "some 
one  blundered."  Ricketts,  according  to  Pope,  made  a  false 
movement,  causing  King  to  withdraw  his  troops,  leaving 
Thorough  Fare  Gap  open,  towards  which  Jackson  was 
steadily  falling  back,  and  through  which  Longstreet  was 
about  to  pour  his  division  to  succor  him  Of  course, 
a  new  disposition  of  the  forces  became  necessary.  Sigel  was 
directed  to  attack  the  enemy  at  daylight,  and  bring  him  to 
bay.  He  did  so  and  the  battle  of  Groveton  followed.  It 
was  a  bloody  action,  and  at  first,  seemed  doubtful,  but  the 
arrival  of  Hooker  and  Kearney  soon  changed  the  aspect  of 
affairs.  The  battle  raged  all  day,  and  the  fields  and  woods 
were  thickly  strewn  with  the  dead;  but,  at  five  o'clock, 
Hemtzelman  and  Ileno  made  a  furious  charge  on  the  enemy's 
left,  which  doubled  it  up,  and  forced  it  back,  so  that,  when 
darkness  put  an  end  to  the  strife,  we  were  masters  of  the 
field,  but  nothing  more.  In  the  attack  on  the  enemy's  left, 
Grover's  brigade,  of  Hooker's  division,  greatly  distinguished 
itself  by  a  bayonet  charge,  which  shivered  the  first  and 
second  lines  of  the  enemy,  and  was  checked  only  by  the 
third. 

But  while  Jackson  was  compelled  to  fall  back,  Longstreet's 
troops  were  seen  pouring  through  Thorough  Fare  Gap  to  his 
relief. 

Our  loss  in  this  engagement  was  estimated  at  nearly  eight 
thousand.  Again,  Pope  saw  his  enemy  elude  his  grasp,  but 
this  time,  Porter  was  to  blame ;  for,  if  he  had  come  up  in 
season,  Pope  u would  have  crushed  or  captured"  (he  said) 
"the  larger  portion  of  Jackson's  force." 

The  next  morning,  Pope  again  gave  battle,  in  the  last 
desperate  hope  of  breaking  the  enemy's  left.  The  conflict 
was  long  and  sanguinary,  extending  on  into  the  night.  As 
in  the  battle  of  the  day  before,  no  decisive  advantage  seemed 


62  MARCH    OF    LEE. 

to  have  been  gained  by  the  enemy,  yet,  at  its  close,  Pope 
ordered  the  whole  army  to  fall  back  to  the  fortifications 
around  Washington,  for  protection.  He  had  ridiculed  the 
idea  of  securing  lines  of  retreat,  and  the  country  had  scoffed 
at  the  veteran  Scott,  and  afterwards  at  McClellan,  for  build 
ing  those  elaborate  works  before  venturing  an  advance 
movement ;  but  now,  the  former  was  glad  to  take  advantage 
of  the  refuge  he  had  affected  to  despise,  and  the  latter 
heaved  a  sigh  of  relief,  that  military  science  had  not  yielded 
to  popular  ignorance  and  conceit.  Halleck,  at  last,  dis 
covered  the  bold  plan  of  Lee,  which,  the  constant  fighting, 
and  even  the  last  two  days'  battles,  had  not  for  a  moment 
arrested.  Steadily  sweeping  on  towards  the  Shenandoah 
Valley,  all  the  battles  he  had  fought,  were  for  the  purpose  of 
clearing  his  line  of  communications,  and  forcing  our  army  back 
into  its  fortifications,  exhausted,  bleeding,  humbled,  so  that 
he  could  cross  the  Potomac  into  Maryland,  and  threaten  the 
national  Capital  from  the  rear. 

All  this  time,  McClellan,  stripped  of  his  command,  was  in 
camp  near  Alexandria,  a  prey  to  the  keenest  anxiety.  The 
army  that  he  had  created,  and  which  had  become  endeared 
to  him  by  common  perils  and  a  common  destiny,  was  strug 
gling  in  mortal  combat  near  him — the  sound  of  cannon  con 
stantly  borne  to  his  ears,  and  the  earth  trembling  under  the 
heavy  explosions,  and  yet,  he  was  not  allowed  to  be  with  it 
His  brave  troops  were  being  mowed  down,  as  he  believed, 
a  sacrifice  to  incompetency,  yet  he  could  do  nothing,  but 
send  on  fresh  men  as  fast  as  they  arrived,  till  he  had  nothing 
left,  but  the  guard  around  his  camp,  and  this,  at  last,  was 
ordered  forward  also.  Never  was  a  Commander  placed  in  a 
more  painful  position.  Stripped  of  all  command,  he  walked 
his  solitary  carnp,  borne  down  with  grief.  At  last  he  could 
bear  it  no  longer,  and  just  before  midnight,  on  the  last  day 
of  the  battle,  he  telegraphed  to  Gen.  Halleck,  at  Washing- 


MCCLELLAN     RESTORED.  63 

i 

ton:  "I  cannot  express  to  you  the  pain  and  mortification  I 
have  experienced  to-day,  in  listening  to  the  distant  sound  of 
the  firing  of  my  men.  As  I  can  be  of  no  further  use  here,  I 
respectfully  ask,  that  if  there  is  a  probability  of  the  conflict 
-being  renewed  to-morrow,  I  may  be  permitted  to  go  to  the 
scene  of  battle  with  my  Staff,  merely  to  be  with  my  own 
men,  if  nothing  more.  They  will  fight  none  the  worse  for 
my  being  with  them.  If  it  is  not  deemed  best  to  intrust 
me  with  the  command  of  my  own  army,  I  simply  ask  to  be 
permitted  to  share  their  fate  on  the  field  of  battle.  Please 
reply  to  this  to-night."  To  this  he  received  no  answer. 

Such  an  appeal  was  enough  to  move  a  heart  of  stone. 
Though  disgraced  from  his  high  command,  he  did  not  yield 
to  resentment,  and  stand  aloof  in  scornful  anger,  but,  from 
a  heart  wrung  with  anguish  for  his  brave  troops,  he  prayed 
simply  that  he  might  fly  to  the  battle-field  and  share  their 
fate.  If,  however,  he  had  wished  for  revenge,  he  would 
have  been  satisfied  the  next  day,  when  the  terrified  General- 
in-Chief,  whose  treatment  of  him  had  been  so  extraordinary, 
sent  to  him  the  following  telegram:  u  I  beg  of  you  to  assist 
me  in  this  crisis,  ivith  your  ability  and  experience.  I  am  en 
tirely  tired  out."  Csesar  was,  at  length,  compelled  to  cry, 
u  Help  me,  Cassius,  or  I  sink."  The  President,  too,  who 
had  hoped  to  the  last  for  success,  at  length  yielded  to 
alarm,  for  he  was  suddenly  aroused  at  the  sight  of  the  Capi 
tal  in  imminent  peril,  and  sending  for  McClellan,  placed  him 
once  more  at  the  head  of  the  army.  The  country,  at  last, 
awoke  to  the  humiliating  fact,  that  Pope's  campaign  had 
been  a  lamentable  failure.  A  few  friends,  however,  endeav 
ored  to  break-  his  fall,  by  asserting  that  he  failed  through 
the  willful  neglect  of  some  of  the  commanders,  to  aid  him — 
chief  among  whom  was  Porter.  Certainly,  if  Pope's  state 
ments  are  to  be  received  as  true,  he  was  the  most  injured  and 
abused  Commander  of  his  time.  In  the  first  place,  at  the 


64  CAUSES    OF     FAILURE. 

outset,  General  Hatch  failed  to  obey  orders  and  take  Gor- 
donsville.  Afterwards,  he  neglected  to  march  to  Charlottes- 
ville  and  destroy  the  railroad  between  that  place  and  Lynch- 
burg,  for  which  he  was  removed  from  the  command  of  the 
cavalry  of  General  Banks'  Corps.  On  the  top  of  this  misfor 
tune,  came  the  calamitous  battle  of  Cedar  Mountain,  which 
Pope  declares  was  fought  contrary  to  his  orders.  In  the 
third  place,  when  Jackson  was  retreating  from  Manassas 
Junction  towards  Centreville,  Pope  says,  "  if  the  whole  force 
under  General  McDowell,  had  moved  forward  as  directed, 
and  at  the  time  specified,  they  would  have  intercepted 
Jackson's  retreat ;"  and  he  adds,  "I  do  not  believe  it 
would  have  been  possible  for  him  to  cross  Bull  Run  with 
out  heavy  loss."  Again,  directly  after,  when  he  "felt 
sure  there  was  no  escape  for  Jackson,  to  his  great  disappoint 
ment  the  plan  all  fell  through,"  because  u  King's  division 
had  fallen  back,  leaving  open  the  road  to  Thorough  Fare 
Gap."  Again,  on  the  29th,  he  would  have  achieved  a  signal 
victory  over  Jackson,  but  for  the  "strange  failure"  of  Gen. 
Porter  to  move  as  he  was  directed.  And  finally,  on  the 
30th,  he  says  "he  began  to  feel  discouraged  and  nearly 
hopeless  of  any  successful  issue  "  to  his  operations,  on  account 
of  a  letter  he  received  from  General  McClellan,  informing 
him  that  "rations  and  forage  were  at  Alexandria,  waiting  a 
cavalry  escort."  Beginning  with  a  commander  of  cavalry, 
and  being  kept  up  by  three  corps  commanders,  two  "of  whom 
were  in  the  regular  army,  this  constant  disobedience  to 
orders  worked  the  disastrous  issues  over  which  the  country 
mourned.  If  all  this  was  true,  he  certainly  was  an  injured 
man,  and  the  wrongs  done  him  received  their  climax,  when 
the  Administration  virtually  withdrew  him  from  the  field, 
and  sent  him  to  the  Northwest,  to  conduct  a  campaign 
against  the  Sioux  Indians,  who  had  risen,  and  massacred 
several  hundred  of  the  inhabitants  of  Minnesota.  The  cam- 


REVIEW     OF     THE     CAMPAIGN.  65 

paign,  however,  needs  no  elaborate  criticism.  Recalling  the 
army  from  the  James  River  was  a  great  blunder.  The  re 
moval  of  McClellan  did  not  necessitate  the  removal  of  the 
army,  for  there  were  Generals  in  it  besides  him,  who, 
from  that  point,  with  proper  reinforcements,  could  have 
carried  it  into  Richmond.  Pope,  also,  was  no  match  for 
Lee,  least  of  all  in  a  country  so  thoroughly  known  by  the 
latter,  and  of  which  he  was  almost  wholly  ignorant.  Pope 
comprehended  neither  the  campaign  nor  the  country,  and 
the  General-in-chief,  at  Washington,  was  no  wiser.  The 
former,  by  looking  at  his  map,  could  see  points,  where  a 
proper  force  might  thwart  the  movements  of  his  adversary, 
and  hence  ordered  them  there,  without  taking  into  considera 
tion  the  probabilities,  and  sometimes  the  possibilities,  of  their 
getting  up  in  time  to  carry  out  his  plans.  If  the  army  had 
been  endowed  with  wings,  his  campaign  might  have  been  a 
very  successful  one,  but,  as  it  was,  it  turned  out  a  miserable 
failure,  the  blame  of  which  fell  wholly  on  him,  while  it  should 
be  divided  between  him  and  General  Halleck. 


CHAPTER    III. 

SEPTEMBER-1862. 

ALARM  AT  WASHINGTON — ANTIETAM MC  CLELLAN    TAKES    THE    FIELD BATTLE 

OF  SOUTH  MOUNTAIN SURRENDER   OF    HARPER'S    FERRY BATTLE  OF  ANTIE 
TAM — HOOKER'S  STRUGGLE — FATAL  DELAY  OF  BURNSIDE — LEE'S  RETREAT — 

PUBLIC  DISAPPOINTMENT THE  ARMY    RESTS EMANCIPATION  PROCLAMATION 

—  SUSPENSION  OF  HABEAS  CORPUS — ITS  EFFECTS ITS  DANGERS. 

THE  terror  inspired  at  Washington,  by  the  unfortunate 
turn  of  events,  was  not  generally  known  to  the  country. 
Lee  was  throwing  his  mighty  columns  across  the  Potomac, 
in  the  vicinity  of  Hagerstown,  but  whether  for  the  purpose 
of  moving  down  upon  Washington  on  the  Maryland  side, 
or  of  invading  Pennsylvania,  or  with  the  design  to  draw  our 
troops  in  that  direction,  and  then  suddenly  recross  the  river, 
and  come  down  on  the  Capital  on  the  Virginia  side,  no  one 
knew. 

Reorganizing  the  army,  as  by  magic,  McClellan  at  once 
took  the  field,  moving  cautiously  up  the  Potomac,  on  the 
Maryland  side.  His  gallant  army,  though  foot  sore  and 
worn,  were,  however,  full  of  spirit  and  courage,  because 
their  beloved  Commander  rode  at  their  head,  and  were 
eager  to  meet  the  exultant  foe,  before  whom  they  had  been 
so  reluctantly  compelled  to  retire. 

With  his  left  wing  resting  on  the  Potomac,  and  his  right 
extending  far  out  into  the  country,  he  moved  by  five  dif 
ferent  parallel  roads,  slowly  and  cautiously  up  the  river, 
anxiously  watching  the  development  of  the  rebel  plans. 
On  the  thirteenth,  he  had  reached  Fredericksburg,  still  in 
ignorance  of  the  exact  whereabouts  of  the  rebel  army.  But, 


HARPER'S  FERRY.  67 

during  the  day,  an  order  of  General  Lee,  fell  into  McClellan's 
hands,  which  fully  disclosed  the  plans  of  the  former.  This 
was  all  the  latter  had  been  waiting  for.  He  was  now  no 
longer  compelled  to  feel  his  way,  and  immediately  gave 
orders  for  the  entire  army  to  move  rapidly  forward.  Har 
per's  Ferry,  on  the  Virginia  side  of  the  river,  was,  at  this 
time,  held  by  Colonel  Miles,  with  a  large  garrison,  which, 
for  some  unexplained  reason,  was  not  allowed,  at  the  first, 
to  be  under  McClellan's  charge,  though  being  directly  in  the 
field  of  his  operations.  Before  he  left  Washington,  he  had 
requested  that  the  garrison  Joe  withdrawn,  either  to  the 
Maryland  Heights,  which  could  be  easily  held,  or  sent  to 
aid  in  covering  the  Cumberland  Valley.  This  advice  was 
unheeded,  and  the  place  kept  from  his  control,  until  Jackson, 
with  a  heavy  force,  was  already  advancing  against  it.  Two 
days  after  McClellan  was  informed  that  the  place  was  under 
his  command,  he  received  a  verbal  report  from  Colonel 
Miles,  that  he  had  abandoned  Maryland  Heights,  the  key  to 
the  position,  but  that  he  could  hold  out  two  days  longer. 
McClellan  sent  couriers  back,  by  three  different  routes,  to 
inform  him  that  he  was  forcing  the  pass  on  the  Hagerstown 
road,  over  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  that  he  would  certainly 
soon  relieve  him.  uHold  to  the  last  extremity,"  was  his 
urgent  command.  In  the  mean  time  the 

BATTLE    OF   SOUTH   MOUNTAIN. 

was  raging.  The  rebels  occupied  the  sides  and  tops  of  the 
mountain,  on  both  sides  of  the  road,  at  a  point  called 
Frog's  Gap.  The  lofty  slopes  were  steep,  broken,  and 
wooded,  furnishing  a  strong  position  for  defense,  and  which 
commanded  every  approach  to  the  base  of  the  ridge.  The 
battle  commenced  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  by  the 
advance  of  Cox's  division  of  Reno's  Corps.  A  heavy  artil- 


68  BATTLE    OF     SOUTH    MOUNTAIN. 

lery  duel  followed,  the  enemy  pouring  their  shot  and  shell 
down  from  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  and  our  batteries  re 
plying  from  the  plain  below.  About  noon,  a  short,  severe 
conflict  occurred  between  the  infantry,  over  some  pieces 
abandoned  by  our  troops  in  a  panic,  in  which  the  rebels 
were  beaten.  About  two  o'clock,  the  head  of  Hooker's  col 
umn,  coming  to  reinforce  Reno,  was  seen  moving  along  the 
turnpike.  Sweeping  off  in  a  road  that  turned  to  the  right,  it 
steadily  approached  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  amid  the  pro 
longed  cheers  of  Reno's  troops.  An  hour  later,  the  line  of 
battle  was  formed  at  the  base  of  the  ridge  —  Rickett's 
brigade  on  the  extreme  right,  and  Reno's  on  the  left — and 
the  order  to  advance  given.  The  enemy  opened  on  it  with 
artillery,  but  it  steadily  advanced,  and,  at  length,  began  to 
ascend  the  rugged  slope.  In  a  short  time  the  whole  rebel 
force  was  encountered,  and  then  the  wooded  steep  became 
wrapped  in  flame  and  smoke.  For  three  hours,  it  thundered 
and  flamed  without  a  moment's  interval,  along  the  breast  of 
the  mountain,  but  nothing  could  stay  the  steady  upward 
sweep  of  that  magnificent  line,  and  as  the  last  rays  of  the 
sun  were  gilding  the  summit,  our  victorious  flag  was  planted 
upon  it,  and  the  shout  of  triumph  rolled  down  the  farther 
side,  after  the  fleeing  enemy.  Our  total  loss,  in  killed  and 
wounded,  was  two  thousand  three  hundred  and  twenty-five 
— that  of  the  enemy  was  unknown.  Among  our  dead  was 
the  gallant  Reno. 

The  next  day,  the  garrison  at  Harper's  Ferry  surrendered, 
numbering  eleven  thousand  five  hundred  and  eighty-three 
men,  with  nearly  fifty  pieces  of  artillery.  The  cavalry, 
about  two  thousand  in  number,  under  Colonel  Davis,  escaped 
previously,  capturing  Longstreet's  train,  and  a  hundred 
prisoners  on  its  way.  The  unnecessary  fall  of  this  place, 
awakened  the  deepest  indignation,  and  the  blame  was  laid, 
now  on  Halleck,  and  now  on  Miles,  and  again  on  McClellan. 


ADVANCE     OF     THE     ARMY.  69 

Colonel  Ford,  who  commanded  the  Heights,  also  came  in 
for  his  share  of  the  blame.  The  disgraceful  affair,  however, 
is  surrounded  with  no  difficulties.  Colonel  Miles  was  not  a 
fit  man  to  command  the  place,  as  had  been  fully  shown  in 
his  conduct  at  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  and  should  not 
have  been  put  there.  His  death,  after  he  had  hoisted  the 
white  flag,  saved  him  from  further  disgrace. 

The  second  blunder  was  in  not  putting  it  under  McClel- 
lan's  command  at  the  first,  as  it  was  inclosed  in  the  field  of 
his  military  operations.  His  advice,  at  least,  should  have 
been  taken.  General  Franklin  was  within  a  few  miles  of 
Harper's  Ferry,  to  relieve  it,  when  it  surrendered.  A  proper 
officer  could  have  held  the  place,  though  in  itself  it  was  of  no 
consequence,  in  the  campaign;  for,  if  McClellanwas beaten,  we 
could  not  hold  it,  and  if  he  drove  the  enemy  out  of  Mary 
land,  it  was  necessarily  ours,  for  the  latter  would  not  attempt 
to  retain  it,  as  the  sequel  proved.  The  misfortune  consisted 
in  losing,  at  this  critical  period,  so  many  men  whom  McClellan 
could  have  put  to  a  useful  purpose.  The  latter  was  blamed 
for  not  relieving  it,  at  the  last  moment.  But  it  fell  within 
three  days  after  it  was  placed  under  his  command,  and  while 
his  relieving  columns  were  almost  within  cannon  shot  of  it. 

Although,  as  before  stated,  Harper's  Ferry,  as  a  military 
post,  had  no  important  bearing  on  McClcllan's  plan  of  the 
campaign,  the  loss  of  so  many  troops  at  this  juncture,  was  a 
serious  matter,  and,  in  case  of  disaster,  might  increase  it  in 
definitely.  Still,  no  change  was  made  in  the  Commander's 
purpose,  and  no  delay  permitted  in  the  movement  of  the 
army.  He  had  ascertained  definitely,  Lee's  whereabouts  and 
designs,  and  he  was  resolved  at  once  to  give  him  battle. 
Pushing  his  army  rapidly  forward,  he,  on  the  15th,  came 
upon  the  rebel  host,  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle,  on  a  row 
of  heights  that  stretched  along  the  west  side  of  Antietarn 
Creek. 


70  AN  T  IE  T  AM. 


BATTLE    OF   ANTIETAM. 

Antietam  is  a  sluggish  stream,  emptying  into  the  Potomac, 
with  but  a  few  fords,  and  those  difficult  ones ;  near  these 
the  enemy  had  taken  his  position.  Four  stone  bridges  crossed 
within  the  distance  of  about  seven  miles — the  last  one  being 
near  its  mouth.  The  creek  entering  the  Potomac  at  a  sharp 
angle,  brought  the  two  streams  so  near  together  at  Sharps- 
burg,  that  Lee's  position  actually  stretched  from  one  to  the 
other — thus  protecting  both  his  flanks  and  his  rear.  The 
rebel  leader  had  chosen  his  position  admirably,  for  a  stronger 
one  could  not  well  be  found.  Not  only  was  he  protected 
by  these  two  streams,  but  the  heights  on  which  he  was 
planted,  were  not  composed  of  a  single  line  of  hills,  which, 
if  once  carried,  the  battle  was  won,  but  of  a  succession  of 
hills — those  .in  rear  commanding  those  in  front.  The  hol 
lows  between,  successfully  concealed  the  number  and  move 
ments  of  the  hostile  troops.  A  direct  advance  in  front  was 
plainly  out  of  the  question,  and  McClellan,  having  thoroughly 
reconnoitered  the  ground,  resolved  to  attack  by  both  flanks. 
Hooker  and  Mansfield,  supported  by  Sumner,  were  to  at 
tempt  to  turn  the  enemy's  left,  while  Burnside,  at  the  proper 
moment,  was  to  carry  the  lower  bridge,  near  the  mouth  of 
the  creek,  and  crush  the  enemy's  right,  and  then  sweep  along 
the  heights  towards  the  centre,  which  was  then  to  advance 
and  complete  the  victory.  In  accordance  with  this  plan, 
Hooker,  with  his  corps,  composed  of  Pdckett's,  Meade's,  and 
Doubleday's  divisions,  was  ordered,  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
16th,  to  cross  Antietam  Creek  by  the  upper  bridge  and 
a  ford  near  it,  attack  the  enemy's  left,  and  fix  himself 
firmly  there,  while  Mansfield  was  to  cross  during  the  night, 
and  Sumner  early  next  morning.  The  passage  of  the  stream 
was  effected  without  difficulty,  and  the.  corps  moved  can- 


A     GALL  A  NT     CHARGE.  71 

tiously  down  on  the  enemy's  flank,  on  the  further  side.  More 
or  less  skirmishing  followed,  but  the  firing*  ceased  at  dark, 
when  Hooker  found  himself,  breast  to  breast,  with  the  hos 
tile  lines.  The  autumn  night  fell  peacefully  along  the 
heights,  but  it  was  evident  that  the  morning's  dawn  would 
witness  the  most  fearful  battle,  thus  far,  of  the  war,  and,  in 
all  human  probability,  settle  the  fate  of  Washington.  It  was 
clear,  too,  that  the  heaviest  fighting  was  to  be  where  Hooker 
commanded.  Porter,  holding  the  centre  with  Sykes,  massed 
his  troops,  in  a  hollow,  so  as  to  be  used  as  the  exigencies 
of  the  battle  might  require,  while  his  batteries  above,  played 
on  the  enemy. 

The  morning  of  the  17th  broke  somber  and  slow,  over 
the  heights,  behind  which  slumbered  the  two  great  armies ; 
for  dull,  heavy  clouds  wrapped  the  sky,  giving  a  deeper 
gloom  to  the  still  forests  around.  But,  in  the  early  light, 
Hooker  with  his  accustomed  energy  moved  boldly  on  the 
foe.  The  men  had  scarcely  swallowed  their  hasty  breakfast, 
when  the  rapid  shots  of  the  Pennsylvania  skirmishers  an 
nounced  that  the  fight  had  begun.  The  whole  corps  was 
soon  engaged,  and  for  half  an  hour  it  stormed  and  thundered 
miles  away  to  the  right,  as  though  the  main  battle  was  being 
fought  there  at  the  outset.  The  contest  was  in  an  open  space, 
made,  by  a- plowed  field  and  a  cornfield,  and  both  armies 
stood  up  resolutely  to  their  work.  But  at  length,  the  enemy 
began  to  give  way,  when,  u  Forward !"  ran  along  the  line,  and 
it  sprang  forward  with  a  ringing  cheer.  Though  at  first 
retiring  slowly,  the  rebels  at  this  wild  rush,  fled  precipitately, 
and  were  borne  furiously  back  over  the  field,  across  the 
road  beyond,  and  still  back,  till  a  piece  of  thick  woods  re 
ceived  them.  Meade  and  his  Pennsylvanians,  whose  blood 
was  now  up,  followed  fiercely  after,  and  with  a  wild  hurrah, 
dashed  full  on  the  cover.  The  next  moment,  those  dark 
woods  became  a  sheet  of  flame,  bursting  on  those  brave  men. 

35 


72  HOOKER     WOUNDED. 

Rent,  shattered  and  torn  before  it,  they.reeled  and  staggered 
back.  The  next  moment,  like  successive  waves  of  the  sea, 
the  hostile  lines  swept  out  into  view,  cheering  as  they 
came,  and  carried  the  field  like  a  storm.  Hooker,  seeing 
the  danger,  threw  a  brigade  in  the  path  of  the  foe,  but  it 
went  down  like  frostwork,  before  the  on-sweeping  mass. 
uGive  me,"  said  he  to  Doubleday,  "your  best  brigade.'7 
Down,  on  the  run,  came  the  best  brigade,  and  reckless  of 
shot  and  shell,  moved  straight  up  to  the  crest  of  the  hill  that 
crowned  the  cornfield,  and  forming  in  full  view  of  the  enemy, 
began  to  pour  in  their  rapid,  deadly  volleys.  Hartsuff, 
commanding,  fell  severely  wounded ;  but  that  noble  brigade 
held  its  own  for  half  an  hour,  and  then,  finding  no  support 
coming  up,  dashed  alone  into  the  cornfield,  and  swept  it 
with  one  gallant  rush.  Ricketts,  holding  the  left  of  the  line, 
was  hard  pressed,  and  Mansfield  was  ordered  to  his  relief, 
but  the  gallant  white-haired  General  fell  in  the  onset.  For 
a  mile  and  a  half,  the  battle  raged  furiously,  all  along  Hook 
er's  front ;  but  at  length,  getting  his  two  flanks  safe,  which 
the  rebels  had  made  almost  superhuman  efforts  to  turn,  he 
determined  to  advance  and  end  the  struggle.  To  the  right 
of  the  cornfield,  was  a  piece  of  woods  running  out  to  a  point 
which  commanded  the  field,  and  he  determined  to  take  and 
hold  it.  Advancing  to  an  eminence  to  reconnoiter  the 
ground,  he  was  struck  in  the  foot  with  a  bullet,  and  com 
pelled  to  leave  the  field.  Sumner  immediately  took  command, 
and  the  advance  commenced,  the  gallant  Sedgwick  leading ; 
Crawford  and  Gordon  stoutly  battling  in  the  woods  ;  but  the 
former,  however,  was  compelled  to  give  way,  and  his  dis 
ordered  troops  poured  like  a  torrent  through  Sedgwick's 
brigade,  hurling  it  back  broken  and  confused.  The  enemy, 
seeing  his  advantage,  pressed  fiercely  on,  with  shouts  that 
rose  over  the  crash  of  artillery.  Sedgwick,  vainly  striving 
to  rally  his  troops  under  the  rebel  fire,  was  three  times 


B  U  R  N  S  I  D  E  '  S     ATTACK.  73 

wounded,  but  refused  to  leave  the  field,  till  lie  saw  the  at 
tempt  was  hopeless.  His  Adjutant-General,  Major  Sedgwick, 
threw  himself  among  the  broken  ranks  in  vain,  and  fell 
mortally  wounded.  Howard  now  assumed  command,  but 
his  efforts  were  equally  fruitless.  Sumner  undertook  to  re 
form  the  line,  but  to  no  purpose,  and  the  division  fell  back, 
leaving  the  cornfield  to  the  enemy.  It  was  now  noon,  and 
at  this  crisis,  Franklin  came  up  and  was  sent  to  the  right. 
He  at  once  ordered  Slocum  and  Smith,  commanding  the  two 
divisions,  to  sweep  the  field.  The  latter,  moving  with  the 
rapidity  and  resistlessness  of  a  whirlwind,  in  ten  minutes, 
cleared  it  of  all  but  the  rebel  dead.  The  enemy  now  gave  it 
up,  and  a  lull  in  the  conflict  followed. 

Hooker's  attack  had  not  been  as  successful  as  McClellan 
had  anticipated.  The  bulk  of  our  army  had  been  massed 
on  that  flank,  and  yet  the  most  it  had  been  able  to  do, 
was  to  fix  itself  on  the  left  of  the  enemy,  while  the  heavy 
loss  in  officers  and  men,  and  the  protracted,  exhausting 
fighting,  had  left  it  unable  to  make  any  further  forward 
movement. 

The  advance  of  Burnside  on  the  left,  over  the  bridge, 
which  was  designed  to  be  simultaneous  with  that  on  the 
right,  had  been  weak  and  undecided — thus  allowing  the  en 
emy,  with  his  shorter  lines,  to  throw  the  weight  of  his  force 
against  Hooker.  This  delay  was  fatal  to  the  success  of  Mc- 
Clellan's  plan.  At  eight  o'clock  he  sent  an  order  to  Burn- 
side  to  carry  the  bridge,  gain  the  heights  beyond,  and  move 
along  their  crest  to  the  enemy's  rear.  He  himself  occupied 
an  eminence  about  midway  between  the  two  wings,  and 
anxiously  swept  the  field  with  his  glass.  Although  the 
earthquake  crash  of  artillery  on  the  extreme  right,  showed 
that  "the  heroic  Hooker  was  throwing  himself  with  terrible 
force  on  the  enemy  there,  the  firing  on  the  left  indicated 
that  Burnside  had  not  closed  resolutely  with  the  foe,  and 


74  FATAL     DELAY. 

McClellan,  becoming  filled  with  anxiety,  hurried  off  an 
other  aid  to  Burnside,  who  dashed  up  to  him,  with  the 
order  to  carry  the  bridge  in  his  front,  at  all  hazards.  The 
aid  returning  with  the  report  that  the  enemy  still  held  the 
bridge,  McClellan,  now  thoroughly  aroused  to  the  danger 
that  threatened  him,  sent  his  Inspector- General,  Col.  Sackett, 
with  the  peremptory  order  to  Burnside,  to  push  forward 
without  a  moment's  delay,  and  carry,  the  bridge  at  the  point 
of  the  bayonet.  If  he  hesitated,  Sackett  himself  was  directed 
to  stay  and  see  it  done.  At  last,  at  one  o'clock,  the  Fifty- 
first  regiments  of  the  New- York  and  Pennsylvania  volun 
teers,  in  a  gallant  burst,  carried  it  with  triumphant  shouts. 
Burnside  then  moved  across,  other  troops,  and  the  enemy 
fell  back  to  the  heights.  Hours,  golden  hours,  big  with  the 
fate  of  the  army  and  the  nation,  had  been  allowed  to  slip 
by ;  yet,  even  now,  a  vigorous  and  daring  advance  might 
save  the  day.  Instead  of  this,  however,  Burnside,  acting  on 
his  judgment,  ordered  a  halt,  and  began  to  plant  his  artillery. 
Hearing  of  this,  McClellan  dispatched  Col.  Key,  with  orders 
to  him  to  push  on  and  carry  the  heights — that  success  was 
impossible  unless  he  did — that  he  must  not  stop  to  calculate 
losses.  Three  o'clock  came,  and  still  the  heights  were  not 
carried.  Again  McClellan  hurried  off  Key,  with  orders  to 
storm  the  heights  at  all  hazards.  At  last  the  order  was 
obeyed — the  enemy  were  driven  from  their  guns  by  our 
gallant  troops,  that  now  pushed  forward  with  loud  hurrahs, 
some  of  them  even  reaching  the  outskirts  of  Sharpsburg. 
But  the  advantage  came  too  late,  for  heavy  rebel  rein 
forcements,  that  had  been  hurrying  forward  all  day  from 
Harper's  Ferry,  arriving  at  this  critical  moment  on  the 
field,  turned  the  scale  against  Burnside,  and  compelled 
him  to  fall  back.  Seeing  himself  suddenly  threatened 
with  overthrow,  he  sent  to  McClellan  for  help.  "McClel- 
lan's  glass,  for  the  last  half-hour,  has  seldom  been  turned 


CLOSE     OF     THE     CONFLICT.  75 

away  from  the  left.  He  sees  clearly  enough  that  Burn- 
side  is  pressed — needs  no  messenger  to  tell  him  that.  His 
face  grows  dark  with  anxious  thought.  Looking  down 
into  the  valley,  where  fifteen  thousand  men  are  lying,  he 
turns  a  half-questioning  look  on  Fitz  John  Porter,  who  stands 
by  his  side,  gravely  scanning  the  field.  They  are  Porter's 
troops  below ;  are  fresh,  and  only  impatient  to  share  in  the 
fight.  But  Porter  slowly  shakes  his  head,  and  one  may  be 
lieve  that  the  same  thought  is  passing  through  the  minds  of 
both  generals.  McClellan  remounts  his  horse,  and,  with 
Porter  and  a  dozen  of  his  Staff,  rides  away  to  'the  left,  in 
Burnside's  direction.  Sykes  meets  them  on  the  road — a 
good  soldier,  whose  opinion  is  worth  taking.  The  three 
soldiers  talk  briefly  together.  It  is  easy  to  see  that  the  mo 
ment  has  come,  when  everything  may  turn  on  an  order  given 
or  withheld — when  the  history  of  the  battle  is  only  to  be  writ 
ten  in  thoughts,  and  purposes,  and  words,  of  the  General." 

"  Burnside's  messenger  rides  up.  His  message  is,  1 1  want 
troops  and  guns.  If  you  do  not  send  them,  I  cannot  hold 
my  position  a  half  an  hour.'  McClellan's  only  answer  is  a 
glance  at  the  western  sky.  Then  he  turns  and  speaks,  very 
slowly :  '  Tell  General  Burnside,  this  is  the  battle  of  the 
war.  He  must  hold  his  ground  till  dark,  at  any  cost.  I 
will  send  him  Miller's  battery.  I  can  do  nothing  more.  I 
have  no  infantry.'  Then,  as  the  messenger  was  riding 
away,  he  called  him  back : — c  Tell  him  if  he  cannot  hold  his 
ground,  then  the  bridge,  to  the  last  man — ahvays  the  bridge. 
If  the  bridge  is  lost,  all  is  lost.'  "*  The  bridge  was  held — 
darkness  soon  covered  the  field,  and  the  great  battle  was 
over.  If  Burnside  had  commenced  his  movement  two  hours 
sooner,  there  is  scarcely  a  doubt,  that  night  would  have 
•seen  the  rebel  army  fleeing  across  the  Potomac,  As  it  was, 
the  two  tired  hosts  lay  down,  front  to  front,  along  the  slug- 

*  George  N.  Smalley,  correspondent  of  the  Tribune. 


76  RETREAT     OF     LEE. 

gish  Antietam,  waiting  for  the  morning,  to  renew  the  con 
flict.  Twelve  thousand  had  fallen  on  our  side,  and  a  much 
larger  number  of  the  enemy — a  ghastly  throng — covering 
those  wooded  heights,  and  choking  the  hollows.  We  had 
taken  six  thousand  prisoners,  and  thirteen  guns. 

The  next  morning,  McClellan  determined  to  renew  the 
fight,  but  he  found  his  heavy  batteries  were  nearly  out  of 
ammunition— ten  thousand  stragglers  were  scattered  among 
the  hills — supplies  were  to  be  brought  up,  while  fourteen 
thousand  fresh  troops  were  on  the  march  to  join  him.  He, 
therefore,  deemed  it  prudent  to  delay  the  attack  till  the  next 
day,  and  spent  the  18th  in  caring  for  the  wounded,  burying 
the  dead,  and  gathering  up  his  energies  for  the  last  decisive 
blow.  Everything  being  completed,  the  orders  were  issued 
to  commence  the  attack  at  daylight,  but  the  enemy  during 
the  night  had  retreated,  placing  the  Potomac  between  him 
self  and  our  victorious  army. 

The  nation  was  exultant  over  the  victory.  The  feeling 
of  triumph  was  dashed,  however,  because  Lee's  army  had 
escaped.  From  the  commencement  of  the  war,  certain  cries, 
taken  up  by  a  portion  of  the  press,  had  become,  for  a  time, 
popular,  and,  like  all  clamors,  furious  and  unreasonable.  The 
first,  was  derision  of  fortifications,  as  though  it  were  impos 
sible  to  suppose  we  should  ever  need  them.  Then,  there 
came  an  unthinking  demand,  that  a  retreating  armyr  no 
matter  whether  it  was  ten,  or  a  hundred  thousand  strong, 
should  always  be  "  bagged  "  by  an  equal  number,  though  op 
erating  in  a  country  covered  with  forests,  crossed  by  rugged 
heights,  and  seamed  with  rivers.  Next,  came  the  outcry 
against  siege  operations,  and  the  adoption  of  the  motto,  u  to 
move  at  once  upon  the  enemy's  works."  One  after  another, 
they  were  abandoned,  as  they  always  must  be,  and  the 
operations  in  the  field,  left  to  those  who  understood  their 
business.  Thus,  the  next  year,  the  public  saw,  without  one 


THE    ARMY     RESTS.  77 

word  of  complaint,  Meade's  victorious  army,  with  all  its 
reinforcements  up,  sit  down  idly  for  a  week  on  tins  very 
spot,  and  let  Lee  construct  scows,  and  ferry  his  army,  guns 
and  supplies  and  all,  over  the  Potomac,  that  seemed  swollen 
with  rains  on  purpose  to  secure  the  overthrow  of  the  enemy. 
So,  too,  the  clamor  against  the  comparatively  short  siege  of 
Yorktown,  was  changed  to  plaudits  over  the  tedious  sieges  of 
Port  Hudson  and  Vicksburg. 

McClellan  did  not  undertake  to  move  his  army  at  once, 
across  the  Potomac,  for,  he  knew,  if  the  enemy  chose  to  re 
treat,  he  could  do  so  without  serious  molestation ;  and  if  he 
risked  another  battle,  it  would  have  to  be  accepted  under 
great  disadvantages,  and  with  the  river,  which  was  liable 
to  be  swollen  at  any  time  so  as  to  be  unfordable,  between 
him  and  his  base  of  supplies.  On  the  night  of  the  19th, 
however,  General  Griffin,  with  a  part  of  two  brigades,  crossed 
the  river  and  carried  the  enemy's  batteries,  capturing  several 
prisoners,  and  driving  the  rebel  supports  back  a  half  a  mile. 
He  reported,  on  his  return,  that  appearances  indicated  the 
retreat  of  Lee  towards  Winchester.  To  ascertain  whether 
this  was  actually  so,  Porter,  in  the  morning,  sent  over  a 
detachment  which  advanced  about  a  mile,  when  it  fell  into 
an  ambush,  and  was  driven  back  with  great  slaughter. 

The  balance  of  the  month  was  spent  in  resting  the  over 
tasked  troops,  bringing  up  supplies  and  ammunition,  and  in 
vain  attempts  to  get  the  soldiers  properly  clothed,  so  that 
an  onward  movement  could  be  resumed  with  some  prospect 
of  success.  While  the  first  month  of  Autumn  was  thus 
drawing  to  a  close,  the  two  armies  still  confronting  each 
other  on  the  upper  Potomac,  two  proclamations  were  issued 
by  the  President,  which  had  an  important  bearing  on  the 
future  prospects  of  the  war.  One  appeared  on  the  22d, 
abolishing  slavery  in  all  the  States  that  should  be  in  rebel 
lion  on  the  1st  day  of  January.  1863.  The  President  had 


78  EMANCIPATION. 

long  been  urged  to  do  this,  both  by  politicians  and 
ecclesiastical  bodies,  but  he  had  stubbornly  refused,  not  only 
on  the  ground  of  its  doubtful  constitutionality,  but  its 
uselessness,  saying,  facetiously,  that  it  would  be  like  the 
"Pope's  bull  against  the  comet."  The  armies  freed  the 
slaves,  only  as  far  as  they  advanced,  and  it  seemed  to  him 
idle  to  suppose  that  a  proclamation  could  achieve  more  than 
the  bayonets  of  the  soldiers.  It  would  be  time,  he  thought, 
to  settle  this  vexed  question  when  the  rebel  armies  had  been 
conquered.  With  these  views,  he  had  struggled  hard  to  se 
cure  an  Emancipation  Act,  which  would  allow  compensation  to 
the  owners  of  slaves.  In  his  preceding  message,  therefore,  he 
had  recommended  the  adoption  of  the  following  resolutions : — 

"Resolved  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States 
of  America  in  Congress  assembled,  (two  thirds  of  both  Houses  concurring.) 
That  the  following  articles  be  proposed  to  the  Legislatures  (or  Conventions) 
of  the  several  States,  as  amendments  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
all  or  any  of  which  articles,  when  ratified  by  three-fourths  of  the  said  Legis 
latures  (or  Conventions,)  to  be  valid  as  part  or  parts  of  the  said  Constitution, 
namely : 

ARTICLE  — .  Every  State,  wherein  slavery  now  exists,  which  shall  abolish 
the  same  therein,  at  any  time,  or  times,  before  the  first  day  of  January,  in 
the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  nine  humdred,  shall  receive  compensa 
tion  from  the  United  States,  as  follows,  to  wit : 

The  President  of  the  United  States  shall  deliver  to  every  such  State, 

bonds  of  the  United  States,  bearing  interest  at  the  rate  of per  cent. 

per  annum,  to  an  amount  equal  to  the  aggregate  sum  of —  for  each 

slave  shown  to  have  been  therein,  by  the  eighth  census  of  the  United  States, 
said  bonds  to  be  delivered  to  such  States  by  instalments,  or  in  one  parcel,  at 
the  completion  of  the  abolishment,  accordingly  as  the  same  shall  have  been 
gradual,  or  at  one  time,  within  such  State ;  and  interest  shall  begin  to  run 
upon  any  such  bond  only  from  the  proper  time  of  its  delivery  as  aforesaid. 
Any  State  having  received  bonds  as  aforesaid,  and  afterwards  reintroducing 
or  tolerating  slavery  therein,  shall  refund  to  the  United  States,  the  bonds  so 
received,  or  the  value  thereof,  and  all  interest  paid  thereon. 

ARTICLE  — .  All  slaves  who  shall  have  enjoyed  actual  freedom  by  the 
chances  of  the  war,  at  any  time  before  the  end  of  the  rebellion,  shall  be  for 
ever  free ;  but  all  owners  of  such,  who  shall  not  have  been  disloyal,  shall  be 
compensated  for  them,  at  the  same  rates  as  is  provided  for  States  adopting 
abolishment  of  slavery,  but  in  such  way  that  no  slave  shall  be  twice  account 
ed  for. 

ARTICLE — .  Congress  may  appropriate  money,  and  otherwise  provide  for 
colonizing  free  colored  persons,  with  their  own  consent,  at  any  place  or 
places  without  the  United  States." 


AN     ELOQUENT    APPEAL.  79 

He  argued  these  resolutions  at  length,  closing  the  mes 
sage  with  the  following  eloquent,  earnest  language : 

"  This  plan  is  recommended  as  a  means,  not  in  exclusion  of,  but  addi 
tional  to  all  others,  for  restoring  and  preserving  the  national  authority  through 
out  the  Union.  The  subject  is  presented  exclusively  in  its  economical 
aspect.  The  plan  would,  I  am  confident,  secure  peace  more  speedily,  and 
maintain  it  more  permanently,  than  can  be  done  by  force  alone  ;  while  all 
it  would  cost,  considering  amounts,  and  manner  of  payment,  arid  times  of 
payment,  would  be  easier  paid,  than  will  be  the  additional  cost  of  the  war, 
if  we  rely  solely  upon  force.  It  is  much,  very  much,  that  it  would  cost  no 
blood  at  all. 

The  plan  is  proposed  as  permanent  constitutional  law.  It  cannot  become 
such,  without  the  concurrence  of,  first,  two-thirds  of  Congress,  and  afterwards, 
three-fourths  of  the  States.  The  requisite  three-fourths  of  the  States  will 
necessarily  include  seven  of  the  slave  States.  Their  concurrence,  if  obtained, 
will  give  assurance  of  their  severally  adopting  emancipation  at  no  very  dis 
tant  day,  upon  the  new  constitutional  terms.  This  assurance  would  end  the 
struggle  now,  and  save  the  Union  forever. 

I  do  not  forget  the  gravity  which  should  characterize  a  paper  addressed 
to  the  Congress  of  the  nation,  by  the  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  nation.  Nor 
do  I  forget  that  some  of  you  are  my  seniors,  nor  that  many  of  you  have 
more  experience  than  I,  in  the  conduct  of  public  affairs.  Yet  I  trust,  that 
in  view  of  the  great  responsibility  resting  upon  me,  you  will  perceive  no 
want  of  respect  to  yourselves,  in  any  undue  earnestness  I  may  seem  to  display. 

Is  it  doubted,  then,  that  the  plan  I  propose,  if  adopted,  would  shorten  the 
war,  and  thus  lessen  its  expenditure  of  money  and  of  blood  ?  Is  it  doubted 
that  it  would  restore  the  national  authority  and  national  prosperity,  and 
perpetuate  both  indefinitely  ?  Is  it  doubted  that  we  here — Congress  and 
Executive — can  secure  its  adoption  ?  Will  not  the  good  people  respond  to 
a  united  and  earnest  appeal  from  us?  Can  we,  can  they,  by  any  other 
means,  so  certainly  or  so  speedily  assure  these  vital  objects?  We  can  suc 
ceed  only  by  concert.  It  is  not  *  can  any  of  us  imagine  better  ?'  but,  '  can 
we  all  do  better  ?'  Object  whatsoever  is  possible,  still  the  question  recurs, 
'  can  we  do  better  ?'  The  dogmas  of  the  quiet  past,  are  inadequate  to  the 
stormy  present.  The  occasion  is  piled  high  with  difficulty,  and  we  must 
rise  with  the  occasion.  As  our  case  is  new,  so  we  must  think  anew  and  act 
anew.  We  must  disenthrall  ourselves,  and  then  we  shall  save  our  country. 

Fellow-citizens,  we  cannot  escape  history.  We,  of  this  Congress  and  this 
Administration,  will  be  remembered  in  spite  of  ourselves.  No  personal 
significance,  or  insignificance,  can  spare  one  or  another  of  us.  The  fiery  trial 
through  which  we  pass,  will  light  us  down,  in  honor  or  dishonor,  to  the 
latest  generation.  We  say  we  are  for  the  Union.  The  world  will  not  for 
get  that  we  say  this.  We  know  how  to  save  the  Union.  The  world  knows 
we  do  know  how  to  save  it.  We — even  we  here — hold  the  power  and  bear 
the  responsibility.  In  giving  freedom  to  the  slave,  we  assure  freedom  to  the 
free — honorable  alike  in  what  we  give,  and  what  we  preserve.  We  shall 
nobly  save,  or  meanly  lose,  the  last,  best  hope  of  earth.  Other  means  may 
succeed  ;  this  could  not  fail.  The  way  is  plain,  peaceful,  generous,  just — a 
way  which,  if  followed,  the  world  will  forever  applaud,  and  God  must  forever 
bless. 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN." 


80  PROCLAMATION     OF     FREEDOM. 

This  plan  not  having  been  tried,  we  can  only  conjecture 
how  it  would  have  worked,  and  what  the  final  result  would 
have  been.  But  whatever  differences  of  opinion  may  be 
entertained  of  these  views,  no  one  can  doubt  the  sincerity,  or 
the  lofty  patriotism  from  which  they  sprung.  Their  straight 
forward  honesty  must  command  the  respect  of  all,  while  the 
feeling  with  which  they  are  urged,  cannot  fail  to  awaken  the 
deepest  sympathy  for  their  unselfish  author.  They  were  not 
coincided  in  by  Congress — and  the  President  seeing  no  alter 
native,  issued  the  following  proclamation : 

"  I,  Abraham  Lincoln,  President  of  the  United  States  of  America,  and 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  army  and  navy  thereof,  do  hereby  proclaim  and 
declare  that  hereafter,  as  heretofore,  the  war  will  be  prosecuted  for  the  object  of| 
practically  restoring  the  constitutional  relation  between  the  United  States  and 
the  people  thereof  in  those  States'in  which  that  relation  is,  or  may  be,  suspended 
or  disturbed ;  that  it  is  my  purpose,  upon  the  next  meeting  of  Congress^  to 
again  recommend  the  adoption  of  a  practical  measure  tendering  pecuniary 
aid  to  the  free  acceptance  or  rejection  of  all  the  Slave  States,  so-called,  the 
people  Avhereof  may  not  then  be  in  rebellion  against  the  United  States,  and 
which  States  may  then  have  voluntarily  adopted,  or  thereafter  may  volun 
tarily  adopt,  the  immediate  or  gradual  abolishment  of  slavery  within  their 
respective  limits;  and  that  the  efforts  to  colonize  persons  of  African  descent, 
with  their  consent,  upon  the  continent  or  elsewhere,  with  the  previously  ob 
tained  consent  of  the  governments  existing  there,  will  be  continued ;  that 
on  the  first  day  of  January,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  sixty-three,  all  persons  held  as  slaves  within  any  State  or  any 
designated  part  of  a  State,  the  people  whereof  shall  then  be  in  rebellion  against 
the  United  States,  shall  be  then,  thenceforward,  and  forever  free ;  and  the  Ex 
ecutive  Government  of  the  United  States,  including  the  military  and  naval 
authority  thereof,  will  recognize  and  maintain  the  freedom  of  such  persons, 
and  will  do  no  act  or  acts  to  repress  such  persons,  or  any  of  them,  in  any 
efforts  they  may  make  for  their  actual  freedom. 

That  the  Executive  will,  on  the  first  day  of  January  aforesaid,  by  pro 
clamation,  designate  the  States  and  parts  of  States,  if  any,  in  which  the  peo 
ple  thereof,  respectively,  shall  then  be  in  rebellion  against  the  United  States ; 
and  the  fact  that  any  State,  or  people  thereof,  shall  on  that  day  be,  in  good 
faith,  represented  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  by  members  chosen 
thereto  at  elections,  wherein  a  majority  of  the  qualified  voters  of  such  State 
shall  have  participated,  shall,  in  the  absence  of  strong  countervailing  testi 
mony,  be  deemed  conclusive  evidence  that  such  State,  and  the  people  there 
of^  are  not  in  rebellion  against  the  United  States. 

That  attention  is  hereby  called  to  an  Act  of  Congress  entitled  '  An  Act  to 
make  an  additional  article  of  war/  approved  March  13,  1862,  and  which  Act 
k  in  the  words  and  figures  following : 


PROCLAMATION.  81 

4  Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United 
States  of  America  in  Congress  assembled,  That  hereafter,  the  following  shall 
be  promulgated  as  an  additional  article  of  war,  for  the  government  of  the 
army  of  the  United  States,  and  shall  be  observed  and  obeyed  as  such : 

1  ARTICLE  — .  All  officers  or  persons  in  the  military  or  naval  service  of  the 
United  States  arc  prohibited  from  employing  any  of  the  forces  under  their 
respective  commands,  for  the  purpose  of  returning  fugitives  from  service  or 
labor,  who  may  have  escaped  from  any  person  to  whom  such  service  or 
labor  is  claimed  to  be  due,  and  any  officer  who  shall  be  found  guilty  by  a 
court-martial  of  violating  this  article,  shall  be  dismissed  from  the  service. 

'  SEC.  2.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  this  act  shall  take  effect  from  and 
after  its  passage.' 

Also  to  the  ninth  and  tenth  sections  of  an  Act  entitled  *  An  Act  to  sup 
press  insurrection,  to  punish  treason  and  rebellion,  to  seize  and  confiscate 
property  of  rebels,  and  for  other  purposes,'  approved  July  17,  1862,  and 
which  sections  are  in  the  words  and  figures  following : 

'  SEC.  9.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  all  slaves,  of  persons  who  shall 
hereafter  be  engaged  in  rebellion  against  the  Government  of  the  United 
States,  or  who  shall  in  any  way  give  aid  or  comfort  thereto,  escaping  from 
such  persons  and  taking  refuge  within  the  lines  of  the  army  ;  and  all  slaves 
captured  from  such  persons  or  deserted  by  them,  and  coming  under  the  con 
trol  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States ;  and  all  slaves  of  such  persons, 
found  on  [or  being  within]  any  place  occupied  by  rebel  forces,  and  after 
wards  occupied  by  the  forces  of  the  United  States,  shall  be  deemed  captives 
of  war,  and  shall  be  forever  free  of  their  servitude,  and  not  again  held  as 
slaves. 

'SEC.  10.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  no  slave  escaping  into  any 
State,  Territory,  or  the  District  of  Columbia,  from  any  other  State,  shall  be 
delivered  up,  or  in  any  way  impeded  or  hindered  of  his  liberty,  except  for 
crime,  or  some  offense  against  the  laws,  unless  the  person  claiming  said 
fugitive,  shall  first  make  oath  that  the  person  to  whom  the  labor  or  service 
of  such  fugitive  is  alleged  to  be  due  is  his  lawful  owner,  and  has  not  been  in 
arms  against  the  United  States  in  the  present  rebellion,  nor  in  any  way  given 
aid  and  comfort  thereto ;  and  no  person  engaged  in  the  military  or  naval 
service  of  the  United  States  shall,  under  any  pretence  whatever,  assume  to 
decide  on  the  validity  of  the  claim  of  any  person,  to  the  service  or  labor  of 
any  other  person,  or  surrender  up  any  such  person  to  the  claimant,  on  pain 
of  being  dismissed  from  the  service.' 

And  I  do  hereby  enjoin  upon  and  order  all  persons  engaged  in  the  mili 
tary  and  naval  service  of  the  United  States  to  observe,  obey,  and  enforce, 
within  their  respective  spheres  of  service,  the  act  and  sections  above  recited. 

And  the  Executive  will  in  due  time  recommend  that  all  citizens  of  the 
United  States,  who  shall  have  remained  loyal  thereto  throughout  the  rebel 
lion,  shall,  (upon  the  restoration  of  the  constitutional  relation  between  the 
United  States  and  their  respective  States  and  people,  if  the  relation  shall 
have  been  suspended  or  disturbed,)  be  compensated  for  all  losses  by  acts 
of  the  United  States,  including  the  loss  of  slaves. 

In  witness  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand,  and  caused  the  seal  of 
the  United  States  to  be  affixed. 

Done  at  the  City  of  Washington,  this  twenty-second  day  of  September  in 


82  EMANCIPATION. 

tlic  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-two,  and  of  the 
Independence  of  the  United  States  the  eighty-seventh. 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 

By  the  President : 

WILLIAM  H.  SEWARD,  Secretary  of  State" 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  President  ever  regarded 
the  question  with  indifference,  or  one  to  be  disposed  of  by  a 
joke ;  but  with  his  eminently  practical  niind,  he  saw  that  the 
motives  which  influenced  many,  were  based  altogether  on 
erroneous    views,    and    the   effect    which    they    predicted 
would  follow  such  a  Proclamation,  wholly  chimerical.     Not 
withstanding  all  that  has  been  said  on  this  subject,  we  doubt 
very  much  whether  the  President,  to  the  last,  ever  expected, 
such  an  edict  would  have  any  favorable  effect  on  the  war, 
so  far  as  the  South  was  concerned — on  the  contrary,  we  think 
he  foresaw  what  actually  occurred,  that  it  would  unite  its  popu 
lation  more  firmly  than  ever,  and  give  Davis  more  complete 
and  absolute  power.     He  doubtless  anticipated  some  effect 
on  foreign  governments,  which  was  realized ;  but  the  great 
object  with  him  seemed  to  be,  to  get  rid  of  the  monstrous 
evil  of  Slavery.     The  madness  of  the  South  had  brought  it 
within  the  reach  of  the  General  Government,  and  if  he  could 
make  its  fate  and  that  of  the  Rebellion  one,  he  would,  he 
believed,  achieve  the  greatest  and  most  beneficent  triumph 
of  this  century.     Still,  with  these  views  and  wishes,  consti 
tutional  and  other  objections  interposed  in  his  mind,  which 
made  him  long  hesitate.     It  was  a  very  self-complacent  con 
clusion  that  many  ardent  immediate-emancipationists  came 
to,  that  Mr.  Lincoln  was  a  man  of  excellent  motives,  but  had 
not  yet  grown  to  their  stature  and  completeness — and  that 
when  these  were  attained^  he  then  issued  his  Proclamation.  To 
him,  it  was  a  momentous  step  to  take,  and  one  he  determined 
not  to  be  forced  into  hastily ;  nor,  with  all  his  philanthropic 
desire  to  see  Slavery  extinguished,  would  he  have  assailed  it, 
so  long  as  he  thought  the  attempt  would  imperil  the  Union. 


EMANCIPATION.  83 

There  is  no  evidence  that  he  ever  departed  from  the  purpose 
he  expressed  in  his  letter  to  Horace  Greeley — the  Union  first 
and  foremost — Slavery  afterward.  When,  at  length,  he  saw 
that  to  withhold  action  longer  would  not  help  the  Union,  and 
when,  as  Commander  of  the  armies,  and  not  as  a  civil  magis 
trate,  he  could,  as  a  war  measure,  strike  Slavery,  he  did, 
and,  on  the  1st  of  January,  1863,  issued  the  following 
final  Proclamation : 

"  Whereas,  on  the  twenty-second  day  of  September,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord 
one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-two,  a  proclamation  was  issued  by  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  containing  among  other  things,  the  follow 
ing,  to  wit : 

1  That  on  the  first  day  of  January,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  sixty-three,  all  persons  held  as  slaves  within  any  State  or 
designated  part  of  a  State,  the  people  whereof  shall  then  be  in  rebellion 
against  the  United  States,  shall  be  then,  thenceforward,  and  forever,  free ; 
and  the  Executive  Government  of  the  United  States,  including  the  military 
and  naval  authority  thereof,  will  recognize  and  maintain  the  freedom  of  such 
persons,  and  will  do  no  act  or  acts  to  repress  such  persons,  or  any  of  them, 
in  any  efforts  they  may  make  for  their  actual  freedom. 

*  That  the  Executive  will,  on  the  first  day  of  January  aforesaid,  by  pro 
clamation,  designate  the  States  and  parts  of  States,  if  any,  in  which  the  peo 
ple  thereof,  respectively,  shall  then  be  in  rebellion  against  the  United  States  ; 
and  the  fact  that  any  State,  or  the  people  thereof,  shall  on  that  day  be,  in 
good  faith,  represented  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  by  members 
chosen  thereto  at  elections,  wherein  a  majority  of  the  qualified  voters  of  such 
States  shall  have  participated,  shall,  in  the  absence  of  strong  countervailing 
testimony,  be  deemed  conclusive  evidence  that  such  State,  and  the  people 
thereof,  are  not  then  in  rebellion  against  the  United  States.' 

Now,  therefore,  I,  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN,  President  of  the  United  States,  by 
virtue  of  the  power  in  me  vested  as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Army  and 
Navy  of  the  United  States,  in  time  of  actual  armed  rebellion  against  the 
authority  and  Government  of  the  United  States,  and  as  a  fit  and  necessary 
war  measure  for  suppressing  said  rebellion,  do,  on  this  first  day  of  January, 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-three,  and  in 
accordance  with  my  purpose  so  to  do,  publicly  proclaimed  for  the  full  period 
of  one  hundred  days,  from  the  day  first  above-mentioned,  order  and  desig 
nate  as  the  States  and  parts  of  States  wherein  the  people  thereof,  respec 
tively,  are  this  day  in  rebellion  against  the  United  States,  the  following,  to 
wit: 

Arkansas,  Texas,  Louisiana,  (except  the  parishes  of  St.  Bernard,  Plaque- 
mines,  Jefferson,  St.  John,  St.  Charles,  St.  James,  Ascension,  Assumption, 
Terre  Bonne,  Lafourche,  St.  Mary,  St.  Martin,  and  Orleans,  including  the 
city  of  New  Orleans,)  Mississippi,  Alabama,  Florida,  Georgia,  South  Caro 
lina  North  Carolina,  and  Virginia,  (except  the  forty-eight  counties  designated 


84  HABEAS     CORPUS. 

as  West  Virginia,  and  also  the  counties  of  Berkeley,  Accomac,  North 
ampton,  Elizabeth  City,  York,  Princess  Aiyi,  and  Norfolk,  including  the 
cities  of  Norfolk  and  Portsmouth,)  and  which  excepted  parts  are  for  the 
present,  left  precisely  as  if  this  proclamation  were  not  issued. 

And  by  virtue  of  the  power  and  for  the  purpose  aforesaid,  I  do  order  and 
declare,  that  all  persons  held  as  slaves  within  said  designated  States  and  parts 
of  States  are,  and  henceforward  shall  be,  free  ;  and  that  the  Executive  Gov 
ernment  of  the  United  States,  including  the  military  and  naval  authorities 
thereof,  will  recognize  and  maintain  the  freedom  of  said  persons. 

And  I  hereby  enjoin  upon  the  people  so  declared  to  be  free,  to  abstain 
from  all  violence,  unless  in  necessary  self-defense ;  and  I  recommend  to  them 
that  in  all  cases,  when  allowed,  they  labor  faithfully  for  reasonable  wages. 

And  I  further  declare  and  make  known,  that  such  persons,  of  suitable 
condition,  will  be  received  into  the  armed  service  of  the  United  States  to 
garrison  forts,  positions,  stations,  and  other  places,  and  to  man  vessels  of  all 
sorts  in  said  service. 

And  upon  this  act.  sincerely  believed  to  be  an  act  of  justice,  warranted 
by  the  Constitution  upon  military  necessity,  I  invoke  the  considerate  judg 
ment  of  mankind  and  the  gracious  favor  of  Almighty  God. 

In  witness  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand,  and  caused  the  seal  of 
the  United  States  to  be  affixed. 

Done  at  the  City  of  Washington  this  first  day  of  January,  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-three,  and  of  the  Indepen 
dence  of  the  United  States  of  America  the  eighty-seventh. 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 

By  the  President : 

WILLIAM  II.  SEW'ARD,   Secretary  of  State." 

Thus  was  consummated  the  greatest  event  of  the  Nine 
teenth  Century — the  one  that  will  forever  be  the  distinguish 
ing  feature  of  this  memorable  war.  What  the  final  effect 
on  the  African  race  or  the  country  may  be,  is  yet  an  un 
solved  problem.  But  one  thing  is  settled,  Slavery  is  forever 
abolished  in  this  free  country,  and  the  great  blot  on  our 
national  escutcheon  removed. 

The  other  proclamation,  issued  two  days  after,  suspended 
the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  throughout  the  land,  and  re 
quired  all  persons  accused  of  disloyal  practices,  to  be  tried 
by  court-martial.  This  last  was  received  with  a  storm  of 
indignation,  and  the  courts  of  some  of  the  States  denounced 
it  as  unconstitutional.  The  right  of  trial  by  jury  is  the  most 
sacred  of  all  political  rights,  and  when  that  is  finally  stricken 


ARBITRARY     ARRESTS.  85 

down,  liberty  is  dead.  The  opposition  declared  that  to 
override  thus  the  civil  courts  of  a  land,  is  the  highest  act  of 
tyranny  known  to  despotism.  That  civil  courts  raust  be  dis 
regarded  in  States  in  rebellion,  and  martial  law  be  supreme 
there,  was  conceded  by  all,  for  it  would  be  a  farce  to  try  a  rebel 
in  rebel  courts.  Having  repudiated  the  authority  of  the  Gov 
ernment,  they  could  not  act  under  it ;  and  until  that  authority 
was  re-established,  none  but  military  courts  could  exist.  But 
to  assert  that  the  courts  of  New  England,  New  York,  Ohio, 
and  the  other  States,  in  which  not  a  band  of  organized  rebels 
existed,  or  could  exist  openly  for  an  hour,  were  not  qualified  to 
try  every  citizen  accused  of  crime,  it  was  argued  was  an  insult 
to  them.  Good  men,  on  the  other  hand,  denied  the  allegation, 
on  the  ground  that  anything  was  allowable,  which  had  for  its 
object  the  overthrow  of  the  rebellion — that  extraordinary  cri 
ses  demanded  extraordinary  measures — that  in  the  disturbed 
and  distracted  state  of  public  feeling,  it  was  absurd  to  expect 
that  men  of  treasonable  speech  and  action  would  receive 
justice  in  the  ordinary  courts.  But  that  which  excited  the 
deepest  indignation,  and  brought  out  the  angry  remonstrance 
of  the  Governors  of  New  Jersey  and  New  York,  was  the 
adoption  of  the  system  of  arbitrary  arrests,  and  imprisonment 
without  accusation  or  trial,  either  by  court-martial  or  other 
wise.  Provost-marshals,  vested  with  almost  unlimited  power, 
acted  as  spies  on  the  people,  and  on  suspicion  hurried  men 
to  prison,  there  to  lie  till  the  Secretary  of  State  or  Secretary 
of  War  saw  fit  to  release  them.  That  the  abuse  of  this  authority 
by  the  Secretaries  was  very  great,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that 
scarcely  one  of  these  victims,  after  weeks  or  months  of  con 
finement,  was  ever  tried  for  any  crime  whatever.  The  exercise 
of  such  a  power  was  a  most  hazardous  course  on  the  part  of 
the  Government,  and  but  for  the  President's  interference 
with  the  free  use  of  it,  and  the  universal  faith  in  the  purity 
of  his  motives,  it  might,  and  probably  would  have  worked 


86  A    DANGEROUS    PRINCIPLE. 

incalculable  evil.  He  was  denounced  as  a  tyrant  and  despot, 
on  every  hand,  by  his  enemies,  and  crimination  and  recrimi 
nation  took  the  place  of  calm  discussion  and  argument.  The 
ablest  papers  friendly  to  the  Administration,  and  the  soundest 
thinkers,  deprecated  these  arbitrary  arrests,  and  feared  for  the 
result,  but  still  repudiated  the  charge  of  tyranny  and  despot 
ism,  as  all  felt  that  there  was  not  a  man  in  the  land  who  loved 
liberty  more,  or  who  would  make  greater  sacrifices  for  consti 
tutional  freedom,  than  the  President.  Such  papers  as.  Tlie 
Evening  Post  and  New  York  Tribune  condemned  them,  not 
so  much  on  the  ground  of  personal  injustice  or  hardship,  but 
because  no  more  dangerous  principle  can  be  introduced  into 
a  republican  government,  than  that  its  citizens  can  be  deprived 
of  liberty  at  the  mere  dictum  of  those  in  power,  and  for  no 
other  reason  than  that  in  their  judgment  the  public  safety 
requires  it.  It  is  the  fundamental  law  of  the  Constitution 
of  the  United  States,  and  of  the  Constitution  of  every  State, 
that  "  no  person  shall  be  deprived  of  life  and  liberty  without 
due  process  of  law  ;  "  and  all  history  proves  that  no  danger 
to  a  republic  is  so  great,  as  the  violation  of  this  law.  To 
override  it  on  the  plea  of  public  necessity,  is  to  adopt  the 
policy  of  all  despotic  governments.  It  ought  never  to  have 
been  discussed  or  treated  as  a  party  measure,  for  every 
citizen,  of  whatever  political  faith,  is  equally  interested  iu 
the  principle  involved. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

JULY -AUGUST-SEPTEMBER. 


BRAGG  INVADES  TENNESSEE  AND  KENTUCKY RETREAT  OF  BUELL  TO  LOUIS 
VILLE IS  SUPERSEDED  BY  THOMAS KIRBY  SMITH  ADVANCES  AGAINST  CIN 
CINNATI LANE  IN  KANSAS NEW-ORLEANS BATTLE  OF  BATON  ROUGE 

DEATH    OF    GENERAL  WILLIAMS PORTER,    WITH    THE    ESSEX,    DESTROYS    THE 

REBEL  RAM  ARKANSAS ROSECRANS  AT  CORINTH. 

WHILE  such  momentous  events  were  passing  on  the  At 
lantic  seaboard,  the  military  movements  at  the  West 
were  not  crowned  with  that  success,  which  our  previous  vic 
tories  had  led  the  public  to  expect.  The  capture  of  Memphis 
brought  our  .victorious  fleet  to  Vicksburg,  the  fall  of  which 
would  open  the  Mississippi  to  New  Orleans.  But  this  place, 
situated  on  a  high  bluff,  bid  defiance  to  our  gunboats ;  so 
that,  while  it  was  hoped  that  we  had  reached  the  end  of  our 
labors,  it  was  found  that  they  had  only  begun. 

In  the  middle  of  July,  the  rebel  ram  Arkansas,  an  iron- 
plated  vessel,  came  down  the  Yazoo,  and,  passing  triumphantly 
through  our  surprised  fleet,  safely  anchored  under  the  guns 
of  Vicksburg.  Flag-officers  Farragut  and  Davis,  with  Por 
ter,  now  held  a  consultation  as  to  the  best  mode  of  destroy 
ing  this  powerful  antagonist  at  its  moorings.  It  was  deter 
mined  to  make  the  attempt  at  four  o'clock  on  the  22nd,  by 
Farragut  attacking  the  lower  batteries  and  Davis  the  upper, 
while  W.  D.  Porter,  in  the  Essex,  should  move  boldly  and 
swiftly  down  on  the  steamer  and  crush  it  with  one  deadly  blow. 
Reckless  of  the  fire  of  the  batteries,  Porter  dashed  full  on  the 


88  A    DARING    ATTEMPT. 

astonished  rebel.  The  blow  glanced  from  the  mailed  sides, 
and  the  Essex  was  carried  by  her  momentum,  high  up  on  the 
river  bank,  where  she  lay  for  two  hours  or  more,  under  the 
fire  of  seventy  heavy  guns  in  battery  and  twenty  field  pieces, 
besides  the  guns  of  the  ram.  Yet,  strange  to  say,  she  event 
ually  got  off,  and,  passing  down  stream,  anchored  under  the 
protection  of  the  lower  fleet  of  Farragut.  A  few  days  after, 
Col.  Ellet  went  up  the  Yazoo  and  destroyed  the  rebel  gun 
boats  Yan  Dorn,  Polk  and  Livingston. 

On  land,  but  little  was  accomplished.  In  Arkansas,  Mis- 
souri  and  Louisiana,  fights  occurred  between  small  forces, 
but  having  no  important  bearing  on  the  main  movements 
of  the  armies.  The  army  of  Curtis,  which,  after  the  battle 
of  Pea  Ridge  the  Spring  before,  attempted  to  cross  the 
State  of  Arkansas  to  the  Mississippi,  arrived  at  Helena  safe 
on  the  12th  of  July,  to  the  great  relief  of  the  country.  It 
had  been  a  long,  most  difficult  and  painful  march ;  the  cav 
alry,  twenty -five  hundred  strong,  on  one  occasion,  "marching 
sixty-five  miles  in  twenty-four  hours. 

The  great  movement,  however,  at  the  West,  during  this 
month,  was  that  of  the  army  under  Major-Gen,  Buell,  the  object 
of  which  was  to  seize  Chattanooga.  His  force  consisted  of  about 
twenty-five  thousand  men,  with  some  sixteen  thousand  more, 
scattered  through  Middle  Tennessee  and  Northern  Alabama, 
mostly  under  the  command  of  the  gallant  Mitchell  His  first 
great  object  was  to  repair  the  railroad  running  north  to  Nash 
ville,  which  he  foresaw,  contrary  to  Halleck's  opinion,  must  be 
his  base  of  supplies.  While  this  herculean  task  was  being 
accomplished  by  the  force  under  Mitchell,  he  with  his  army 
marched  rapidly  towards  Chattanooga.  All  this  time,  Mor 
gan  was  on  a  grand  raid  in  Kentucky,  Forrest,  also,  with 
a  formidable  force,  suddenly  appeared  before  Murfreesboro7 
on  the  13th,  surprised  and  captured  the  garrison,  consist 
ing  of  fourteen  hundred  men,  and  broke  up  the  railroad 


INVASION    OF    TENNESSEE.  89 

to  Nashville,  which  had  only  been  completed  the  day  before. 
This  was  a  serious  drawback,  and  Buell  was  blamed  at  the 
time,  for  the  catastrophe.  But  the  truth  was,  a  sufficient 
force  had  not  been  given  him  to  protect  his  front,  three 
hundred  miles  long,  reaching  from  Corinth  to  Cumberland 
Gap ;  he  was  also  lamentably  deficient  in  cavalry,  though 
he  had  urged  upon  the  Government  the  great  necessity  of  his 
being  supplied.  It  was  plain  to  him,  and  ought  to  have 
been  plain  to  Halleck,  that  the  force  was  too  small  to  hold 
the  country,  even  if  he  should  conquer  it,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  long  line  of  communication  to  Nashville,  which  must  be 
kept  open.  Morgan  interrupted  this  so  constantly,  threat- 
lening  even  Nashville,  that  Buell  sent  Major- General  Nelson 
there  to  take  charge  of  affairs.  In  the  meantime,  Bragg 
was  concentrating  an  army  of  sixty  thousand  men  at  and 
near  Chattanooga,  preparatory  to  an  invasion  of  Middle  Ten 
nessee.  Buell  was  aware  of  the  approaching  storm,  and 
divided  his  inadequate  force,  so  as  to  protect  the  most  im 
portant  points  the  best  way  he  could.  On  the  20th  of  Au 
gust,  hearing  that  Bragg  had  commenced  his  march,  and 
was  crossing  the  Tennessee  at  Chattanooga  and  other  points, 
he  began  to  concentrate  his  forces  at  Altamont.  But 
his  supplies  were  getting  short,  when  the  startling  news  was 
received,  that  Kirby  Smith,  with  a  large  army,  had  poured 
through  the  gaps  of  the  Cumberland  Mountains,  and  was 
invading  Kentucky — having  beaten  Nelson  and  routed  his 
army  at  Richmond.  Even  this  stern  and  self-reliant  Com 
mander,  who  had  never  turned  his  back  on  the  foe,  began 
to  be  filled  with  anxiety  at  the  perils  that  surrounded  him, 
and  to  see  clearly,  that  instead  of  conquering  East  Tennessee, 
it  would  tax  his  utmost  skill  and  energy  to  save  Middle  Ten 
nessee  and  Kentucky.  He  immediately  concentrated  his 
troops  at  Murfreesboro'.  It  was  now  September,  and  he  at 
once  marched  out;  in  search  of  the  enemy,  who  retired  as 


90  BUELI/S    RETREAT. 

he  advanced,  first  from  Glasgow,  and  then  from  Munfords- 
ville  from  which  he  withdrew  on  the  20th.  Buell  now  deter 
mined  to  fall  back  to  Louisville,  which  was  seriously  threatened 
by  Kirby  Smith.  He  accomplished  the  long,  tedious  march 
without  the  loss  of  a  wagon.  The  citizens  of  the  place  were 
in  great  trepidation,  and  when  the  tread  of  his  advance  col 
umns  sounded  through  the  street,  at  midnight,  the  shout  of 
"  Buell  has  come!  Buell  has  come! "  went  up,  as  it  did  on 
the  banks  of  the  Tennessee,  at  Pittsburg  Landing,  from  our 
shattered,  beaten  forces,  when  they  saw  his  trained  legions 
sweeping  to  their  relief.  He  immediately  reorganized  his 
army,  and  prepared  to  march  forth  against  the  enemy,  but 
an  order  was  received  from  Washington  suspending  him 
from  chief  command,  and  appointing  Thomas  in  his  place. 

All  this  time,  General  George  Morgan  was  grimly  holding 
Cumberland  Gap,  against  overwhelming  odds. 

While  military  affairs  were  assuming  an  alarming  aspect 
in  Tennessee  and  Kentucky — the  bold  advance  of  Smith 
threatening  even  Cincinnati,  causing  consternation  among 
its  inhabitants  and  sending  them  forth  to  the  defense  of  the 
city — along  the  Mississippi,  but  little  was  accomplished,  for 
Vicksburg  still  held  out  against  the  Federal  fleet.  Farther 
west,  General  Lane,  having  been  appointed  by  the  Govern 
ment  to  raise  an  army  in  Kansas,  issued  his  proclamation  in 
August,  calling  on  the  inhabitants  of  Nebraska,  Colorado 
and  Dacotah  to  rally  to  his  standard.  Affairs  remained  un 
changed  at  New  Orleans  under  Butler's  rigorous  sway.  He 
issued  an  order  this  month,  assessing  the  inhabitants  who 
had  subscribed  to  the  rebel  defense  fund,  three  hundred  and 
forty-two  thousand  dollars.  Colonel  McNeil  and  General 
Blunt  were  dealing  the  guerrillas  and  organized  bands 
some  severe  blows  in  Missouri;  but  the  only  battle  that 
occurred  in  the  West  during  the  month  was  at  Baton 
Rouge,  which  was  attacked  on  the  5th  by  a  heavy  force 


BATTLE     OF     BATON     ROUGE.  91 

under  Breckenridge.  General  Williams,  commanding  our 
troops  there,  formed  his  line  of  battle  the  night  before, 
some  distance  outside  of  the  town.  But,  though  he  was 
prepared  to  receive  the  expected  attack,  the  enemy, 
taking  advantage  of  a  dense  fog,  came  down  at  early  day 
light  so  suddenly  upon  him  that  a  portion  of  his  line  gave 
way,  and  some  guns  were  captured.  He,  however,  rallied 
his  troops,  and  gallantly  led  them  in  person  against  the  ad 
vancing,  shouting  battalions,  hurling  them  back  with  resist 
less  fury.  But  he  fell  in  the  charge,  and  was  borne  back, 
mortally  wounded,  to  the  rear.  The  battle  raged,  with 
varied  fortunes,  for  five  hours,  when  the  enemy  fell  back. 
The  gunboats  Essex  and  Sumter  shelled  the  woods  during 
the  action ;  and  after  our  lines  were  drawn  in,  as  ordered 
by  General  Williams  before  he  fell,  two  other  gunboats  added 
their  fire,  deterring  the  enemy  from  making  another  advance. 
The  ram  Arkansas,  and  the  gunboats  Webb  and  Music,  had 
designed  to  take  part  in  the  combat,  but  the  former,  becom 
ing  disabled,  was  compelled  to  lie  by.  So,  the  next  morn 
ing,  Porter,  in  the  Essex,  went  in  search  of  the  monster,  and 
met  it  coming  down  to  attack  him.  The  former  at  once 
opened  his  guns  on  the  formidable  foe.  The  engine  of  the 
ram  becoming  disabled,  it  was  compelled  to  run  ashore, 
where  it  continued  the  combat.  Porter,  choosing  his  posi 
tion,  now  poured  a  terrible  fire  into  his  adversary.  The  boat 
was  soon  in  flames,  and,  deserted  by  her  crew,  drifted  down 
stream  till  her  magazine  caught  fire,  when  she  blew  up  with 
a  tremendous  explosion.  Thus  ignobly  perished  this,  much- 
dreaded  vessel. 

Sherman  at  this  time  commanded  at  Memphis  under 
Grant,  who  was  over  the  Department  of  West  Tennessee. 
His  army  lay  comparatively  idle  during  the  month ;  but  the 
next  month,  September,  it  seemed  to  rouse  from  its  inexpli 
cable  inaction.  Grant's  head-quarters  were  at  Corinth,  where 

^^S^S. 

OF  THfl^J^ 


92  AFFAIRS  ABOUND  CORINTH. 

he  was  confronted  by  Van  Dorn  and  Price,  who  the  Winter 
before  had  been  beaten  at  Pea  Ridge  by  Curtis. 

Rosecrans,  who  in  the  middle  of  the  preceding  May  had 
been  ordered  to  join  Halleck  before  Corinth,  was,  after  the 
latter's  elevation  to  the  chief  command,  and  Pope's  transfer 
to  Virginia,  placed  at  the  head  of  the  Army  of  the  Missis 
sippi,  as  it  was  termed,  under  Grant.  During  the  Summer 
he  was  active  in  the  field,  but  accomplished  nothing  of 
importance.  At  this  time  he  was  established  in  Corinth. 
Suddenly  he  was  informed  that  Price  had  advanced  and 
taken  possession  of  luka. 


CHAPTER   V. 

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER. 

BATTLE    OF    IUKA GALLANTRY  OF  GENERAL  HAMILTON FAILURE  OF  GRANT 

ATTEMPT    OF    THE    ENEMY    TO    CUT    GRANTS    LINE    OF    SUPPLIES BATTLE    OF 

CORINTH A    GALLANT    TEXAN TERRIFIC  SLAUGHTER    OF    THE  ENEMY THE 

VICTORY ARRIVAL    OF    MC  PHERSON THE     PURSUIT THE    BATTLE-FIELD 

ROSECRANS     PLACED     AT     THE     HEAD      OF    THE     DEPARTMENT    OF    THE    CUM 
BERLAND. 

ROSECRANS  knew  that  this  movement  was  merely  pre 
paratory  to  an  attack  on  Corinth  itself,  and,  with  his 
usual  promptitude,  determined  at  once  to  retake  the 
place,  and  proposed  to  Grant  to  advance  by  one/road, 
while  he,  marching  by  way  of  Jacinto,  should  get  in  rear, 
and  prevent  the  force  there  from  retreating  southward. 
This  was  agreed  to,  and  Rosecrans,  having  concentrated 
the  troops  of  his  two  divisions,  started  on  the  morning  of 
the  19th,  and  marching  eighteen  miles  and  a  half,  came 
within  a  little  over  a  mile  of  luka.  Price  did  not  wait  for 
his  attack,  but  immediately  marched  forth  to  meet  him. 
One  division,  Hamilton's,  numbering  less  than  three  thousand 
men,  and  with  but  one  battery,  was  in  advance,  and  on  this, 
Price  with  eleven  thousand  men  suddenly  moved.  Hamilton 
had  reached  the  brow  of  a  hill,  which  fell  off  abruptly  on 
both  sides,  when  the  enemy,  hid  in  a  ravine  below,  broke 
cover  with  a  shout,  and  poured  in  a  sudden  volley  of  mus 
ketry.  The  woods  were  so  dense  that  Hamilton  could  not 
deploy  his  men,  and,  marching  them  by  either  flank,  from 
the  only  road  that  ran  through  the  woods,  and  planting 
his  single  battery  so  as  to  command  this  road,  received  the 


94  BATTLE     OF    IUKA. 

shock.  It  was  fortunate  for  him  that  his  position  was  so 
cramped,  for  it  lessened  the  numerical  advantage  of  the 
enemy,  and  left  the  contest  to  be  decided,  very  much  by  the 
comparative  strength  of  the  heads  of  columns.  The  move 
ments  of  the  regiments  into  their  assigned  places  were  made 
with  great  steadiness,  though  under  a  withering  fire  the 
whole  time.  Each  colonel  had  his  orders  to  hold  his  ground 
at  all  hazards.  It  was  a  square,  stand-up  fight.  The  rebel 
onslaught  was  terrific.  In  dense  masses,  regiment  closing 
in  on  regiment,  like  successive  waves  of  the  sea,  they 
bore  down  on  our  thin  line,  with  a  desperation  that  threat 
ened  to  sweep  it  to  quick  destruction.  At  this  juncture, 
Sullivan  arrived  with  his  division,  and,  though  no  more 
troops  could  be  used  in  front,  his  timely  arrival  pre 
vented  Hamilton  from  being  outflanked  by  the  overwhelm 
ing  numbers  of  the  enemy.  He  believed  he  could  stand 
pounding  longest,  and  his  brave  division  stood  like  a  wall 
of  adamant  across  the  road.  The  woods  on  either  side  of  it, 
were  alive  with  the  rolling  volleys,  and  echoed  to  the  shouts 
and  yells  of  the  combatants.  The  rebels,  determined  to 
force  our  line,  moved  into  the  desolating  fire  that  met  them, 
with  unfaltering  resolution.  As  they  came  within  close 
range,  that  single  battery,  the  Eleventh  Ohio,  opened  on 
them  with  grape  and  canister.  The  guns  were  worked 
with  great  rapidity,  and  at  each  discharge,  gaps  opened  in 
the  dense  ranks,  but  they  closed  up  again,  and  the  hostile 
line  swept  steadily  forward  over  all  obstructions.  At 
length,  the  Forty-eighth  Indiana,  pressed  by  three  times 
its  number — its  gallant  Commander  cut  down — fell  back 
in  disorder.  This  left  the  death-dealing  battery  exposed, 
and  with  an  exultant  shout  the  enemy  sprang  upon  it. 
Receiving  without  flinching  the  load  of  canister  and  grape 
that  met  them,  they  swept  over  it  and  captured  it; 
but  not  till  every  officer,  and  nearly  every  gunner  was 


THE     VICTORY.  95 

killed  or  wounded,  and  scarcely  a  horse  left  standing. 
At  this  juncture,  Sullivan,  by  a  great  effort,  rallied 
a  part  of  the  right  wing,  and  flung  it  like  a  loosened 
cliff  on  the  shouting,  triumphant  captors,  and  sent  them 
astounded  back  to  cover.  Maddened  to  fury  by  their 
loss,  the  rebels  rallied,  and  with  yells  precipitated  them 
selves  upon  Sullivan's  diminished  band,  and  recovered  the 
battery.  Around  its  guns,  the  battle  raged  with  awful 
fury.  Every  flank  movement  of  the  enemy  being  prompt 
ly  stopped,  he  was  compelled  to  fight  it  out  in  front, 
and  from  five  o'clock  till  dark,  the  Fifth  Iowa,  and 
Eleventh  and  Twenty-sixth  Missouri,  held  that  single  road, 
with  a  stubbornness  that  scoffed  at  numbers.  Rooted  to 
their  places — a  line  of  fire  running  incessantly  along 
their  front,  they  stood  unconquerable  as  fate.  Three  times 
did  the  Fifth  Iowa,  when  about  to  be  swallowed  up 
by  the  ever-increasing  masses,  leap  forward  with  the 
bayonet,  and  send  them  broken  and  discomfited  back. 
When  their  ammunition  was  at  last  exhausted,  they  slowly 
retired,  but  with  their  faces  to  the  foe.  All  this  time  Rose- 
crans  listened,  with  intense  anxiety,  to  hear  the  sound  of 
Grant's  guns  on  the  other  road,  but  it  came  not,  and  dark 
ness  at  length  closed  the  bloody  contest.  Those  two  brave, 
shattered  divisions,  lay  down  on  their  arms,  on  the  ground 
they  had  crimsoned  with  their  blood,  to  wait  for  the  morning 
light  to  renew  the  unequal  struggle.  But  the  enemy,  under 
cover  of  the  darkness,  stole  away ;  and  when  the  morning 
dawned,  luka  was  found  deserted.  Rosecrans  immediately 
started  in  pursuit  with  his  cavalry,  but  being  only  three 
companies  strong  it  could  do  little  more  than  harass  the 
rebel  rear,  and  after  going  twenty-five  miles,  gave  up  the 
chase.  About  eleven  o'clock,  Grant  marched  into  luka, 
where  he  should  have  been  long  before.  Some  "unfortunate 
mistake  had  caused  the  delay,  and  thus  saved  the  enemy 


96  PREPARATIONS    FOR    BATTLE. 

from  total  destruction.  Rosecrans,  in  alluding  to  it,  said, 
"  The  unexpected  accident  which  alone  prevented  cutting 
off  the  retreat  of  Price,  and  capturing  him  and  his  army, 
only  shows  how  much,  success  depends  upon  Him  in  whose 
hands  are  the  accidents,  as  well  as  the  laws  of  life.'7  The 
total  loss  in  this  battle,  was  six  hundred  and  eighty,  or  nearly 
a  quarter  of  the  whole  force  engaged. 

Rosecrans  immediately  fell  back  on  Corinth,  where  he 
again  took  up  his  head-quarters.  He  soon  discovered  that 
the  enemy  was  concentrating  on  that  place,  or  some  other 
point,  which  would  cut  off  his  communications  and  compel 
him  to  evacuate  it.  Price,  Van  Dorn,  and  Lovell,  had  in  fact 
united  their  entire  forces,  for  the  purpose  of  crushing  his 
comparatively  small  army,  before  he  could  receive  reinforce 
ments.  The  latter,  calling  in  all  his  troops  from  the  adjacent 
posts,  watched  with  the  deepest  solicitude  the  development 
of  the  hostile  plan.  At  length,  discovering  that  the  rebels 
had  marched  around  him  to  the  eastward,  and  were  moving 
down  on  Corinth  from  the  north  and  north-east,  he  formed 
his  plan,  and  disposing  his  troops  to  the  best  possible  advan 
tage,  calmly  awaited  the  attack.  He  knew  he  was  outnum 
bered  by  two  to  one,  but  he  relied  on  the  strength  of  his  posi 
tion,  and  the  indomitable  character  of  his  troops.  McKean 
commanded  the  left,  Davies  the  centre,  and  the  gallant 
Hamilton  the  right,  where  Rosecrans  supposed  the  weight 
of  the  struggle  would  fall.  The  old  fortifications,  thrown  up 
by  Beauregard,  were  too  extensive  for  his  little  army  to 
hold,  and  so  he  erected  works  within  them. 

This  was  on  the  third  of  October.  Rosecrans'  plan  was  to 
advance  on  the  enemy,  as  he  approached,  in  order  to  compel 
him  to  develop  his  lines,  and  then  retire  behind  his  own  works, 
so  that  his  batteries  could  sweep  the  rebels,  as  they  emerged 
into  the  open  ground  in  front.  In  carrying  it  out,  more  or 
less  fighting  occurred,  and  night  found  our  army  back  in  the 


THE     ADVANCE.  97 

town,  and  the  rebel  lines  drawn  closely  around  it.  Much 
uneasiness  was  felt  among  the  soldiers,  because  they  had  been 
so  easily  driven  back  into  the  place,  where  the  enemy's 
shells  could  reach  them,  but  they  were  not  aware  of  the 
motives  which  governed  their  Commander. 

This  was  not  lessened  by  the  sound  of  the  enemy  at  work 
all  night,  planting  batteries  within  close  range.  At  length, 
the  long  wished  for,  yet  dreaded  dawn,  streaked  the  eastern 
sky,  and  the  roll  of  the  drum  and  the  pealing  bugle,  awoke 
the  morning  echoes,  and  were  answered  by  those  of  the 
enemy  in  the  dark  forests  beyond. 

The  rebel  force  was  massed  in  the  angle,  formed  by  the 
Memphis  and  Columbus  railroads.  The  left  of  our  army 
rested  on  the  batteries  extending  west  from  Fort  Robinette — 
the  centre  on  a  slight  ridge  north  of  the  houses,  and  the 
right  on  the  high  ground  which  covered  the  Pittsburg 
and  Purdy  roads,  that  led  away  towards  the  old  battle 
ground  of  Pittsburg  Landing.  The  rebel  plan  was  to  move 
at  once,  with  overwhelming  numbers,  on  our  batteries,  and 
sweep  them  with  the  rush  of  a  torrent.  The  sacrifice,  they 
knew,  would  be  great,  but  they  were  ready  to  make  it. 
Four  redoubts  covered  all  the  approaches,  while  batteries 
were  in  every  place  where  guns  could  be  advantageously 
posted,  so  that  the  whole  open  space  in  front  of  our  lines, 
could  be  swept  with  a  hail-storm  of  fire. 

With  daylight,  skirmishing  commenced,  and  the  heavy 
boom  of  cannon,  here  and  there,  shook  the  field ;  but,  as  yet, 
the  enemy's  lines  were  invisible.  They  were  forming  in  the 
roads  running  through  the  forest,  a  half  a  mile  or  more  in  front, 
and  every  eye  was  strained  to  catch  the  heads  of  the  columns 
as  they  moved  out  for  the  final  advance.  The  very  mys 
tery  that  shrouded  the  rebel  host,  hidden  in  those  stiiiess 
woods,  added  impressiveness  to  the  scene.  At  length,  a 
little  after  nine  o'clock,  the  fearful  suspense  ended,  for  the 


98  THE    ATTACK. 

heads  of  the  dense  columns  began  to  issue  from  their  leafy 
covering.  In  columns  of  division,  the  whole  host  moved 
in  splendid  order  up  the  Bolivar  road,  straight  towards 
the  murderous  batteries.  Long  lines  of  glittering  steel, 
crested  the  gray  formations  below,  as,  with  steady  step 
and  closed  ranks,  they  swept  forward.  Like  a  great  wedge, 
the  mighty  mass  at  first  advanced,  and  then  slowly  unfolded 
like  two  expanding  wings,  and  swooped  down  on  Corinth, 
that  lay  glittering  in  the  mellow  sun-light.  Price  on  the  left, 
and  Van  Dorn  on  the  right,  moved  on  together,  but  the 
latter,  meeting  with  unexpected  obstacles,  lost  a  little  time, 
and  Price  first  caught  the  full  fury  of  the  storm.  Right  up 
a  turfy  slope,  the  steady  columns  pressed,  swept  by  our 
whole  line  of  batteries,  the  shot  and  shell  tearing  through 
them  every  moment  with  awful  desolation.  Like  clouds, 
rent  before  the  incessant  flashes  of  lightning,  those  gray  for 
mations  everywhere  parted,  showing  great  ragged  openings 
that  closed  as  quickly  as  made.  The  dead  and  dying  dark 
ened  all  the  ground,  but  the  living  never  faltered.  With 
heads  bent,  and  leaning  forms,  like  those  who  breast  a  driv 
ing  sleet,  they  pressed  sternly  forward,  making  straight  for 
Rosecrans'  centre.  When  they  came  within  musket  range, 
death  traversed  their  ranks  with  still  more  frightful  rapidity ; 
yet  they  never  faltered.  The  earth  groaned  and  shook 
under  them,  and  the  air  seemed  to  flow  with  fire  around 
them,  yet  they  heeded  it  not.  Still  onward  and  upward 
they  came,  like  the  march  of  fate.  At  last  they  reached  the 
crest  of  the  hill,  and  Davies'  division  gave  way  in  disorder. 
Rosecrans,  whose  eye  has  never  for  a  moment  left  this  on- 
rolling  mass,  starts  at  this  sudden  great  disaster,  and  dashing 
amid  the  broken  ranks,  heedless  of  the  raining  shot  and  shell, 
rallies  them  in  person.  But  the  rebels,  seeing  their  advan 
tage,  spring  forward  with  a  shout,  and  Rosecrans'  head 
quarters  are  inundated  with  the  hostile  troops,  and  the  next 


THE     BATTLE.  99 

moment  their  fire  is  pouring  into  the  public  square  of  the 
town  itself.  Under  this  sudden  change  of  fortune,  Hamil 
ton's  division  of  veterans  is  compelled  to  fall  back,  and 
instantly,  with  a  shout  of  victory,  the  rebels  rush  on 
Fort  Richardson,  the  key  of  the  position.  A  single  sheet 
of  flame  bursts  from  its  sides,  and  when  the  smoke  rises,  the 
space  where  they  stood  is  clear  of  living  men ;  only  the 
dead  and  bleeding  are  left.  But  those  brave  men  have  not 
trodden  Death's  highway  so  far,  to  yield  now,  when  their  hands 
are  grasping  victory;  and  once  more  rallying,  they  precipi 
tate  themselves  forward  with  the  fury  and  clamor  of  demons. 
Richardson,  from  whom  the  battery  was  named,  sinks  amid 
his  guns,  and  the  next  moment,  the  rebels  are  leaping  over 
them.  Suddenly,  as  if  rising  out  of  the,  earth,  the  Fifty-sixth 
Illinois,  hid  in  a  ravine  near  it,  spring  to  their  feet,  and  pour 
ing  in  one  close  deliberate  volley,  dash  across  the  plateau,  and 
into  the  fort,  and  almost  lift  the  rebels  bodily  out  of  it.  so 
sudden  and  desperate  and  wild  is  their  charge.  Hamilton 
sees  the  charge,  and  "Forward"  runs  along  his  glorious  line. 
Sweeping  forward  with  terrible  front,  he  completes  the 
overthrow.  The  rebel  host  is  at  last  broken.  Human  endur 
ance  had  finally  reached  its  limit — despair  at  once  took 
the  place  of  courage,  and,  flinging  away  their  useless  arms, 
they  broke  wildly  for  the  woods.  And  then  such  a  shout 
of  victory  went  up,  as  those  who  heard  it,  will  never  forget 
to  their  latest  day.  It  rolled  down  the  line,  and  Van  Dorn, 
on  the  left,  heard  it  with  a  sinking  heart.  Struggling 
through  a  ravine  and  thickets  and  abattis,  he  was  a  moment 
too  late,,  to  have  his  blow  fall  simultaneously  with  that  of 
Price,  else  the  issue  might  have  been  different.  He  was 
now  in  front  of  Fort  Robinette,  within  a  hundred  and  fifty 
yards  of  which,  stood  Fort  Williams.  These  had  poured  a 
deadly  enfilading  fire  through  his  ranks,  as  he  advanced, 
and  now  the  former,  with  its  ten  pound  Parrotts,  stood  right 


100  A    BRAVE     TEXAN. 

in  his  path.  Over  this  he  must  go,  or  turn  back  over  the 
field,  gained  at  such  horrible  sacrifice.  The  shout  of  victory 
borne  to  him  from  the  left,  sounded  like  the  knell  of  doom. 
Price  had  failed  at  Fort  Richardson,  and  now  alone  and 
unaided,  he  must  carry  the  works  before  him,  or  all  be 
lost.  It  was  a  mighty  task,  and  he  might  well  pause,  before 
he  undertook  it.  But  instead  of  shrinking  from  it,  he  sum 
moned  all  his  energies  for  one  desperate  effort.  Two  brig 
ades,  one  supporting  the  other,  at  close  distance,  and  led 
by  Colonel  Rogers,  of  Texas,  swiftly  advanced  straight  on 
the  fort.  Instantly  its  guns,  and  those  of  Fort  Williams, 
opened  their  fire,  and  shot  and  shell  went  tearing  through 
the  dense  columns.  But  they  had  braced  themselves  up  to 
the  fearful  work,  they  knew  to  be  before  them,  and  breasted 
the  iron  storm  with  sublime  devotion.  As  they  came  within 
close  range,  and  the  infantry  opened  fire,  the  havoc  was 
awful.  The  solid  formations  caved  before  it,  as  the  sand 
bank  before  the  torrent,  but  closing  up  compact  as  iron,  the 
diminished  numbers,  with  their  eyes  bent  sternly  on  the 
prize  before  them,  kept  on  their  terrible  way.  Rogers, 
striding  at  their  head,  seemed  to  bear  a  charmed  life,  and 
"  Forward — FORWARD,"  rang  clear  and  strong  from  his  lips, 
rising  even  above  the  roar  of  cannon.  Struggling  through 
the  fallen  timber,  they  fell  and  were  caught  amid  the  branches, 
presenting  a  ghastly  spectacle.  Still  the  living  never  fal 
tered — with  their  eyes  fixed  on  their  heroic  leader,  they  let 
the  volleys  crash,  and  the  devastating  fire  burn  along  their 
ranks,  with  a  heroic  indifference.  At  last  they  reached  the 
ditch,  and  for  one  fearful  moment  paused.  Rogers,  still 
towering  in  front  unhurt,  waved  the  rebel  flag  with  his 
left  hand,  holding  a  revolver  in  his  right,  and,  still  shouting 
11  Forward"  with  one  bound  cleared  the  ditch.  Springing 
up  the  slope,  he  planted  his  standard  on  the  ramparts.  The 
next  moment  he  fell,  banner  and  all,  into  the  ditch,  a  corpse. 


i 
THE    VICTORY.  101 

Five  brave  Texans,  that  never  left  their  leader's  side,  at  the 
same  instant  pitched  heavily  forward  into  the  fort,  sharing 
his  fate.  The  Ohio  brigade,  commanded  by  Colonel  Fuller, 
had  lain  flat  on  their  faces  just  over  the  ridge,  and  now  in 
close  range,  rose  and  delivered  six  swift  volleys,  and  the 
front  was  clear  of  rebels.  The  supporting  rebel  brigade 
now  advanced  into  the  same  volcano,  bent  on  the  same 
hopeless  errand.  Taking  the  close  and  swift  volleys  into 
their  bosoms  without  shrinking,  they  kept  on,  till  mad 
dened  into  desperation,  they  made  one  wild  rush  on  the 
Sixty-third  Ohio,  that  crossed  their  path.  But  the  brave 
fellows  stood  like  a  rock  in  their  places,  and  in  a  moment, 
friend  and  foe  were  locked  in  a  hand  to  hand  death-strug 
gle.  Bayonets,  clubbed  muskets,  and,  when  these  failedT 
clenched  fists  were  used.  The  fight  was  brief  but  awfulT  and 
the  shouts  and  yells,  and  oaths  and  curses  that  rose,  seemed 
wrenched  from  the  throats  of  demons.  At  length  the  rebels 
gave  way,  when  the  Eleventh  Missouri  and  Twenty-seventh 
Ohio  sprang  forward  and  chased  them  swiftly  to  cover. 

The  battle  was  over.  No  second  charge  could  be  made, 
for  the  victory  was  won,  but  at  a  fearful  cost.  Of  the  two 
hundred  and  fifty  of  the  Sixty-third  Ohio,  one-half  lay  dead 
or  bleeding,  on  the  spot  where  they  had  fought.  The  shout- 
that  rocked  the  field,  when  Price  recoiled,  shattered  and 
broken,  from  Fort  Richardson,  now  went  up  from  around 
Fort  Robinette,  and  rolling  like  the  waves  of  the  sea,  along 
the  whole  line  of  battle,  swelled  back  into  Corinth,  where 
it  was  again  caught  up  and  prolonged,  till  the  heavens 
shook  with  the  loud  and  joyous  acclaim.  There  had  been 
no  long  battle.  The  whole  struggle  lasted  scarcely  more 
than  an  hour  and  a  half.  It  was  a  whirlwind — a  hurricane — 
— then  a  great  wild  thunder  crash — and  all  was  over.  And 
yet,  in  the  brief  struggle,  what  awful  destruction  had  been 
wrought.  Over  two  thousand  of  our  own  soldiers  had  fallen, 


102  THE    PURSUIT. 

while  over  six  thousand  rebels  had  been  piled  on  that  bloody 
field.  Death  had  moved  through  the  thick-set  ranks  of  the 
foe  with  a  rapid  footstep. 

Forty  thousand,  it  was  estimated,  composed  the  rebel 
force,  while  Rosecrans  had  but  little  over  twenty  thousand 
behind  his  works. 

In  front  of  Fort  Robinette,  the  rebel  dead  lay  in  heaps. 
Fifty-six  were  buried  in  one  ditch,  but  the  brave  Rogers 
was  given  a  grave  by  himself — those  stern  Western  men 
smoothing  over  and  marking  his  last  resting-place,  with  the 
tender  care  they  would  give  the  grave  of  a  companion-in 
arms.  It  was  but  a  little  to  do ;  yet  it  was  such  a  testimonial 
as  the  brave  love  to  give  to  the  brave,  on  whatever  field  they 
fall. 

Two  thousand  two  hundred  and  forty-eight  prisoners  fell 
into  our  hands,  together  with  two  pieces  of  artillery,  four 
teen  stand  of  colors,  and  over  three  thousand  small  arms. 

Rosecrans  immediately  rode  along  the  whole  line  of  battle, 
greeted  with  thundering  cheers  as  he  passed.  He  told  his 
brave  troops,  that  although  they  had  been  two  days  marching 
and  preparing  for  battle,  and  had  passed  two  sleepless  nights, 
and  endured  two  days'  fighting,  he  wanted  them  to  fill  their 
cartridge-boxes,  haversacks  and  stomachs,  take  an  early 
sleep,  and  at  daylight  press  after  the  flying  foe. 

McPherson,  having  arrived  in  the  meantime  at  Corinth, 
with  a  fresh  brigade,  was  immediately  started  in  pursuit, 
and  the  roll  of  cannon  died  away  in  the  distance,  as  he 
pressed  fiercely  after  the  retiring  columns.  The  roads  and 
fields  were  strewed  with  the  wrecks  of  the  fight.  The 
rebels  narrowly  escaped  destruction  in  the  forks  of  the 
Hatchie,  but  finally  got  off. 

The  fields  around  Corinth  presented  a  frightful  spectacle, 
and  for  weeks  after  the  battle,  the  place  of  slaughter  could 
be  scented  miles  away,  by  the  traveler.  It  was  a  great  vie- 


DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  CUMBERLAND.       103 

tory,  and  people  began  to  regard  Rosecrans  as  invincible. 
Victory  followed  his  standard  wherever  he  moved,  and  the 
soldiers,  with  that  fondness  for  nicknames  which  always 
characterizes  them,  christened  him  "Old  Rosy." 

Rosecrans  believed  that  if  Grant  had  supported  him,  as 
he  requested  him  to  do,  he  could  easily  have  entered  Yicks- 
burg  and  saved  the  after  sacrifice  of  men  and  money. 

Having  returned  from  the  pursuit,  he  established  his  head 
quarters  at  Corinth,  where  he  remained  till  the  25th  of  Oc 
tober.  In  the  meantime,  the  Government  having  created 
the  Department  of  the  .Cumberland,  and  the  Fourteenth 
Army  Corps,  he  was  placed  at  the  head  of  it,  and  departed 
for  Louisville,  where  he  arrived  on  the  30th. 

With  Buell's  splendid  army  under  his  command,  it  was 
thought  that  he  would  immediately  move  on  Bragg,  and  in 
flict  that  punishment  on  him,  which  he  failed  to  receive  at 
the  hand  of  the  former. 

Repairing  to  Nashville,  he  took  a  survey  of  his  position, 
and  began  to  lay  his  plans  for  the  future.     Bragg,  in  the 
meantime,  had  assembled  his  army  at  Murfreesboro',  and  was 
strongly  fortifying  himself,  preparatory  to  winter  quarters. 
37 


CHAPTER   VI. 

OCTOBER. 

BUELL  RESTORED  TO  COMMAND MOVES  OUT  OF  LOUISVILLE BATTLE  OF  PER- 

RYVILLE RETREAT  OF  BRAGG PURSUIT REMOVED  FROM  COMMAND 

MORGAN  AT  CUMBERLAND  GAP GALLANT  DEFENSE  OF CALL  FOR  REIN 
FORCEMENTS IS  SURROUNDED  BY  A  HUNDRED  THOUSAND  MEN HIS  EX 
TREME  PERIL GALLANT  RESOLVE  TO  MAKE  A  FORCED  MARCH  OF  TWO 

HUNDRED  MILES  TO  THE  OHIO BLOWS  UP  THE  MOUNTAIN DESTROYS  HIS 

SIEGE  GUNS BURNS  UP  EVERYTHING FEARFUL  CONFLAGRATION  AND  EX 
PLOSION TERRIFIC  SCENE MIDNIGHT  MARCH THE  RACE  FOR  LIFE 

,  SUFFERINGS  OF  THE  ARMY ITS  DELIGHT  AT  SIGHT  OF  THE  OHIO — HAL- 

LECK's  TREATMENT  OF  MORGAN EXTRAORDINARY  STATEMENTS. 

WHILE  Rosecrans  was  thus  crowning  the  Federal  arms 
with  success,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Mississippi, 
and  Butler  was  trying  to  bring  order  out  of  chaos  in  New 
Orleans,  and  Galveston  in  Texas  was  surrendered  (October 
9th)  to  Renshaw,  Commander  of  our  fleet  there,  important 
events  were  occurring  in  Kentucky  and  East  Tennessee. 
Buell's  sudden  removal  from  the  head  of  the  army  at  Louis 
ville,  arrested  his  march  against  Bragg,  which  he  designed 
to  commence  the  next  day.  Thomas,  however,  telegraphed 
to  Washington,  entreating  the  authorities  there  to  reconsider 
their  action,  and  retain  Buell  in  the  command,  as  the  proper 
person  to  be  at  the  head  of  the  army.  They  acceded  to  his 
request,  and  Buell  at  once  addressed  himself  to  the  task  of 
driving  Bragg  out  of  Kentucky ;  and  on  the  1st  of  October 
moved  out  of  Louisville,  in  five  columns.  Bragg,  though  con 
stantly  skirmishing,  began  to  retire,  with  the  evident  intention 
of  forming  a  junction  with  Kirby  Smith,  who  had  fallen  back 
from  his  threatened  attack  on  Cincinnati,  though  he  had 


BATTLE     OF     PERRYVILLE.  105 

carried  the  rebel  flag  within  seven  miles  of  the  city.  Buell 
overtook  the  enemy  at  Perryville  on  the  7th.  A  partial  en 
gagement  followed,  which  was  renewed  with  great  severity 
the  next  morning,  by  the  enemy  suddenly  falling  on  Mc- 
Cook's  brigade.  Repulsed  at  first,  he  repeated  the  attack 
at  noon,  in  which  the  whole  left  corps  became  engaged,  and 
was  terribly  pressed  till  night  fell,  when  the  battle  ended. 
Ten-ill's  brigade  was  driven  back  in  a  rout,  and  he  was  killed, 
as  well  as  Jackson,  who  commanded  the  division.  The  brave, 
heroic  Rousseau,  commanding  the  third  division,  bore  the 
chief  weight  of  the  battle,  and  saved  the  left  corps  from 
total  defeat.  A.  charge  by  Sheridan,  at  night-fall,  closed 
the  fight.  This  partial  disaster  was  attributed  by  Buell  to 
the  neglect  of  McCook  to  send  him  word  that  he  was  pressed 
with  an  overwhelming  force,  until  it  was  too  late  to  reach 
him  before  night  with  the  other  wing  of  the  army,  which 
was  separated  by  a  distance  of  five  miles. 

Our  loss  in  this  engagement  was  about  four  thousand, 
leaving  Buell  but  fifty-four  thousand  men  with  which  to 
pursue  Bragg,  whose  army  numbered  over  sixty  thousand. 
But  the  nature  of  the  country  was  such  that  he  could  not 
force  him  to  a  battle,  though  he  pressed  him  with  unrelent 
ing  severity.  At  Crab  Orchard,  where  the  country  suddenly 
changed,  being  barren  and  cut  up  into  defiles,  so  that  a 
small  force  could  protect  the  retreating  army,  he  stopped  his 
pursuit,  having  captured  in  all,  four  or  five  thousand  pris 
oners. 

But  though  he  had  driven  Bragg  out  of  Kentucky,  and 
thus  relieved  the  State,  the  Administration  pretended  to  be 
dissatisfied  at  his  not  having  destroyed  the  rebel  army,  and 
therefore  removed  him  from  his  command.  Whether  Hal- 
leek,  and  the  Secretary  of  War,  really  believed  that  Buell 
had  not  done  all  that  could  reasonably  have  been  expected 
of  him,  or  whether  it  was  necessary,  as  usual,  to  have  some 


106  CUMBERLAND    GAP. 

scape  goat  for  their  own  military  blunders,  is  left  to  con 
jecture. 

Cumberland  Gap,  which  General  Morgan,  as  before  stated, 
had  captured  in  the  Spring,  by  a  flank  movement  through 
Rogers7  Gap,  and  immediately  fortified,  preparatory  to  a 
movement  on  Knoxville,  was  evacuated  this  September.  The 
advance  of  Bragg  into  Kentucky,  which  compelled  Buell  to 
fall  back  rapidly  to  Nashville,  left  the  enemy  at  liberty  to 
push  across  the  Cumberland  Mountains,  by  various  routes, 
and  effectually  cut  Morgan  off  from  his  base  of  supplies,  thus 
leaving  him  alone,  to  save  himself  as  best  he  might.  Strong  in 
his  position,  he  felt  able  to  hold  it  against  all  odds,  if  he 
could  be  kept  from  starvation.  He  contested  every  foot  of 
the  advance  of  the  enemy,  and  foraged  the  country  in  every 
direction  that  his  forces  could  penetrate.  In  the  meantime, 
he  sent  to  Halleck,  and  General  Wright  of  Ohio,  for  sup. 
plies,  saying  that  if  his  communications  could  be  kept  open, 
he  would  hold  the  Gap  against  the  whole  rebel  army.  At 
different  times  he  sent  out  five  expeditions,  in  which  he 
killed  and  captured  seven  hundred  of  the  enemy,  with  a  loss 
to  himself  of  only  forty  men.  For  more  than  two  months,  he 
saw  the  storm  gathering  thicker  and  darker  around  him,  for 
as  Buell  fell  back  towards  Nashville,  the  rebel  flood  poured 
like  a  deluge  into  Kentucky,  so  that  by  the  21st  of  August, 
Morgan  found  Kirby  Smith  on  the  north  side,  and  Stevenson 
on  the  south  side  of  the  Gap.  Still,  he  kept  buoyant  and 
cheerful.  Not  a  desponding  word  escaped  him — he  always 
wrote  in  a  confident  tone,  but  said  that  his  supplies  were 
getting  shorter  and  shorter,  and  that  even  his  animals  were 
failing  for  want  of  forage.  He  would  not  stir  from  his  posi 
tion,  he  declared,  though  he  had  to  kill  his  mules  for  food, 
if  he  could  see  any  movement  set  on  foot  to  open  his  com 
munications.  The  country  became  alarmed  for  his  safety. 
The  very  stubbornness  with  which  he  held  the  grim  fortress, 


A    DESPERATE    POSITION.  107 

only  ensured  his  destruction,  if  no  relief  should  reach  him. 
He  at  length  put  his  army  on  half-rations,  and  still  clung  to 
his  position,  though  he  knew  a  hundred  thousand  men  en 
vironed  him,  and  held  the  entire  country  from  the  Gap  to 
the  Ohio. 

*  Thus,  for  thirty  days,  his  brave  soldiers  were  kept  on  half- 
rations  ;  a  great  part  of  the  time  without  bread,  rice,  flour 
or  potatoes.  The  overwhelming  enemy  continued  to  draw 
closer  and  closer  around  him,  every  day  narrowing  his  field 
for  forage,  until  at  length,  starvation  began  to  stare  him  in 
the  face.  What  now  was  to  be  done  ?  He  could  hear  of  no 
movement  for  his  relief,  and  he  staid,  waiting  for  it,  until 
every  known  avenue  of  escape  was  closed  against  him.  The 
rebel  General  telegraphed  to  Richmond,  that  Morgan's  army 
might  be  considered  prisoners  of  war,  for  its  fate  was  sealed. 
True,  one  route  w? "  still  left  open — the  wild,  desolate  region 
stretching  for  two  hundred  miles  directly  to  the  north — but 
this  was  reported  by  the  engineers  impossible  for  any  army 
with  artillery,  if  indeed  it  were  possible  for  an  army  of  ten 
thousand  men,  to  be  supported  there  at  all,  in  the  length  of 
time  it  would  take  to  traverse  such  a  country.  Yet  the  rebels 
seemed  to  think,  that  a  man  who  had  dragged  siege  guns  up 
and  over  the  cliffs  of  Cumberland  Mountains,  might  attempt 
to  escape  by  this  route ;  and  so  Humphrey  Marshall  was  sent 
to  block  it  up,  and,  early  in  September,  was  making  his  diffi 
cult  way  through  the  sterile  region  to  the  north-east,  In 
this  painful  dilemma,  Morgan  called  a  council  of  war,  in 
which  it  was  decided  that  the  only  alternative  was  an  im 
mediate  evacuation  or  an  unconditional  surrender.  This 
being  decided  upon,  Morgan  determined  to  make  a  desperate 
effort  to  save  both  his  army  and  artillery,  all  but  the  siege 
guns,  which  he  resolved  to  destroy.  It  was  a  dreary  pros 
pect  at  best — that  frightful  march  of  two  hundred  miles, 
with  ten  times  ten  thousand  men  before,  behind  and  on 


108  DECEIVING     THE    ENEMY.      ^ 

every  side  of  him.  But  he  had  tried  his  officers  and  men, 
and  knew  they  would  do  anything  short  of  a  miracle,  while 
he  himself  resolved  to  be  annihilated,  before  he  would  sur 
render.  Sending  out  officers  to  buy  provisions  along  another 
route  by  way  of  .Mount  Sterling,  who  were  purposely  taken 
prisoners,  he  completely  deceived  the  enemy  as  to  his  inten- 
Jions.  In  the  meantime,  preparations  were  rapidly  made  to 
leave.  The  mountain  was  mined  so  as  to  tumble  the  cliffs  upon 
the  road  in  his  rear,  the  heavy  siege  guns  were  destroyed,  and, 
on  the  16th,  a  large  train  started  for  Manchester.  All  that 
night,  and  the  next  day,  the  work  went  on.  At  evening, 
the  pickets  were  quietly  withdrawn,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Gallup,  with  two  hundred  chosen  men,  was  directed  to  hold 
the  enemy  in  check,  and,  if  he  attempted  to  follow,  to  give 
the  alarm  by  blowing  up  the  magazine.  Before  he  should 
finally  leave  the  Gap,  he  was  ordered  to  fire  the  military 
storehouse,  commissary's  and  quartermasters'  buildings,  and 
tents,  and  then  spring  the  mine  that  would  unseat  the  cliffs, 
and  hurl  them  into  the  road  behind  the  retreating  army. 
Five  picked  men  were  stationed  at  each  magazine,  to  which 
the  trains  were  already  laid,  and  five  more  at  a  pit  in  which 
were  piled  several  thousand  stand  of  arms,  mostly  loaded, 
who  at  a  given  signal  were  to  apply  the  torch,  and  set  the 
volcano  in  motion.  Gallup,  having  stationed  his  pickets, 
went  forward  with  a  flag  of  truce,  and  by  adroit  management 
effectually  deceived  the  enemy  respecting  Morgan's  designs. 
When  he  knew,  by  certain  signs,  that  the  army  was  well  in 
motion,  he  took  his  leave,  saying  that  he  would  call  in  the 
morning  and  get  the  answer  to  his  flag  of  truce.  He  then 
visited  his  pickets,  telling  them  to  dispute  every  inch  of 
ground,  and  repaired  to  Baird's  head-quarters,  where  he 
found  Morgan  sitting  on  his  horse,  and  with  a  serious,  anx 
ious  face,  watching  his  retiring  columns.  It  was  now  ten 
o'clock  at  night,  and  the  crisis  of  the  fate  of  the  army  was 


A     GRAND     SPECTACLE.  109 

fast  approaching.  Turning  to  Gallup,  Morgan  said:  "You 
have  a  highly  important  duty  to  perform ;  this  ammunition 
and  these  arms  and  military  stores  must  not  fall  into  the  hands 
of  the  enemy.  I  hope  you  will  not  be  captured."  "Fare 
well,"  he  added,  and  bowing,  rode  off  into  the  gloom.  The 
night  wore  on,  and  Gallup,  sending  off  his  small  force  to  a 
place  of  safety,  directed  three  men — Markham,  O'Brien  and 
Thad.  Reynolds  as  he  was  called — the  boldest  scout  and  spy 
in  the  army — to  kindle  the  conflagration.  As  the  flames 
rolled  heavenward,  he  gave  the  signal  to  fire  the  trains.  To 
his  astonishment,  no  answering  explosion  followed,  and  wait 
ing  a  sufficient  time,  he  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  galloped 
to  the  spot.  Not  a  soul  was  to  be  found — all  had  gone  for 
ward  to  the  main  column.  Seizing  some  burning  fagots, 
he  fired  the  trains  with  his  own  hands,  and  mounting  his 
horse,  dashed  down,  the  Gap.  He  had  barely  reached  a  safe 
distance,  when  the  first  explosion  followed,  sending  the  huge 
rocks  in  every  direction.  The  conflagration  in  the  valley 
below  was  now  in  full  headway,  and  the  scene  became  in 
describably  grand.  The  savage  precipices  reddened  like  fire 
in  the  sudden  illumination,  and  the  whole  midnight  gorge 
shone  brighter  than  at  noon-day.  Gallup,  sitting  on  his 
horse,  that  glowed  like  a  fiery  steed  in  the  intense  glare 
of  the  flames,  gazed  with  silent  awe  on  the  wild  work  his 
hands  had  wrought.  Said  he :  u  Every  fissure  and  opening 
in  the  cliffs  around  me,  was  visible.  The  trees  and  rocks 
upon  their  sides,  at  any  time  picturesque  and  interesting, 
were  now  grand  in  their  beauty.  It  was  a  scene  more  like 
enchantment  than  reality.  I  gazed,  lost  in  admiration.  But 
suddenly  the  scene  changed.  The  large  magazine,  with  its 
rich  stores  of  powder  and  fixed  ammunition,  exploded. 
The  explosion  shook  the  mountains  like  a  toy  in  the  hands 
of  a  monster.  The  air  was  filled  with  dense  smoke,  so  that 
I  could  scarcely  breathe.  Huge  masses  of  rock,  cartridge- 


110  A    COMPLETE    RUIN. 

boxes,  barrels  of  powder,  and  other  materials,  were  blown 
to  an  indescribable  height,  and  went  whirling  through  the 
air  in  wild  confusion,  falling,  in  some  instances,  more  than  a 
mile  from  the  exploding  magazine.  A  moment  after,  the 
burning  roof  of  a  building  a  hundred  and  eighty  feet  long, 
used  as  a  store-house  on  the  mountain,  fell  in,  and  set  fire  to 
the  shells  stored  there."  Before  the  blazing  embers  that  shot 
in  a  fiery  shower  heavenward  had  descended  to  the  earth 
again,  the  explosion  took  place,  sounding  like  a  thousand 
cannon  let  off  there  at  once,  in  the  trembling  gorge. 
Lighted  on  its  way  by  such  a  sea  of  flame,  and  keeping  step 
to  such  stern  and  awful  music,  did  that  gallant  army  move 
off  into  the  night,  and  turn  its  face  towards  the  distant  Ohio. 

But  'the  terrific  fusilade  made  by  the  discharging  guns  and 
bursting  shells,  was  kept  up  there  among  the  solitary  crags 
until  noon.  The  rebels  beyond  the  ridge  were  filled  with  con 
sternation,  as  they  gazed  on  the  lurid  sky,  and  felt  the  earth 
quake  shock,  and  knew  not  what  the  strange  uproar  meant. 
When,  at  last,  they  were  informed,  by  an  inhabitant  of  the 
region,  that  Morgan  had  evacuated  the  Gap,  they  dared  not 
approach  it  till  three  o'clock  the  next  day,  for  fear  of  explod 
ing  shells  and  mines.  When  they  did  venture  near,  they 
gazed  around  in  blank  astonishment.  Silence  and  desolation 
reigned  throughout  the  gorge,  while  the  rocks  lay  piled  along 
it,  in  one  wild  wreck,  heaved  there  by  the  exploding  mines. 

Morgan  had  done  his  work  thoroughly  and  well,  but  the 
mighty  task  before  him  was  only  just  commenced.  Two  hund 
red  miles  of  such  a  country  as  lay  before  him,  were  never 
before  marched  over,  by  ten  thousand  men,  with  artillery  and 
no  supplies,  while  a  vast  army  was  closing  in  upon  them  on 
-every  side.  As  if  to  cloud  the  beginning  of  his  great  en 
deavor  with  increasing  gloom,  towards  morning  a  pelting 
rain  set  in,  accompanied  with  fierce  gusts  of  wind  that  swept 
mournfully  over  the  swiftly  advancing  columns.  Ten  ladies, 


THE    RETREAT.  Ill 

the  wives  and  daughters  of  officers,  were  with  .the"  army, .  to 
share  its  perils  and  its  fortunes. 

Morgan  marched  by  two  parallel  roads,  and  so  rapidly, 
that  by  morning  his  advance  brigade  was  at  Flat  Lick, 
twenty  miles  from  the  Gap,  which  he  had  left  the  night  before. 
By  evening,  the  army  was  at  Manchester.  Here  Morgan 
halted  a  day,  to  complete  the  organization  of  his  forces,  and 
gird  himself  for  the  long  and  doubtful  race  before  him.  Before 
he  was  ready  to  start,  the  enemy's  bugles  were  sounding  in  his 
rear,  while  the  scouts  brought  in  the  tidings  that  a  brigade  of 
cavalry,  under  the  notorious  Morgan,  was  hovering  around  his 
line  of  march.  He  learned  also  that  Humphrey  Marshall  was 
moving  to  cut  his  line  of  march  to  the  north.  In  fact,  so  peril 
ous  was  his  condition,  that  Gen.  Jones,  afterwards  taken  pris 
oner  by  us,  confessed,  that  had  Morgan  delayed  his  retreat  but 
a  single  day,  his  last  avenue  of  escape  would  have  been  closed. 

The  storm  was  rapidly  gathering,  on  every  side  of  him, 
and  nothing  but  swift  marching  could  save  him.  A  single 
inefficient  or  negligent  officer  might  work  his  ruin ;  but  a 
truer  set  of  subordinates,  or  a  more  devoted  body  of  soldiers, 
never  closed  around  a  brave  Commander.  Generals  Spears, 
Carter  and  Baird,  and  Colonel  De  Coucy,  led  their  respective 
commands,  with  a  skill  that  won  the  admiration  and  praise 
of  all.  It  was  fortunate  that  he  had,  as  topographical  engi 
neer  with  him,  Captain  Sidney  Lyons,  who,  as  State  Geolo 
gist  of  Kentucky,  had  surveyed  this  whole  region.  He  knew 
it  so  well,  that  he  told  Morgan  that  he  doubted,  even  if  he 
could  succeed  in  getting  his  artillery  trains  over  the  terrible 
roads  he  must  travel,  whether  he  could  subsist  the  army  in  such 
a  country,  during  the  short  time  it  would  take  to  traverse  it. 

It  is  impossible  to  give  a  detailed  account  of  this  extraor 
dinary  retreat.  The  army  moved  in  a  lengthened  line,  wind 
ing  over  the  rocky,  broken,  sterile  region  like  a  huge  serpent ; 
the  heavy  rumbling  of  the  trains  and  guns,  the  only  music 


112  SUFFERING    OF    THE    ARMY. 

of-  the  march.  When  it  came  to  a  cross-road,  it  would  rap 
idly  concentrate,  to  prevent  flank  attacks  of  the  enemy's 
cavalry,  and  as  soon  as  the  dangerous  point  was  passed,  un 
wind  again,  and  press  forward.  The  streams  were  all  dry, 
mocking  with  their  stony  beds  the  thirst  of  the  weary  sol 
diers.  Sometimes,  water  could  be  got  only  by  pulling  it  up 
from  crevices  in  the  cliffs,  eighty  or  a  hundred  feet  deep ; 
and  one  day,  the  army  was  compelled  to  march  thirty-four 
miles  in  order  to  reach  water.  So  constantly  and  dreadfully 
did  the  soldiers  suffer  for  want  of  it,  that  they  began  to  talk 
of  the  distant  Ohio,  as  the  eitd  of  all  human  desires.  They 
suffered,  too,  from  want  of  food,  as  the  enemy  destroyed 
everything  before  them  on  which  they  could  lay  their  hands. 
Even  the  officers  and  women  grew  faint  as  they  marched 
along,  gnawed  by  the  pangs  of  hunger.  One  day,  all  that 
Morgan  had  to  sustain  life  was  a  single  ear  of  parched  corn, 
and  on  another  day,  all  that  he  and  his  staff  together  had, 
was  a  dozen  potatoes.  Occasionally,  a  field  of  standing 
corn  was  passed,  which  sufficed  to  keep  them  from  starva 
tion.  On  one  occasion,  as  Morgan  was  riding  along  the  col 
umn,  he  passed  the  wife  of  one  of  his  colonels,  sitting  on  a 
log,  looking  faint  and  pale.  Stopping  a  moment,  he  said : 
"  I  hope  you  are  not  ill."  u  Oh,  no,"  she  replied,  u  I  am  well, 
General."  uBut,"  she  added,  with  a  wan  smile,  UI  have 
eaten  but  once  in  forty-eight  hours."  Famine  was  staring 
him  and  his  gallant  army  in  the  face,  but  there  was  no  mur 
muring,  no  complaint.  The  roads  were  blockaded  with 
fallen  trees  and  rocks,  which  had  to  be  removed,  or  a  new 
road  cut  around  them ;  and  the  crack  of  rifles  from  the 
thickets  along  their  line  of  march,  and  from  barricades  in 
front,  and  the  report  of  forces  gathering  in  advance,  kept 
them  ever  on  the  alert,  and  hard  at  work,  and  constantly 
moving.  The  usual  September  storm,  even  a  little  delay, 
would  probably  have  sealed  the  fate  of  the  army ;  but  the 


A    THRILLING    SHOUT.  113 

bright  autumnal  weather  enabled  them  to.  march  steadily, 
and  thus  keep  the  advantage  they  had  gained  at  the  start, 
to  the  last.  The  rebel  Morgan  and  Marshall  were  both  in 
his  front,  and  an  overwhelming  force  in  his  rear,  but  the 
latter  could  not  overtake  him,  while  he  moved  so  rapidly 
that  the  former  had  no  time  to  concentrate  a  sufficient  force 
to  arrest  his  progress.  Occasional  conflicts  with  small  bodies 
occurred,  in  which  a  few  of  his  men  fell,  and  were  hastily 
buried  in  the  sterile  fields  past  which  they  marched. 

Thus,  day  after  day,  for  nearly  a  fortnight,  this  wonderful 
retreat  was  kept  up,  until  at  length,  on  the  3d  of  October,'  the 
advance  brigade,  as  it  reached  a  lofty  swell,  caught  a  glimpse 
of  the  lordly  Ohio,  rolling  its  glittering  flood  through  the 
distant  landscape.  At  the  glad  sight,  a  thrilling  shout  went 
up,  and  "  The  Ohio  !  The  Ohio  !  "  rolled  like  thunder  down  the 
excited  line.  Each  regiment  and  brigade  took  it  up  in  turn,  till 
u  The  Ohio !  The  Ohio  !  "  rose  and  fell  in  prolonged  and  jubilant 
acclamation  for  miles  away,  along  the  weary  column.  It  re 
called  the  time  when  the  German  army  sent  up  in  a  wild  shout, 
"  The  Rhine !  The  Rhine !  "  as  they  once  more  came  in  sight 
of  their  native  stream,  and  joy  and  gladness  filled  every  heart. 

Morgan  was  at  last  safe.  Right  nobly  had  he  won  the 
race.  By  his  foresight,  energy  and  indomitable  persever 
ance,  he  had  escaped  from  the  trap  in  which  an  inefficient 
General-in-Chief  had  allowed  him  to  be  caught.  He  had 
saved  his  entire  train,  and  lost  but  eighty  men  since  he 
moved  out  of  the  Gap.  Instead,  however,  of  congratulating 
him  on  his  skill  and  success,  in  his  report  sent  into  Congress 
the  following  Winter,  Halleck  had  the  injustice  to  censure 
him  for  evacuating  the  Gap,  saying  that  "an  investigation 
had  been  ordered."  No  one,  however,  was  deceived  by  it. 
The  public  had  long  known  the  situation  of  Morgan,  and, 
that  unless  his  communications  were  opened,  and  supplies 
sent  him,  he  and  his  army  were  lost ;  and  hence,  instead 


114  GROSS    INJUSTICE. 

o£  condemning  him,  felt  unbounded  gratitude,  that  he  had 
outwitted  the  enemy,  and  saved  his  army  and  guns.  But 
the  General-in-Chief  was  guilty  of  deception,  as  well  as  in 
justice.  When  he  said  that  "  an  investigation  had  been 
ordered,"  it  had  not  only  been  ordered  but  finished,  and  the 
report  laid  on  his  table  six  weeks  previous.  He  himself  had 
directed  Major-General  Wright  to  make  this  investigation ; 
and,  in  his  report,  the  latter  said  he  u  did  not  see  how,  with 
starvation  staring  him  (Morgan)  in  the  face,  and  with  no 
certainty  of  relief  being  afforded,  he  could  have  come  to  any 
other  conclusion  than  the  one  he  arrived  at,"  &c.  He  stated 
also  that  it  was  unanimously  decided,  in  a  council  of  war,  to  be 
the  only  course  left,  if  he  would  avoid  a  surrender  of  his  army. 
When  Morgan,  who  was  at  Memphis,  saw  Halleck's  report, 
stung  by  its  gross  injustice,  he  immediately  wrote  to  him, 
demanding  a  court  of  inquiry  or  court-martial,  at  once,  be 
fore  which  he  could  be  heard.  Halleck,  in  reply,  said  "  that 
General  Wright  was  directed  some  time  since  to  investigate 
and  report  the  facts  concerning  that  affair,  and  if  that  report 
shall  be  satisfactory,  no  further  proceedings  will  be  required, 
and  you  will  be  relieved  from  all  blame."  Morgan  imme 
diately  wrote  to  General  Wright,  and  found  to  his  astonish 
ment,  that  he  had  sent  in  his  report  the  October  previous, 
exonerating  him  from  all  blame,  and  that  this  report  was  in 
Halleck's  hands  when  he  made  out  his  own  report.  That  the 
latter  should  be  guilty  of  the  gross  injustice  of  casting  censure 
on  a  brave  officer,  in  order  to  cover  up  his  own  short-comings, 
is  perhaps  not  surprising ;  but  that  he  should  put  on  record 
statements,  which,  placed  side  by  side,  present  him  in 
such  a  painful  aspect  to  the  public,  is  certainly  very  remark 
able.  The  whole  campaign  as  planned,  was  a  palpable 
blunder,  and  it  was  natural  that  he  should  put  the  blame 
of  failure  upon  some  one  else ;  but  this  mode  of  doing  it 
admits  of  no  excuse. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

STATE  OF  AFFAIRS  IN  THE  WEST EAST  TENNESSEE ARKANSAS BATTLE  OF 

PRAIRIE  GROVE FORREST'S  RAID  IN  KENTUCKY SURRENDER  OF  HARTS- 

VILLE,  TENNESSEE BUTLER?S  DEPARTMENT EXPEDITION  AGAINST  VICKS- 

BURG SURRENDER  OF  HOLLY  SPRINGS ASSAULT  UPON  VICKSBURG GAL 
LANTRY  OF  GENERAL  BLAIR SHERMAN  SUPERSEDED  BY  MC  CLERNAND 

ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC MC  CLELLAN  DELAYS  TO  MOVE CORRESPONDENCE 

.  BETWEEN  HIM  AND  HALLECK RAID  OF  STUART MC  CLELLAN  ORDERED  BY 

THE  PRESIDENT  TO  MOVE HIS  ADVANCE SUPERSEDED  BY  BURNSIDE 

PARTING  WITH  THE  ARMY REVIEW  OF  MC  CLELLAN's  CAMPAIGN  AGAINST 

RICHMOND. 

DURING  this  month,  October,  while  East  Tennessee  had 
again  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  General  Blunt, 
by  a  vigorous  attack  on  the  rebel  Hindman,  at  Fort  Wayne, 
Arkansas,  had  routed  him,  capturing  his  artillery,  and  thus 
relieved  South-western  Missouri  from  rebel  depredations. 
In  the  latter  part  of  the  month,  General  Herron  dispersed  a 
large  band  of  guerrillas,  near  Fayetteville,  in  Missouri. 
November  passed  without  any  battles  of  moment,  though 
throughout  the  West,  constant  fighting  was  going  on  between 
detached  forces.  But  in  the  last  of  this  month,  Gen.  Blunt, 
who  was  fast  rising  into  distinction,  was  pressing  hard  against 
the  rebel  forces  under  Hindman  and  Marmaduke  in  Arkansas. 
At  Cane  Hill,  after  a  sharp  contest,  he  forced  the  enemy  to 
retreat.  A  few  days  after,  however,  learning  that  Hindman 
,and  Marmaduke,  in  conjunction,  were  moving  from  different 
points  in  heavy  force  to  attack  him,  he  immediately  began 
to  concentrate  his  troops,  and  on  Friday,  the  7th  of  Decem 
ber,  gave  him  battle  at  Prairie  'Grove, 


116  AFFAIRS    WEST. 


BATTLE     OF    PRAIRIE    GROVE. 

General  Herron,  who,  in  obedience  to  orders  from  General 
Blunt,  endeavored  to  join  him,  was  attacked  by  an  over 
whelming  force,  but,  by  the  most  gallant  fighting,  held  his 
own  until  Blunt  formed  a  junction  with  him.  It  was  a  beau 
tiful  day,  and,  the  battle  occurring  in  a  comparatively  open 
country,  the  scene  it  presented  was  picturesque  and  thrilling. 
It  lasted  till  night-fall,  apparently  without  any  decisive  re 
sults.  But  the  next  morning  it  was  found  that  the  enemy 
had  retreated.  Herron  and  Blunt  had  out-generaled  the 
enemy  and  defeated  him,  though  superior  in  numbers,  in 
a  fair  field  fight.  Our  loss  was  a  little  over  a  thousand, 
while  that  of  the  rebels  must  have  been  nearly  three 
times  as  great.  Soon  after,  hearing  that  Hindman  was  at 
Van  Buren,  Blunt  pushed  on  and  captured  it. 

In  Kentucky,  Forrest's  great- raid  was  the  important  event 
of  the  month  of  December.  He  seemed  to  go  where  he 
liked  with  his  half-wild  followers,  sending  consternation 
through  the  country.  Elizabethtown  was  captured  by  Mor 
gan  on  the  27th,  and  a  large  amount  of  property  destroyed. 

The  shameful  surrender  of  Hartsville,  Tennessee,  with 
some  fifteen  hundred  men,  this  month,  awakened  the  deepest 
indignation,  and  disgraced  the  troops  left  to  hold  it. 

On  the  last  day  of  the  month,  Forrest  was  defeated  at 
Parker's  Cross  Roads  by  Sullivan,  with  a  loss  of  a  thousand 
men ;  but,  on  the  whole,  affairs  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee 
at  the  close  of  the  year,  were  in  a  very  unsatisfactory  con 
dition. 

The  Department  of  New  Orleans  furnished  nothing  more 
important  than  the  retirement  of  Butler,  on^the  15th  of  De 
cember,  and  the  appointment  of  Banks  in  his  place.  The 
month  previous,  at  Bayou  Teche,  fourteen  miles  from  Bra- 


VICKSBURG.  117 

shear  City,  a  fight  occurred  between  five  Union  gunboats  and 
a  large  rebel  force,  supported  by  the  gunboat  Cotton,  which 
resulted  in  the  retreat  of  the  enemy  and  the  escape  of  the 
gunboat. 

Up  the  Mississippi,  however,  more  important  events  were 
transpiring.  Grant,  in  command,  planned  an  expedition  to 
take  Vicksburg,  which,  though  it  proved  a  sad  failure,  was- 
the  beginning  of  the  great  measures  to  open  that  river  to 
our  fleet.  The  plan  was,  for  Sherman  with  his  army  to  move 
straight  on  the  place,  and  attempt  to  carry  it  by  assault, 
while  Grant  himself  was  to  advance  against  Jackson  City,  and 
attack  the  enemy  there,  to  keep  him  from  sending  troops 
to  Vicksburg.  ,  ^,. 

Sherman  left  Memphis  on  the  20th  day  of  December,  and 
the  day  after  Christmas,  entered  the  Yazoo,  and  ascended  it 
nearly  to  Haines'  Bluff.  Here  the  army  was  disembarked, 
and  moved  down  towards  Vicksburg. 

The  gunboats  had  previously,  on  the  26th,  assaulted  the 
eight-gun  battery  on  the  bluff,  but  were  unable  to  silence  it. 

In  the  meantime,  disaster  had  overtaken  Grant,  so  that 
his  co-operation  became  impossible.  Holly  Springs,  on  which 
he  partly  relied  for  supplies,  was  attacked  and  disgrace 
fully  surrendered.  This  brought  him  to  a  halt,  and  the 
rebel  forces, '  that  he  expected  to  keep  back  from  Vicksburg 
were  left  free  to  reinforce  the  place. 

Sherman,  however,  ignorant  of  all  this,  proceeded  to  carry 
out  his  part  of  the  plan,  and,  on  the  27th  day  of  December, 
advanced  with  his  accustomed  rapidity  against  the  city,  and 
before  night  drove  the  enemy  from  his  outer  lines.  For  the 
next  two  days  he  continued  to  press  the  assault,  and  on  the 
29th,  a  series  of  charges  was  made  with  a  fury  amounting 
almost  to  desperation.  "Blair's  brigade,  in  the  advance, 
emerging  from  the  cover  of  a  cypress  forest,  came  upon  an 
intricate  abattis  of  young  trees,  felled  about  three  feet  from 


118  A    GALLANT    ATTACK. 

the  ground,  with  the  tops  left  interlacing  each  other  in  con 
fusion.  Beyond  the  abattis  was  a  deep  ditch,  with  quick 
sand  at  the  bottom,  and  several  feet  of  water  over  it.  Be 
yond  the  ditch  was  a  more  impenetrable  abattis  of  heavy 
timber.  All  this  was  swept  by  a  murderous  fire  from  the 
enemy's  artillery.  Yet,  through  and  over  it  all,  the  brigade 
gallantly  charged,  and  drove  the  enemy  from  his  rifle  pits 
at  the  base  of  the  center  hill,  on  which  the  city  lay.  Other 
brigades  now  came  up  in  support,  and  the  second  line  was 
carried ;  and  still  up  the  hill  pressed  the  heroic  advance." 

But  it  was  all  in  vain.  The  city  was  impregnable  to  so 
small  a  force,  and  reluctantly,  the  storming  party  yielded  up 
their  hardly  earned  conquests,  Blair's  brigade  losing  one- 
third  of  his  men  in  the  daring  assault.* 

Sherman  now  saw  it  was  a  hopeless  task,  and,  under  a  flag 
of  truce  burying  his  men,  re-embarked  his  army  and  pro 
ceeded  to  Young's  Point.  Here  McClernand  assumed  com 
mand,  and  the  army  was  divided  into  two  corps,  which  were 
placed  under  Sherman  and  Morgan.  In  announcing  the 
change  of  command,  Sherman  complimented  his  troops,  add 
ing  :  "  Ours  was  but  part  of  a  combined  movement  in  which 
others  were  to  assist.  We  were  in  time  ;  unforeseen  con 
tingencies  must  have  delayed  the  others.  We  have  destroyed 
the  Shreveport  road ;  we  have  attacked  Yicksburg,  t  and 
pushed  the  attack  as  far  as  prudence  would  justify,  and, 
having  found  it  too  strong  for  our  single  column,  we  have 
drawn  off  in  good  order  and  good  spirits,  ready  for  any 


new  move." 


In  the  East,  the  year  had  closed  disastrously  to  our  arms. 
McClellan,  after  the  Battle  of  Antietam,  rested  so  long  a  time 
on  the  north  side  of  the  Potomac,  that  the  President  and  his 
advisers  became  impatient,  and  urged  an  immediate  advance 


Col.  Bowman. 


STUART'S     II A  ID.  119 

of  the  army.  McClellan,  in  reply,  stated  that  the  troops 
were  not  in  a  fit  condition  to  move,  that  they  lacked  clothing, 
supplies,  horses,  in  short,  could  not  march  against  the  enemy, 
with  any  prospect  of  success.  The  correspondence  between 
McClellan  and  Halleck  at  this  time,  is  one  of  the  most  ex 
traordinary  developments  of  the  war — the  former  repeating 
his  needs,  and  urging  that  they  be  immediately  supplied, 
and  the  latter,  flatly  contradicting  him,  affirming  that  he  had 
clothing,  horses,  everything  necessary.  That  the  Commander 
of  the  army  in  the  field,  who  had  just  saved  Washington 
and  won  a  great  victory,  should  not  know  what  his  troops 
stood  in  want  of — in  fact,  should  be  told,  over  and  over 
again,  that  they  had  shoes,  and  clothing,  and  horses,  right 
against  the  testimony  of  his  own  eyes,  and  the  reports  of  his 
own  officers — is  a  singular  exhibition  of  want  of  harmony 
of  action.  The  President  seemed  to  think  that  Halleck  was 
right,  and,  acting  in  accordance  with  the  views  of  the  latter, 
on  the  6th  of  October,  directed  that  the  army  move  at  once, 
while  the  roads  were  good.  Four  days. after,  the  rebel  Stu 
art  crossed  the  Potomac  with  eighteen  hundred  men,  on  a  raid 
into  Pennsylvania,  and  so  utterly  was  McClellan  deficient  in 
horses,  that  he  could  mount  but  eight  hundred  men  to  fol 
low  him — a  sad  comment  on  Halleck's  assertions.  It  was 
on  this  account,  that  the  rebel  force,  after  penetrating  to- 
Chambersburg,  some  twenty  miles  in  rear  of  the  army,  was 
able  to  make  its  way  safely  back  to  Virginia — having  com 
pleted  the  entire  circuit  of  the  Federal  forces.  The  success 
ful  return  of  this  daring  expedition  was  a  cause  of  deep 
mortification,  and  kindled  into  greater  strength  the  general 
desire  that  McClellan  should  move  at  once  against  the  enemy. 
At  length,  he  put  the  army  in  motion,  and  on  the  26th  of 
October,  began  to  cross  the  Potomac  at  Berlin,  designing  to 
move  parallel  with  the  Blue  Ridge,  holding  each  Gap  as  he: 
advanced — Warrenton  being  the  point  of  general  direction. 

38 


120  MCCLELLAN     REMOVED. 

By  the  5th  of  November,  he  had  planted  his  head-quarters 
at  Warrenton — his  army  well  in  hand,  and  ready  to  close  in 
a  great  struggle  with  the  enemy — when  he  received  a  tele 
gram  from  Washington,  relieving  him  from  the  command  of 
the  army,  and  ordering  him  to  turn  it  over  to  Burnside. 

The  announcement  of  this  sudden  change  of  leaders  at 
this  critical  juncture,  fell  like  a  thunderbolt  on  the  army  and 
the  nation,  and  awakened  for  a  time  the  gravest  fears  as  to 
its  result.  The  reason  given  by  HalLeck — that  it  was  done 
because  McClellan  disobeyed  orders — -if  the  true  one,  should 
have  caused  his  removal  a  month  before,  when,  directed 
to  move  at  once  across  the  Potomac,  he  had  delayed  until 
he  thought  he  could  do  so  with  any  prospect  of  success. 

His  parting  with  the  army  was  a  sad  one  to  him  and  the 
troops,  for  it  was  the  child  of  his  creation,  and  common 
sufferings  and  dangers  had  endeared  them  to  each  other. 
None  saw  him  leave,  with  keener  regret,  than  Burnside  him 
self,  who  did  not  wish  to  accept  the  position  forced  on  him — 
openly  declaring  that  McClellan  was  the  only  man  fit  to 
occupy  it. 

This  terminated  McClellan's  connection  with  the  army, 
and  ended  the  first  great  chapter  of  the  war.  Public  opinion 
will  always  be  more  or  less  divided  as  to  his  merits  as  a 
^Commander,  and  the  partisan  character  which  the  whole 
question  at  once  assumed,  rendered  a  just  discussion  of  it 
impossible ;  and  not,  till  the  generation  to  which  he  belongs 
shall  have  passed  away,  will  his  conduct,  during  the  two  years 
and  upwards  that  he  was  at  the  head  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  be  judged  simply  by  the  rules  of  military  criticism. 
But  there  are  two  great  facts  which  do  not  admit  of  dis 
cussion.  The  first  is,  that  the  failure  of  the  Peninsular  cam 
paign  rendered  a  long  and  tedious  war  inevitable.  The 
second  is,  that  a  great  campaign  cannot  be  successfully  carried 
on,  by  a  divided  power  and  conflicting  counsels. 


CHAPTER  «YIII, 

BURNSIDE    ADVANCES    ON    FREDERTCKSBURG — HIS    DESIGN IS  DISAPPOINTED 

RESOLVES    TO    CARRY    THE    HEIGHTS     BY    ASSAULT TERRIFIC    BOMBARDMENT 

OF    THE    PLACE A    STRIKING    SCENE GALLANTRY    OF    THE    SEVENTH  MICHI 
GAN THE    SHARPSHOOTERS CROSSING    OF    THE    RIVER THE    BATTLE THE 

DEFEAT THE    ARMY    RECROSSES     THE     RIVER FEELING    OF    THE    PEOPLE 

BURNSIDE  TAKES  THE  RESPONSIBILITY REVIEW  OF  THE  CAMPAIGN SECOND 

ATTEMPT     MADE     AND     ABANDONED THE     SOUTHERN     DEPARTMENT DEATH 

OF    MITCHELL FOSTER'S     EXPEDITION     INTO      NORTH    CAROLINA CLOSE     OF 

THE    YEAR, 

BATTLE   OF    FREDERICKSBURG. 

TEN  days  after  the  removal  of  McClellan,  Burnside  broke 
up  his  head-quarters,  and  commenced  a  rapid  march  to 
Fredericksburg,  with  the  design  of  capturing  the  place  be 
fore  Lee's  main  army  could  reach  it,  and  thus  to  cut  off  his 
retreat  towards  Richmond,  and  compel  him  to  a  decisive  battle 
in  the  field.  But  the  pontoon  trains,  without  which  the 
army  could  not  cross  the  river,  did  not  arrive  from  Wash 
ington  at  the  expected  time.  Consequently,  it  lay  idly  on 
the  banks  of  the  Rappahannock  till  nearly  the  middle  of 
the  next  month.  Ample  time  was  therefore  given  to  Lee 
to  counteract  the  intended  movement,  and  make  that  which 
at  first  seemed  feasible,  an  impossibility.  Still,  Burnside 
did  not  abandon  the  project  of  taking  the  place,  and,  think 
ing  that  the  most  desperate  movement  would  be  never 
anticipated  by  the  enemy — viz.,  a  direct  assault  up  an  open 
slope,  upon  his  intrenched  positions,  held  by  an  ample  force, 
with  interior  lines  equally  formidable — determined  to  hazard 
it  The  country  back  of  Fredericksburg  rises  in  successive 
terraces,  to  the  heights  on  which  Lee's  army  lay  intrenched. 


122  THE    BOMBARDMENT. 

This  line  of  heights  curves  in  towards  the  river,  some  three 
miles  below  the  city,  where  it  is  wooded.  Here  the  right 
of  Lee's  army  rested.  At  this  point  also,  Franklin,  com 
manding  our  left  wing,  was  directed  to  cross  with  his  corps, 
and,  if  possible,  turn  the  enemy's  flank,  while  the  main  army 
was  to  cross  directly  at  the  city,  and  move  in  one  grand  as 
sault  up  the  heights.  For  two  days  before  the  battle,  the 
banks  of  the  Rappahannock  presented  a  stirring  spectacle. 
The  moving  of  masses  of  troops,  the  far-echoing  notes  of 
the  bugle,  the  heavy  tramp  of  the  marching  columns,  pre 
paratory  to  the  great  "  day  of  decision,"  the  sullen  thunder 
peals  that  rolled  along  the  heights  on  either  side  of  the  river, 
dark  with  long  rows  of  cannon — combined  to  make  a  scene 
at  once  grand  and  fearful.  On  Thursday,  the  place  was 
bombarded,  in  order  to  drive  out  the  sharpshooters  who 
prevented  the  laying  of  the  pontoons,  and  a  hundred  and 
seventy-nine  guns  opened  at  once  on  the  town.  At  the 
commencement  of  this  terrific  cannonade,  that  shook  the 
shores  of  the  river  like  an  earthquake,  the  city  was  en 
veloped  in  a  dense  fog — a  spire  here  and  there,  pierc 
ing  above  the  sleeping  mass,  alone  revealing  its  locality. 
As  the  awful  bombardment  went  on,  dark  columns  of 
smoke,  shooting  fiercely  through  the  white  sea  of  mist, 
told  where  building  after  building  was  fired  by  the  shells. 
About  noon  the,  fog  lifted,  and,  drifting  gently  away, 
revealed  the  city  in  flames.  All  day  long,  the  deep  rever 
berations  shook  the  shore,  and  rolled  heavily  away  over  the 
trembling  earth,  and  when  the  blood-red  sun  went  down  in 
the  hazy  sky,  it  shed  a  lurid  light  on  field  and  river,  and 
frowning  heights,  and  miles  of  quiet  tents.  "  As  the  air  dark 
ened,  the  red  flashes  of  the  guns  gave  a  new  effect  to  the 
scene— the  roar  of  each  report  being  preceded  by  a  fierce 
dart  of  flame,  while  the  explosion  of  each  shell  was  an- 
iiounced  by  a  gush  of  fire  on  the  clouds.  Towering  between 


A    GALLANT    DASH.  123 

us  and  the  western  sky,  which  was  still  showing  its  faded 
scarlet  lining,  was  the  huge,  somber  pillar  of  grimy  smoke 
that  marked  the  burning  of  Fredericksburg.  Ascending  to 
a  vast  height,  it  bore  away  northward,  shaped  like  a  plume 
bowed  in  the  wind." 

The  guns,  however,  could  not  be  depressed  enough  to 
reach  the  houses  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  in  which  the 
sharpshooters  lay  concealed.  If  these  could  be  dislodged,  the 
pontoons  might  be  laid,  for  the  river  ran  so  deep  between 
its  banks,  that  Lee  could  not  command  it  with  his  batteries. 

To  do  this,  the  Seventh  Michigan  volunteered  to  cross 
over  in  boats,  under  the  fire  of  the  sharpshooters,  and  expel 
them  with  the  bayonet  In  ten  boats,  holding  twenty-five  or 
thirty  men  each,  the  regiment  pushed  off  with  a  ringing 
cheer,  and,  pulling  straight  into  and  through  the  pattering 
balls,  reached  the  opposite  shore.  The  Nineteenth  and 
Twentieth  Massachusetts  followed,  and  the  rebels,  popping  up 
like  rats  from  behind  walls,  rifle  pits  and  heaps  of  rubbish, 
scampered  off  through  the  streets  of  the  city,  when  three 
pontoon  bridges  were  quickly  laid,  and  soon  shook  to  the 
tread  of  the  mighty  host. 

By  Saturday  morning,  the  13th,  the  army  was  across,  in 
cluding  Franklin's  Corps  down  the  river.  The  fog  lay  heavy 
and  still  along  the  river  and  plain,  and  shrouded  the  batteries 
in  gloom ;  yet  heavy  explosions  incessantly  shook  its  myste 
rious  bosom,  sounding  the  notes  of  preparation  to  the  mighty 
columns,  that,  wrapped  in  its  gray  mantle,  stood  in  battle 
array  on  the  further  side  of  the  river.  The  battle,  however, 
did  not  really  commence  till  nearly  noon,  when  the  order  to 
advance  was  given,  and  Couch's  Corps  moved  forward  into 
the  fire.  It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  din  and  carnage  that 
followed.  In  three  massive  columns,  our  brave  troops 
mounted  the  ascent,  but,  when  they  reached  the  second  ter 
race,  the  rebel  batteries,  with  a  rapid  and  concentrated  fire, 


124  THE    BATTLE. 

rained  shot  and  shell  in  a  ceaseless,  overwhelming  storm 
on  their  uncovered  ranks.  Horses  galloping  furiously  across 
the  plain — brigades  streaming  on  the  double-quick  through 
the  fiery  sleet,  that  made  great  gaps  in  them  as  they  passed — 
swaying  columns  bravely  endeavoring  to  breast  the  storm — 
the  ragged  front  of  battle  wildly  undulating  along  the 
slope — the  ceaseless  crash  of  cannon — all  combined  to  make 
a  scene  of  tumult  and  carnage  inconceivable,  indescribable. 
Said  Col.  Stevens,  in  his  report  to  the  Governor  of  New 
Hampshire :  "  For  three-fourths  of  an  hour,  I  stood  in  front 
of  my  regiment  on  the  brow  of  the  hill,  and  watched  the 
fire  of  the  rebel  batteries,  as  they  poured  shot  and  shell  from 
sixteen  different  points  upon  our  devoted  men  on  the  plains 
below.  It  was  a  sight  magnificently  terrible.  Every  dis 
charge  of  the  enemy's  artillery,  and  every  explosion  of  his 
shells,  was  distinctly  visible  in  the  dusky  twilight  of  that 
smoke-crowned  hill.  His  direct  and  enfilading  batteries, 
with  the  vividness,  intensity,  and  almost  the  rapidity  of  light 
ning,  hurled  the  messengers  of  death  into  the  midst  of  our 
brave  ranks,  vainly  struggling  through  the  murderous  fire 
to  gain  the  hills  and  guns  of  the  enemy."  The  dead  and 
wounded  were  borne  back  in  an  incessant  stream  to  the  city ; 
not  a  step  in  advance  was  gained ;  and  still  the  troops  were 
pressed  to  the  devastating  fire,  and  Death  held  high  carnival  in 
front  of  the  rebel  works.  "  Forward,  men — steady — close 
up  !  "  fell  from  firm-set  lips  that  the  next  moment  were  sealed  in 
death ;  and  deeds  of  personal  daring,  and  heroic  sacrifices  were 
made  by  regiments  and  brigades,  that  will  ever  render  them 
immortal.  But  it  was  vain  valor  and  vain  sacrifice.  Meagh- 
er's  Irish  brigade,  of  heroic  renown,  was  almost  annihilated. 
Below,  down  the  river,  the  thunder  of  Franklin's  guns  could 
be  heard,  rolling  up  the  banks,  but,  after  his  first  advance, 
the  heavy  explosions  came  from  the  same  spot,  showing  that 
he  was  making  no  progress  towards  accomplishing  the  task 


A    LOST     BATTLE.  125 

assigned  him.  Said  the  correspondent  of  the  Cincinnati 
Commercial:  "  It  was  with  a  deep  sense  of  relief,  that  I  saw 
the  sun  go  down,  and  felt  that  in  a  little  while,  darkness 
would  put  an  end  to  the  unequal  combat.  But,  for  a  time, 
the  fury  of  the  fire  on  both  sides  redoubled,  as  the  discovery 
was  made  by  the  combatants  that  their  day's  work  was  about 
done.  For  a  half  an  hour  the  din  was  awful,  and  the  smoke 
drifted  through  the  streets  as  sometimes  in  a  city,  when  there 
is  a  high  wind  and  a  great  dust.  *  *•  *  Franklin's  and 
Jackson's  guns  throbbed  heavily  a  few  times  on  the  left ; 
and  all  was  still  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  save  the  rum 
bling  of  army  wagons." 

At  length,  silence  rested  along  the  crimson  heights,  and 
the  battle  was  over.  Not  a  battery  had  been  taken  ;  not  a 
breastwork  carried ;  not  even  the  threshold  of  the  enemy's 
works  reached.  Like  men  led  out  to  execution,  the  brave 
battalions  had  been  marched  forth,  only  to  be  shot  down. 
It  was  literally  a  "field  of  slaughter." 

Burnside,  instead  of  carrying  the  heights  of  Fredericks- 
burg,  by  a  splendid  coup -de-main,  had  walked  boldly,  un 
suspectingly,  into  a  frightful  trap,  which  closed  on  him  with 
a  swift,  fatal  spring.  Though  no  impression  whatever  had 
been  made  on  the  enemy's  works — showing  that  our  fright 
ful  loss  was  a  dead  loss — that  every  life  had  been  thrown 
away — yet  Burnside  wished,  the  next  morning,  to  renew 
the  attack,  but  was  prevented  by  the  remonstrance  of  some 
of  his  Generals. 

He  reported  his  loss  at  less  than  ten  thousand,  but  it  after 
wards  turned  out  to  be  double  that  number.  Lee  reported 
his  entire  loss  to  be  only  eighteen  hundred. 

The  Sanitary  Commission  was  promptly  on  the  field,  and 
again  proved  to  the  country  what  an  admirable  institution 
it  was. 

Sunday  dawned  warm  and  balmy  as  October,   and  the 


126  THE    RIVER    RECROSSED. 

birds  sang  along  the  banks  of  the  Rappahannock,  as  merrily 
as  though  no  scenes  of  death  and  carnage  had  made  them 
as  memorable  as  the  shores  of  Trasymenus. 

Some  skirmishing  and  cannonading  followed,  but  on  Mon 
day  night,  the  wearied  and  bleeding  army  was  secretly, 
silently  transported  across  the  river,  the  pontoons  taken  up — 
and  the  great  campaign  was  ended. 

The  country  was  fearfully  excited  by  this  catastrophe, 
coming  so  quickly  on  the  heels  of  McClellan's  removal,  and 
abuse  was  poured  on  the  Government  from  every  quarter, 
until  Burnside  publicly  took  the  responsibility  of  the  whole 
movement  on  himself. 

Great  complaint  was  made  that  the  pontoons  were  not 
sent  forward  from  Washington,  in  time  to  meet  Burnside 
when  he  moved  from  Warrenton,  so  that  he  could  have 
crossed  at  once,  and  taken  possession  of  the  heights,  before 
the  enemy  had  time  to  occupy  them.  Hooker,  too,  thought, 
if  he  could  have  had  his  own  way,  he  might  have  seized  and 
held  them  in  advance.  There  are  always  supposed  events 
after  a  defeat,  which,  had  they  occurred,  would  have  made 
it  a  victory.  But  Lee  was  too  good  a  General  to  allow  his 
retreat  to  Richmond  to  be  cut  off  by  a  sudden  dash.  He 
showed  afterwards,  when  attacked  by  Hooker,  and  still  later, 
when  pressed  by  Grant  with  double  his  own  force,  that  nei 
ther  dash,  great  ability,  nor  overwhelming  numbers,  could 
accomplish  this  desired  object.  Still,  deeply  as  the  country 
was  mortified  at  the  defeat,  but  little  condemnation  of  Burn- 
side  openly  was  heard.  His  unwillingness  to  take  chief 
command,  his  modest  appreciation  of  his  own  abilities,  his 
known  moral  worth  and  true  patriotism,  warded  off  the 
blows,  that  afterwards  fell  fierce  and  fast  on.  Hooker,  who 
suffered  a  similar  defeat  near  the  same  place. 

Burnside  soon  after  planned  another  advance  movement, 
designed  to  retrieve  his  disasters,  and  had  actually  commenced 


GENERAL    MITCHELL.  127 

it,  but  heavy  rains  set  in,  which  turned  the  whole  country 
into  a  sea  of  niud,  and  it  was  abandoned. 

This  practically  closed  the  campaign  in  Virginia  for  the 
year.  The  rebels,  some  three  thousand  strong,  crossed  the 
Rappahannock  above  Burnside,  and  attacked  Dumfries,  but 
were  repulsed. 

Further  south,  but  little  was  accomplished.  General 
Mitchell,  the  celebrated  astronomer,  who  had  abandoned  his 
quiet  pursuits  at  the  call  of  his  country,  and,  under  Buell, 
acquired  the  reputation  of  a  skillful,  energetic  General,  but 
was  afterwards  relieved  from  his  command,  under  the  insane 
charge  of  speculating  in  cotton,  was  sent,  early  in  the  Au 
tumn,  to  the  Southern  Department  to  take  the  place  of  Hun 
ter.  He  immediately  infused  energy  and  life  into  affairs, 
and  great  results  were  expected  from  his  known  force  of 
character.  But  he  was  stricken  down  in  the  midst  of  his 
usefulness,  by  the  yellow  fever,  and  died  at  Beaufort  on  the 
30th  of  October.  A  pure  and  noble  man,  he  was  at  the 
outset,  so  ungenerously  treated  by  the  War  Department,  that, 
during  Cameron's  administration,  he  sent  in  his  resignation, 
but  it  was  not  accepted.  Afterwards,  though  he  had  filled 
the  land  with  his  deeds,  he  suffered  under  the  charge  of 
speculating,  and  at  last  was  sent  to  Beaufort  to  die. 

In  North  Carolina,  only  partial,  isolated  blows  were 
struck,  having  no  direct  bearing  on  any  of  the  great  cam 
paigns.  The  principal  event  which  marked  the  closing  year 
in  this  Department,  was  an  expedition  against  Kinston,  set 
on  foot  by  Foster,  with  four  brigades  under  General  Wessels 
and  commanded  by  Colonels  Amory,  Stevenson  and  Lee.  He 
left  Newbern  on  the  8th  of  December,  and  on  the  14th,  met 
the  enemy  in  force,  under  General  Evans,  about  a  mile  from 
Kinston,  and  gave  him  battle.  The  rebels  were  beaten,  and 
retreated,  abandoning  the  town,  which  Foster  took  posses 
sion  of.  He  rendered  useless  two  heavy  guns  which  he 


128  A    DARING    DEED. 

could  not  bring  off,  and  captured  four  field  pieces.  After 
destroying  the  quartermasters'  stores,  and  burning  the  bridge, 
lie  proceeded  to  Whitehall.  From  thence,  he  continued  his 
course,  fighting  as  he  advanced,  till  he  came  within  eight 
miles  of  Goldsboro',  which  was  only  fifty  miles  from  Raleigh, 
the  Capital  of  the  State.  After  burning  trestle-work  and 
cars,  and  tearing  up  railroad  tracks,  and,  last  of  allv  firing 
the  bridge  over  the  Neuse,  under  the  shots  of  the  enemy, 
he  retraced  his  steps  to  Newbern — having  advanced  seventy 
or  eighty  miles  into  the  heart  of  the  State,  and  spread 
consternation  wherever  he  went.  Lieutenant  George  W. 
Graham  applied  the  torch  to  the  bridge,  under  the  fire  of  the 
enemy's  artillery  and  infantry,  and  then  saved  himself  by 
jumping  from  it. 

The  total  loss  in  the  expedition,  was  five  hundred  and 
seventy-seven.  Among  the  killed  was  Colonel  Gray,  of  the 
Ninety-sixth  New  York  regiment 

The  sum  total  of  the  military  operations  for  the  year,  was 
not  satisfactory,  and  belied  the  promise  of  the  Government, 
and  the  hopes  of  the  people,  that  the  war  would  be  a  short 
one. 

But  while  in  the  East,  the  New  Year  came  in  gloomily, 
in  the  West,  it  was  signaled  by  a  battle  that  inaugurated  a 
series  of  movements,  which,  in  the  end,  were  to  have  an 
important  bearing  on  the  war. 


CHAPTER    IX. 


BATTLE    OF    MURFREESBORo',    OR    STONE    RIVER ROSECRANS     AT    NASHVILLE 

HIS       DELAY      TO      MOVE THE      COUNCIL     OF     WAR ROSECRANS'      PARTING 

WORDS THE      MARCH      COMMENCED THE     ENEMY'S     LINE     OF     BATTLE      AT 


BRAGG'S   PLAN  OF  ATTACK — MORNING    OF  THE   BATTLE — ATTACK    OF   THE 

ENEMY DESTRUCTION  OF  OUR   RIGHT  WING ROSECRANS   INCREDULOUS 

HIS  GALLANT  CONDUCT  WHEN  INFORMED  OF  HIS  DISASTER HEROIC  DE 
FENSE  BY  SHERIDAN — FORMING  A  NEW  LINE  OF  BATTLE STUBBORNNESS 

OF  THE  LEFT  WING 3PLEXDID  BEHAVIOR  OF  IIAZEN THE  CLOSE AP 
PEARANCE  OF  THE  FIELD OUR  HEAVY  LOSS OPERATIONS  OF  THE  FOL 
LOWING  DAYS LAST  BATTLE MURFREESBORO*  EVACUATED ROSECRANS 

CELEBRATES   HIGH  MASS — THE  ARMY  RESTS. 

ROSECRANS,  who  had  succeeded  Buell  in  command  of 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  had  a  high  reputation 
for  energy  and  skill,  having  never  yet  been  beaten  in  a  sin 
gle  battle.  He  took  up  his  head-quarters  at  Nashville,  and 
commenced  the  reorganization  of  the  army. 

Here  he  remained,  apparently  idle,  for  two  months,  and 
the  country,  ignorant  of  the  circumstances  that  surrounded 
him,  grew  impatient.  The  usual  pressure,  which  at  the  first 
had  urged  on  McDowell,  and  which,  like  an  evil  genius,  had 
followed  every  General  since  the  war  began,  was  brought  to 
bear  on  him.  But  no  power  on  earth  could  make  him  move 
till  he  was  ready.  They  might  supersede  him,  but  could  not 
force  him  to  do  that  which  his  judgment  condemned,  if  he 
was  to  be  held  responsible  for  the  result. 

At  length,  having  settled  matters  somewhat  to  his  satisfac 
tion  in  Nashville — secured  his  communications,  and  accumu 
lated  thirty  days7  provisions,  he  determined  to  move.  A 
consultation  was  held  at  head-quarters,  on  Christmas  night, 


130  THE    ADVANCE. 

which  broke  up  at  midnight.     The  army  was  to  march  in  the 
morning ;  and  as  Rosecrans,  in  parting,  took  each  commander 
by  the  hand,  he  said  :   u  Spread  out  your  skirmishers  far  and 
wide !     Expose  their  nests !     Keep  fighting  !     Good  night." 
The  morning,  so  big  with  fate,  dawned  gloomily  on  the 
army — the  clouds  hung  like  a  pall  over  the  wintry  landscape — 
great  drifts  of  slowly  moving  mist  lay  along  the  valleys — 
while  the  rain  came  down  in  torrents,  that  gathered  in  pools 
in  the  road,  or  ran  in  yellow  streams  along  the  gullies.    The 
reveille,  as  it  rolled  from  camp  to  camp,  had  a  muffled  sound 
in  the  murky  atmosphere,  and  everything  conspired  to  shed 
a  gloom  over  the  army.     But  the  soldiers  seemed  to  forget 
the  storm  in  the  excitement  of  marching  on  the  enemy,  and 
soon   the   mighty  host,   nearly  fifty  thousand  strong,  was 
sweeping  along  the  muddy  roads  and  across  the  drenched 
fields.     Thomas  led  the  center,  McCook  the  right,  and  Crit- 
tenden  the  left.     About  noon,  the  clouds  broke  away  before 
a  stiff  north-west  breeze,  and  the  sun  came  out  to  lighten  up 
the  somber  landscape.     But  already  the  dropping  fire  of 
musketry,  and  now  and  then  the  boom  of  a  cannon,   told 
that  the  rebel  u  nests  "  were  being  u  stirred  up."     All  day 
long,  the  steady  columns  toiled  on  over  the  broken  country, 
and  at  night  bivouacked  in  the  wet  fields.     But  with  dark 
ness  came  again  the  heavy  rain-clouds,  and  the  cold  storm 
beat  on  the  tired  army.     Through  the  darkness  and  storm, 
Rosecrans  with  his  escort  went  dashing  over  the  country,  in 
search  of  McCook's  head-quarters.    Their  horses'  hoofs  struck 
fire  among  the  rocks,  and  they  swung  along  at  such  a  slashing 
pace  that  one  of  his  escort  finally  exclaimed :  u  General,  this 
way  of  going  like  h — 1  over  the  rocks  will  knock  up  the 
horses."     " That's  true,"  he  replied;   "walk."     Moving  on 
more  slowly  through  the  impenetrable  blackness,  he  called 
an  orderly  and  said,  "  Go  back  and  tell  that  young  man  he 
must  not  be  profane."     Reaching  McCook's  head-quarters 


A    LOST    ESCORT.  131 

in  the  woods,  the  two  entered  a  wagon,  and  sitting  down 
on  the  bottom,  with  a  candle  between  them,  stuck  in  the 
socket  of  a  bayonet,  the  point  of  which  was  driven  into  the 
floor,  they  consulted  together  of  the  movements  for  the 
morrow.  u  Push  them  hard  /"  were  his  last  words  as  he 
arose  to  his  feet.  Emerging  from  the  wagon  between  ten 
and  eleven  o'clock,  he  exclaimed,  "We  mount  now,  gentle 
men."  The  blast  of  a  bugle  suddenly  rung  through  the 
forest,  rousing  up  the  staff,  some  of  whom,  tired  with  being 
ten  hours  in  the  saddle,  were  dozing  in  their  blankets,  upon 
the  rocks  around.  To  the  u  Good  night  "  of  McCook,  Rose- 
crans  added,  "  God  bless  you !"  and  striking  the  spurs  into 
his  horse,  dashed  down  the  road,  splashing  the  mud  over 
himself,  and  those  who  pressed  hard  after  him.  Losing  his 
way  on  his  return,  he  "  charged  impatiently  "  through  the 
woods,  in  the  vain  effort  to  find  the  right  road.  Amid  bugle 
calls,  and  shouts,  the  escort  got  separated  and  confused,  and 
lost  their  leader,  who,  with  a  part  of  his  staff,  wandered  off 
alone,  and  at  length,  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  reached 
his  camp — having  been  in  the  saddle  eighteen  hours.  The 
others  did  not  arrive  there  till  two  hours  later. * 

The  next  day,  Saturday,  dawned  in  gloom,  like  the  one 
before ;  the  heavy  clouds  hung  low,  and  a  pall  of  mist  wrapped 
the  landscape.  Slowly  and  uncertainly  the  columns  felt  their 
way  on,  but  at  one  o'clock  the  fog  lifted,  and  they  moved 
off  over  the  soft  fields  and  along  the  muddy  highways,  driv 
ing  the  enemy's  skirmishers  before  them.  It  was  uncertain 
whether  Bragg  would  make  a  decided  stand  before  he  reached 
Murfreesboro',  or  not,  and  the  whole  army  was  kept  well  in 
hand.  The  next  day,  Sunday,  was  a  day  of  rest  to  the 
main  army,  for  Rosecrans  was  averse  to  military  operations 
on  that  day,  unless  they  were  absolutely  necessary. 

*  W.  D.  B.'s  "  Rosecrans'  Campaign  with  the  Fourteenth  Army  Corps." 


132  HEAD-QUARTERS    UNDER    FIRE. 

Monday  morning,  before  sunrise,  the  army  was  again  in 
motion,  sweeping  across  the  country  in  splendid  order. 
About  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  a  signal  message  came 
from  General  Palmer,  in  front,  stating  that  he  was  in  sight 
of  Murfreesboro',  and  that  the  enemy  was  in  full  flight. 
Rosecrans  immediately  sent  an  order  to  Crittenden  to  move 
a  division  into  the  town.  But  the  report  proved  incorrect, 
and  the  order  was  revoked,  yet  not  till  Harker,  with  his 
brigade,  had  made  a  gallant  dash  forward,  by  which  he  was 
placed  in  a  perilous  position.  He,  however,  succeeded  in 
extricating  himself  from  it  without  loss. 

That  night,  it  rained  heavily — drenching  the  soldiers  to 
their  skins,  and  making  the  ground  so  soft  that  artillery 
carriages  would  sink,  while  crossing  the  fields,  almost  to 
their  axles.  The  following  day  was  dark,  gloomy  and  de 
pressing,  and  the  soldiers  stood  shivering  in  their  lines. 
Rosecrans  was  up  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  the 
columns  were  pushed  carefully  over  the  broken  ground,  and 
through  the  cedar  thickets,  towards  where  the  enemy  was 
drawn  up  in  line  of  battle.  Crittenden  moved  forward  about 
seven  o'clock,  when  the  enemy  opened  a  sharp  fire  upon 
him.  Rosecrans  was  standing,  at  the  time,  in  front  of  his 
head-quarters,  an  orderly  holding  his  horse  near  him,  when  a 
cannon  ball  struck  in  the  road  a  short  distance  off,  and 
bounded  away — a  second  struck  still  nearer,  and  a  third 
with  a  swift,  rushing  sound,  swept  past  him  almost  in  a. line, 
taking  off  the  head  of  an  orderly  in  its  flight.  His  head 
quarters  were  evidently  a  target  for  some  of  the  rebel  gun 
ners,  and  mounting,  he  rode  up  a  slope  a  little  way  off,  and 
halting  under  some  trees  near  the  road,  remained  there 
during  the  rest  of  the  day.  A  shed  was  made  by  leaning 
some  rails  on  a  pole  that  rested  in  a  couple  of  crotched  sticks, 
and  covering  them  with  india  rubber  blankets.  Here  the  staff, 
sheltered  from  the  rain,  wrote  the  orders  as  they  were  die- 


THE     POSITION.  133 

tated  by  their  Chief.  The  dark  columns  standing  noiseless 
in  the  rain — the  swift  marching  of  others  into  position — 
bodies  of  horse  galloping  over  the  heavy  fields — the  dashing 
away  of  orderlies  in  different  directions — the  scattering  fire 
of  musketry  now  swelling  into  full  volleys — the  heavy  boom 
of  cannon  in  front — the  bearing  back  of  wounded  officers 
on  stretchers,  and  the  certainty  of  a  great  battle  at  hand, 
combined  to  make  those  who  clustered  around  the  fire  in 
front  of  that  rude  shelter,  serious  and  thoughtful.  Some,  at 
least,  were  so,  and  among  them  the  accomplished  Garesche, 
Chief  of  the  Staff,  who  sat  apart,  under  a  tree,  reading  u  De 
Imitatione  Christi,"  and  pondering  on  his  coming  fate.  As 
if  instinctively  to  break  the  growing  sadness  of  the  scene, 
the  Fourth  Cavalry  band  struck  up  "  The  Star  Spangled 
Banner,"  and  as  the  soul-stirring  strains  arose,  and  swelled 
over  the  field,  each  eye  grew  blighter,  and  each  heart  kin 
dled  with  the  fire  that  ever  warms  the  patriot's  breast. 

By  evening,  the  different  divisions  were  in  their  respective 
positions,  though  the  right  wing,  under  McCook,  had  suf 
fered  considerably  from  the  determined  resistance  of  the 
enemy. 

The  army  now  stood  with  its  left  resting  on  the  Stone 
River,  and  its  right  stretching  off  into  the  country  as  far  as 
the  Franklin  turnpike,  making  a  line  three  miles  long.  The 
farthest  brigade  on  the  extreme  right  was  Willich's,  and  was 
thrown  back  nearly  at  right  angles  to  the  main  line,  to  be 
ready  for  any  flank  movement  of  the  enemy.  The  main 
part  of  this  right  wing  occupied  a  slight  ridge,  covered  with 
woods,  with  open  ground  in  front.  At  the  foot  of  the  ridge, 
between  it  and  the  enemy,  stretched  a  valley,  varying  from 
forty  to  sixty  rods  in  width,  and  covered  with  close  cedar 
thickets  and  oak  forests.  The  center,  posted  on  a  rolling 
slope,  was  a  little  in  advance  of  the  main  line ;  while  the  left 
wing,  starting  in  a  piece  of  woods,  crossed  a  broad  cotton 


134  PLAN    OF    BATTLE. 

field,  and  ended  in  another  piece  of  woods.  The  army,  as 
it  thus  stood  in  line  of  battle,  numbered  forty- three  thousand 
and  four  hundred  men.  Behind  it  were  half-burned  clear 
ings,  cedar  thickets,  cultivated  fields,  and  patches  of  forest. 

Parallel  to  our  line,  and  distant  about  half  a  mile,  lay  the 
rebel  army — its  right  resting  on  the  river,  which  took  a  bend 
northward  just  below  the  point  of  junction,  so  as  to  keep 
nearly  parallel  with  it.  Being  fordable  at  all  points,  the 
enemy,  if  forced  to  retreat,  could  fall  back  across  it,  and 
then  make  it  a  strong  line  of  defense.  Perhaps  it  would  be 
more  accurate  to  say,"  its  actual  right  lay  across  the  river, 
divided  from  the  main  army  by  the  stream,  for  here,  on  an 
eminence,  was  posted  Breckenridge's  division,  directly  in 
front  of  Murfreesboro'.  Rosecrans'  design  was  to  have  Mc- 
Cook  keep  the  enemy  in  front  occupied,  either  by  attack  or 
defense,  as  circumstances  might  decide,  so  as  to  prevent 
reinforcements  being  sent  to  Breckenridge  across  the  river, 
while  he  was  to  swing  two  divisions,  under  Van  Cleve,  over 
from  his  left,  and  crush  Breckenridge  by  a  sudden  assault 
of  superior  numbers.  Van  Cleve  was  directed  to  plant  his  bat 
teries,  as  soon  as  the  heights  were  carried,  so  that  they  would 
sweep  the  enemy's  whole  line  of  battle,  and  take  his  works 
in  reverse,  compelling  him  to  retreat  to  the  south  of  Murfrees- 
boro\  which  movement  would  probably  prove  fatal  to  him. 

The  plan  was  a  skillful  one,  if  the  enemy  would  only  give  him 
time  to  execute  it.  But,  unfortunately,  Bragg  had  a  similar 
one  of  his  own,  by  which  he  hoped  to  double  up  his  adver 
sary's  right  by  a  secret  concentration  of  a  heavy  force  against 
it.  All  the  later  part  of  the  day,  he  was  moving  his  troops 
in  this  direction,  and  McCook,  ascertaining  this  from  one  of 
the  inhabitants  whom  he  had  captured,  sent  him  at  evening 
to  Rosecrans  with  the  information.  On  being  interrogated, 
he  mentioned  the  different .  rebel  divisions  that  had  moved, 
and  their  leaders.  Rosecrans,  however,  instead  of  altering 


OPENING    OF    THE    BATTLE.  135 

his  plan,  to  checkmate  this  movement,  resolved  to  anticipate 
it,  and  instead  of  strengthening  his  right  wing,  directed  Mc- 
Cook  simply  to  build  large  camp  fires  beyond  its  extremity, 
in  order  to  give  the  impression  to  the  enemy  that  a  fresh 
division  had  been  sent  there.  Whether  this  ruse  was  under 
stood  or  not,  it  produced  no  change  in  the  rebel  plan. 

This  was  the  position  of  the  two  armies  on  the  night  of 
the  30th  of  December.  It  had  rained  all  day,  and  the  shiv 
ering  soldiers  lay  on  the  cold  ground,  to  snatch  such  rest  as 
they  could  get,  before  commencing  the  terrible  work  of  the 
morning. 

The  right  wing  was  composed  of  three  divisions,  of  which 
Johnson  held  the  extreme  right,  Davis  the  center  one,  and 
Sheridan  the  last,  which  joined  the  center  of  the  army. 
With  the  first  streak  of  dawn,  the  roll  of  the  drum  and 
bugle  blast  swelled  and  echoed  from  hill  to  hill  along  the 
mighty  line,  bright  with  standards  and  glittering  bayonets 
that  swayed  and  shook  for  three  miles  in  the  morning  light, 
and  soon,  General  Van  Cleve's  division,  which  was  to  cross 
over  on  our  left,  and  overwhelm  Breckenridge,  was  in  motion. 
Wood  was  to  follow  by  another  ford,  and  lapping ^on  to  his 
right,  and  closing  with  him  as  he  advanced,  storm  the  heights 
held  by  the  rebel  Commander. 

In  the  meantime,  Rosecrans  had  High  Mass  celebrated  in 
his  tent,  and  thus  having  committed  himself  and  his  army  to 
the  God  of  battles,  he  stepped  forth  into  the  open  air.  It 
was  a  cold,  wintry  morning,  and  the  officers,  with  their  over 
coats  on,  gathered  around  the  fires  that  had  been  kindled  in 
the  field.  It  was  just  before  sunrise,  and  Rosecrans  was  listen 
ing  anxiously  to  hear  the  artillery  along  the  heights  held  by 
Breckenridge,  when  there  suddenly  came  a  strange,  confused 
sound  from  the  extreme  right,  like  the  fearful  sweep  of  a  dis 
tant  hurricane  rapidly  approaching.  At  intervals,  arose  the 
dull,  heavy  roar  of  cannon.  Nearer  and  nearer  the  noise  came. 

39 


136  THE     CATASTROPHE. 

until  distinct  and  plain  the  rattle  of  musketry  was  heard, 
sounding  in  the  distance  like  the  crackling  of  flames  amid 
dry  branches.  The  officers  of  the  staff  grew  serious  and 
alarmed,  but  Rosecrans  only  looked  up,  and  went  on  talking. 
It  was  all  going  on  as  he  expected.  McCook  was  evidently 
stubbornly  contesting  the  field,  according  to  his  instructions. 
Alas,  McCook  was  not  fighting,  but  retreating.* 

Bragg's  order  was,  that  at  daybreak  the  whole  line,  begin 
ning  at  the  extreme  left,  with  Hardee's  corps,  and  followed 
by  Folk's,  should  swing  forward  on  our  extreme  right,  and 
bear  it  back,  crumbling  it  in  the  retreat,  till  our  army  should 
stand  with  its  rear  to  the  river.  Its  communications  with 
Nashville  would  thus  be  cut  off,  and  its  destruction  sure.  In 
double  lines  they  came  on,  swift  and  terrible  as  in-rolling 
billows.  The  rebel  General  McCown  first  struck  Johnson, 
on  our  extreme  right,  who  was  wholly  unprepared  for  the 
sudden  onset,  and  crushed  him  with  a  single  blow — sweeping 
over  his  batteries  with  wild  hurrahs.  Cleburne  followed  him, 
and  striking  Davis'  division,  hurled  it  also  back  over  the 
field.  Like  a  swift  succeeding  wave,  Withers  came  next, 
and  fell  T\wth  the  same  desperation  on  the  last  division  of  the 
right  wing,  which  was  Sheridan's.  If  this  had  given  way, 
like  the  other  two,  no  power  on  earth  could  have  saved 
Rosecrans.  His  splendid  army  was  trembling  in  the  balance, 
but  Sheridan,  though  left  solitary  and  alone  of  all  that  right 
wing,  stood  fast.  The  wave  that  burst  along  that  astonished 
line,  dissolving  it  like  frost  work,  here  met  a  rock,  and  fell 
back  in  broken  surges.  There  was  no  surprise  here,  as  in 
Davis'  division — every  man  was  in  his  place,  and  every 
gunner  at  his  piece,  long  before  the  shock  came.  Right  in 
the  face  of  one  battery,  vomiting  forth  death,  and  through  a 
cross-fire  of  two  more,  the  hostile  column  closed  in  mass, 
and,  several  regiments  deep,  came  steadily  on.  Through 

*  W.  B.  R 


A     GALLANT     FIGHT.  137 

and  through  it,  shot  and  shell  tore  with  awful  havoc,  but 
the  great  ragged  gaps  closed  swiftly  up,  and  still  this  mass 
of  living  valor  kept  rolling  on,  until  within  pistol  shot  of 
Sill's  brigade,  when  a  sheet  of  fire  burst  in  their  very  faces. 
Nol^y  did  they  attempt  to  bear  up  against  it,  but  the  head 
of  each  formation  crumbled  away  ere  it  was  completed,  and 
at  length  the  whole  broke  and  fled.  Sill  then  shouted  the 
charge  ;  and  away  went  the  brigade,  with  a  thundering  cheer, 
chasing  the  enemy  to  cover,  but  its  gallant  leader  fell,  mor 
tally  wounded. 

But  unless  Sheridan  could  be  dislodged,  the  overthrow 
of  Johnson  and  Davis  would  be  of  no  avail,  and  so  the  enemy, 
rallying  again  with  fresh  forces,  came  on  more  determined 
than  ever.  At  the  same  time,  the  victorious  columns  that 
had  crushed  two  of  our  divisions  to  fragments,  now  bore  down 
on  Sheridan's  flank,  and  his  overthrow  by  the  double  onslaught 
seemed  certain.  But  instead  of  retreating,  he  moved  up  to 
Negley,  and  locking  on  to  the  center,  faced  his  troops  both 
south  and  west,  thus  presenting  two  slender  fronts  to  the  enemy. 
At  the  angle  he  placed  most  of  his  guns,  and  in  this  position 
awaited  the  onset  of  the  overwhelming  numbers.  As  they 
came  on,  those  batteries  ploughed  long  lanes  through  the 
dense  masses,  but  they  still  advanced — pushing  their  artillery 
forward,  until  the  guns  played  on  each  other,  within  close 
rifle  shot.  The  slaughter  now  was  horrible.  Three  times 
did  the  determined  enemy  advance,  and  as  often  was  com 
pelled  to  fall  back.  Said  Polk,  afterwards,  of  these  awful 
charges,  and  their  deadly  effect  on  his  troops:  "The  horse 
of  every  officer  on  the  field  and  staff  of  Vaughn's  brigade, 
except  one,  and  the  horses  of  all  the  field  and  staff  of  every 
regiment,  except  two,  were  killed.  The  brigade  lost  one- 
third  of  its  force.'7 

But  Sheridan's  ammunition  now  gave  out,  and  no  more 
could  be  got,  for  the  train  had  been  captured  in  the  wild 


138  A     GLOOMY     PROSPECT. 

rout  of  the  rest  of  the  wing.  Besides,  the  enemy  was  now 
all  around  him,  in  front,  flank  and  rear,  so  that  at  last  he 
also  was  compelled  to  retire,  leaving  nine  guns,  which  he 
could  not  get  through  the  dense  cedar  thickets,  in  the  hands 
of  the  rebels.  Still,  not  in  panic  or  disorder  did  his  brave, 
shattered  division  abandon  the  field — but,  with  even  ranks, 
and  colors  flying,  sullenly,  savagely,  fall  back  till  it  found 
ammunition. 

The  right  wing  was  at  last  all  gone,  and  the  onset  that  had 
borne  it  backward  now  fell  with  unbroken  fury  on  the 
center.  But  the  heroic  resistance  of  Sheridan  had  gained 
what  was  of  vital  importance — time.  As  he  was  retreating, 
thus  uncovering  the  center,  Rosecrans  arrived  on  the  field. 
He  had  staid  at  head-quarters  after  the  first  crowd  of  fugi 
tives  arrived  from  the  battle-field  with  their  story  of  defeat — 
not  believing  that  any  real  disaster  had  occurred.  But  as 
the  throng  kept  increasing,  and  the  din  swelled  louder  and 
louder,  he  strode  backward  and  forward  before  his  tent, 
with  a  disturbed,  anxious  look.  At  length,  a  staff  officer 
from  McCook  dashed  up  to  him,  asking  for  help.  "  Tell 
General  McCook,"  he  shouted  back,  "to  contest  every  inch 
of  ground,'7  and  still  continued  his  walk.  Then  came  the 
tidings  that  Sill  was  killed,  Willich  killed  or  captured,  and 
Kirk  wounded.  "Never  mind;  we  must  win  the  battle" 
was  the  stern  reply.  Another  aid  now  dashed  up  on  a  gal 
lop,  asking  that  Rousseau  be  held  in  readiness.  Rousseau 
commanded  the  reserves.  This  startled  Rosecrans.  What ! 
reserves  before  the  battle  was  fairly  begun  ?  At  last,  the 
frightful  truth  must  be  squarely  met,  crushing  as  it  was,  that 
the  right  wing  was  gone,  and  the  center  fighting  a  hopeless 
battle.  "  Tell  General  McCook  I  will  help  him !  "  he  ex 
claimed,  and  almost  the  next  instant,  Rousseau's  brave  bat 
talions  were  moving  on  the  double-quick  across  the  field. 
Another  order  flew  to  Van  Cleve.  to  double-quick  a  brigade 


ROSECRANS  FLIES  TO  THE  RESCUE.      139 

to  the  right.  All  now  was  hot  haste — artillery  went  bound 
ing  across  the  field ;  swift  riders  galloped  hither  and  thither 
with  orders,  and  Rosecrans,  exclaiming  "Mount,  gentlemen" 
vaulted  into  the  saddle,  and  striking  the  spurs  into  his  steed, 
launched  away  like  a  thunderbolt  His  face  was  like  ashes, 
his  lips  closed  like  a  vice,  and  a  dangerous  light  burned  in 
his  flashing  blue  eye.  His  entire  staff  and  escort  pressed 
after  him  as  he  dashed  forward  into  the  fire.  Horses  and 
riders  go  down  almost  within  reach  of  his  sword — but, 
though  his  life  at  this  fearful  moment  is  worth  twenty  thousand 
men,  he  flings  it  without  a  moment's  hesitation  into  the  scale. 
The  fugitives  darken  the  fields,  and  the  panic-stricken  trains 
block  the  roads,  but  nothing  can  stay  his  course.  Orders 
seem  struck  like  fire  from  his  lips.  Down  Barker's  front  of 
battle,  shot  and  shell  shrieking  through  his  escort,  he  gallops, 
and  mounting  the  only  eminence  near,  draws  rein  on  the 
top.  Here,  a  sight  appalling  enough  to  daunt  the  stoutest 
heart,  meets  his  eye.  The  smoke  of  battle  rests  in  clouds 
over  the  valley  below,  rent  ever  and  anon  with  terrific  ex 
plosions — the  dark  cedar  thickets  are  ablaze  with  volleys — 
the  fields  are  black  with  his  broken  battalions,  among  which 
artillery  wagons  are  plunging — and  the  chaos  and  wreck  of  a 
lost  battle-field  are  all  around  him.  Seeing  a  hostile  battery 
playing  with  deadly  effect  on  Barker's  brigade,  he  shouted 
to  the  Chief  of  Artillery,  "  Silence  that  battery !  "  and 
planting  the  guns  himself,  again  galloped  off  through  a 
whirlwind  of  shot.  He  was  skirting  the  edge  of  a  thicket, 
when  Jie  met  Sheridan  leading  back  his  diminished,  but 
compact  and  heroic  column.  The  gallant  leader,  as  he  met 
him,  pointed  back  to  it,  saying,  "  Here  is  all  that  is  left, 
General;  we  have  no  cartridges,  and  our  guns  are  empty." 
Rosecrans  himself  directed  him  where  to  find  ammunition, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  the  brave  fellows  were  again  facing  the 
enemy. 


140  A    GALLANT    STAND. 

By  this  time,  the  right  wing  of  the  center,  under  Negley, 
left  exposed  by  Sheridan's  retreat,  was  outflanked.  An  aid 
dashed  up  to  Thomas  with  the  startling  intelligence  that  the 
enemy  was  in  his  rear.  There  was  no  alternative,  and  Thomas, 
in  a  bitter  tone,  replied,  "  Cut  your  way  out."  "  Men,  we  must 
cut  our  way  out,"  shouts  Negley.  The  proud  Stanley  closes 
up  his  strong  battalions — the  other  commanders  catch  the 
inspiration — the  Eleventh  Michigan  and  Nineteenth  Illinois 
move  forward  with  the  bayonet,  the  Twenty-first  Ohio  does 
the  same,  and  the  victorious,  exultant  foe  is  rolled  back  in 
confusion.  The  rear  is  clear,  and  the  division  falls  steadily 
back  with  its  guns.  What  was  left  of  the  army  was  now 
swung  round,  and  stood  nearly  at  right  angles  to  its  former 
position.  The  left  still  clung  to  its  position  on  the  river, 
for  when  that  should  be  yielded,  all  would  be  gone.  Not 
like  Sheridan  must  Palmer  now  fight,  till  his  ammunition 
is  exhausted,  and  then  fall  back,  but  fight  and  die  where  he 
stands.  But  with  the  falling  back  of  Negley,  the  right 
brigade  of  this  division  also  retired  for  a  space,  and  Hazen, 
commanding  the  left  extremity,  alone  held  his  ground. 
Rosecrans  but  little  knew,  at  this  moment,  on  what  an 
apparently  slender  thread  the  fate  of  his  army  turned.  But, 
luckily,  Hazen  embraced  the  whole  danger  of  the  condition 
of  things.  He  knew,  if  it  came  to  the  worst,  he  must  die  there. 
It  was  not  left  to  him  to  seek  a  new  spot  on  which  to  fight. 
The  enemy  also  knew  that  he  held  the  key  of  the  whole 
position,  and  fell  upon  him  with  tenfold  fury,  but  he  stood 
rooted  rock-fast  to  the  ground,  and  swept  the  deep  on-coming 
columns  with  a  wasting  fire.  But,  at  length,  his  ammunition 
gave  out,  and  he  sent  off  every  staff  officer  for  more.  In 
the  meantime,  whether  it  came  or  not,  he  determined  that 
his  brigade  should  stand  there  and  die,  rather  than  yield. 
He  ordered  one  regiment  to  fix  bayonets,  and  another  that 
had  none,  to  club  their  muskets,  and  so  meet  the  foe.  At 


THE    CRISIS.  141 

length,  he  received  his  ammunition,  and  what  was  needed 
just  as  much,  reinforcements. 

All  this  time,  Rousseau  and  Sheridan  had  maintained  a 
firm  front.  Opening  their  lines  to  let  the  fugitives  pass 
through,  they  closed  firmly  again,  and  presented  a  solid  wall 
on  that  broken,  tumultuous  field.  In  the  meantime,  Rose- 
crans,  galloping  from  point  to  .point,  and  followed  furiously  by 
his  staff  and  escort,  brought  order  out  of  confusion,  and,  in 
fusing  his  own  daring  spirit  into  the  troops,  rapidly  formed 
a  new  line  of  battle.  He  massed  six  batteries  on  the  only 
commanding  eminence  near,  which  swept  all  the  space  over 
which  the  enemy  must  advance.  The  sun  was  shining 
brightly,  and  his  beams  revealed  a  waving  forest  of  steel,  as 
the  long  and  glittering  lines  of  the  enemy,  rank  upon  rank, 
came  with  awful  splendor  over  the  broken  fields.  The 
movement  of  the  columns  was  swift  but  steady,  and  many  a 
heart  stood  still,  or  trembled  at  what  might  be  the  issue  in 
the  coming  shock.  Rosecrans  knew  his  army  was  at  stake, 
but,  wound  up  to  that  pitch  of  lofty  daring  which,  defies  fate 
itself,  he  awaited  it  without  change  of  countenance.  As  the 
enemy  came  on,  in  magnificent  .order,  those  six  batteries 
opened  like  the  very  jaws  of  Hell,  and  out  of  them  poured 
a  wild  torrent  of  fire  and  death  on  the  astonished  enemy. 
Rent  and  distorted,  still  the  columns  reeled  forward,  bent 
on  victory.  Rosecrans  sat  on  his  horse  a  moment,  to  watch 
the  effect  of  this  horrible  fire,  and  then  dashed  down  to 
Beatty's  brigade,  which  lay  on  the  ground  in  the  plain  below. 
Spurring  up  to  the  very  edge  of  the  line  over  which  the 
shot  were  sweeping  like  a  hail  storm,  he  cried,  uNow,  let 
the  whole  line  charge!  Charge  home!''1  Springing  to 
their  feet  with  a  shout  that  rose  over  the  wild  din,  they 
hurled  themselves  on  the  enemy.  The  staff  officers,  catching 
the  enthusiasm  of  their  Chief,  flung  themselves  along  the 
line,  with  loud  cheers,  and  caps  waving  in  the  air.  Before 


142  THE    VICTORY. 

that  fierce  onset,  the  rebel  line,  as  it  struggles  to  bear  up 
against  it,  halts,  and  shakes  like  a  huge  curtain  over  the  field — 
then  crumbles  to  pieces  and  disappears.  "  There  they  go," 
shouted  Rosecrans ;  "  now  drive  them  home !  "  They  did 
drive  them  home,  leaving  the  earth  piled  with  dead.  This 
was  the  turning  point  of  the  battle,  and  the  whole  line  at 
once  advanced 

But,  though  repulsed,  the  enemy  did  not  abandon  the 
contest.  Re-forming  his  lines,  with  every  reserve  brought 
up,  he  again  advanced  in  imposing  array;  but  Rosecrans 
had  now  completed  his  line  of  battle,  and  neither  numbers 
nor  reckless  daring  could  force  it.  About  four  o'clock,  Bragg 
made  his  last  attempt,  and  this  time  it  was  chiefly  directed 
against  Palmer's  division,  on  the  river.  But  Hazen,  with  his 
immortal  thirteen  hundred,  still  held  the  ground  to  which  they 
had  clung  with  such  marvelous  tenacity  during  the  day ; 
and  there,  too,  were  the  heroic  Grose,  Schaeffer,  Hascall 
and  Wagner,  equally  determined  to  hold  that  vital  position 
to  the  last.  Says  Hazen,  in  his  report :  "  About  four  o'clock, 
the  enemy  again  advanced  upon  my  front,  in  two  lines.  The 
battle  had  hushed,  and  the  dreadful  splendor  of  this  advance 
can  only  be  conceived,  as  all  description  must  fall  vastly 
short.  His  right  was  even  with  my  left,  and  his  left  was  lost 
in  the  distance."  But  this  proud  array  had  lost  its  strength ; 
the  confidence  of  victory  was  wanting,  and  at  the  first 
volley  it  wheeled  and  disappeared. 

For  a  time,  the  heavy  boom  of  cannon  rolled  over  the 
field,  and,  here  and  there,  volleys  of  musketry  showed  that 
detachments  were  still  fighting;  yet,  at  sunset,  the  battle 
was  over.  As  the  blazing  orb  sank  to  rest,  his  last  look  fell 
on  a  ghastly  spectacle.  The  earth,  torn,  trampled  and  red, 
lay  piled  with  thousands  upon  thousands — some,  still  and 
calm,  as  if  in  sleep,  others  mangled  and  blown  into  frag 
ments,  while  bleeding  arms  and  legs,  without  owners,  lay 


NIGHT    AFTER    THE    BATTLE.  143 

scattered  on  every  side.  Dead  horses  and  shattered  gun- 
carriages  helped  to  swell  the  frightful  wreck,  over  which 
darkness,  in  mercy,  soon  drew  its  pall.  Among  the  dead, 
was  the  young,  accomplished,  modest,  yet  lion-hearted  Chief 
of  the  Staff,  Garesche.  He  had  never  left  the  side  of  his 
Chief  all  day,  wearing  not  merely  a  calm,  but  a  gay  and 
smiling  air,  through  the  wildest  storm  of  battle.  In  the  last 
attack,  as  Rosecrans  dashed  down  the  line,  to  throw  the 
weight  of  his  presence  into  the  fight,  a  shell  shrieking  by 
him,  in  its  flight  struck  Garesche  in  the  head,  carrying  away 
all  but  the  under  jaw — and  the  spouting  trunk,  inclining 
gently  from  the  saddle,  fell  headlong  to  the  earth. 

That  night,  there  was  a  meeting  of  the  Generals  at  head 
quarters.  All  acknowledged  that  the  prospect  looked  gloomy 
enough.  The  enemy  was  only  arrested,  not  beaten.  He  still 
held  two-thirds  of  the  battle-field,  and  had  in  his  hands 
one-fifth  of  all  our  artillery.  Seven  brigadier-generals,  and 
twenty  colonels  and  lieutenant-colonels,  were  killed  or  miss 
ing.  The  rebel  cavalry  had  gained  the  rear,  and  it  was 
uncertain  if  another  pound  of  supplies  or  ammunition  could 
reach  the  army ;  while  seven  thousand  men,  or  one-sixth  of 
the  whole  army,  had  disappeared  from  the  field.  The  enemy, 
every  one  thought,  would  renew  the  attack  in  the  morning. 
But  Rosecrans,  finding  that  he  had  ammunition  enough  on 
hand  for  another  battle,  made  up  his  mind  to  fight  it  on 
that  very  spot.  Mounting  his  horse,  he  rode  to  the  rear 
to  examine  the  country,  and  on  returning,  said,  u  Gentlemen, 
we  conquer  or  die  right  here  I "  It  was  a  clear,  cold  Decem 
ber  night,  but,  about  midnight,  the  heavens  became  overcast, 
and  the  bitter  rain  came  pitilessly  down  on  the  weary  ranks, 
and  on  the  dead  and  wounded  that  burdened  the  field. 

Making  some  slight  changes  in  his  line  of  battle,  and  falling 
back  a  short  distance  to  a  better  position,  Rosecrans  waited 
the  developments  of  the  coming  morning. 


144  THE    FINAL    STRUGGLE. 

But  the  enemy  had  been  too  severely  punished  to  risk 
another  determined  attack,  though,  during  the  latter  part 
of  the  day,  there  was  some  heavy  artillery  firing.  In  the 
morning,  Beatty  had  been  sent  across  the  river  with  two 
brigades  of  Van  Cleve's  division,  and  occupied  a  hill  com 
manding  the  upper  ford. 

Bragg,  seeing  that  delay  only  increased  the  difficulties 
before  him,  determined,  on  the  next  day  to  make  another 
bold  attempt  to  secure  a  complete  victory.  This  time,  his 
attack  was  directed  against  the  left.  About  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  a  double  line  of  skirmishers  was  seen  to 
advance  from  the  woods  in  front  of  Breckenridge's  position, 
and  move  across  the  fields.  Behind  them,  came  heavy 
columns  of  infantry,  and  it  was  evident  the  rebel  right  wing 
was  bearing  down  on  the  small  body  of  troops  that  had 
crossed  the  river  the  day  before.  It  passed  the  open  cotton 
fields  in  three  heavy  lines  of  battle — the  first  column,  in 
three  ranks,  six  men  deep — the  second  supporting  the  first — 
and  the  reserve  column  last.  Three  batteries  accompanied 
this  imposing  mass,  as  it  came  down  in  splendid  order. 
White  puffs  of  smoke  soon  shot  out  from  the  hill-side ;  our 
single  battery  responded,  and  the  roar  of  guns  shook  the 
shores  of  the  stream.  At  first,  they  came  on  with  steady 
step  and  even  front,  and  then,  like  a  swollen  torrent,  flung 
themselves  forward  on  that  portion  of  Van  Cleve's  division 
which  was  across  the  river,  and  bore  it  back  and  over  the  stream 
to  the  main  body.  But  Rosecrans  was  prepared  for  this  move 
ment — in  fact,  when  it  occurred,  was  about  to  execute  his  orig 
inal  plan,  and  swing  his  left  against  Breckenridge.  He  hastily 
massed  fifty-eight  cannon  on  an  eminence,  where  they  could 
completely  enfilade  the  successive  columns  as  they  advanced. 
Their  opening  roar  was  terrific,  and  the  crash  of  the  iron 
Btorm,  through  the  thick-set  ranks,  was  overwhelming.  It 
was  madness  to  face  it,  yet  the  rebel  columns  closed  up  and 


RET  B  EAT     OF     THE     ENEMY.  145 

pressed  on  ;  but,  as  they  came  within  close  range  of  our  mus 
ketry,  the  line  suddenly  seemed  to  shrivel  up  like  a  piece  of 
parchment,  in  the  fire  that  met  it.  Yet,  pushed  on  and  cheered 
by  the  rear  lines,  the  ranks  endeavored  to  bear  -up  against  it 
and  advance,  but  again  halted ;  while  officers,  with  waving  caps 
and  flashing  swords,  galloped  along  the  lines,  and  still  urged 
them  on.  They  had  now  got  so  near  that  the  men  could  be 
seen  to  topple  over  separately,  before  the  volleys.  A  third  and 
last  time,  they  staggered  forward,  the  foremost  ranks  reaching 
even  to  the  water's  edge.  But  here  they  stopped — it  was 
like  charging  down  the  red  mouth  of  a  volcano.  Balancing 
a  moment  on  the  edge  of  battle,  they  broke  and  fled.  With 
a  wild  and  thrilling  shout,  our  troops  sprung  to  their  feet, 
and  charged  forward  with  the  bayonet — dashing  like  mad 
men  through  the  stream.  They  chased  the  flying  foe  for  a  half 
a  mile,  cheering  as  they  charged,  their  cheers  caught  up  by 
those  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  and  sent  back  with 
increased  volume  and  power.  Darkness  ended  the  fight, 
and  Crittenden's  entire  corps  passed  over,  and,  with  Davis, 
occupied  the  ground  so  gallantly  won. 

That  night,  the  rain  again  set  in,  and  at  daylight  next 
morning,  it  was  coming  down  in  torrents,  so  that  the  camps 
and  roads  were  soon  one  vast  field  of  mud,  rendering  the 
movement  of  artillery  impossible.  Some  sharp-shooting 
during  the  day,  and  a  dash  at  night  by  two  regiments  from 
Rousseau's  division,  clearing  the  woods  in  front,  comprised 
the  fighting  of  Saturday. 

That  night,  Bragg  evacuated  Murfreesboro,  and  next 
morning,  Rosecrans  spent  an  hour  at  "  High  Mass,"  giving 
glory  to  God  for  the  victory.  It  was,  however,  dearly 
bought.  He  had  lost,  in  killed  and  wounded,  nearly  nine 
thousand  men,  or  a  fifth  of  his  entire  army.  He  had  lost, 
besides,  fifty  pieces  of  artillery,  for  which  he  had  only  a  few 

OF  THE        ^ 

'UNIVBESITYJ 


146  THE    RESULT. 

captured  pieces   to- 'show  in  return.     He  had  gained  the 
position,  and  that  was  all. 

The  army  now  settled  down  into  camp  life,  and  no  attempt 
to  follow  up  the  enemy  was  made  for  nearly  six  months,  or 
till  the  latter  part  of  June.  He  then  moved  forward, 
Bragg  retreating  as  he  advanced,  and  abandoning  the  strong 
position  of  Tullahoma,  rather  than  risk  a  battle.  Detached 
portions  of  the  army  occasionally  came  in  collision,  in  which 
the  rebels  were  invariably  worsted,  losing  many  prisoners. 
Bragg  finally  took  refuge  in  Chattanooga,  a  place  immensely 
strong  by  nature,  and  made  still  more  so  by  art. 


CHAPTER  X. 

JANUARY. 

CAPTURE    OF    ARKANSAS    POST GRANT    COMMENCES    HIS    MOVEMENT    AGAINST 

VICKSBURG THE     CANAL A    YEAR     OF     DISASTER MISSOURI ATTACK     ON 

SPRINGFIELD EXPEDITIONS     UP     WHITE     AND     RED     RIVERS LOSS     OF     THE 

QUEEN   OF  THE  WEST LOSS  OF  THE  ARIEL SINKING    OF    THE    HATTERAS    BY 

THE    ALABAMA DISASTER    AT     SABINE    PASS BANKS     IN     NEW     ORLEANS 

EXPEDITIONS CAPTURE  AND    LOSS    OF    GALVESTON THE    HARRIET    LANE 

WESTFIELD  LOST DEATH  OF  BUCHANAN GRAND  EXPEDITION  THROUGH  THE 

STATE    OF    LOUISIANA CAPTURE    OF    ALEXANDRIA,    ON    THE    RED    RIVER. 

IMMEDIATELY  after  the  failure  of  Sherman's  attack  on 
Vicksburg,  McClernand,  who,  we.  have  seen,  assumed 
command  of  the  army,  on  the  4th  of  January,  at  Milliken's 
Bend,  set  sail  for  Fort  Hindman,  or  Arkansas  Post,  on  the 
Arkansas  River,  which  was  considered  the  key  to  Little 
Rock,  the  Capital  of  the  State,  and  to  the  extensive  country 
from  which  hostile  detachments  were  constantly  sent  to 
operate  along  the  Mississippi  River.  Admiral  Porter,  with 
three  iron-clads  and  a  fleet  of  light-draft  gunboats,  accompa 
nied  the  expedition,  to  co-operate  with  the  land  forces  in 
the  attack  on  the  fort,  which  was  known  to  be  a  strong  one, 
and  well  garrisoned.  The  fleet  reached  the  mouth  of  the 
White  River  on  the  8th.  Ascending  this  mere  ribbon  of 
water,  enclosed  by  a  dense,  silent  forest,  from  which  the 
gray  moss  hung  in  huge  festoons,  it  came  at  length  to  the 
"cut  off,"  and  passed  into  the  Arkansas  River.  Slowly 
moving  up  this  stream,  with  only  here  and  there  a  wretched 
habitation,  or  a  sunken  scow,  to  break  the  solitude,  the  fleet 
cautiously  approached  the  rebel  position,  which  was  hid  from 
view  by  a  bend  in  the  river.  Here  it  lay  all  night,  flooded 
by  the  mild  moonlight,  while,  inland,  the  air  resounded  with 


148  ARKANSAS    POST. 

the  ceaseless  strokes  of  the  axe,  showing  that  the  enemy 
were  busy  in  obstructing  all  the  roads  that  led  to  the  place. 
At  daylight,  the  troops  began  to  disembark,  and  form  on 
the  high  banks.  The  first  line  of  rebel  works  was  only  a 
half  a  mile  distant,  and  soon,  the  fire  of  the  skirmishers 
echoed  along  the  stream.  The  country  was  entirely  unknown 
to  McClernand,  and  all  day,  Saturday,  was  spent  in  marching 
and  countermarching,  to  avoid  impassable  swamps  and 
bayous ;  and  so  night  found  the  army  still  struggling  to  get 
into  position  before  the  place.  Part  of  the  army  passed  most 
of  the  cold  January  night  in  moving  forward,  while  the  remain 
der  dragged  it  out  without  fire  or  tents.  Sunday  morning, 
however,  dawned  bright  and  cheerful,  and,  by  ten  o'clock, 
both  corps  of  the  army  were  in  position,  having  completely 
invested  the  place.  'At  noon,  McClernand  sent  word  to 
Porter  that  he  was  ready  to  attack,  and,  an  hour  later,  the 
gunboats  gallantly  moved  up  to  within  four  hundred  yards 
of  the  rebel  works,  and  opened  fire.  The  garrison  replied, 
but  the  tremendous  concentric  fire  from  the  river  and  land 
batteries  gradually  overwhelmed  that  of  the  fort,  and,  one 
by  one,  its  guns  grew  silent,  until,  at  length,  they  ceased  to 
respond  altogether.  McClernand,  who  had  fought  his  way 
steadily  forward,  now  ordered  a  general  assault  along  the 
whole  line,  but,  before  it  could  be  effected,  a  white  flag  was 
raised,  and  the  place  was  ours.  Seven  stand  of  colors,  five 
thousand  prisoners,  seventeen  pieces  of  cannon,  besides  small 
arms  and  munitions  of  war,  were  the  fruits  of  this  victory.  Our 
total  loss  was  a  little  under  a  thousand.  Morgan  was  assigned 
to  the  command  of  the  place,  but  immediately  turned  it  over 
to  General  A.  J.  Smith,  as  an  honor  due  to  him,  for  the  gallant 
manner  in  which  his  division  had  borne  the  brunt  of  the  conflict. 
The  brigade  of  Burbridge  especially  distinguished  itself. 
General  Grant  now  assumed  immediate  command  of  all 
the  forces  in  his  Department,  and  began  to  work  seriously 


VICKSBURG.  149 

for  the  reduction  of  Yicksburg.  Being  convinced,  from 
the  result  of  Sherman's  operations,  that  it  could  not  be 
taken  from* the  north  side,  he  determined  to  get  below  it, 
and  advance  from  the  south.  For  this  purpose,  he  concen 
trated  his  entire  army,  on  the  last  of  the  month,  at  Milliken's 
Bend,  on  the  west  shore,  just  above  the  place,  and  at  Young's 
Point,  a  little  further  down,  and  opposite  the  city. 

Vicksburg  lies  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Mississippi,  on 
a  high  bluff,  and  near  the  point  of  a  great  bend  in  the  river. 
General  Williams  had  endeavored,  the  year  before,  to  cut  a 
canal  across  this  bend,  through  which  the  boats  could  pass,  and 
get  below  without  coming  under  the  fire  of  the  batteries.  A 
fleet  could  not  come  up  from  New  Orleans,  on  account  of 
Port  Hudson,  where  the  rebels  had  been  allowed  to  erect 
strong  fortifications,  the  previous  year,  though  Porter  had 
advised  the  Government  of  what  was  going  on,  and  had 
urged  the  vital  importance  of  putting  a  stop  to  it.  He  even 
offered,  with  a  thousand  men,  to  occupy  the  place  himself, 
and  hold  it,  with  the  aid  of  his  gunboats.  But  the  year 
1862  was  a  year  of  blunders  on  the  part  of  the  War  De 
partment,  and  of  great  disasters  in  the  field.  The  Army 
of  the  Potomac  had  been  driven  from  Richmond,  on  the  one 
hand,  and  from  the  Rapidan,  on  the  other,  and  shattered 
into  fragments  on  the  heights  of  Fredericksburg ;  Buell 
had  been  forced  back  from  Chattanooga  to  Nashville,  and 
Morgan  compelled  to  evacuate  Cumberland  Gap ;  and,  to 
close  up  the  sad  record,  Port  Hudson  had  been  allowed  to 
become  well-nigh  impregnable. 

Grant  now  sat  down  to  the  tedious  work  of  completing 
this  canal,  and  turning  the  Mississippi  into  it-,  and  the  spade 
and  pick  took  the  place  of  the  musket  and  sword.  For  six 
weeks,  his  splendid  army  lay  idle  here,  as  if  on  purpose  to 
bring  the  people  to  the  stool  of  repentance,  for,  having,  in 
their  pride,  attempted  to  €ast  ridicule  on  the  spade,  as  an 


150  ATTACK    ON    SPRINGFIELD. 

instrument  unworthy  of  the  soldier.  Week  after  week,  the 
only  report  that  greeted  the  country  was,  ''Digging  still." 

While  these  events  had  been  passing  on  the  "Mississippi, 
the  rebels  had  made  another  advance  into  Missouri.  On  the 
8th  of  January,  Marmaduke,  with  a  heavy  force,  attacked 
Springfield,  occupied  by  General  Brown,  who  commanded 
the  South-west  Department  of  Missouri.  The  forces  of  the 
latter  were  very  much  scattered,  so  that  not  over  fifteen 
hundred  men,  at  this  time,  held  the  place.  The  attack  com 
menced  at  one  o'clock,  and  was  pressed  with  fierce  deter 
mination  for  five  hours,  when  the  enemy  fell  back.  General 
Brown,  while  gallantly  charging  at  the  head  of  his  body 
guard,  to  encourage  a  regiment  that  had  given  way,  was 
severely  wounded,  and  the  command  devolved  on  Colonel 
Crabbe,  of  the  Nineteenth  Iowa.  Our  total  loss  was  one 
hundred  and  sixty- two — that  of  the  enemy  much  larger. 

General  Brown,  when  he  found  himself  menaced  by  a 
superior  force,  telegraphed  to  Major-General  Curtis  for  help, 
and,  on  the  9th,  a  part  of  Warren's  brigade,  under  Colonel 
Merrill,  started  from  Houston  on  a  forced  march  for  Spring 
field.  By  eight  o'clock  that  evening,  they  had  reached 
Beaver  Creek,  twenty-two  miles  distant.  Resting  here  for 
four  hours,  the  gallant  eight  hundred  again  started,  at  mid 
night,  reaching  the  vicinity  of  Hartsville  just  as  the  wintry 
morning  was  breaking.  Starting  again,  in  the  afternoon, 
they  pushed  on  as  far  as  Wood's  Creek,  when,  learning  that 
the  enemy  was  trying  to  get  in  their  rear,  the  little  force 
fell  back  to  Hartsville.  Here,  the  enemy,  who  had  been 
foiled  in  their  assault  on  Springfield,  fell  suddenly  upon  it, 
to  overwhelm  it  before  succor  could  arrive.  But,  though 
fearfully  outnumbered,  the  little  band  gallantly  held  its 
ground,  and  at  length  forced  the  enemy  to  abandon  his 
design.  Very  heavy  marching  was  done  by  the  men — the 
Twenty-first  Iowa,  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Dunlap,  having 


NAVAL     DISASTERS.  151 

marched  one  hundred  miles,  through  mud  and  rain,  between 
Friday  afternoon  and  Monday  morning,  and,  in  the  meantime, 
fought  two  battles. 

There  were  other  engagements  between  small  detachments 
in  this  State  and  Arkansas,  during  this  and  the  following 
months,  but  no  action  of  any  importance  occurred. 

An  expedition  up  the  White  River,  under  John  G. 
Walker,  captured  some  guns;  and  another,  under  Colonel 
Ellet,  up  the  Red  River,  with  the  ram,  Queen  of  the  West, 
took  three  rebel  transport  steamers.  But,  on  February  14th, 
the  ram  run  aground,  at  Gordon's  Landing,  in  full  range  of 
a  rebel  battery,  which  poured  in  so  destructive  a  fire  that 
it  had  to  be  abandoned.  This  was  not  the  only  naval 
disaster  we  met  with  in  the  South-west,  in  the  latter  part 
of  this  year,  and  the  commencement  of  1863.  A  Confed 
erate  steamer,  fitted  out  in  England,  and  called  the  Alabama, 
which  had  been  destroying  our  commerce  for  some  time, 
on  the  7th  of  December,  seized  the  California  steamer  Ariel, 
on  her  way  to  Aspinwall. 

A  sadder  disaster  still,  befell  the  fleet  under  Commodore 
Bell,  which  was  blockading  the  port  of  Galveston.  On  the 
llth  of  January,  in  the  afternoon,  a  strange  sail  was  reported 
in  the  offing,  and  the  steamer  Hatteras,  Lieutenant  Blake 
commanding,  was  signaled,  from  the  flag-ship  Brooklyn,  to 
give  chase.  After  dark,  he  came  up  with  the  stranger,  and 
hailed  him,  asking  the  name  of  the  steamer.  u  Her  Brittanic 
Majesty's  ship  Vixen,"  was  the  reply.  Blake  then  said  he 
would  send  a  boat  aboard.  The  next  minute,  however,  even 
while  the  boatswain's  whistle  was  ringing,  came  the  shout, 
u  We  are  the  Confederate  steamer  Alabama,"  accompanied 
with  a  stunning  broadside.  Blake,  who  from  the  first  had  been 
suspicious  that  the  stranger  was  the  Alabama,  was  prepared 
for  an  attack,  and  immediately  returned  it.  But  he  could 
throw  but  ninety-four  pounds,  to  the  rebel's  three  hundred 

40 


152  SINKING     OF     THE     HATTERAS. 

and  twenty-four.  Knowing  his  vessel  could  not  stand  this 
unequal  fire  many  minutes,  he  determined  to  close  with  his 
antagonist,  and  steamed  straight  towards  her.  But  the  rebel 
commander  knew  his  advantage,  and,  avoiding  the  blow, 
poured  in  his  terrific  broadsides  at  the  distance  of  thirty 
yards.  Thus,  within  pistol  shot,  Blake  was  compelled  to 
fight  the  unequal  battle.  Nothing  daunted,  however,  he 
cried,  u  Give  it  to  them,  my  boys,  give  it  to  them  ;  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  must  never  come  down!" — to  which,  three 
hearty  cheers  responded.  But  what  was  such  a  frail  thing 
as  the  Hatteras,  before  the  one-hundred-pound  shot  and 
eight-inch  shells  of  the  privateer,  delivered  within  thirty 
yards  ?  In  a  few  minutes,  her  engines  were  a  wreck,  and 
she  was  on  fire  in  two  different  places.  u  Drown  the  maga 
zine,"  was  the  quick  order,  but  the  enemy  was  doing  that 
for  her,  for  she  had  then  seven  feet  of  water  in  her  hold. 
It  was  a  short  fight,  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  the  Hatteras  lay, 
a  helpless  wreck,  on  the  water.  Still,  her  gallant  Commander 
fought  on,  hoping  against  hope,  for  he  could  not  bear  to 
strike  his  flag.  But  it  was  all  in  vain.  The  report  came  that 
the  vessel  was  sinking,  and  he  reluctantly  gave  the  order  to 
fire  a  lee  gun,  in  token  of  surrender.  In  ten  minutes  after 
the  crew  were  got  aboard  of  the  Alabama,  the  Hatteras, 
with  one  heavy  lurch,  went  to  the  bottom.  Blake  lost  his 
vessel,  but  not  his  honor,  for  a  more  gallant  fight,  against 
hopeless  odds,  was  never  waged  on  the  water. 

In  the  latter'  part  of  the  month,  the  ship-of-war  Morning 
Light,  and  the  schooner  Velocity,  blockading  the  Sabine 
Pass,  Texas,  were  surprised  by  two  rebel  steamers,  and  cap 
tured.  These  naval  successes  of  the  enemy,  caused  much 
chagrin  and  complaint. 

The  activity  which  characterized  the  opening  year,  along 
the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  extended  also  to  the  Department 
of  the  Gulf. 


MOVEMENTS     OF     BANKS.  153 

Banks,  as  before  stated,  was  appointed  to  supersede  But 
ler,  in  the  command  of  the  Department  of  the  Gulf,  in 
December.  The  duties  devolving  upon  him  were  of  a  deli 
cate  nature,  for  both  the  people  of  Louisiana  and  the  North 
were  divided  in  their  views  respecting  the  course  that  should 
be  adopted.  The  enemies  of  Butler  expected  a  more  con 
ciliatory  course  than  the  one  he  had  pursued,  while  his  friends 
stood  prepared  to  denounce  the  first  act  of  leniency,  as  certain 
to  produce  disastrous  results.  Hence,  Banks'  conduct  was 
closely  watched,  and,  as  the  result,  misrepresented  on  both 
sides.  His  old  friends  at  the  North  began  to  denounce  him, 
but  he  kept  on  in  the  even  tenor  of  his  way.  The  wisdom 
of  his  course,  however,  soon  became  apparent,  for,  while  he 
allayed  vindictive  passions,  he  at  the  same  time  showed  that 
he  would  hold  the  reins  of  government  with  a  firm  hand. 

The  troops  under  his  command  constituted  the  Nineteenth 
Army  Corps,  arid  much  was  expected  of  him  from  his  known 
enterprise  and  energy.  His  first  movement  was  to  send 
Colonel  Burrill,  with  a  detachment  of  troops,  into  Texas, 
who,  on  the  24th  of  the  month,  took  possession  of  Galveston. 
But,  in  a  week,  it  was  recaptured  by  the  enemy,  and  Colonel 
Burrill  and  his  two  hundred  and  sixty  men  killed  or  taken 
prisoners.  At  the  same  time,  the  rebels  sent  three  powerful 
rams  against  our  vessels  in  the  bay,  and,  after  a  short,  fierce 
fight,  captured  the  Harriet  Lane,  and  compelled  the  Com 
mander  of  the  flag-ship,  Westfield,  to  blow  her  up,  in  order 
to  prevent  her  falling  into  their  hands. 

On  the  llth  of  January,  he  sent  General  Weitzel,  with  a 
land  force,  across  Berwick  Bay  to  Bayou  Teche,  accompanied 
by  gunboats  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Buchanan.  The 
enemy  stationed  here  was  attacked,  on  the  14th,  and  the 
rebel  gunboat  Cotton  so  disabled  that  her  Commander  blew 
her  up.  The  .loss  of  the  land  force  was  about  thirty,  while 
several  were  killed  on  the  gunboats,  and  among  them  the 


154  BANKS'  EXPEDITION. 

gallant  Commander,  Buchanan,  who  steamed  to  the  front 
with  his  vessel,  and  fought  with  the  greatest  intrepidity. 

In  the  Spring,  while  Grant  was  endeavoring  to  get  below 
Yicksburg,  Banks  planned  an  extensive  expedition  into  "  The 
Attakapas  Country,"  the  garden  of  Louisiana,  and  which  the 
rebels  held  in  force.  Berwick  City,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Atchafalaya  River,  was  selected  as  the  starting  point  of  the 
army,  which  was  to  move  up  the  Teche  River,  strongly 
fortified,  and  protected  by  rebel  gunboats.  On  the  llth  of 
April,  the  main  column,  commanded  by  Banks  in  person, 
took  up  its  line  of  march  from  Berwick  City,  while  Grover, 
with  his  division,  moved  up  the  Atchafalaya  in  transports,  for 
the  purpose  of  passing  into  Grand  Lake — which  approached 
the  Teche  above  the  fortifications  of  the  enemy — and  thus 
cutting  off  his  retreat.  On  Sunday,  Banks  came  upon  the  rebel 
works,  stretching  along  the  shores  on  both  sides  of  the  river, 
and  guarded  by  the  gunboat  Diana.  A  heavy  artillery  fight 
followed,  which  lasted  till  dark.  It  was  renewed  the  next  day, 
and  soon  the  gunboat  was  compelled  to  retire  up-stream. 
In  the  meantime,  Grover  was  steadily  moving  around  the 
rebels,  to  the  east,  who,  finding  themselves  threatened  in 
the  rear,  hastily  retreated,  leaving  two  thousand  prisoners 
in  our  hands.  Banks  then  resumed  his  march,  and,  on  the 
20th,  reached  Opelousas,  a  hundred  and  eighty  miles  from 
New  Orleans,  and  only  seventy-five  from  the  Red  River,  the 
point  at  which  he  was  aiming.  Alexandria,  an  important 
and  strongly  fortified  place  upon  it,  was  at  length  reached, 
on  the  8th  of  May,  but  not  until  it  had  surrendered  to 
Admiral  Porter,  who,  acting  in  conjunction  with  Banks,  had 
advanced  against  it  with  his  gunboats.  The  latter  imme 
diately  assumed  command.  Having  marched  two  hundred 
miles,  through  the  enemy's  country,  without  meeting  with  a 
single  repulse,  after  giving  his  army  a  short  rest  he  moved 
down  on  Port  Hudson  from  the  north. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


LAKE    PROVIDENCE    ROUTE MOOX    LAKE    ROUTE STEELfi's  BAYOU    ROUTE 

COLD  RESOLVE  TO  RUN  THE  BATTERIES THE  MARCH  INLAND — THE  BATTERIES 

RUN DIFFICULTIES    OF  THE  MARCH NEW  CARTHAGE GRAND   GULF PORT 

GIBSON GRAND    RESOLVE     OF    GRANT — THE     MARCH     INLAND BATTLES     OF 

RAYMOND,  JACKSON,  CHAMPION'S  HILL,  BLACKWATER VICKSBURG    INVESTED 

FIRST  ASSAULT SECOND  ASSAULT ACTION  OF  THE  GUNBOATS. 

WE  left  Grant,  early  in  the  Spring,  attempting  to  get 
below  Vicksburg,  by  means  of  the  canal  dug  the 
year  before,  by  General  Williams.  This  scheme  proving 
abortive,  as  sufficient  water  could  not  be  got  into  the  ditch, 
he  started  another  project.  About  seventy  miles  above 
Vicksburg,  and  some  five  miles  west  of  the  Mississippi  River, 
lies  Lake  Providence,  which  empties  itself  through  a  bayou, 
filled  with  snags,  into  Swan  Lake ;  this  in  turn  sends  its 
waters  southward;  through  a  long,  winding  stream  called  the 
Tensas  River,  into  the  Black  River,  the  last  flowing  on  into 
the  Red  River,  which  effects  a  junction  with  the  Mississippi 
below  Natchez.  The  whole  route  was  about  a  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  in  length.  A  canal  five  miles  long  had  to  be  cut 
through  a  morass,  the  shallows  to  be  dug  out,  the  snags 
removed,  and  stumps  cleared  away,  before  the  boats  could  be 
got  out  of  the  Mississippi,  and  sent  through  this  long,  crooked, 
inland  course.  As  the  work  went  on,  predictions  were 
uttered  that  a  new  channel  for  the  Mississippi  would  be 
made,  extending,  perhaps,  even  to  the  Gulf. 

The  canal  was  at  length  opened,  and  a  steamer  and  a  few 
barges  were  got  across  into  Lake  Providence.  But  the 
Mississippi  kept  its  old  course,  and,  as  the  spring  floods  fell, 


156  STRANGE    NAVIGATION. 

the  new  channel  became  a  shallow  creek,  so  that  the  whole 
project  had  to  be  abandoned. 

Grant,  however,  with  his  accustomed  tenacity  of  purpose, 
determined  not  to  abandon  his  design  to  get  in  the  rear  of 
Yicksburg,  for  it  could  be  taken  in  no  other  way.     He  now 
made  a  third  trial  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi.    About 
a  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  in  a  straight  line,  north  from 
Vicksburg,  there  is  a  little  lake,  called  Moon  Lake,  separated 
from  the  river  only  by  a  thin  strip  of  land.     From  this  lake, 
a  narrow  stream,  called  the  Yazoo  Pass,  leads  into  the  Cold- 
water  River,  which  flows  south  into  the  Tallahatchie,  that 
in  turn  unites  with  the  Yazoo.     If  he  could  get  into  the 
latter  river,  he  would  be  able  to  move  down  in  the  rear  of 
Haines'  Bluff,   and   thus   effectually  turn  the  fortifications 
there,  which  Sherman  had  failed  to  capture.     The  canal  to 
the  lake  was  quickly  cut;   the  waters  of   the  Mississippi 
poured  through  it,  and  the  steamers  floated  into  Moon  Lake. 
Passing  out  of  this,  into  the  Coldwater  and   Tallahatchie 
Rivers,   they  slowly   felt    their  tortuous  way  towards   the 
navigable  Yazoo.     It  was  a  strange  spectacle,  to  see  these 
armed  vessels  threading  their  way  under  overarching  cypress 
trees,  and  plunging  into  apparently  interminable  swamps, 
where  never  before  even  a  canoe  had  floated.     It  was  like 
sailing  through  a  flooded  forest,  made  still  more  dangerous 
by  the  rapid  flow  of  the  swollen  waters,  which  the  Mississippi 
sent  with  headlong  fury  through  this  new  channel.     The 
paddle-wheels,  instead  of  being  used  to  propel  the  vessels, 
incessantly  backed  water,  to  prevent  their  too  rapid  descent 
among    the    gigantic    trees,    whose    overhanging   branches 
sometimes  swept  the  decks.     The  solitude  and  gloom  of  this 
strange,  winding  route,  oppressed  the  spirits,  yet  the  men 
toiled  patiently  on — making,  upon  an  average,  less  than  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  an  hour — till  they  reached  the  Yazoo.    The 
heaviest  part  of  the  task  now  seemed  accomplished,  and  a 


THE    BLACK    BAYOU.  157 

swift  sail  down  to  the  rear  of  Vicksburg  was  anticipated. 
But  the  rebels  had  received  information  of  the  expedition, 
and,  divining  its  object,  erected,  near  the  confluence  of  the 
streams,  a  fort  which  commanded  the  channel,  and  yet  was 
so  surrounded  by  bogs  that  the  land  force  could  not  approach 
it.  The  frail  wooden  steamboats,  of  course,  could  not  silence 
these  batteries,  and  so  this  project,  costing  so  much  labor 
and  time,  also  had  to  be  abandoned. 

Baffled,  but  not  -disheartened,  Grant  now  made  another 
attempt  to  get  in  the  rear  of  the  batteries  on  Haines'  Bluff. 
About  seven  miles  above  where  the  Yazoo  enters  the  Missis 
sippi,  Steele's  Bayou  is  connected  with  the  latter  river.  This, 
in  turn,  connects  inland,  north,  with  the  Black  Bayou,  Rolling 
Fork  and  Sunflower  Rivers,  which,  in  their  course,  wind  en 
tirely  around  Haines'  Bluff.  On  the  14th  of  March,  Admiral 
Porter  entered  this  bayou  with  a  gunboat  fleet,  accompanied 
by  a  force  of  infantry  under  General  Sherman.  A  portion 
of  this,  like  each  of  the  other  routes  which  had  been  tried, 
was  full  of  difficulties.  One  who  accompanied  the  expedi 
tion,  thus  describes  the  Black  Bayou :  "  Black  Bayou,  a 
narrow  stream,  heretofore  navigable  only  by  dug-outs,  was 
made  of  the  width  of  our  steamers,  with  great  labor,  by 
felling  trees  and  sawing  stumps  below  the  surface.  Every 
foot  of  our  way  was  cut  and  torn  through  a  dense  forest, 
never  before  traversed  by  steamers.  I  never  witnessed  a 
more  exciting  and  picturesque  scene  than  the  transportation, 
on  the  last  day,  of  the  third  brigade,  by  General  Stuart. 
Crowded  with  men,  the  steamers,  at  the  highest  possible 
speed,  pushed  through  overhanging  trees  and  around  short 
curves.  Sometimes  they  were  wedged  fast  between  trees,  then 
sailing  along  smoothly,  a  huge  cypress  would  reach  out  an  arm. 
and  sweep  the  whole  length  of  the  boats,  tearing  guards  and 
chimneys  from  the  decks.  The  last  trip  through  the  Black 
Bayou,  was  in  a  night,  pitchy  dark  and  rainy."  Added  to 


158  A    DESPERATE    RESOLUTION. 

all  this,  the  enemy,  having  been  apprised  of  our  design, 
filled  the  thickets  along  the  banks  with  sharp-shooters,  who 
swept  the  decks  with  their  fire,  at  close  range,  and  scattered 
the  working  parties.  Large  trees  were  felled  across  the 
stream,  by  negroes,  in  advance,  to  retard  the  boats  and  keep 
them  under  fire,  and  behind  them,  to  prevent  their  return. 
Before  the  expedition  reached  Sunflower  River,  the  peril 
of  being  caught  there  in  the  forest,  permanently,  with  his 
boats,  was  so  great,  that  Porter  determined  to  return.  This 
resolution  was  not  taken  a  moment  too  soon,  for,  if  he  had 
pushed  on  a  few  hours  longer,  he  would  have  been  hemmed 
in  beyond  release. 

When  the  expedition  again  reached  the  Mississippi,  Grant 
saw  that  the  last  hope  of  getting  in  the  rear  of  Vicksburg, 
inland,  from  the  north,  was  gone.  Still,  he  would  not  aban 
don  the  great  object  for  which  he  had  struggled  so  long  and 
worked  so  patiently.  Difficulties,  instead  of  discouraging, 
roused  him  to  greater  efforts.  Having  exhausted  all  the 
plans  that  ingenuity  could  suggest,  to  avoid  the  direct  fire 
of  the  rebel  batteries,  which  lined  the  river  for  eight  miles, 
he  at  last  took  the  bold  and  apparently  rash  resolution  of 
running  them  with  his  gunboats  and  transports.  Preparatory 
to  this,  the  army  was  marched  inland,  towards  New  Carthage, 
below  Vicksburg,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  In  this 
march,  General  McClernand  led  the  advance,  with  the 
Eleventh  Army  Corps.  The  swampy  country,  however, 
soon  became  a  vast  mortar  bed,  in  which  the  hubs  of  the 
artillery  wheels  would  often  entirely  disappear  from  sight, 
and  through  which  the  army  floundered,  till  further  progress 
became  impossible  without  constructing  for  itself  a  regular 
military  road.  Bridges  had  to  be  built  over  the  sluggish 
streams,  and  corduroy  causeways  made  across  treacherous 
swamps,  and,  in  the  meantime,  the  levee  carefully  guarded, 
lest  the  enemy  should  cut  it,  and  turn  the  swampy  lowland 


PASSAGE  OF  THE  BATTERIES.         159 

into  an  impassable  sea.  The  army  thus  worked  its  toilsome 
way,  till  at  last  it  came  in  sight  of  New  Carthage,  the  goal  of 
its  labors,  but,  alas  I  it  was  like  an  island  in  the  sea,  for  the 
enemy  had  succeeded  in  cutting  the  levee  near  it,  and  flooding 
all  the  intervening  country.  Cut  off  from  this  point,  Mc- 
Clernand  resumed  his  march,  striking  the  riv.er  twelve  miles 
further  down  stream,  making  the  whole  distance  from  Milli- 
ken's  Bend  thirty-five  miles.  All  the  supplies  and  ordnance 
stores  for  the  projected  campaign  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  had  to  be  hauled  over  this  miserable  road. 

This  being  accomplished,  the  next  thing  was  to  get  the 
gunboats  and  transports  past  the  Yicksburg  batteries.  The 
night  of  the  16th  of  April  was  fixed  upon  to  make  the 
attempt.  Whether  the  frail  transports  could  safely  run  the 
terrible  gauntlet,  was  problematical,  and  it  was  resolved  to 
try  the  experiment  with  only  three — the  Silver  Wave, 
Forest  Queen  and  Henry  Clay.  The  plan  was,  for  Porter 
to  move  down  in  single  file,  with  his  eight  gunboats,  and, 
planting  them  square  abreast  of  the  rebel  batteries,  engage 
them ;  while  the  transports,  hugging  the  western  shore,  in 
their  rear,  covered  by  the  smoke  and  darkness,  were,  with 
all  steam  on,  to  push  swiftly  below.  A  little  before  midnight, 
the  gunboats,  one  after  another,  drifted  out  of  the  bend  "in 
which  they  lay  concealed,  and,  showing  no  light  from  their 
chimneys,  moved  like  great  shadows  down  the  noiseless 
current.  Nearly  an  hour  passed  by,  and  not  a  sound  broke 
the  ominous  stillness ;  and  the  listeners  on  the  shore  above 
began  to  think  the  boats  had  passed  the  batteries  unseen,  when 
suddenly  there  came  a  flash,  followed  by  a  crash  that-  shook 
the  shores.  Lights  danced  along  the  heights  of  Vieksburg — - 
soon,  thunder  answered  thunder,  and  the  flash  of  batteries, 
from  land  and  water,  rent  the  gloom,  till  the  black  midnight 
seemed  turned  into  an  element  of  fire.  Still,  the  transports 
hoped  to  escape  in  the  confusion,  when,  suddenly,  a  huge 


160  A    THRILLING    SPECTACLE. 

bonfire  blazed  forth  on  one  of  the  hills  near  Vicksburg. 
The  rebels  were  prepared  for  just  such  an  attempt  as  this, 
and  had  collected  a  vast  amount  of  combustibles,  which, 
when  lighted,  would  make  the  bosom  of  the  Mississippi,  in 
front  of  the  batteries,  bright  as  day.  The  poor  transports 
were  instantly  flooded  in  light,  and,  as  they  swept  along  the 
ruddy  stream,  presented  a  fair  target  to  the  gunners.  The 
enemy  penetrated  at  a  glance  the  design  of  Grant,  and  shot 
and  shell  fell  and  burst,  in  a  horrible  tempest,  around  the 
frail  things.  The  commanders  saw  that  the  chances  were 
against  them,  but  they  crowded  on  all  steam,  till  the  gleam 
ing  waters  rolled  away  from  their  prows  in  a  torrent  of 
foam.  Soon,  a  heavy  shot  tore  through  the  timbers  of  the 
Forest  Queen,  and  then  another,  and  she  drifted  unmanage 
ably  on  the  current.  A  gunboat,  seeing  her  distress,  wheeled 
and  took  her  in  tow,  and  passed  down  the  river,  greeted,  at 
every  turn  of  its  wheels,  with  shots  from  the  batteries.  The 
Henry  Clay  was  struck  by  a  shell  which  set  her  barricade  of 
cotton  bales  on  fire,  and  she  soon  flamed  back  to  the  beacon 
light  on  the  shore.  Blazing  like  a  mighty  torch,  she  sent  her 
jets  of  flame,  capped  with  angry  wreaths  of  black,  curling 
smoke,  far  up  into  the  midnight  heavens.  The  crew  leaped 
from  the  glowing  furnace  into  their  boats,  and  took  refuge  on 
the  western  bank.  The  Silver  Wave  alone  was  untouched,  and, 
bearing  seemingly  a  charmed  life,  glided  serenely  through 
the  horrible  tempest,  till  the  last  battery  was  passed,  and, 
with  her  fragile  form  unmarred,  she  floated  gracefully  on 
the  water.  The  gunboats  came  through  safely,  with  only 
one  man  killed  and  two  wounded.  For  over  an  hour,  they 
gallantly  faced  the  heavy  batteries,  and  though  often  struck, 
sustained  no  damage  that  was  not  speedily  repaired.  Still, 
but  one  transport  was  through,  and  this  alone  could 
be  of  no  service  to  the  army.  More  must  be  brought  down, 
and  Grant  resolved,  though  but  one  out  of  three  had  escaped, 


A    GALLANT    BOY.  161 

to  run  the  same  fearful  gauntlet  with  six  more,  slowly  towing 
twelve  barges.  This  was  so  hazardous  an  enterprise  that 
the  officers  felt  reluctant  to  order  men  to  .accompany  the 
boats,  and  volunteers  were  called  for.  Immediately,  enough 
stepped  forward  to  man  a  fleet,  and  it  had  to  be  decided  by 
lot,  who  the  lucky  ones  should  be.  So  eager  were  they  to 
join  in  the  desperate  undertaking,  that  a  boy,  having  drawn 
a  successful  number,  was  offered  by  a  soldier  a  hundred 
dollars  for  his  chance,  which  the  spirited  little  fellow  refused. 
He  lived  to  tell  of  his  share  in  the  daring  feat.  With  strange 
good  fortune,  the  whole  fleet,  with  the  exception  of  the 
Tigress,  and  half  the  barges,  passed  in  safety.  She  was 
struck  below  the  water  line,  and  being  run  ashore,  sunk. 

The  army  was  now  below  Vicksburg,  with  transports  to 
carry  it  across  the  river,  and  gunboats  to  protect  it.  And 
here,  on  the  29th  of  April,  the  Thirteenth  Corps  was 
embarked,  and  moved  to  the  front  of  Grand  Gulf,  a  fortified 
place,  which  Grant  designed  to  capture  and  make  his  base. 
The  gunboats  at  once  engaged  the  batteries,  and  for  live 
hours  maintained  a  fierce  fire,  sometimes  moving  almost  to 
within  pistol  shot  of  the  enemy's  guns.  Grant  witnessed 
the  action  from  a  tug,  and  saw  with  regret  that  the  post 
could  not  be  reduced  from  the  water  side,  and  that,  from 
the  position  of  things,  no  landing  could  be  made  near  by, 
to  take  it  from  the  shore.  He  therefore  ordered  the  trans 
ports  back  to  Hard  Times,  and,  disembarking  his  troops, 
resumed  his  march  down  the  river.  At  night,  the  gunboats 
again  engaged  the  batteries,  and,  under  cover  of  the  fire, 
the  transports  ran  past  them,  suffering,  but  little  damage. 
Grant's  march  through  the  forest  had  been  unseen  by  the 
enemy,  and,  the  next  day,  the  army  was  ferried  across  the 
river  to  the  eastern  shore.  With  a  patience  and  tenacity 
unparalleled,  Grant  had  finally  got  his  army  south  of  Vicks 
burg,  and  over  the  river,  and  yet  the  mighty  work  he  had 


162  BATTLE  OF  PORT  GIBSON. 

assigned  himself  had  only  just  begun — he  had  reached  only 
the  threshold  of  the  perils  it  embraced. 

He  landed  at  Bruinsburgh,  and  immediately  pushed  for 
ward  McClernand's  corps  to  Port  Gibson.  About  eight 
miles  out,  the  latter  met  the  enemy,  and  forced  him  back  till 
dark.  The  next  morning,  he  found  him  posted  on  two  roads, 
about  four  miles  from  Port  Gibson.  The  rebel  position  was 
admirably  chosen,  for  the  road  ran  mostly  along  high  ridges, 
with  impenetrable  ravines  on  each  side,  to  prevent  any 
flank  movements.  McClernand,  however,  succeeded  in 
pushing  forward  the  divisions  of  Hovey,  Carr  and  Smith, 
on  the  right,  while  Osterhaus  advanced  against  the  left. 
The  latter  was  hard  pressed  by  the  enemy,  but  at  length, 
being  reinforced  by  Logan's  division,  he  ordered  a  charge, 
and,  leading  it  in  person,  fell  in  such  fury  on  the  rebel  line, 
that  it  was  shattered  into  fragments,  and  fell  disorderly  back. 
Three  cannon  were  captured  in  this  brilliant  charge.  The 
three  divisions  on  the  other  flank,  steadily  forced  the  enemy 
back  all  day  towards  Port  Gibson,  until  darkness  closed  the 
conflict.  The  fighting  had  been  close  and  sharp,  resulting 
in  a  loss  on  our  side  of  some  eight  hundred  and  fifty,  while 
we  took  a  thousand  prisoners,  and  five  cannon.  That  night, 
the  wearied  troops  slept  on  their  arms.  In  the  morning,  it 
was  found  that  the  enemy  had  retreated  across  Bayou  Pierre. 
A  floating  bridge  was  at  once  thrown  across  it,  while  McPher- 
son  pushed  on  eight  miles  to  the  northern  fork  of  the  bayou, 
which  was  also  bridged,  and  the  next  morning,  just  as  the 
sun  was  climbing  the  eastern  hills,  he  marched  with  streaming 
banners  across  it. 

On  the  3rd,  (May,)  the  enemy  was  closely  pressed  all 
day,  and  many  prisoners  taken.  Grant  was  now  in  the  rear 
of  Grand  Gulf,  and,  hearing  that  it  was  evacuated,  he  took 
an  escort  of  cavalry,  and  galloped  thither,  fifteen  miles  dis 
tant,  across  the  country,  in  order  to  make  the  necessary 


A  DESPERATE  RESOLUTION.          163 

arrangements  for  changing  his  base  of  supplies  from  Bruins- 
burgh  to  that  place. 

When  he  started  down  the  river,  he  left  Sherman,  with 
the  Fifteenth  Corps,  to  make  a  feint  on  Haines'  Bluff,  in 
order  to  keep  the  enemy  from  sending  a  heavy  force  to  the 
assistance  of  Grand  Gulf,  before  he  arrived  there.  On  the 
day  that  the  Thirteenth  Corps  landed  at  Bruinsburgh,  Admiral 
Porter  opened  a  heavy  fire  against  the  rebel  works  at 
Haines7  Bluff,  and  Sherman  landed  his  troops  as  if  about  to 
carry  them  by  storm.  Pemberton,  commanding  at  Yicks- 
burg,  was  thus  prevented  from  sending  off  troops  south, 
and  Sherman,  having  accomplished  his  object,  re-embarked 
his  corps,  and  pressed  on  after  Grant  from  Milliken's  Bend. 

The  latter  did  not  design,  when  he  crossed  the  Mississippi, 
to  push  on  as  he  did,  but  expected  to  stop  and  concentrate  his 
army  at  Grand  Gulf,  and  effect  a  junction  with  Banks,  which 
would  give  him  an  army  strong  enough  to  resist  any  force 
the  enemy  might  bring  against  him.  But  he  received  a  letter 
from  the  latter,  informing  him  that  he  had  projects  of  his 
own  on  foot,  and  could  not  join  him.  At  the  same  time,  he 
heard  that  Beauregard  was  about  moving  from  the  Southern 
cities,  west  to  co-operate  with  Pemberton.  To  wait  till  the 
enemy,  by  the  various  railroads,  could  concentrate  an  im 
mense  force  against  him,  would  render  his  defeat  almost 
certain.  To  advance  with  only  a  part  of  his  army  in  hand, 
and  his  base  of  supplies  not  yet  established,  seemed  equally 
perilous.  With  characteristic  boldness,  he  determined,  how 
ever,  on  the  latter  course,  trusting  to  the  country  to  furnish 
forage  for  his  troops.  The  rebel  hosts,  he  knew,  were 
gathering  on  all  sides,  and  his  only  chance  of  success  lay  in 
attacking  and  beating  the  several  armies  before  they  could 
effect  a  junction.  His  blows  must  fall,  rapid  and  terfible  as 
bolts  from  heaven,  or  he  was  ruined.  With  the  daring  of 
Napoleon,  he  determined  to  enact  over  again  that  great 


164  THE    ARMY    LEAVES    ITS    BASE. 

chieftain's  famous  Italian  campaign,  when,  with  fifty  thousand 
men,  he  attacked  in  detail  and  beat  an  army  of  a  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand,  and  killed  and  wounded,  and  took  as  pris 
oners,  a  number  equal  to  his  whole  force.  He  knew  that 
rapid  marching  and  constant  victories  were  indispensable  to 
success  in  this  daring  movement,  and  the  army  was  stripped 
like  an  athlete  for  the  race  before  it.  Delay  was  defeat ;  a 
single  severe  repulse,  and  the  campaign  was  ended ;  but  he 
did  not  falter  a  moment  in  his  sublime  determination.  He 
set  the  example  of  self-sacrifice  himself,  by  taking  neither 
an  orderly,  camp  chest,  overcoat  or  blanket  with  him. 

Thus  cleared  of  every  encumbrance,  he  ordered  the  ad 
vance,  and  his  banners  moved  boldly  inland.  McPherson 
struck  off  to  the  north-east,  while  Sherman  (who  had  arrived) 
and  McClernand  kept  along  the  Black  River — the  three  corps 
in  supporting  distance  of  each  other.  Grant,  all  the  while, 
made  demonstrations  as  if  about  to  cross  the  Black  Eiver, 
and  move  directly  to  the  rear  of  Vicksburg,  which  so  con 
fused  Pemberton  that  he  dared  not  march  out  to  join  the 
forces  at  Jackson. 

McPherson,  moving  straight  on  the  latter  place,  came,  on 
the  12th,  upon  the  enemy,  strongly  posted,  near  Raymond. 
No  time  could  be  spared,  and  the  troops  were  pushed  steadily 
forward,  sweeping  everything  before  them.  Our  loss  here 
was  four  hundred  and  forty-two.  The  enemy  fell  back  towards 
Jackson,  losing  heavily  in  prisoners.  Grant  now  ordered 
Sherman  and  McClernand  to  bear  off  to  the  right,  towards 
McPherson.  On  the  night  of  the  13th,  the  rain  fell  in  tor 
rents,  and  continued  the  next  day  till  noon,  rendering  the 
roads  muddy  and  slippery ;  yet  the  troops,  in  close  order, 
and  with  cheerful  spirits,  moved  off  through  the  deluge, 
making  a  wearisome  march  of  fourteen  miles,  and  at  noon 
came  upon  the  enemy,  about  two  miles  from  the  city. 


RAPID     MARCHING CHAMPIONS    HILL.          165 

Pressed  in  by  McPherson,  and  threatened  on  the  flank,  the 
latter  gave  way,  and  left  the  Capital  to  its  fate. 
.  That  evening,  Grant  learned  that  Johnston,  who  had  been 
sent  by  Davis  to  take  chief  command  of  the  rebel  forces  in 
this  Department,  had  ordered  Pemberton  to  march  out  from 
Vicksburg  and  attack  his  rear.  He  immediately  faced 
about,  and,  leaving  Sherman  to  destroy  railroads,  bridges, 
workshops,  &c.,  in  Jackson,  moved  the  rest  of  his  troops,  by 
converging  routes,  west,  towards  Edwards'  Station.  The 
next  morning  at  daylight,  two  men,  who  had  been  in  the 
employ  of  the  rebels,  were  brought  to  Grant,  charged  with 
important  information.  They  had  just  passed  through 
Pemberton's  army,  and  gave  the  Union  Commander  the 
position  of  the  rebel  forces,  and  stated  that  they  were 
twenty-five  thousand  strong.  Grant  immediately  sent  back 
a  courier  to  Sherman,  to  leave  Jackson  at  once,  and  hasten 
forward.  Within  an  hour,  after  this  prompt  chieftain  received 
the  message,  his  troops  were  swiftly  moving  forward  towards 
the  point  of  rendezvous.  Grant  concentrated  his  army  with 
wonderful  rapidity.  Trains,  quarter-masters'  stores,  and 
everything,  had  to  tumble  out  of  the  roads  in  hot  haste,  to 
give  room  for  the  marching  columns.  Soon,  the  enemy  was 
encountered,  strongly  posted  on  a  precipitous,  narrow, 
wooded  ridge,  his  left  resting  on  a  height,  while  below  were 
open  fields,  in  crossing  which  our  troops  would  be  exposed 
to  the  destructive  fire  of  ten  batteries  of  artillery.  Hovey's 
division,  and  McPherson's  corps — all  but  Ransom's  division, 
which  did  not  arrive  till  the  battle  was  over — were  at  once 
disposed  in  and  to  the  right  of  the  road  leading  to  Vicks 
burg.  But  Grant  delayed  the  order  to  attack,  till  he  could 
hear  from  McClernand,  with  his  four  divisions,  which,  when 
they  arrived,  would  complete  his  line  of  battle.  But  the 
skirmishing  in  front  of  Hovey's  division,  by  eleven  o'clock, 
swelled  into  a  battle.  In  the  meantime,  Logan  had  worked 


166  A    GALLANT    CHARGE. 

around  upon  the  left  and  rear  of  the  rebels,  and  pressed 
them  so  vigorously  that  their  superior  numbers  could  no 
longer  force  Hovey  back,  and  the  latter,  seeing  his  ad  van. 
tage,  ordered  a  charge.  The  rebel  line  gave  way  before  it, 
and  disappeared  in  disorder  over  the  ridge.  A  thousand 
prisoners,  and  two  batteries,  fell  into  our  hands  in  this  bril 
liant  engagement,  but  the  victory  cost  us  nearly  twenty-five 
hundred  men.  Grant  was  losing  fast,  and  no  reinforcements 
could  be  had.  At  daylight  the  next  morning,  the  17th,  the 
pursuit  was  renewed — McClernand  in  the  advance,  who  soon 
came  upon  the  enemy  strongly  posted  on  both  sides  of  the 
Black  River.  On  the  west,  or  further  side,  the  shore  rises 
abruptly  into  high  bluffs,  which  were  lined  with  heavy  bat 
teries.  On  the  east  side,  a  bayou,  twenty  feet  wide  and 
three  feet  deep,  leaves  the  river,  and  sweeping  in  a  semi 
circle,  a  mile  in  length,  again  enters  the  stream,  enclosing  a 
level  space,  on  which  the  rebels  had  also  planted  heavy  bat 
teries,  protected  by  a  strong  force  of  infantry.  This  bayou, 
or  ditch,  served  as  a  natural  rifle  pit,  behind  which  the 
enemy  felt  safe,  while  their  guns  swept  the  plains  beyond, 
over  which  our  troops  would  be  compelled  to  pass.  A 
railroad  and  turnpike  bridge  crossed  both  the  bayou  and 
river  at  this  point,  side  by  side,  commanded  by  the  hostile  bat 
teries  beyond.  McClernand  opened  a  heavy  artillery  fire  upon 
the  position,  to  which  the  enemy  vigorously  responded.  At 
almost  the  first  fire,  Osterhaus  was  wounded,  and  General 
A.  H.  Lee  took  his  place.  While  the  cannonade  was  going 
on,  Lawler,  of  Carr1s  division,  which  held  the  right,  under 
the  protection  of  the  river  bank,  succeeded  in  approaching 
near  the  rebel  works  in  that  direction,  when  the  order  to 
charge  was  given.  Casting  their  blankets  and  knapsacks  on 
the  ground,  the  gallant  fellows  sprung  forward,  and,  dashing 
across  the  open  field  on  the  double-quick,  plunged  into  the 
muddy  bayou,  and,  though  shot  and  shell  struck  arid  burst 


FIRST    ASSAULT    ON     VICKSBURG.  167 

incessantly  in  their  midst,  struggled  through,  and  with  bayo 
nets  at  charge,  swept  in  headlong  fury  upon  the  rebel  works. 
Taken  by  surprise  at  this  sudden  movement,  the  enemy  at  once 
raised  the  white  flag,  and  the  whole  garrison,  with  seventeen 
pieces  of  artillery,  was  ours.  The  rebel  army  across  the  river, 
seeing  the  disaster,  immediately  set  fire  to  the  bridge — thus 
cutting  off  all  chance  of  escape  for  any  portion  of  their  troops 
on  the  east  bank — and  retreated  rapidly  towards  Vicksburg. 

Sherman,  in  the  meantime,  had  reached  Bridgeport  above, 
with  the  only  pontoon  train  in  the  army,  by  which  he  effected 
a  crossing  of  the  river  the  next  morning.  McClernand  and 
McPherson  built  floating  bridges  during  the  night,  and  on 
the  18th,  the  army  was  moving  en  masse  on  Vicksburg. 
Sherman,  still  holding  the  right,  marched  rapidly  towards 
the  Yazoo  River,  while  McClernand,  inclining  to  the  south, 
closed  in  on  the  doomed  garrison  in  that  direction.  The 
next  day,  Sherman's  right  rested  on  the  Mississippi,  within 
plain  view  of  our  gunboats,  and  Haines'  Bluff  was  at  once 
hastily  evacuated  by  the  enemy. 

Vicksburg  was  now  closely  besieged,  and  Grant,  finding 
his  army  eager  for  an  assault,  and  believing  the  enemy  to  be 
demoralized  by  the  staggering  blows  that  had  been  dealt 
him,  determined,  desperate  as  the  undertaking  was,  to 
attempt  to  carry  the  place  by  storm.  The  army  moved 
gallantly  to  the  assault,  under  a  desolating  fire,  but  the 
works  were  too  strong  to  be  carried.  Only  a  portion  of  the 
army,  the  Fifteenth  Corps,  gained  even  a  temporary  advan 
tage,  and  at  night  the  troops  were  recalled. 

The  two  following  days  were  spent  in  bringing  up  sup 
plies,  and  perfecting  the  communications,  and  giving  a  little 
rest  to  the  troops,  which  had  for  twenty  days  been  constantly 
marching  and  fighting,  on  short  rations. 

Everything  being  arranged,  Grant  determined  to  make 
another  effort  to  carry  this  modern  Gibraltar  by  assault. 

41 


168  SECOND    ASSAULT. 

Ten  o'clock,  on  the  morning  of  the  22nd,  was  the  time 
appointed.  The  several  corps  commanders  set  their  watches 
by  Grant's,  so  that  there  should  be  perfect  unity  of  move 
ment,  and  at  the  appointed  signal,  the  army,  in  splendid 
array  and  magnificent  order,  swept,  awful  as  the  ocean  surge, 
full  on  the  rebel  works.  Then  commenced  one  of  the  wild 
est  scenes  of  war.  All  along  the  frowning  fortifications, 
there  streamed  an  incessant  sheet  of  fire,  bursting  through 
the  thick  smoke,  on  the  brave,  uncovered  ranks  below, 
that  still  pressed  dauntlessly  forward,  heedless  of  the 
destruction  that  wasted  them.  They  could  see  no  enemy 
in  front — only  solid  earthworks,  clouds  of  rolling  smoke, 
and  waves  of  fire,  confronted  them.  For  two  fearful  hours, 
they  struggled  desperately  to  reach  this  blazing  vortex,  and 
quench  its  deadly  fires,  but  struggled  in  vain.  Just  then,  Grant 
received  a  dispatch  from  McClernand,  stating  that  he  had 
gained  the  intrenchments  in  front.of  him,  at  several  points,  and 
needed  more  troops.  They  were  given,  and  the  assault  was 
pressed  more  vigorously  than  ever.  McClernand,  however, 
overestimated  the  amount  of  success  gained,  and  the  fresh 
attempt  only  helped  to  swell  the  slaughter,  and  the  bleeding 
army  was  at  length  compelled  to  fall  back,  and  abandon 
the  struggle.  * 

Grant  now  gave  up  all  attempts  to  take  the  place  by 
storm,  and  sat  down  before  it  in  regular  siege.  Porter,  with 
his  gunboats,  kept  watch  and  ward  on  the  Mississippi,  co 
operating  with  the  former  by  every  means  in  his  power.  The 
gunboat  Cincinnati  was  sunk  by  the  rebel  batteries,  and 
fifteen  men  drowned,  and  twenty-five  killed  and  wounded. 
The  masts  had  all  been  shot  away  before  she  went  down,  yet 
she  sunk  with  her  flag  flying — nailed  to  one  of  the  stumps. 

*  Grant  blamed  McClernand  for  giving  this  false  information,  which  pro 
voked  the  latter  to  issue  a  general  order,  recapitulating  the  services  of  his 
corps,  and  also  to  defend  himself  in  a  letter  to  Governor  Yates,  which  caused 
Grant  to  remove  him  from  command,  and  put  Ord  in  his  place. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

ASSAULT     ON     PORT    HUDSON THE     SIEGE SIEGE     OF     VICKSBURG ITS      SUR 
RENDER RESULTS    OF    THE    VICTORY SURRENDER     OF    PORT    HUDSON THE 

MISSISSIPPI     OPENED MINOR    OPERATIONS    WEST ARREST    OF    VALLANDIG- 

HAM HIS    BANISHMENT EXASPERATED    STATE    OF    PUBLIC    FEELING. 

THE  very  next  day  after  this  unsuccessful  assault  of 
Vicksburg,  Banks  arrived  with  his  army,  from  Alex 
andria,  before  Port  Hudson.  Coming  down  the  Red  River, 
he  had  crossed  the  Mississippi  above  the  place,  hoping  to 
find  its  defenses  on  that  side  much  weaker  than  on  the 
south. 

Forming  a  junction  with  Augur's  force,  that  came  down 
from  Baton  Rouge,  he  immediately  began  to  invest  the 
place,  but,  unwilling  to  await  the  slow  progress  of  a  siege, 
made  two  unsuccessful  assaults  on  its  impregnable  fortifica 
tions.  The  troops  fought  bravely,  and  Weitzel,  Sherman 
and  Augur  maintained  their  old  renown,  and  the  colored 
regiments  behaved  with  great  gallantry ;  but  it  was  a  useless 
waste  of  life. 

Banks  now  sat  down  before  it  in  regular  siege,  and  day 
by  day,  pushed  his  batteries  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  rebel 
works,  until  some  of  them  were  within  three  hundred  yards. 
At  length,  after  having  dismounted  several  pieces  of  the 
rebel  artillery,  and  silenced  others  with  his  sharpshooters, 
he  determined  to  make  another  attempt  to  carry  the  place 
by  assault.  Sunday,  the  14th  of  June,  was  the  day  fixed 
upon,  and  long  before  daylight  the  artillery  opened  all  along 
the  line,  and  the  Sabbath  morning  was  ushered  in  by  a  can 
nonading  that  shook  the  shores  of  the  Mississippi. 


170  THE    ASSAULT, 

Farragut,  with  his  gunboats,  was  co-operating  with  Banks, 
and  his  heavy  guns  soon  opened,  and  helped  to  swell  the 
uproar  that  filled  all  the  air. 

The  extreme  north-east  angle  of  the  breastworks  was 
selected  as  presenting  the  least  formidable  obstacles  to  snccessr 
for  much  of  the  artillery  at  this  point  had  been,  during  the 
last  week,  dismounted  or  silenced.  Still,  almost  insurmount 
able  difficulties  presented  themselves,  even  here.  At  one 
point,  a  clear  field,  five  or  six  hundred  yards  in  width, 
swept  up  to  the  ramparts,  crossed  and  recrossed  with  nar 
row,  deep  gullies,  too  small  to  afford  protection  and  yet  too 
broad  to  be  easily  passed,  and  covered  also  with  fallen  trees 
and  vines,  thus  forming  a  trap  for  the  advancing  troops,  who 
all  the  while  would  be  exposed  to  a  desolating  fire. 

In  the  dull,  gray  light  of  the  early  morning,  the 
Seventy-fifth  New  York  moved  rapidly  forward  as  skir 
mishers,  followed  by  the  Ninety-first  New  York,  each 
soldier  carrying  a  five-pound  hand  grenader  which  was 
to  be  thrown  over  the  breastworks  to  scatter  the  enemy. 
Next  came  the  Twenty-fourth  Connecticut,  loaded  with 
sand-bags  filled  with  cotton,  to  fill  up  the  ditch  for  the 
advancing  stormers.  The  balance  of  Weitzel's  brigade  was 
to  press  close  after,  to  be  supported  by  other  brigades  under 
Colonel  Birge.  As  soon  as  Weitzel  should  make  a  lodgment 
within  the  enemy's  works,  Paine  was  to  follow,  and  then  the 
two  columns  were  to  be  quickly  deployed  in  line  of  battle, 
and  move  swiftly  on  the  town  and  the  grand  citadel  itself, 
Grover  commanded  these  two  divisions,  which  were  to  do 
the  chief  work,  while  Augur  and  D wight  made  feints  on 
the  rebel  left. 

The  assaulting  columns  advanced  with  great  intrepidity — 
brigade  after  brigade  dashing  forward  under  a  heavy  fire — 
but  were  compelled  each  time  to  fall  back,  A  dense  fog 
had  lain  along  the  river,  giving  a  more  somber  hue  to  the 


A    REPULSE.  171 

gray  twilight,  but  in  the  midst  of  the  carnage,  it  suddenly 
lifted  and  rolled  upward  like  a  mighty  curtain,  and  the 
bright  sun  lighted  up  the  wild  scene  with  noontide  splendor. 
The  assault  was  pressed  with  great  valor  and  resolution,  and 
the  commanders  held  their  troops  to  the  deadly  struggle  till 
eleven  o'clock,  when  such  as  could  retire  fell  back ;  and  the 
rest  crouched  in  the  gullies  or  hid  behind  trees  and  what 
ever  could  afford  shelter,  and  waited  for  the  darkness  to 
cover  the  field,  so  that  they  could  get  out  of  the  deadly 
range  of  the  enemy's  muskets.  Col.  Paine,  being  wounded, 
lay  all  day  between  two  rows  of  earth,  in  an  old  cotton 
field,  exposed  to  the  blazing  sun,  and  when  at  dark  he  was 
removed,  his  wounds  were  full  of  maggots.  Many  of  the 
wounded  soldiers  lay  exposed  in  the  same  way. 

The  loss  in  this  assault  was  estimated  at  seven  hundred 
and  fifty.  The  Secretary  of  War's  maxim,  "  to  move  at  once 
upon  the  enemy's  works,"  had  now  been  tried  quite  enough, 
and  the  despised  "  spade"  was  resorted  to  again.  Mathe 
matical  science  and  engineering  skill,  will  always  be  found 
more  worthy  of  trust  than  popular  declamation  or  misguided 
bravery. 

Banks  now  pressed  the  siege  with  great  vigor,  and  being 
determined  that  Grant,  around  Yicksburg,  should  not  get 
all  the  glory,  planned  another  assault.  But  before  it  was 
attempted,  the  surrender  of  the  latter  place  made  further 
attempts  to  hold  Port  Hudson  useless. 

When  Grant  had  completed  his  lines  around  Yicksburg, 
opening  communication  with  the  North  by  way  of  the 
Mississippi,  so  that  supplies  and  reinforcements  could  be 
forwarded  to  him  to  any  amount,  the  fall  of  the  stronghold 
was  evidently  a  mere  question  of  time.  Rumors,  from  time 
to  time,  were  received,  that  Johnston  was  assembling  a 
heavy  army  in  his  rear,  to  raise  the  siege ;  but  the  arrival 
of  reinforcements  allowed  Grant  to  detach  Sherman,  with  a 


172  THE    SURRENDER. 

large  force,  to  watch  the  rebel  leader.  In  the  meantime, 
he  pressed  the  siege  with  all  the  energy  which  distinguished 
him.  Day  by  day,  he  dug  his  way  towards  the  place,  and 
at  length  reached  positions  where  his  shells  could  be  dropped 
into  the  center  of  the  city.  These,  crashing  through  the 
buildings,  and  bursting  along  the  streets,  forced  the  inhabit 
ants  to  seek  shelter  in  caves,  dug  in  the  earth.  For  six 
weeks,  while  the  army  was  digging  slowly  onward,  the 
batteries  kept  playing  on  the  devoted  citadel.  Provisions 
became  scarce,  and  the  inhabitants  grew  wan  and  thin 
in  their  narrow  dens.  At  length,  the  ammunition  gave 
out,  and  Pemberton,  whose  only  hope  of  deliverance 
lay  in  Johnston's  ability  to  raise  the  siege,  began  to 
despair,  and,  seeing  Grant  about  to  carry  the  place  by 
assault,  he,  on  the  3rd  of  July,  sent  two  officers  with 
a  flag  of  truce  to  the  Federal  lines,  to  arrange  the  terms  of 
capitulation.  Grant  would  listen  to  none  but  unconditional 
surrender.  A  personal  interview  then  took  place  between 
the  two  Generals,  who  met  midway  between  the  lines,  under 
a  gigantic  oak,  while  the  two  armies  left  their  places  of  con 
cealment  and  swarmed  upon  the  ramparts,  to  witness  this 
extraordinary  scene.  Pemberton  was  the  first  to  speak,  and 
asked  Grant  what  terms  he  proposed.  u  Unconditional  sur 
render,"  was  the  prompt  reply.  "Never,"  rejoined  the 
haughty  rebel,  u  so  long  as  I  have  a  man  left  me."  "  Then," 
said  Grant,  uyou  can  continue  the  defense;  my  army  was 
never  in  a  better  condition  to  continue  the  siege."  After 
some  further  conversation,  the  interview  terminated  without 
coming  to  a  definite  result,  Grant  saying  that  he  would  con 
fer  with  his  officers.  He  did  so,  and  sent  a  note  saying  that 
the  entire  surrender  of  the  place  and  garrison  would  be 
required,  but  that  the  troops  would  be  paroled,  and  allowed 
to  march  out  of  the  lines — the  officers  taking  with  them 
their  regimental  clothing,  and  the  staff  and  field  and  cavalry 


SURRENDER    OF    PORT    HUDSON.  173 

officers  a  horse  each.  The  proposal  was  accepted,  and  on 
the  morning  of  the  4th  of  July — our  National  Jubilee-day — 
the  hostile  flag  came  down,  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  went 
up,  over  the  rebel  works,  amid  the  enthusiastic  shouts  of  the 
whole  army. 

When  Johnston  heard  of  the  fall  of  the  place,  he  imme 
diately  retraced  his  steps  across  the  Big  Black  River,  and 
Jackson  once  more  fell  into  our  hands. 

"The  result  of  the  campaign,"  said  Grant,  uhas  been  the 
defeat  of  the  enemy  in  five  battles  outside  of  Vicksburg; 
the  occupation  of  Jackson  the  Capital  of  Mississippi,  and 
the  capture  of  Vicksburg  and  its  garrison  and  munitions  of 
war — a  loss  to  the  enemy  of  thirty-seven  thousand  prisoners, 
among  whom  were  fifteen  general  officers ;  at  least  ten  thou 
sand  killed  and  wounded,  and  among  the  killed,  Generals 
Tracy,  Tilghman  and  Green,  and  hundreds  and  perhaps  thou 
sands  of  stragglers  who  can  never  be  collected  and  reorgan 
ized.  Arms  and  munitions  of  war  for  an  army  of  sixty 
thousand  men  have  fallen  into  our  hands,  besides  a  large 
amount  of  other  public  property,  consisting  of  railroads,  loco 
motives,  cars,  steamboats,  cotton,  etc.,  and  much  was  destroyed 
to  prevent  our  capturing  it."  His  own  total  loss,  in  killed, 
wounded  and  missing,  from  the  time  he  crossed  the  Mississippi, 
he  estimated  at  eight  thousand,  five  hundred  and  seventy-five. 

Four  days  after  the  surrender  of  Vicksburg,  Gardner,  the 
Commander  of  Port  Hudson,  sent  a  flag  of  truce  to  Banks, 
asking  a  cessation  of  hostilities,  for  the  purpose  of  settling  the 
terms  of  capitulation.  The  latter  would  allow  of  no  cessa 
tion,  and  commissioners  were  at  once  appointed,  whose  con 
sultations  ended  in  the  surrender  of  the  garrison  as  prisoners 
of  war.  To  the  stirring  strains  of  "  The  Star-Spangled 
Banner,"  and  "Yankee  Doodle,"  the  army  entered  the  place 
in  triumph,  and  marched  proudly  along  the  sullen,  silent 
rebel  line.  The  Union  flag  was  run  up  on  one  of  the  highest 


174  THE    MISSISSIPPI    OPENED. 

bluffs,  and,  as  its  starry  folds  swung  lazily  out  to  the  breeze, 
the  artillery  thundered  forth  a  salute.  About  six  thousand 
prisoners,  fifty-one  pieces  of  artillery,  two  steamers,  besides 
a  large  quantity  of  small  arms,  ammunition,  &c.,  fell  into 
our  hands. 

It  was  a  great  victory,  but  the  pleasure  it  was  calculated 
to  impart  was  marred  by  the  reflection  that  but  for  the 
negligence  of  the  Government  such  a  fortified  work  would 
never,  in  the  first  place,  have  been  in  possession  of  the 
rebels ;  and,  in  the  second  place,  the  loss  of  life  in  securing 
it  was  wholly  unnecessary,  for  the  fall  of  Yicksburg,  which 
was  only  a  matter  of  time,  involved  the  fall  of  this  place 
also*  without  firing  a  gun. 

But  the  number  of  guns,  prisoners  and  materials  of  war 
captured  were  not  the  chief  results  obtained  by  these  two 
campaigns.  They  opened  the  Mississippi  in  its  entire  length 
— an  object  which  had  been  of  paramount  importance  to  the 
great  North-west.  It  also  bisected  the  Southern  Confederacy, 
and  cut  off  its  large  supplies  of  men  and  animals,  which  it 
had  constantly  received  from  the  country  west  of  the  Mis 
sissippi.  The  nation  was  jubilant  over  it,  for  the  people 
thought  they  now  saw  the  end  of  the  rebellion  near.  Grant 
advanced  at  once  to  the  first  place  in  general  estimation,  as 
a  military  leader,  and  deservedly  so.  He  had,  throughout 
this  arduous,  long  campaign,  exhibited  a  tenacity  of  purpose 
and  a  fertility  of  resource  that  few  men  possess,  while  the 
daring  resolution  to  cut  himself  loose  from  supplies  and 
reinforcements,  and  march  boldly  into  the  interior,  depending 
solely  on  his  celerity  of  movement  to  prevent  a  concentration 
of  the  enemy's  forces,  was  the  inspiration  of  true  genius. 
The  rapidity  and  power  with  which  he  dealt  his  blows, 
reminds  one  of  Napoleon  the  Great. 

As  a  part  of  this  great  campaign,  Colonel  B.  H.  Grierson's 
cavalry  raid  through  Mississippi  should  be  mentioned.  It 


GRIERSON'S  RAID.  175 

was  planned  to  create  a  diversion  in  favor  of  the  army 
operating  against  Vicksburg,  as  well  as  to  destroy  railroads 
and  other  public  property.  It  was  dispatched  from  La 
Grange,  Tennessee,  by  General  Hurlburt,  on  the  17th  of 
April,  and  on  the  2nd  of  May  arrived  at  Baton  Rouge, 
having  traversed  the  whole  State  of  Mississippi.  Nothing 
like  this  raid,  in  boldness  and  extent,  had  as  yet  been 
attempted,  and  its  success  covered  the  young  Commander 
with  laurels.  These  great  cavalry  raids  became  for  a  time 
quite  the  rage  with  the  people,  but  their  effect  on  the  war 
was  greatly  overestimated,  and  it  is  questionable  whether 
the  wear  and  tear,  on  horses  and  men,  did  not  damage  us 
quite  as  much  as  the  destruction  of  property  hurt  the  enemy. 

The  other  operations  in  the  West,  during  the  Spring  and 
early  Summer,  were  of  a  minor  character.  Attacks  were 
made  by  the  rebels  on  Fort  Donelson  and  Ship  Island,  and 
quite  a  heavy  one  by  Van  Dorn  on  Franklin,  Tennessee — 
all  of  which  were  repulsed.  In  the  latter  part  of  March, 
Morgan  and  Wheeler  were  defeated  by  Colonel  Hall,  near 
Milton,  Tennessee,  and  Pegram  by  General  Gillmore,  near 
Somerset,  Kentucky ;  and  in  various  parts  of  Missouri,  Mis 
sissippi,  Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  conflicts  were  of  frequent 
occurrence,  between  detached  bodies  of  the  Union  and  rebel 
troops,  in  most  of  which  the  former  were  successful.  Cav 
alry  raids,  scouting  expeditions,  and  guerrilla  fights,  kept 
these  States  in  constant  commotion,  for  independent  parties 
and  regiments,  and  bands  of  irregular  forces,  were  constantly 
operating,  outside  of  the  main  armies.  These  had  but  little 
bearing,  however,  on  the  great  struggle,  except  to  lay  waste 
the  country,  exasperate  the  inhabitants,  and  cause  great 
personal  suffering  among  the  people. 

But  no  event  caused  greater  excitement  than  the  arrest 
of  Clement  L.  Yallandigham,  of  Ohio,  by  order  of  Burnside, 
on  the  charge  of  contempt  of  his  orders,  and  resistance  to 


176  VALLANDIGHAM. 

the  Government  in  its  measures  to  put  down  the  rebellion. 
Seized  at  midnight  in  his  own  house,  and  dragged  away  to 
be  tried  by  court-martial,  his  treatment  was  boldly  denounced 
by  the  Democratic  press.  Indignant  at  these  denunciations, 
Burnside  caused  the  chief  offender,  in  his  Department,  The 
Chicago  Times,  to  be  suppressed.  This  increased  the  excite 
ment,  and  there  was  great  danger,  for  a  while,  of  an  open 
outbreak  in  the  West.  The  excitement  was  somewhat 
allayed  by  the  President  annulling  the  order  of  Burnside 
suppressing  the  Times.  Still,  the  violent  arrest  of  Vallan- 
digham,  and  the  refusal  to  grant  him  a  trial  by  the  civil 
courts,  was  denounced  as  an  act  of  tyranny,  by  the  opposi 
tion  press  East  and  West,  and  but  little  more  was  needed, 
at  this  time,  to  bring  on  a  collision  between  the  citizens  and 
soldiers.  His  final  trial,  and  sentence  of  banishment  to  the 
rebel  lines,  deepened  the  indignation.  Congress  had  passed 
an  Act  the  Winter  before,  covering  just  such  cases  as  this, 
under  which  he  could  have  been  tried  and  punished  in  a 
manner  becoming  our  republican  notions,  and  without  an 
apparent  attempt  to  override  the  civil  courts  by  the  strong 
arm  of  military  power. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


PROCLAMATION    OF    EMANCIPATION HOOKER    PLACED    OVER    THE    ARMY    OF 

THE      POTOMAC — FIGHT      AT      SUFFOLK ATTACK      ON       FORT     MCALLISTER 

DESTRUCTION    OF  THE    NASHVILLE THE    FIRST    COLORED    REGIMENT FIGHTS 

AT    BLACKWATER  AND  KELLY'S  FORD,  VIRGINIA WASHINGTON,  NORTH  CARO 
LINA,    ATTACKED     BY    THE    REBELS ATTACK    BY'  THE     IRON-CLAD    FLEET    ON 

FORT    SUMTER DISAPPOINTMENT    AT    ITS    FAILURE INJUSTICE    TO    DU  PONT. 

EAST,  the  opening  year  was  distinguished  by  the  Presi 
dent's  confirmatory  Emancipation  Proclamation,  (pre 
viously  noticed,)  declaring  the  slaves,  in  certain  States  and 
parts  of  States,  forever  free.  It  was  celebrated  as  a  great 
event  in  many  portions  of  the  Northern  States,  and  by  the 
freedmen  in  Norfolk,  Ya.,  and  Beaufort,  South  Carolina.  The 
Richmond  papers  denounced  it  as  the  most  "startling 
political  crime,  the  most  stupid  political  blunder,  yet  known 
in  American  history,"  and  declared  that  servile  insurrection 
was  the  sole  object  aimed  at.  It  was  also  bitterly  denounced 
by  the  opposition,  who  asserted  that  it  would  have  no  effect 
on  the  emancipation  of  the  slaves ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  that 
it  would  effectually  close  the  door  against  the  long-cherished 
hope  of  a  reaction  at  the  South  against  the  leaders  of  the  rebel 
lion.  They  said  that  if  the  army  did  not  overthrow  Slavery, 
no  proclamation  would ;  that  it  was  to  disappear  under  the 
tramp  of  our  victorious  battalions,  or  not  at  all. 

On  the  26th  of  January,  Burnside  was  superseded  by 
Hooker  in  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  By 
those  unacquainted  with  military  men  and  affairs,  this  was 
hailed  with  delight ;  and  the  most  extravagant  anticipations 


178  ATTACK    ON    FORT    MCALLISTER. 

were  entertained  of  the  great  results  that  the  latter,  with  his 
brilliant  fighting  qualities,  would  accomplish. 

The  month  closed,  however,  without  any  military  opera 
tions  of  importance.  A  sharp  fight  took  place  near  Suffolk, 
between  a  Union  force  under  General  Corcoran,  and  the  rebels 
under  General  Roger  A.  Pryor,  in  which  the  latter,  after  a 
three-hours  struggle,  were  compelled  to  retreat.  An  attack 
was  also  made  on  Fort  McAllister,  commanding  the  Savannah 
River,  by  Commander  Worden,  in  the  iron-clad  Montauk, 
but  it  failed  to  produce  any  effect  on  the  rebel  works.  On 
the  27th  of  February,  however,  he  had  the  satisfaction 
of  destroying,  while  aground,  under  the  very  guns  of  the 
fort,  the  troublesome  rebel  steamer  Nashville.  A  few  days 
after,  March  3rd,  Commander  Drayton,  with  a  fleet  of 
monitors  and  mortar  schooners,  again  attempted  to  reduce 
the  fort,  but,  though  a  terrific  bombardment,  of  eight  hours' 
duration,  was  kept  up,  no  material  damage  was  done  to  the 
works. 

The  organization  of  the  first  colored  regiment,  at  Beau 
fort,  South  Carolina,  in  the  fore  part  of  this  year,  caused 
a  good  deal  of  excitement.  Under  Colonel  Higginson, 
a  Unitarian  clergyman,  it  made  an  expedition  into  the 
interior,  and,  though  the  blacks  behaved  with  commendable 
gallantry,  they  afterward,  under  Colonel  Montgomery,  in  an 
expedition  to  Darien,  were  a  disgrace  to  the  flag  and  to  the 
nation. 

Newbern  was  attacked  on  the  14th  of  March,  by  a  rebel 
force  under  General  Pettigrew,  without  any  successful  result ; 
and  Colonel  Spear,  on  the  17th,  assailed  the  rebel  breast 
works  on  the  Blackwater,  near  Franklin,  Virginia,  but  was 
repulsed.  On  the  same  day,  a  spirited  cavalry  fight  occurred 
at  Kelly's  Ford,  on  the  Rappahannock,  between  a  force 
mnder  General  Averill,  and  Fitz-Hugh  Lee,  of  the  rebel  ser- 


IRON-CLADS    AT    CHARLESTON.  179 

vice,  which  lasted  for  several  hours,  and  finally  resulted  in 
the  rout  of  the  latter. 

The  month  closed  with  a  serious  demonstration  against 
Washington,  North  Carolina,  garrisoned  by  two  thousand 
National  troops,  under  General  Foster.  The  rebels,  under 
Hill  and  Pettigrew,  sat  down  before  it,  with  strong  force, 
and  commenced  throwing  up  fortifications. 

In  these  minor  combats,  the  months  of  January,  February 
and  March  passed  away,  and  the  people  waited  anxiously 
for  the  settled  weather  of  Spring  to  inaugurate  those  great 
movements  which,  it  was  believed,  would  break  the  power 
of  the  rebellion.  In  the  West,  as  we  have  seen,  things  were 
at  this  time  evidently  drawing  to  a  crisis,  and  corresponding 
movements  were  weekly  looked  for  along  the  Atlantic  slope 
and  seaboard. 

The  first  heavy  blow  of  the  war  was  struck  at  Fort  Sum- 
ter,  on  the  7th  of  April,  by  Admiral  Du  PontT  who,  with  a 
fleet  of  monitors  and  iron-clads,  endeavored  to  break  down 
this  barrier,  which  had  so  long  kept  the  avenging  hand  from 
Charleston,  the  hot-bed  of  rebellion.  An  invention  for  the 
explosion  of  torpedoes,  to  be  placed  in  front  of  the  vessels, 
had  been  towed  down  from  New  York,  with  which,  it  was 
supposed,  the  iron-clads  would  be  able  to  push  through  the 
obstructions  opposite  the  fort ;  and  the  highest  expectations 
were  cherished,  of  a  speedy  downfall  of  the  stronghold. 
Nine  iron-clads  and  monitors  were  to  make  the  attack,  while 
a  wooden  squadron  of  five  vessels  was  to  lie  in  reserve, 
outside  of  the  bar.  Du  Pont  was  not  so  sanguine  of  success 
as  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  was  known  to  be.  As>  through 
his  glass,  he  surveyed  the  work  before  him,  he  saw  that  his 
little  fleet  was  to  be  put  to  a  test  to  which  vessels  had  never 
before  been  subjected. 

When  it  was  announced  that  the  fleet  was  under  way, 
the  steeples  and  roofs  in  and  around  Charleston  became  lined 


180  A    GLOOMY    PROSPECT. 

with  spectators  assembled  to  witness  the  approaching  con 
flict. 

As  the  eye  swept  around  the  harbor,  it  was  cannon  here, 
and  there,  and  everywhere.  In  front,  Sullivan's  Island  lay 
on  the  right,  and  Morris  Island  on  the  left — the  two  extreme 
points  curving  in  towards  each  other,  till  they  were  separated 
by  a  channel  only  a  mile  wide.  Midway  in  this  channel, 
built  on  an  artificial  island,  stood  Fort  Sumter.  Opposite  it, 
on  Sullivan's  Island,  stood  Fort  Moultrie,  while  above  and 
below  it  the  shore  was  lined  with  formidable  batteries.  On 
the  other  side  of  the  channel,  flanking  it,  frowned  Battery 
Bee,  on  Cummings'  Point,  while  further  up  towards  Charles 
ton — should  the  fleet  succeed  in  passing  all  these  obstacles — 
battery  succeeded  battery,  all  the  way  to  the  city.  Stretch 
ing  down  towards  the  fleet,  batteries  lined  Morris  Island,  and 
among  them  Fort  Wagner.  The  sight  was  enough  to  daunt 
the  stoutest  heart,  for  full  three  hundred  cannon  lay  shotted 
and  trained  on  the  channel,  ready  to  open  their  concentrated 
fire  on  the  little  fleet  the  moment  it  came  within  range. 

Du  Pout's  plan  was  to  push  rapidly  past  the  batteries,  and 
get  to  the  west  and  north-west  side  of  Sumter,  which  was 
known  to  be  less  impregnable  than  the  front  face.  This,  he 
was  aware,  would  be  a  desperate  task,  for  piles,  torpedoes,  nets, 
and  all  sorts  of  obstructions,  had  been  sunk  in  the  channel 
between  Sumter  and  the  shores,  to  hold  any  vessels  that 
might  attempt  to  pass,  under  the  horrible  fire  that  com 
manded  the  spot.  But  it  was  hoped  that  the  invention  of 
Ericsson,  previously  mentioned,  would  be  able  to  remove 
these. 

At  noon,  the  signal  from  the  flag-ship  to  move  to  the 
attack,  was  seen,  and  the  little  fleet  of  low,  black-looking 
objects  steamed  slowly  forward.  It  was  four  miles  to  Sum 
ter,  and  the  batteries  on  Morris  Island  commanded  the  whole 
distance.  It  had  hardly  got  under  way,  when  the  Wee- 


THE    ADVANCE.  181 

hawken,  in  the  advance,  with  the  torpedo  machine  attached 
to  her  bows,  became  tangled  with  the  unwieldy  thing,  and 
lost  an  hour  in  clearing  herself,  when  the  fleet  again  moved 
forward.  The  spectators  lining  the  shore  looked  on  in 
breathless  expectation — the  rapid  roll  of  the  drum  in  Fort 
Sumter  was  heard  beating  to  quarters,  and  all  knew  that 
the  decisive  moment  had  come. 

The  fleet  moved  steadily  up,  till  opposite  Fort  Wagner, 
where,  it  was  expected,  the  wild  hurricane  that  awaited  it 
would  commence,  but  not  a  gun  broke  the  calm  of  the 
slumbering  bay.  It  kept  on  till  opposite  Battery  Bee, 
and  still  not  a  cannon  spoke ;  an  ominous  silence  reigned 
over  everything.  This  mysterious,  death-like  stillness  fore 
boded  mischief — still,  the  fleet  kept  undauntedly  on,  till  it 
was  under  the  guns  of  Sumter.  As  the  Weehawken  was 
rounding,  to  pass  beyond  into  Charleston  harbor,  the  crater 
of  fire  opened,  and  from  Sumter  and  Moultrie,  shot  and  shell 
fell  thick  as  hail-stones  from  heaven.  The  Weehawken 
never  stopped,  but  steamed  steadily  on,  till  she  was  suddenly 
brought  up  by  an  enormous  hawser  stretching  from  Sumter  to 
Moultrie — supported  by  casks,  and  strung  with  nets,  cables 
and  torpedoes.  The  propeller  got  entangled  in  these, 
became  unmanageable,  and  drifted  about  in  the  fiery 
tempest — her  iron  sides  echoing  under  the  blows  of  the  heavy 
metal,  that  fell  incessantly  upon  her.  The  other  vessels,  as 
they  come  up,  see  the  danger,  and  sheer  off  to  avoid  it. 
Wheeling  in  the  fire,  they  steer  to  the  other  side  of  the  fort, 
to  try  the  channel  there.  But  here  a  row  of  piles,  rising 
ten  feet  out  of  the  water,  meets  their  gaze,  beyond  which 
stretch  other  obstructions  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach — and 
beyond  them  still,  rebel  iron-clads  lie  ready  for  action.  To 
make  matters  still  worse,  the  Ironsides  suddenly  refuses  to 
obey  her  rudder,  and  drifts  on  the  heavy  tide  towards  Fort 
Moultrie,  getting  foul  of  the  Catskill  and  Nantucket. 


182  THE    ATTACK. 

Du  Pont  now  clearly  sees  that  his  plan  of  action  cannot  be 
carried  out,  and  he  signals  to  the  rest  of  the  fleet  to  disre 
gard  his  movements,  which  is  a  permission  for  each  vessel 
to  act  as  it  deems  best.  To  get  beyond  Sumter  is  now 
clearly  impossible,  and  nothing  remains  but  to  see  whether 
the  fleet  can  stay  long  enough  in  the  vortex  of  that  horrible 
fire,  to  knock  the  fort  to  pieces.  Tons  of  metal  are  falling, 
with  the  weight  of  descending  rocks,  upon  those  iron-clads; 
yet  each  gallant  commander  is  determined  to  lay  his  vessel 
alongside  the  dark  structure,  and  make  a  broadside  engage 
ment  with  it.  The  Keokuk  is  in  advance,  followed  by  the 
Catskill,  Montauk  and,  further  back,  by  the  other  vessels, 
till  she  is  within  rifle  shot  of  the  nearest  batteries,  when 
the  conflict  becomes  awful  The  gunners,  stripped  to  their 
waists,  work  their  ponderous  guns  with  cool  determination ; 
and  shot  weighing  four  hundred  and  twenty  pounds,  strike, 
like  heaven's  own  thunderbolts,  the  massive  walls,  sending 
the  stones  in  fragments  through  the  air.  The  din  and 
uproar  are  so  deafening  that  orders  have  to  be  shouted  into 
the  ear,  while  the  thick  smoke  involves  the  shuddering  sea 
and  trembling  land  in  impenetrable  folds. 

But  scarcely  thirty  minutes  had  passed,  when  the  Keokuk 
came  limping  out  of  the  fire,  and  fast  settling  in  the  water. 
The  Ironsides  is  pierced  with  red-hot  shot — the  Nahant 
gapes  with  thirty  wounds — the  turret  of  the  Passaic  is 
knocked  to  pieces  so  that  it  cannot  revolve — the  Nantucket 
can  use  but  one  gun— a  rifled  shot  has  pierced  the  Catskill, 
and  five  of  the  nine  monitors  must  be  reckoned  out  of  the 
fight.  All  that  thirty-two  guns — the  total  number  carried 
by  the  fleet — could  do  against  three  hundred,  had  now  been 
done,  and  to  keep  up  the  contest  with  but  fifteen  or  sixteen, 
would  be  downright  madness.  Besides,  no  land  force  was 
near  to  take  possession  of  the  fort,  if  silenced,  and  night 
was  coming  on.  Du  Pont  therefore  signaled  the  fleet  to 


INJUSTICE    TO    DU   PONT.  183 

retire,  and  the  strange  conflict  ended.  The  Keokuk  had 
hardly  got  out  of  the  fire,  when  she  went  to  the  bottom. 
A  council  of  war  was  called  the  next  morning,  and  it  was 
decided  that  it  would  be  unwise  to  renew  the  attack. 

The  result  awakened  deep  mortification,  and  many  were 
determined  not  to  acknowledge  that  the  failure  was  inevita 
ble.  Though  Du  Pont  did  all  that  man  could  do,  and  though 
every  subordinate  officer  bore  himself  like  a  hero,  and 
fought  his  ship  with  unequaled  gallantry,  the  public  and  the 
Navy  Department  were  dissatisfied,  and  this  noble  Com 
mander  had  to  suifer  for  not  doing  impossibilities,  was 
removed  from  his  command,  and  Admiral  Foote  put  in  his 
place.  The  sickness,  and  finally,  the  death  of  the  latter,  pre 
vented  him  from  entering  on  his  duties,  and  Du  Pont,  in  the 
meanwhile,  retained  his  position.  Difficulties,  however,  arose 
between  him  and  the  Navy  Department,  and  one  of  the 
best  and  most  popular  commanders  in  the  navy  was  laid 
aside,  and  Dahlgren  ultimately  put  in  command  of  the  iron 
clad  fleet.  History,  however*  will  grant  the  former  that 
justice  which  at  the  time  he  was  denied,  and  place  the 
blame  where  it  belongs. 

In  the  meantime,  a  good  deal  of  interest  was  felt  in  the 
fate  of  General  Foster,  who,  during  this  month,  was  for 
some  time  surrounded,  at  Washington,  North  Carolina,  and 
cut  off  from  supplies.  General  Peck,  also,  stationed  at  Suf 
folk,  had  some  engagements  with  the  enemy,  who  were 
evidently  manoeuvering  to  get  possession  of  the  place. 

42 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


HIS     CONFIDENT     ADDRESS     TO     HIS     TROOPS PLAN     OF     THE     BATTLE THE 

CAVALRY    SENT  OFF  TO  SEVER  LEfi's  COMMUNICATIONS ATTACK   BY  "  STONE 
WALL"  JACKSON  ON  HOWARD'S  CORPS — ITS  DEFEAT — DEATH  OF  JACKSON — 

SUBSEQUENT    BATTLE FREDERICKSBURG    HEIGHTS    CARRIED  BY  SEDGWICK 

ATTACKED     BY     LEE,    AND     COMPELLED     TO     RE-CROSS    THE    RIVER HOOKER 

WITHDRAWS    HIS    ARMY DISAPPOINTMENT    OF  THE   COUNTRY FEINT  ON  THE 

REBEL    CAPITAL    FROM    WEST    POINT KILPATRICK's     RIDE     TO    THE    SUBURBS 

OF    RICHMOND SIEGE     OF     SUFFOLK GALLANT     DEFENSE     OF    PECK LEE's 

INVASION     OF     MARYLAND SURRENDER    OF    WINCHESTER HOOKER     SUPER 
SEDED    BY    MEADE — -FEELING    OF    THE    PEOPLE. 

BUT  the  great  interest  centered  in  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  which,  it  was  expected,  would  move  the 
moment  the  roads  would  permit.  Still  smarting  with  the 
sense  of  disgrace,  in  the  slaughter  and  defeat  at  Fredericks- 
burg,  the  country  was  impatient  of  delay ;  and  when,  at  the 
latter  end  of  the  month,  the  news  flew  over  the  wires,  that 
Hooker  was  crossing  the  Rappahannock,  the  most  intense 
excitement  prevailed.  Those  who  had  faith  in  his  general 
ship  felt  that  the  remembrance  of  Fredericksburg  was  to  be 
wiped  out,  and  that  McClellan's,  Pope's  and  Burnside's  fail 
ures  to  annihilate  Lee's  army  and  capture  Richmond,  were 
to  be  effaced  by  a  victory -that  would  astonish  the  world, 
and  deal  a  death-blow  to  the  rebellion.  Those,  on  the  other 
hand,  who  had  no  faith  in  him  as  a  match  for  Lee,  were 
almost  equally  excited,  believing  that  a  catastrophe  would 
happen.  This  confidence  on  the  one  hand,  and  fear  on  the 
other,  were  deepened  by  the  following  address  which  General 
Hooker  made  to  his  army  after  he  had  safely  crossed  the 
Rappahannock:  "It  is  with  heartfelt  satisfaction  that  the 


ARMY    OF    THE     POTOMAC.  185 

operations  of  the  last  three  days  have  determined  that  our 
enemy  must  ingloriously  fly,  or  come  out  from  behind  their 
defenses,  and  give  us  battle  on  our  own  ground,  where  cer 
tain  destruction  awaits  him."  To  one  class,  this  was  the 
inspiration  and  confidence  of  genius — to  the  other,  who 
remembered  that  to  the  question  put  to  him  by  the  War 
Investigating  Committee,  as  to  what  the  ill  success  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  was  owing  when  in  front  of  Richmond, 
he  replied,  u  To  the  incompetency  of  its  leader,"  his  words 
seemed  a  rash  boast,  prophetic  only  of  defeat. 

The  two  great  armies  of  the  Union,  West  and  East,  were 
at  the  same  time  entering  on  movements  of  vital  importance 
to  the  Union  cause.  Grant,  as  it  has  been  seen,  having 
thrown  his  army  across  the  Mississippi,  on  the  1st  of  May 
attacked  the  enemy  at  Port  Gibson,  and  commented  that 
series  of  extraordinary  victories  which  brought  him  in  the 
rear  of  Vicksburg,  and  insured  its  downfall.  Hooker's  army 
having  crossed  the  Rappahannock,  on  the  2nd — the  next  day 
>after  the  battle  of  Port  Gibson — he  fought  the  battle  of  Chan- 
cellorsville,  which  he  had  believed  would  force  the  enemy  into 
-a  disastrous  retreat  to  Richmond,  and  secure  the  conquest  of 
that  place.  But  the  results  of  the  two  movements  were  widely 
different.  The  thunder  of  Grant's  cannon,  rolling  up  the 
Mississippi,  proclaimed  victory — the  echoes  of  Hooker's, 
breaking  across  the  Rappahannock,  announced  defeat  and 
disgrace. 

BATTLE    OF    CHANCELLORSVILLE. 

The  main  plan  of  Hooker  seems  intelligible  enough.  He 
endeavored  to  confuse  the  enemy  as  to  the  intended  point 
of  crossing,  and  then  suddenly  throw  his  army  over  the 
river  several  miles  above  Fredericksburg,  and  fix  himself  in 
a  position  to  compel  Lee  to  attack  him,  or  hastily  retreat 


186  POSITION    OF    THE    ARMY. 

towards  Richmond  in  order  to  save  his  communications  with 
the  rebel  Capital.  To  threaten  the  latter  still  more,  he 
stripped  his  army  of  its  cavalry,  and  sent  it,  under  Stone- 
man,  to  cut  the  railroads  in  rear  of  Lee.  In  the  meantime, 
Sedgwick,  with  some  twenty  thousand  men,  was,  at  the 
proper  time,  to  cross  in  front  of  Fredericksburg  and  carry 
the  intrenched  heights,  and  then  co-operate  with  Hooker, 
as  he  drove  the  enemy  before  him.  A  part  of  the  pro 
gramme  was  successfully  carried  out.  Stoneman  got  in  the 
rear  of  Lee,  and  swept  triumphantly  on  towards  Richmond, 
tearing  up  the  railroad  as  he  advanced.  Hooker  succeeded, 
also,  in  throwing  his  army  safely  over  the  Rappahannock, 
and  took  up  the  position  he  desired,  and  began  to  intrench 
himself.  He  now  felt  that  the  most  difficult  part  of  his  work 
was  accomplished,  and  said,  exultingly,  that  Lee's  army  was 
the  u  legitimate  property  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac." 

On  Saturday,  May  2nd,  his  head-quarters  were  at  Chan- 
cellorsville,  which  consisted  of  a  single  house,  standing  at 
the  intersection  of  the  Gordonsville  plank-road  and  Orange 
County  turnpike.  This  was  a  central  point  to  his  magnificent 
army  of  more  than  a  hundred  thousand  men,  and  was  five 
miles  from  the  ford  which  he  had  successfully  crossed.  A 
small  field  lies  in^front  of  the  house,  but  beyond  and  on 
every  side,  stretches  away  a  tangled  wilderness.  Two  miles 
out,  on  the  plank-road,  lay  Howard's  corps — the  Eleventh, 
composed  in  part  of  German  troops — holding  the  extreme 
right.  To  prevent  a  flank  movement,  it  was  made  to  front 
three  ways.  Sickles  was  next  to  him.  Slocum  was  stationed 
near  the  house,  and  Meade  beyond  him,  with  the  Fifth  Corps. 
Beyond  these,  completing  the  line  on  the  left,  Couch,  with 
the  Second  Corps,  lay,  to  prevent  a  movement  in  this  direc 
tion  OH  the  United  States  Ford. 

Thus  matters  stood,  on  Saturday  afternoon.  Lee,  perfectly 
aware  of  our  position,  sent  u  Stonewall"  Jackson  to  execute 


THE     RIGHT     WIXG     BROKEN.  187 

a  grand  flank  movement  on  Hooker's  extreme  right,  where 
Howard  was  stationed.  This  indomitable  chieftain  worked 
and  cut  his  way  through  the  tangled  forest,  till  he  overlapped 
Howard,  and  then,  just  at  evening,  fell  on  him  like  a  bolt 
from  heaven,  shivering  his  corps,  with  one  fierce  blow,  into 
a  thousand  fragments.  His  fierce  battalions,  shouting  as 
they  came,  drove  the  panic-stricken  fugitives,  like  a  herd 
of  frightened  buffaloes,  back  towards  the  center  of  the  army, 
-  and  seemed  about  to  get  in  Hooker's  rear,  and  make  an  end 
of  him,  without  the  dignity,  even,  of  a  great  battle.  The 
latter  saw  his  danger,  and  at  once  showed  his  true  qualities 
as  a  Commander.  A  more  terrible  man,  at  the  head  of  his 
own  division,  never  trod  a  battle-field,  and  as  such  he  must 
now  save  himself.  Sickles  had  gallantly  tried,  but  in  vain, 
to  make  a  successful  stand.  Howard,  than  whom  a  braver 
man  never  drew  sword,  galloped  furiously  among  his  broken 
columns,  waving  his  empty  sleeve  as  a  banner  to  his  men, 
in  vain — his  noble  heart  breaking  at  the  disaster  he  was 
powerless  to  avert.  A  wilder  wreck  never  strewed  the 
ocean  than  that  tumultuous  field  exhibited  in  the  gloom  of 
that  night.  In  this  perilous  crisis,  Hooker  called  on  his  old 
division,  now  Berry's,  to  stop  this  refluent  tide  of  battle. 
Moving  firmly  into  the  breach,  it  presented  a  solid  front, 
behind  which  Sickles,  and  Howard  a  little  later,  rallied  a 
part  of  their  troops,  and  arrested  the  further  progress  of  the 
enemy.  Thirty  pieces  of  artillery  were  massed  in  front  of 
.Berry's  position,  and  sent  their  terrific  loads  of  canister 
without  a  moment's  cessation,  into  the  crowded  ranks  of  the 
enemy,  that  pressed  on,  reckless  of  death.  The  moon  shone 
brightly  down  on  field  and  wood,  over  which  rolled  the 
white  and  sulphurous  war  clouds,  like  drifts  of  ocean  mist 
along  the  trembling  shore.  Out  of  the  deep  shadows  of  the 
woods,  and  up  from  the  open  spaces  flooded  with  moonlight, 
arose  the  shouts  of  men,  the  swift  crash  of  musketry,  and 


188      DEATH  OF  "STONEWALL"  JACKSON. 

the  confused  noise  of  foes  struggling  in  mortal  combat. 
But,  at  midnight,  Jackson's  victorious  charge  was  stopped, 
and  a  lull  fell  on  the  trampled  field.  Hooker  had  placed 
himself  where,  he  said,  the  enemy  must  come  out  and  attack 
him.  The  latter  had  done  so,  and,  with  one  tremendous 
blow,  doubled  his  army  up. 

Hooker  now  changed  his  position,  so  as  to  make  his  lines 
more  compact  and  solid,  and  better  able  to  resist  the  head 
long  charges  of  the  rebels.  What  the  object  of  the  latter 
was,  in  not  pressing  the  battle  further  that  night,  is  not 
plain,  for  an  event  occurred  after  it  was  over,  which  doubtless 
had  an  important  bearing  on  the  operations  of  the  next 
morning.  Jackson,  whose  brilliant  and  overwhelming  charge 
had  so  paralyzed  Hooker,  after  the  conflict  rode 'with  his 
staff  over  the  ground  in  front  of  the  skirmishers,  to  make 
observations,  and  decide  where  he  should  plant  his  next 
blow,  and  in  returning,  was  fired  on  by  his  own  men,  through 
mistake,  and  mortally  wounded.  This  disaster  was  almost 
equivalent  to  a  victory  for  us.  This  indomitable  chieftain, 
at  the  head  of  his  veterans,  pressing  up  the  advantage  he 
had  gained  the  night  before,  could  hardly  have  failed  to 
affect  the  fortunes  of  the  day.  He  himself  is  reported  to 
have  said,  that  had  he  not  been  struck  down,  he  would  have 
cut  off  Hooker's  retreat  to  his  pontoons. 

The  next  morning,  Sunday,  at  five  o'clock,  the  enemy 
again  moved  to  the  attack,  determined  to  finish  what  they 
had  successfully  commenced.  They  came  along  the  turnpike 
from  the  west,  and  were  met  by  Berry's  and  Birney's  divi 
sions,  moving  forward  from  both  sides  of  the  road,  supported 
by  Whipple  and  Williams.  The  artillery  of  the  latter  was 
posted  so  as  to  command  all  the  approaches  by  the  turnpike. 
Forty  pieces,  under  Best,  swept  the  ground  in  front,  and  when 
the  rebels,  in  solid  mass,  came  through  the  woods,  opened 
their  fire  with  appalling  fierceness.  "  The  advancing  column 


VICTORY     OF     SEDGWICK.  189 

was  cut  up  and  gashed,  as  if  pierced,  seamed  and  ploughed 
by  invincible  lightning.  Companies  and  regiments  melted 
away,  yet  still  they  came  on.  Berry  and  Birney  advanced 
to  meet  them.  They  were  terrible  shocks.  The  living 
waves  rolled  against  each  other,  as  you  have  seen  the  billows 
on  a  stormy  sea."  Nothing,  however,  could  resist  the 
tremendous  charges  of  the  rebels,  and  Sickles'  corps  was 
gradually  forced  back.  They  could  not  break  our  steadfast 
lines,  but  still,  compelled  them  to  yield  the  ground.  For 
nearly  six  hours,  the  battle  raged  with  fearful  ferocity,  and 
then  the  rebels  withdrew.  In  the  afternoon,  they  again  ad 
vanced  to  the  attack,  but  pressed  it  less  vigorously,  as  if 
weakened  by  their  own  tremendous  exertions. 

On  this  same  Sabbath  day,  Sedgwick  had  carried  the 
heights  of  Fredericksburg — the  "light  brigade"  winning 
immortal  honor  in  the  last  brilliant  assault — and  prepared 
at  once  to  co-operate  with  Hooker.  Had  the  latter  been 
able  to  carry  out  his  part  of  the  plan  and  advance,  after 
the  enemy  had  exhausted  himself  in  a  fruitless  attack  on  his 
own  defenses,  doubtless  a  great  victory  would  have  been 
gained.  But  he  had  been  beaten,  though  not  routed,  in  his 
own  chosen  position — behind  his  defenses — and  driven  back. 
Under  these  circumstances,  an  advance  was  out  of  the  ques 
tion,  and  he  began  to  look  about  anxiously,  to  see,  not  how 
he  might  beat  the  enemy,  but  save  his  army.  Heavy  rains 
had  set  in,  and  the  river  in  his  rear  began  to  rise,  and  though 
Stoneman,  with  his  fearless  troopers,  was  in  Lee's  rear,  and 
Sedg wick's  gallant  battalions  were  shouting  on  the  heights 
of  Fredericksburg,  it  all  availed  nothing.  Humbled  and 
mortified,  he  must  swallow  his  boastings,  and  march  back 
over  the  river,  a  defeated  man.  With  an  army  variously 
estimated  at  one  hundred  and  twenty  and  one  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  men,  he  had  been  beaten  by  sixty  thousand. 

Seeing   Hooker   so  badly  punished,  Lee   sent   an   over- 


190  REVIEW     OF     THE     CAMPAIGN. 

whelming  force  against  Sedgwick,  wht>,  leaving  a  part  of  his 
force  to  hold  the  works  of  Fredericksburg,  was  with  the 
main  army  advancing  along  the  plank-road  towards  Chan- 
cellorsville,  to  co-operate-  with  Hooker.  After  a  severe  fight, 
he  compelled  him  to  retreat  across  the  river  under  the  fire 
of  his  artillery,  which  threatened  momentarily  to  break  in 
pieces  the  frail  bridge,  that  swayed  and  trembled  under  the 
weight  of  his  swiftly  marching  columns.  It  was  almost  a 
miracle  that  this  brave  officer  succeeded  in  saving  his  entire 
corps  from  utter  destruction.  The  force  left  on  the  heights 
were  also  driven  out  of  the  works  and  over  the  Rappahannock, 
and  the  position,  captured  so  gallantly,  recovered  by  the  rebels. 

On  Tuesday  night,  Hooker  also  recrossed  the  Rappahan 
nock,  without  loss.  Had  Lee  known  of  his  movements,  it 
could  not  have  been  done  without  serious  disaster. 

No  battle  of  the  war  caused  such  fierce  and  angry  discussion 
as  this.  Some  asserted  that  Hooker  retreated  only  because 
the  sudden  rise  in  the  river  threatened  to  carry  away  his 
pontoons,  and  cut  off  his  communications.  But  if  General 
Hooker  made,  the  important  move  he  did,  in  the  Spring  of 
the  year, '  without  taking  into  account  the  probable  rise 
of  the  Rappahannocky  he  committed  a  great  blunder — in 
fact,  an  unpardonable  one.  No  event  was  more  likely  to 
occur  than  this,  at  that  season,  and  a  movement  made  with 
out  anticipating  it  was  a  most  un military  one. 

Much  was  said  of  the  skill  and  secrecy  with  which  Hooker 
had  thrown  his  army  across  the  river  at  the  point  chosen— 
thus  outwitting  Lee ;  but  it  afterwards  leaked  out,  through 
some  private  papers  captured,  that  during  the  Winter  pre 
vious,  this  very  spot  had  been  selected  by  the  rebel  Generals 
as  the  one  where  he  would  cross;  and  Chancellorsville, 
or  its  neighborhood,  designated  as  the  field  where  the  next 
great  battle  would  be  fought.  The  truth  is,  Hooker  escaped 
with  less  loss  than  he  had  a  right  to  expect.  If  Jackson 


KILPATRICK'S   RAID.  191 

had  not  fallen,  it  is  scarcely  possible  that  the  former  would 
have  been  able  to  recross  the  river  without  discovery 
and  attack.  On  the  other  hand,  Sedgwick  saved  his  corps 
by  extraordinary  skill.  After  their  brilliant  success,  the 
rebels  seemed  to  show  a  great  lack  of  generalship  or  enter 
prise. 

In  conjunction  with  Hooker's  endeavor  to  crush  Lee's 
army,  on  the  Rappahannock,  a  feint  movement  was  made 
against  Richmond,  by  way  of  West  Point,  under  General 
Keyes,  which  many  thought  should  have  been  a  real  one,  as 
Richmond  was  so  stripped  of  defenders,  that  its  capture  was 
considered  an  easy  matter. 

Colonel  Kilpatrick,  under  Stoneman's  command,  had 
dashed  down  in  rear  of  Lee's  army,  destroying  depots,  rail 
roads  and  telegraph  wires  in  his  way — scattered  the  detach 
ments  that  obstructed  his  path — galloped  to  the  very  suburbs 
of  the  rebel  Capital,  spreading  terror  and  confusion  wherever 
he  went,  and  at  length,  on  the  7th  of  May,  he  rode  into  our 
lines  at  Gloucester  Point.  He  had  been  five  days  in  the  saddle, 
and,  through  rain  and  mud,  marched  two  hundred  miles — 
losing,  in  all,  but  one  officer  and  thirty-seven  men.  In  this 
bold  march  into  the  interior,  Stonernan  had  destroyed  bridges, 
culverts,  ferries,  wagons  and  trains,  and  captured  horses 
and  mules,  with  but  little  loss  to  himself;  and  the  most  that 
could  be,  was  made  of  it,  to  compensate  for  the  mortification 
of  Hooker's  defeat ;  but,  aside  from  the  boldness,  and  skill, 
and  energy,  with  which  it  was  conducted,  there  was  little  to 
console  the  people.  It  was  a  whirlwind  sweeping  through 
the  country,  terrible  in  appearance,  yet  producing  no  lasting 
or  very  serious  results,  for  the  defeat  at  Chancellorsville 
rendered  the  temporary  destruction  of  Lee's  communications 
of  no  value. 

Another  event  occurred  at  this  time,  which  excited  but 
little  attention,  on  account  of  the  more  stirring  scenes  passing 


192  SIEGE     OF     SUFFOLK. 

on  the  Rappahannock.  This  was  the  raising  the  siege  of 
Suffolk,  by  Longstreet.  General  Peck  had  been  sent  to 
command  at  this  place,  the  September  before,  with  an  army 
of  about  thirteen  thousand  men,  and  for  six  months  labored 
unweariedly  to  put  it  in  a  state  of  defense.  It  lies  at  * 
the  head  of  the  Nansemond  River,  thirty  miles  above 
where  it  empties  into  the  James  River.  A  railroad,  twenty 
-miles  long,  connected  it  with  Norfolk,  from  which  Peck 
received  his  supplies.  In  April,  Longstreet,  with  a  force 
estimated  at  thirty  or  forty  thousand  men,  advanced  against 
Suffolk,  designing  to  cut  the  railroad  in  rear  of  it,  cap 
ture  the  army  there,  and  march  on  Norfolk.  In  order 
to  weaken  the  garrison,  he  sent  a  force  to  operate  against 
Little  Washington,  which  caused,  as  he  anticipated,  an  order 
to  be  sent  to  Peck  for  reinforcements.  He  then  crossed  the 
Blackwater,  and,  in  three  heavy  columns,  moved  confidently 
forward  on  Suffolk.  Peck,  advised  of  this  movement,  tele 
graphed  to  Admiral  Lee,  who  sent  up  gunboats  to  operate 
in  the  Nansemond,  and  assist  him  in  preventing  this  over 
whelming  force  from  crossing  the  stream.  Longstreet,  find 
ing  Peck  prepared,  at  every  point,  to  receive  him,  abandoned 
the  attempt  to  take  the  place  by  surprise,  and  sat  down 
before  it  in  regular  seige.  Planting  batteries  along  the 
stream,  he  first  endeavored  to  drive  the  gunboats  away  or 
sink  them.  A  fierce  artillery  fight  followed,  in  which  the 
gunboats  were  riddled  with  shot.  Lieutenants  Gushing  and 
Lamson,  who  commanded  the  river  fleet,  clung  to  the  enemy's 
batteries  with  a  tenacity  which  nothing  could  shake  loose. 
General  Getty,  commanding  the  third  division  of  the  Ninth 
Army  Corps,  held  the  line  of  the  Nansemond,  nine  miles  in 
length,  and  by  his  sleepless  vigilance  and  skill,  kept  Long- 
street's  army  from  effecting  a  crossing.  But,  on  the  18th 
of  April,  the  enemy  succeeded  in  establishing  a  battery  at 
Hill's  Point,  six  miles  from  Suffolk,  which  threatened  to 


SIEGE     OF     SUFFOLK     RAISED.  193 

drive  the  gunboats  off.  But  this  strong  earth-work  was 
surprised  and  captured  by  a  brilliant  night  attack,  made  by 
two  hundred  and  eighty  men  of  the  Eighty-ninth  New  York 
and  Eighth  Connecticut  volunteers.  The  garrison  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty-seven  men,  and  five  guns,  were  captured 
in  this  gallant  assault.  Longstreet  now  began  to  strengthen 
his  defenses.  Peck,  with  his  small  force,  was  compelled  to 
overtask  his  men,  yet  he  held  his  powerful  foe  grimly  at 
bay,  till  the  3rd  of  May,  when  the  events  at  Chancellorsville 
caused  Longstreet  to  raise  his  siege  of  twenty-four  days. 
The  skill  and  courage  of  General  Peck,  in  thus  defeating 
the  plans  of  Longstreet,  called  forth  the  highest  encomiums 
of  General  Dix,  who  afterwards  asked  the  Government  to 
make  a  separate  department  of  this  section,  and  place  Peck 
over  it. 

Longstreet  was  summoned,  with  his  defeated  army,  to 
Fredericksburg,  for  Lee,  now  he  had  measured  strength 
with  Hooker,  and  tested  satisfactorily  his  capacity,  treated 
him  with  the  same  contempt  he  showed  to  Pope,  and  resolved 
to  march  some  hundred  and  fifty  miles  around  him,  by  the 
Shenandoah  Valley,  to  the  Potomac,  and,  crossing  over  into 
Maryland,  complete  the  invasion  which  the  year  before  had 
been  brought  to  such  a  disastrous  termination  by  the  battle 
of  Antietam.  It  was  a  bold  move,  but  he  seemed  to  think 
that  he  could  give  his  antagonist  thirty  thousand  men  more 
than  his  own  army,  and  yet  beat  him  on  any  fair  field. 

The  country  was  made  to  believe,  that  though  Hooker 
was  defeated,  he  had  inflicted  such  a  heavy  blow  on  the 
enemy  as  to  cripple  him  severely,  and  render  him  incapable 
of  any  serious  movement  for  a  long  time  to  come.  But  the 
rumors  that  he  was  swinging  his  superb  army  around  Wash 
ington,  towards  Harper's  Ferry,  effectually  dispelled  this 
illusion.  His  movements  seemed  wrapped  in  mystery,  and 
the  country  was  amazed  that  no  blow  was  struck  against  his 


194  ATTACK    ON    WINCHESTER. 

extended  line.  Lee  actually  moved  clear  around  our  arnrj, 
as  coolly  and  leisurely  as  though  no  enemy  confronted  him. 
By  the  last  of  the  month,  the  people  of  Maryland  were 
alarmed  at  the  tidings  that  his  advance  troops  were  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  Upper  Potomac.  On  the  16th  of  June, 
Governor  Bradford  issued  a  proclamation,  calling  on  the 
citizens  to  rally  for  their  defense. 

The  first  blow  fell  on  General  Milroy,  at  Winchester.  He 
had  been  in  command  at  this  place  since  the  last  of  Decem 
ber,  the  previous  year,  and  had  under  him  about  seven 
thousand  men,  which  was  considered  an  ample  force  to  hold 
the  position  against  all  the  rebels  known  to  be  in  the  Valley. 
But,  on  the  llth  of  June,  he  received  a  telegram  from 
Colonel  Don  Piatt,  Chief  of  Staff,  at  Harper's  Ferry,  ordering 
him  to  fall  back  at  once  on  the  latter  place.  Milroy,  instead 
of  obeying,  telegraphed  to  General  Schenck,  at  Baltimore, 
his  immediate  Commander,  expressing  his  regret  at  the 
order,  and  declaring  that  he  could  hold  the  post  against  all 
the  force  the  "rebels  could  afford  to  bring  against  it."  He 
received  permission,  in  reply,  to  remain  till  further  orders. 
But  he  soon  ascertained,  from  his  scouts,  that  Ewell  and 
Longstreet,  with  an  overwhelming  force,  were  advancing 
swiftly  against  him,  and  he  immediately  called  in  all  his  out 
posts.  Instead,  however,  of  retreating,  he  still  waited  for 
further  developments.  On  Sunday  morning,  four  batteries 
suddenly  opened  on  him,  and  ten  thousand  men  precipitated 
themselves  on  the  outwork  commanding  the  approaches 
from  the  west,  and  swept  it  like  a  storm.  But  by  the  guns 
from  the  fort  proper  and  the  Baltimore  battery,  commanding 
this  work,  the  enemy  were  soon  driven  out.  An  artillery 
fight  then  commenced,  which  lasted  till  eight  o'clock  in  the 
evening.  Milroy  now  called  a  council  of  war,  in  which  it 
was  decided  to  abandon  the  artillery  and  wagons,  and  fall 
back  on  Harper's  Ferry.  The  troops  marched  out  at  one 


A    DISASTROUS    RETREAT.  195 

o'clock  in  the  morning,  and,  proceeding  by  a  ravine  around 
the  town,  struck  the  Martinsburg  road,  and  pressed  swiftly 
forward.  The  column,  however,  soon  found  its  way  blocked 
by  the  enemy,  who  had  got  in  front.  In  attempting  to  cut 
its  way  through,  the  army  became  divided,  and  hurried  for 
ward  by  different  routes  towards  the  Potomac.  Milroy,  with 
one  column,  took  the  road  to  Harper's  Ferry,  and  arrived 
there  safely  the  same  afternoon.  The  other  column,  com 
pletely  disorganized,  crossed  at  Hancock,  and  finally  assembled 
at  Bloody  Run,  Pennsylvania,  twenty-seven  hundred  strong. 
At  first,  it  was  supposed  that  Milroy  had  lost  a  third  of  his 
army,  but,  in  the  end,  only  a  few  hundred  were  found  to  be 
missing.  The  loss  in  artillery  and  trains,  however,  was  felt 
to  be  a  great  disgrace,  and  Milroy  was  put  under  arrest,  by 
order  of  Halleck.  That  he  committed  a  great  error,  in  not 
obeying  at  once  the  first  order  he  received,  is  very  clear. 
But  Schenck,  who  gave  him  permission  to  remain  till  further 
orders,  was  still  more  culpable.  His  excuse  was,  that  the 
original  order,  which  he  received  from  Halleck,  contained 
no  such  peremptory  command  as  Don  Piatt  had  disp&tched. 
This  is  true,  and  the  guilt  of  this  disgraceful  surrender 
must  be  divided  between  the  General-in-Chief,  Milroy  and 
Schenck.  The  only  clear,  prompt  military  mind  engaged 
in  the  whole  transaction,  was  Don  Piatt. 

Lee  at  once  crossed  the  Potomac,  occupied  Hagerstown, 
and  pushed  on  to  Pennsylvania,  causing  the  most  intense 
excitement  at  Harrisburg,  Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Wash 
ington,  and  throughout  the  country.  The  President  called 
on  the  several  States  for  their  militia,  and  New  York  had 
the  honor  of  sending  forward  the  first  troops.  Hooker  fol 
lowed  Lee  on  his  right  flank,  and,  on  the  27th  of  June, 
occupied  Frederick  City/  Cavalry  fights  had  occurred*  all 
along,  at  Beverly's  Ford,  Brandy  Station,  Berryville  and 
Aldie,  some  of  them  very  severe  ones,  but  they  had  no  effect 


196  GENERAL    MEADE. 

on  Lee's  movements.  He  had  occupied  all  the  gaps  of  the 
Blue  Ridge,  through  which  he  watched  the  movements  of 
Hooker,  ready  at  any  moment  to  give  him  battle. 

At  Frederick,  on  the  28th,  Hooker,  by  order  of  the  War 
Department,  relinquished  the  command  of  the  army,  and 
Major-General  George  G.  Meade  was  put  in  his  place.  The 
announcement  of  this  change,  on  the  eye  of  a  great  and 
decisive  battle,  took  the  country  by  surprise,  and  awakened 
the  deepest  anxiety  in  every  breast.  Meade  was  but  little 
known;  besides,  the  time  chosen  to  make  this  important 
change,  was  deemed  ill-judged.  More  than  this,  it  was 
currently  reported  that  it  was  caused  by  a  quarrel  between 
Hooker,  and  Halleck  the  General-in-Chief.  This  disquieted 
the  public  mind,  also,  for  everything  seemed  to  go  wrong 
with  the  noble  army  of  the  Potomac,  whoever  commanded 
it.  Hence,  when,  soon  after  Meade  had  commenced  his 
march,  it  was  reported  that  he  had  cut  telegraphic  commu 
nication  between  himself  and  Washington,  that  he  might 
not  be  interfered  with,  the  whole  country  applauded  the  act. 
This  fact  is  a  bitter  commentary  on  the  management  at 
Washington  at  that  time,  and  shows  how  low  in  the  estima 
tion  of  the  people,  the  military  capacity  of  the  Secretary 
of  War  and  the  General-in-Chief  was  held. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

JULY. 

CAMPAIGN  OF  GETTYSBURG PURSUIT  OF  LEE FIRST  FIGHT  AT  GETTYSBURG 

DEATH  OF  REYNOLDS HOWARD  ESTABLISHES  HIMSELF  ON  CEMETERY  HILL 

HANCOCK  SENT  FORWARD    TO    SELECT    A    BATTLE-FIELD THE  SELECTION    OF 

CEMETERY  HILL RAPID  CONCENTRATION  OF  THE  ARMY THE  PREPARATION 

FIRST  DAY'S  BATTLE GLOOMY    PROSPECT    FOR    THE     UNION    ARMY SECOND 

DAY'S  BATTLE THE  GREAT,  DECISIVE  CHARGE GALLANTRY  OF  FARNSWORTH 

RETREAT  OF  LEE BOTH  ARMIES  MARCH   FOR  THE  POTOMAC SUCCESS    OF 

KILPATRICK — SERVICE    OF   THE  CAVALRY THE    POTOMAC    SWELLED    BY    THE 

RAINS LEE  HELD  A  WEEK  ON  THE  NORTHERN  BANK STRANGE  INACTION 

THE  REBEL  ARMY  ESCAPES THE  PURSUIT CLOSE  OF  THE  CAMPAIGN. 

WHEN  Meade  took  command  of  the  army,  Lee  was 
well  advanced  into  the  interior,  and  he  immediately 
followed  after  him.  The  latter  was  very  anxious  respecting 
his  communications,  and  sent  Ewell  eastward  from  Chambers- 
burg,  to  cross  the  South  Mountain.  Early's  division  moved 
east  as  far  as  York,  on  the  inhabitants  of  which  he  levied  a 
large  sum  of  money,  while  the  rest  of  the  corps  kept  on  to 
Carlisle.  Lee  now  determined  to  move  upon  Harrisburg, 
but  on  the  night  of  the  29th,  hearing  that  Meade  was  well 
across  the  Potomac,  and  had  advanced  as  far  as  the  South 
Mountain,  threatening  his  communications,  he  determined 
to  concentrate  his  army  east  of  the  mountains,  and  Long- 
street  and  Hill  were  directed  to  march  from  Chambersburg 
to  Gettysburg,  to  which  point,  also,  Ewell  was  ordered  to 
hasten  from  Carlisle.  The  reports  of  these  movements 
having  reached  Meade,  he  ordered  Reynolds,  with  the  First, 
Eleventh  and  Third  Corps,  to  move  forward  and  occupy  the 
place.  On  the  arrival  of  the  latter,  he  found  Buford's  cav- 


198  DEATH    OF    REYNOLDS. 

airy  fighting  fiercely  with  Hill,  who  was  pouring  his  columns 
through  the  mountains,  on  the  Cash  town  road.  Moving 
promptly  around  the  town,  he  deployed  his  advance  division, 
and  marched  steadily  and  sternly  on  the  enemy,  and  at  the 
same  time  sent  back  a  courier  to  Howard,  with  the  Eleventh 
Corps,  to  hurry  forward.  The  conflict  had  hardly  commenced, 
when  Reynolds  fell,  mortally  wounded,  and  the  command 
of  the  First  Corps  devolved,  on  Doubleday.  In  the  mean 
time,  at  half-past  eleven,  Howard  arrived  on  the  field,  and 
took  chief  command.  The  enemy  were  now  pushed  vigor 
ously,  and  Doubleday  handsomely  entrapped  and  took  pris 
oners  an  entire  rebel  brigade.  The  Eleventh  Corps  gallantly 
redeemed  its  fair  fame  lost  at  Chancellorsville,  and  Hill  was 
getting  severely  punished,  when,  at  two  o'clock,  the  banners 
of  Swell's  Corps  were  seen  advancing  to  the  field,  along  the 
York  road,  outflanking  Howard's  line  of  battle.  The  latter 
had,  as  he  advanced  to  the  attack,  left  Steinwehr's  division, 
with  its  artillery,  on  Cemetery  Ridge,  in  rear  of  the  town, 
and  when  he  found  it  necessary  to  fall  back,  with  great  fore 
thought  he  sent  to  the  same  commanding  position  some  more 
guns,  and  thus,  almost  by  chance,  and  to  protect  himself 
from  defeat,  fixed  the  grand  central  point  of  the  mighty 
battle  that  was  to  decide  the  campaign. 

When  the  tidings  of  Reynolds'  fall  reached  Meade,  he 
immediately  dispatched  Hancock  to  represent  him  on  the 
field,  saying,  as  he  departed,  "  If  you  find  a  good  place  to 
fight  there,  let  me  know."  The  latter  arrived  on  the  ground 
only  to  find  the  army  in  confused  retreat,  and  Howard  rally 
ing  his  forces  behind  Cemetery  Hill.  The  enemy  poured 
tumultuously  through  Gettysburg  in  fierce  pursuit,  and  cap 
tured  some  twenty -five  hundred  of  our  troops.  But  as  they 
approached  the  ridge,  they  were  met  by  a  fierce  artillery 
fire,  and,  after  struggling  a  while  to  make  head  against  it, 
fell  back,  and,  night  coming  on,  the  conflict  ended.  Stuart, 


CEMETERY    HILL.  199 

with  his  cavalry,  which  had  been  following  Hooker  in  Virginia, 
when  the  latter  crossed  the  Potomac,  crossed  further  down, 
so  that  he  was  at  this  time  between  Meade,  and  Washington 
and  Baltimore.  His  presence  in  this  region  created  the 
wildest  consternation,  and  the  streets  of  the  former  place 
were  barricaded,  and  the  citizens  summoned  to  defend  the 
place.  This  isolated  position  of  his,  however,  was  of  incal 
culable  advantage  to  us,  for  had  he  been  present  with  E well's 
corps  on  this  day,  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  in  all  human 
probability,  would  never  have  been  fought. 

When  Hancock  reported  the  state  of  affairs  to  "Meade,  and 
the  position  which  Howard  had  selected,  he  immediately 
resolved  to  give  battle  at  that  point,  and,  having  dispatched 
swift  riders  to  the  different  corps,  with  orders  for  them  to 
march  with  the  utmost  speed  to  Gettysburg,  he  himself  set 
out,  and  reached  the  place  a  little  after  midnight.  Lee,  all 
this  eventful  night,  was  also  concentrating  his  army,  but,  being 
ignorant  of  Meade's  movements,  he  advanced  cautiously, 
and  all  too  slowly  for  himself.  One  west,  and  the  other  east 
of  the  Cumberland  Mountains  which  separated  them,  the 
mighty  columns  of  the  two  armies  pressed  forward,  all  that 
warm  July  night,  towards  the  great  battle-field  of  the  morrow. 
But  how  unequal  were  the  prospects !  Lee  was  hurrying  on 
to  find  a  place  on  which  to  fight ;  while  Meade,  not  by  his  own 
foresight,  but  by  the  foresight  of  Providence,  had  selected 
his,  which  seemed  by  that  same  Providence  made  on  purpose 
for  the  rebel  host  to  break  itself  to  pieces  against.  The 
defeat  and  retreat  of  the  day  had  forced  this  position  on  us, 
which,  if  held  by  the  rebels  instead  of  us,  would  in  all 
probability  have  reversed  the  fortunes  of  that  great  and 
vital  campaign. 

43 


200  THE    PREPARATION. 


THE   BATTLE    OF    GETTYSBURG. 

The  morning  of  the  2nd  of  July,  lit  up  a  strange  and 
thrilling  scene  around  that  hitherto  quiet  inland  town,  the 
inhabitants  of  which,  a  few  hours  before,  little  thought  that 
one  of  the  mightiest  battles  of  the  war,  and  of  the  age,  would 
be  fought  there.  No  teams  of  the  farmer  were  moving  that 
day.  The  swath  in  the  harvest-field  lay  where  it  had  fallen 
the  evening  before.  The  streets  and  the  door-vards  were 
filled  with  pale  and  anxious  men  and  women,  and  all  was 
expectation — save  that  the  unconscious  herds  grazed  quietly 
in  the  fields,  and  the  summer  birds  sang  merrily  as  ever 
among  the  green  tree-tops.  But  these  things  were  unheeded 
amid  the  mighty  preparations  on  either  side.  The  steady 
tramp,  tramp,  of  the  arriving  columns,  with  streaming  ban 
ners,  and  loud,  defiant  music — the  heavy  rumbling  of  artillery 
carriages,  as  they  swept  in  long  and  ominous  rows  on  the 
field— the  pealing  of  bugles,  the  galloping  of  horsemen 
hither  and  thither,  and  all  the  fearful  preparations  necessary 
when  two  hundred  thousand  men  are  about  to  close  in  fierce 
and  mortal  combat,  absorbed  all  minor  interests,  and  made 
that  July  morning  appear  to  those  inhabitants  solemn  as  the 
closing  day  of  time. 

As  soon  as  daylight  had  revealed  the  landscape  distinctly, 
Meade  was  in  the  saddle,  and  rode  all  over  his  position,  to 
take  in  its  capabilities,  and  arrange  the  location  of  his  troops. 
His  eye  rested  on  the  rebel  army,  marshaling  in  the  distance, 
and  ever  aid  anon  turned  anxiously  along  the  roads  over 
which  his  own  brave  troops  were  coming.  They  were 
pressing  forward  at  the  top  of  their  speed,  brigade  on 
brigade  and  division  on  division,  till,  by  seven  o'clock,  the 
Second  and  Fifth  Corps,  and  the  balance  of  the  Third,  had 
reached  the  field,  and  at  once  marched  to  their  appointed 


POSITION     OF     THE     ARMY.  201 

places.  Far  back,  many  a  weary  mile,  panting  over  the 
dusty  roads,  was  the  gallant  Sixth,  with  the  noble  Sedgwick 
at  its  head,  straining  every  nerve  to  reach  the  point  of  dan 
ger.  It  had  started  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  all 
night  long  swept  forward  as  though  on  a  race  for  life. 
Thirty-two  miles  lay  between  it  and  Gettysburg,  to  which 
the  urgent  order  of  Meade  was  hurrying  it.  It  accomplished 
the  Avhole  distance  by  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

Our  line  of  battle,  when  completed,  extended  for  nearly 
five  miles  along  a  row  of  heights  which  receded  to  the  right 
and  left  from  Cemetery  Hill,  that  stood  boldly  out  in  front, 
overlooking  Gettysburg,  and  field  and  woodland  beyond. 
The  line  was  in  shape  something  like  a  horse-shoe.  The 
right  was  strongly  protected  by  Wolf's  and  Gulp's  hills,  very 
steep  and  difficult  of  ascent,  while  Howard,  with  the  Eleventh 
Corps,  held  the  center.  At  his  right,  across  the  road,  on 
another  hill,  was  the  First  Corps.  Next  to  him,  completing 
the  rightr  was  the  Twelfth  Corps,  under  Slocum.  On  the 
left  of  Cemetery  Hill,  wa's  Hancock's  Second  Corps ;  next  to 
him,  the  Third  Corps,  under  Sickles — forming  the  left,  until 
the  arrival,  in  the  midst  of  the  battle,  of  the  Fifth  Corps,  under 
Sykes.  Thus  stood  the  Union  army  on  Thursday  afternoon. 

In  Lee's  army,  Ewell  occupied  the  left,  Hill  the  center, 
and  Longstreet  the  right.  He  had  not  designed  to  give 
battle  unless  attacked,,  when  he  could  choose  his  own  posi 
tion,  but  finding  himself  suddenly  confronted  by  Meade, 
and  doubtless  encouraged  by  the  previous  day's  success,  he 
determined  to  try  the  issue  in  a  bold  assault  on  our  strong 
position.  His  army  was  concentrated  first,  and  had  he 
moved  earlier  to  the  assault,  before  the  arrival  -of  the  Fifth 
and  Sixth  Corps,  he  might,  perhaps,  have  carried  our  posi 
tion.  But  the  "stars  fought  against  him." 

Thinking  that  if  he  could  drive  back  our  left,  he  could 
more  easily  assail  the  higher  position  of  Cemetery  Hill,  he 


202  OPENING     OF     THE     BATTLE. 

directed  Longstreet,  towards  evening,  to  advance  against  it, 
while  Hill  threatened  the  center.  Sickles,  ignoran't  of  the 
intention  of  the  enemy,  advanced  his  line  a  half  a  mile  or 
more,  when  Meade  rode  up  to  post  the  Fifth  Corps,  which 
was  rapidly  approaching  the  field.  Not  liking  the  move 
ment  of  Sickles,  he  began  to  explain  to  him  the  reasons, 
when  the  thunderbolt  fell.  The  onset  of  Longstreet  was 
tremendous.  First  came  the  crash  of  artillery,  swelling  and 
rolling  along  the  whole  line ;  and  then,  with  firm  and  confi 
dent  bearing,  and  deafening  shouts,  moved  up  the  trained 
and  steady  battalions.  Sickles,  fighting  bravely,  was  soon 
struck,  and  carried  off  the  field ;  and  the  whole  left  wing 
was  terribly  shaken,  and  gradually  fell  back  before  the  des 
perate  charges  of  the  enemy.  Its  fate  was  trembling  in  the 
balance,  when  the  heads  of  Sykes'  tired  columns  were  seen 
approaching  the  field.  At  the  welcome  sight,  a  thrilling 
cheer  went  up.  They  came  not  a  moment  too  soon,  and 
the  fight  raged  fiercer  than  ever.  But  heedless  of  the  mur 
derous  discharges  of  artillery  that  swept  their  ranks,  the 
enemy  still  pressed  the  left  so  desperately  that  it  was  pushed 
steadily  back,  and  Meade  had  to  order  up  the  wearied  Corps 
of  Sedgwick,  and  part  of  the  First  Corps,  to  save  himself 
from  defeat.  Met  with  these  fresh  forces,  the  rebels  were 
arrested,  and  though  refusing  to  abandon  the  struggle,  could 
not  break  our  line  of  battle.  Hour  after  hour,  the  contest 
raged  with  fearful  slaughter  on  both  sides,  till  darkness  closed 
over  the  field.  The  battle,  however,  was  not  over;  for, 
later  in  the  evening,  a  sudden,  unexpected  assault  was  made 
on  our  extreme  right,  and  several  rifle-pits  were  carried, 
which  the  enemy  succeeded  in  holding. 

That  night,  the  prospect  was  gloomy  enough.  We  had 
been  pushed  back  on  both  wings,  though  all  our  reserves 
had  been  brought  into  action.  The  dead  were  piled  every 
where — the  army  was  weary,  and  had  not  been  able  to  hold 


FRIDAY'S   BATTLE.  203 

its  own.  What  would  the  next  day  bring  forth  ?  was  the 
anxious  question  of  many  a  brave  heart.  Meade,  however, 
resolved  not  to  retreat,  but  to  .fight  it  out  right  there,  at  all 
hazards.  No  better  position  than  that  could  be  found,  and 
if  it  should  be  yielded,  a  swift  and  disastrous  retreat  would 
be  inevitable.  True,  he  had  been  fearfully  weakened ;  so 
had  the  enemy — his  army  was  worn  out  with  its  long 
marches ;  so  was  the  enemy's — and  here  he  would  stand, 
and  let  God  help  the  right. 

THE    BATTLE    OF    FRIDAY. 

Early  i*ext  morning,  the  troops  stood  to  their  arms,  while 
crashing  volleys,  all  along  the  line,  foretold  another  day  of 
struggle  and  of  slaughter.  On  our  right,  the  battle  raged 
furiously  from  early  dawn.  Ewell  was  determined  to  ad 
vance  from  the  rifle-pits  he  had  taken  the  night  before,  and 
Slocum  was  equally  resolute  to  recover  them.  Geary  and 
Birney  here  met  the  first  assaults  firmly.  For  six  hours,  the 
struggle  was  desperate  on  both  sides.  The  rebels  seemed 
to  laugh  at  death,  and  again  and  again  charged  through  the 
smoke  of  artillery,  with  shouts  that  swelled  above  the  uproar. 
Wheaton's  brigade,  of  the  Sixth,  was  hurried  up  to  the 
rescue;  and  our  line,  which  had  been  forced  back  for  a 
moment,  again  advanced.  More  troops  were  pushed  for 
ward — artillery  brought  up  on  a  gallop,  and  posted  so  as  to 
enfilade  the  hostile  ranks;  and  though  braver  men  never 
stood  upon  a  battle-field  to  die,  than  did  EwelFs  veterans 
here,  our  right  had  become  a  wall  of  adamant,  against  which 
the  heaviest  surges  broke  in  vain.  At  eleven  o'clock,  the 
enemy  gave  it  up,  and  his  shattered,  bleeding  battalions  fell 
back  in  despair.  Silence  now  rested  on  the  field,  and  Lee, 
baffled  in  his  first  design,  pondered  what  next  to  attempt. 
He  had  tried  both  wings,  and  failed  to  break  them,  and  on 


204  AN    AWFUL     CANNONADE. 

the  right  had  lost  all  he  had  gained  the  night  before ;  while 
a  line  of  earth-works  had  sprung  up,  as  if  by  magic,  all  along 
our  front.  The  weakest  point  still  seemed  to  be  the  left, 
and  he  determined  on  a  last  desperate  effort  to  crush  it. 
For  this  purpose,  he  brought  forward  a  hundred  and  twenty- 
seven  cannon,  and  concentrated  their  terrific  fire  on  our 
center  and  left.  At  two  o'clock,  they  opened  simultaneously, 
and  there  commenced  one  of  the  most  awful  cannonades 
ever  witnessed  on  this  continent.  On  Cemetery  Hill,  the 
storm  fell  with  such  fury  that  the  earth  was  scattered  in 
showers  over  the  graves,  and  the  tomb-stones  shivered  to 
atoms.  Shot  and  shell  fell  and  burst  without  a  moment's 
cessation,  and  with  a  power  that  seemed  able  to  start  the 
very  hills  from  their  firm  foundations.  Our  batteries  re 
sponded,  and,  for  three  hours,  more  than  three  hundred 
cannon  exploded  on  each  other,  with  reverberations  that 
shook  the  field,  and  wrapped  it  in  white,  rolling  clouds, 
which  tossed,  and  drifted,  and  settled  between  the  contend 
ing  lines,  till  they  were  hid  from  view,  and  the  heavens 
were  darkened  as  in  an  eclipse. 

About  four  o'clock,  Lee  ordered  a  grand  charge.  In 
splendid  order,  and  "  with  banners  high  advanced,"  and  a 
courage  that  seemed  to  foretell  success,  the  columns  came 
steadily  on.  The  chief  attack  was  on  the  point  occupied  by 
the  Second  Corps.  Moving  forward  with  grand,  imposing 
front  and  confident  bearing,  they  entered  the  desolating 
fire,  without  flinching.  It  was  a  magnificent  charge.  A 
tempest  of  shot  and  shell,  howling  above  their  heads 
from  the  artillery  in  rear,  swept  thejieights;  and  Han 
cock  was  soon  borne  wounded  from  the  fight.  Gibson 
succeeded  to  the  command,  and,  walking  along  the  lines, 
told  the  men  to  reserve  their  fire.  On  came  the  rebels, 
three  lines  deep,  in  perfect  order,  till  within  point-blank 
range,  when  the  order  to  fire  was  heard.  A  sudden  sheet 


THE    LAST    EFFORT.  205 

of  flame,  a  crash,  and  the  first  line  disappeared  like  a  wreath 
of  mist.     Undismayed,   the  second  line  swept  on  with  a 
cheer.     Up  to  the  rifle-pits,  and  over  them,  and  up  to  the 
guns,    bayoneting    the   gunners   beside    tlieir  pieces,    they 
pressed,  waving  their  flags  and  shouting  the  victory.     But 
the  moment  of  their  triumph  was  also  the  moment  of  their 
destruction.     They  had  not  seen  that  the  guns  on  the  west 
ern  slope  of  Cemetery  Hill  enfiladed  this  spot.     These  now 
opened  with  grape  and  canister,  on  the  uncovered  ranks. 
The  effect  was  awful.     Nothing  human  could  stand -such  a 
murderous  fire,  and  the  line  swayed  back  in  terror,  and  then' 
crumbled  into  fragments.     In  an  instant,  our  men  were  upon 
them,  driving  them  like  a  herd  of  sheep.     Whole  regiments 
laid  down  their  arms  and  surrendered.     They  seemed  ap-- 
palled — overwhelmed,  by  the  frightful  butchery,  from  which 
even  flight  could  not  save  them.     Other  charges  had  been 
made,  along  the  line,  and  gallantly  repulsed ;  and  our  cav 
alry,  though  not  performing  any  grand  movement,  came  in 
for  its  share  of  the  glory.     Kilpatrick,  having  beaten  Stuart 
at  Hanover,  and  repulsed  the  rebel  cavalry  at  Hunterstown, 
pressed  forward  to  Gettysburg — which  he  reached  Friday 
forenoon — and  made  a  sudden  dash  on  Lee's  right.     The 
enemy,  finding  his  skirmishers  driven  in,  took  a  strong  posi 
tion  between  two  stone  walls,  surmounted  by  a  rail  fence. 
Kilpatrick  was  anxious  to  carry  this  position,  for  if  he  could, 
he  would  be  able  to  reach  Lee's  ammunition  train.     General 
Farnsworth,  with  two  regiments  and  a  portion  of  a  third, 
charged  it  with  desperate  fury.     Leaping  his  horse  over  the 
first  fence,  sword  in  hand,  he  was  followed  by  his  gallant 
band.     The  space  between  the  fences  was  covered  by  a  fire 
from  both  flanks  and  the  front,  yet  they  dashed  through  it 
with  a  shout,  and  reached  the  second  fence,  where  Farns- 
worth  fell,  pierced  with  five  balls.     Still  on,  over  the  second 
fence,  the  maddened  riders  went,   uin  a  whirlpool  of  shot 


206  THE    VICTORY. 

and  shell,"  and  pressed  on  through  a  horrible  fire.  They 
could  not  return,  and  so  dashed  on — what  was  left  of 
them — for  two  miles,  to  the  rebel  rear,  when  they  dispersed, 
and  got  back  as  they  could. 

But,  the  grand  effort  of  the  day  having  failed,  the  enemy 
slowly  retired.  No  pursuit  was  attempted.  Meade  had  no 
reserves,  with  which  to  follow  up  his  advantage,  and  scarcely 
any  ammunition.  We  were  near  defeat.  Could  Lee  have 
commanded  a  few  thousand  fresh  troops,  even  then,  he  might 
have  won  the  day.  But  we  had  stood  the  pounding  longest, 
and  now  a  fresh  corps  on  our  part,  could  have  driven  him  in 
disorder  and  rout  from  the  field.  As  it  was,  both  armies 
had  done  all  they  could.  Lee  had  attacked,  and  failed ;  and 
now,  with  one-third  of  his  forces  killed,  wounded  or  taken 
prisoners,  his  campaign  was  over,  and  nothing  remained  for 
him  but  to  get  back  to  Virginia  with  his  shattered  army. 

On  this  very  afternoon,  what  a  different  scene  was  taking 
place  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi !  At  the  same  hour 
in  which  the  heights  around  Gettysburg  were  rocking  to 
the  thunder  of  cannon,  and  their  slopes  were  reddening 
with  the  blood  of  brave  men,  Grant  and  Pemberton  were 
quietly  seated  under  a  spreading  oak,  settling  the  terms  of 
the  capitulation  of  Yicksburg.  While  one  army  was  being 
surrendered  into  our  hands,  another  was  retiring,  beaten  and 
humbled,  from  before  our  brave  troops. 

It  had  been  a  battle  of  the  Giants — Antietam  over  again  ; 
and  our  loss  amounted,  in  all,  to  twenty-three  thousand  and 
one  hundred  and  eighty-six  men.  The  field  presented  a 
sad  wreck,  and  the  slopes  around  Gettysburg  were  thickly 
covered  with  the  dead — men  of  the  same  country  and  creed, 
and  who  should  never  have  been  foes. 

The  news  of  this  great  victory  flew  over  the  wires  on  the 
4th,  our  National  Jubilee-day,  spreading  joy  and  exultation, 
and  swelling  to  a  higher  note  the  shouts  of  the  people.  To 


THE     RETREAT.  207 

the  army,  however,  it  did  not  bring  equal  exultation,  for  it 
was  not  known  whether  another  battle  was  yet  to  be  fought. 
Lee  still  confronted  our  lines,  but  no  general  movements 
took  place.  But  he  had  resolved  on  retreat,  and  by  next 
morning  his  columns  were  retracing  their  steps,  over  the 
Cumberland  Mountains,  on  their  way  back  to  the  Potomac, 
leaving  thirteen  thousand^  six  hundred  and  twenty-one  pris 
oners  in  our  hands — so  that  if  his  loss  in  killed  and  wounded 
was  no  greater  than  ours,  his  total  loss  would  have  been  over 
thirty  thousand.  But  as  the  attacking  party,  unless  successful, 
always  suffers  the  most,  a  large  number  must  be  added  to  this, 
showing  that  Lee  had  good  cause  for  retreating,  without 
assigning,  as  he  did,  the  lack  of  ammunition,  and  the  strength 
of  our  position,  as  the  reasons. 

He  saved  his  artillery,  with  the  exception  of  two  or  three 
guns,  though  he  left  twenty-five  thousand  small  arms  strewn 
through  the  fields  and  woods.  With  his  splendid  army 
thus  shivered  into  fragments,  he  recrossed  the  Cumberland 
Mountains,  and  pressed  rapidly  towards  the  Potomac.  Sedg- 
wick,  with  the  Sixth  Corps,  was  sent  in  pursuit,  but  on 
reaching  Fairfield  Pass,  he  found  it  so  strongly  held  that  he 
was  compelled  to  abandon  it,  and  then  pressed  towards 
the  Potomac  on  the  east  side  of  the  Cumberland  Mountains, 
to  intercept  Lee's  march.  The  cavalry,  moving  by  different 
routes,  harassed  him  continually,  capturing  trains  and  pris 
oners,  and  keeping  the  tired  troops  continually  on  the  alert. 
A  portion  of  the  force,  under  General  French,  destroyed 
the  enemy's  pontoon  train,  at  Falling  Waters.  Kilpatrick 
clung  to  the  rebel  army  with  a  tenacity  that  did  not  allow 
it  a  moment's  rest.  At  midnight,  in  a  furious  thunder 
storm,  he  charged  down  the  mountain,  through  the  darkness, 
with  unparalleled  boldness,  and  captured  the  entire  train  of 
E well's  division,  eight  miles  long.  At  Emmettsburg,  Hagers- 
town,  and  other  places,  he  smote  the  enemy  with  blow  after 


208  A    DANGEROUS    POSITION. 

blow.  Buford,  Gregg,  Custis,  and  others,  performed  deeds 
which,  but  for  the  greater  movements  that  occupied  public 
attention,  would  have  filled  the  land  with  shouts  of  admira 
tion.  In  fact,  the  incessant,  protracted  labors  of  the  cavalry, 
during  this  campaign,  rendered  it  useless  for  some  time. 
That  it  was  so  effective,  was  due  to  Hooker,  who  took  great 
pains  in  its  organization,  when  he  .assumed  command  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac. 

Before  Lee  reached  the  Potomac,  a  heavy  rain  storm  set 
in  swelling  the  river  so  that  all  the  fords  were  impassable. 
This  seemed  a  special  interposition  of  Providence,  and  the 
country  looked  to  see  Lee's  army  utterly  destroyed  or  cap 
tured,  before  he  could  get  across. 

Meade,  having  spent  the  5th  and  6th  in  burying  his  dead 
and  caring  for  the  wounded,  followed  the  enemy,  by  a  flank 
movement,  to  Middletown,  Md.,  and  thence  passed  through 
South  Mountain,  and,  on  the  12th,  was  in  front  of  Lee, 
drawn  up  on  the  heights  of  Marsh  Run,  near  Williamsport. 
A  whole  week  had  thus  been  allowed  to  pass  away,  while  Lee 
looked  with  anxious  gaze  on  the  turbulent  waters  of  the 
Potomac,  whose  loud,  monotonous  roar  seemed  to  scoff  at 
his  helpless  condition.  No  sooner  did  the  floo'd  begin  to 
subside,  than  another  storrn  would  set  in,  sending  the  water 
in  torrents  down  the  slopes  of  the  Blue  Ridge  and  the  Allegha- 
nies,  and  keeping  the  stream  full  to  the  top  of  its  banks. 
It  was  a  tantalizing  condition  for  Lee,  and  seemed  ominous 
of  evil,  for  such  a  sustained  freshet  in  July  was  a  thing 
unheard  of.  It  seemed  sent  on  purpose  to  destroy  him — 
just  as  the  early  and  severe  Winter,  in  Russia,  came  to  over 
throw  the  grand  army  of  Napoleon.  The  whole  country 
was  kept  in  a  state  of  the  highest  excitement,  for  a  majority 
of  the  people  believed  that  the  escape  of  Lee,  the  year 
before,  near  the  same  place,  after  the  battle  of  Antietam, 
was  owing  to  the  negligence  or  incapacity  of  McClellan. 


THE     SANITARY     COMMISSION.  209 

Though  Lee  then  got  off,  the  first  night  after  the  battle,  and 
under  cover  of  the  darkness,  his  escape  seemed  unpardonable. 
Hence,  it  was  believed  that  if  Meade  should  do  his  duty — 
swelled  as  his  army  was  by  reinforcements,  and  with  ample 
time  before  him — Lee  could  not  escape.  But  the  latter  was 
unmolested,  and,  gathering  timber  from  the  neighboring 
country,  he  constructed  a  bridge,  and,  the  water  at  length 
falling,  he  transferred  his  entire  army,  trains,  and  munitions 
of  war,  safely  into  Virginia.  The  cavalry  took  some  pris 
oners  at  Falling  Waters,  and  Gregg's  cavalry  attacked  and 
harassed  the  enemy  at  Chaiiestown  and  Shepherdstown  ;  yet 
the  latter  escaped  comparatively  scathless — to  the  chagrin, 
disappointment,  and  ill-suppressed  murmurings  of  the  people. 

Meade  crossed  the  Potomac,  and  moved  down  the  Loudon 
Valley  on  Lee's  flank,  hoping  to  cross  his  line  of  march 
somewhere ;  but  the  latter  leisurely  pursued  his  way  to  the 
Rapidan ;  and  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  at  the  close  of 
July,  took  up  its  position  on  the  banks  of  the  Rappahannock, 
and  the  campaign  was  over.  It  had  been  a  grand  success 
by  our  arms,  marred  only  by  the  strange  delays  and  inaction 
that  allowed  Lee  to  rest  a  week  on  the  northern  bank  of  the 
Potomac,  and  then  get  off  .without  a  blow  being  dealt  him. 

It  would  not  be  just  to  pass  by  this  great  battle  without 
alluding  to  the  efforts  of  the  Sanitary  Commission  to  relieve 
and  care  for  the  wounded.  Never  before  was  such  a  prodi 
gality  of  expenditure  in  the  way  of  charity,  witnessed  on  a 
battle-field.  Its  agents,  trains  and  supplies  were  everywhere. 
Clothing,  medicine^,  food  and  luxuries  were  in  profusion. 
Hospitals  sprung  up  like  magic  on  all  sides,  till  it  had 
nearly  fifteen  thousand  wounded  under  its  kind  and  generous 
protection.  Its  blessed  charities,  distributed  alike  to  friend 
and  foe,  shed  a  benign  radiance  over  the  scene  of  slaughter, 
and  rescued  it  from  half  its  horrors. 


CHAPTER  XYI. 

OPERATIONS    IN    CHARLESTON    HARBOR GILLMORE     EFFECTS    A    LODGMENT     ON 

MORRIS    ISLAND — ATTEMPT    TO     TAKE    FORT    WAGNER    BY    SURPRISE GRAND 

ASSAULT     ON     THE      FORT DEATH      OF     COLONEL     SHAW CRUELTY    TO    THE 

OFFICERS    OF    COLORED    REGIMENTS MOBS    IN    NEW  YORK    CITY HOSTILITY 

TO    THE    DRAFT ORBER   OF    THE    PRESIDENT,    RESPECTING    THE    TREATMENT 

OF    COLORED    SOLDIERS    HELD    AS    PRISONERS     BY   THE    REBELS THE     PRAC 
TICAL    SUPERIORITY    OF    THE    PRESIDENT CAUSES    OF    PUBLIC    AGITATION 

CONGRESS, 

WHILE  events  of  such  magnitude  were  occurring  on 
the  banks  of  the  Potomac,  General  Gillmore,  who 
had  superseded  Hunter  in  command  at  Charleston,  surprised, 
on  the  10th  of  July,  the  rebels  in  the  fortifications  on  the 
south  end  of  Morris  Island,  in  Charleston  Harbor,  and  cap 
tured  two  hundred  prisoners,  eight  single-gun  batteries,  and 
three  mortars.  General  Strong,  the  next  day,  in  command  of 
the  attacking  party,  advanced  on  Fort  Wagner,  and  attempted 
to  carry  it  by  assault,  but  failed.  It  was  a  spirited  affair,  and  is 
thus  described  by  Captain  Gray,  the  only  one,  of  four  captains, 
that  was  saved:  "General  Strong,  with  two  thousand  men, 
went  up  Folly  River,  in  the  Light-house  Inlet,  while  over 
forty  guns  and  mortars,  in  battery,  which  had  been  put  in 
position  on  Folly  Island,  concealed  by  trees  from  the  enemy's 
knowledge,  were  ready  to  open  their  unexpected  fire  at  the 
right  moment.  The  gunboats  were  to  engage  the  rebel 
batteries  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  island.  The  boats 
containing  the  troops  arrived  in  good  time,  preceded  by 
eight  boat-howitzers  from  the  gunboats.  The  first  boat 
contained  General  Strong  and  Staff,  and  then  came  the  bat 
talion  of  the  Seventh  Connecticut  volunteers. 


A    GALLANT    ATTEMPT.  211 

"  General  Gillmore  told  Colonel  Rodman  that  the  General 
concluded  that  our  battalion  was  the  most  reliable,  and  could 
be  trusted,  and  was  selected  for  that  reason.  The  batteries 
opened  at  daylight,  and  in  a  short  time  the  enemy  discovered 
the  boats,  and  threw  shell  and  solid  shot,  trying  to  sink  them. 
The  shot  and  shell  struck  and  burst  all  around  us,  but  only 
one  boat  was  struck,  containing  some  of  the  Sixth  Connecticut 
volunteers,  killing  one  and  wounding  two  or  three."  But 
the  batteries  of  Gillmore  are  unmasked,  and  pour  such  a 
terrible  fire  on  the  astonished  garrison,  that  they  fly  from 
their  guns.  u  The  General's  boat  had  got  two  discharges  of 
grape.  Just  at  this  moment,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Rodman 
said  to  the  General,  '  Let  me  land  my  command,  and  take 
that  battery.'  The  General  hesitated  at  first,  and  then  said, 
'  Go.'  Colonel  Rodman  stood  up  in  the  stern  of  his  boat, 
and  gave  the  command,  '  Seventh  Connecticut,  man  your 
oars  and  follow  me ! '  At  the  order,  we  all  headed  for  the 
shore,  and  as  the  boats  struck,  every  man  sprang,  as  if  by 
instinct,  and  in  an  instant  the  men  were  in  line.  We  ad 
vanced  rapidly  to  the  first  line  of  rifle-works ;  our  skirmishers 
cleared  it  with  a  bound,  and  advanced  to  the  second  line. 
Our  main  forces  moved  to  the  first  line — the  foe  retired, 
firing."  *  *  *  "We  bivouacked  for  the  night  under 
easy  range  of  Fort  Wagner.  At  about  half-past  two  in  the 
morning,  General  Strong  came  and  called  the  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  out.  He  soon  returned,  and  said,  l  Turn  out ;  we 
have  got  a  job  on  hand.'  The  men  were  soon  out,  and  into 
line,  but  rather  slow  to  time,  as  they  were  tired  with  the 
work  of  the  day  before. 

"  The  programme  was,  to  try  to  take  Fort  Wagner  by 
assault.  We  were  to  take  the  lead,  and  to  be  supported  by 
the  Seventy-sixth  Pennsylvania  and  Ninth  Maine.  Silently 
we  moved  up  to  the  advance  line  of  our  pickets,  our  guns 
loaded  and  aimed,  and  bayonets  fixed.  We  were  then  de- 


212  A    PAINFUL     POSITION. 

ployed  into  line  of  battle,  (we  had  one  hundred  and  ninety 
officers  and  men,  all  told,)  reached -and  crossed  the  neck  of 
land  that  approached  the  fort — our  right  resting  on  the  beach. 
Our  orders  were,  to  move  steadily  forward  until  the  pickets 
fired ;  then  follow  them  close,  and  rush  for  the  works ;  and 
we  were  promised  ready  support.  General  Strong  gave  the 
order,  '  Aim  low,  and  put  your  trust  in  God.  Forward,  the 
Seventh !  '  And  forward  we  went — being  not  over  five 
hundred  yards  from  the  fort  when  we  started.  We  had  not 
gone  far,  before  the  picket  fired ;  and  then  we  took  the  double- 
quick,  and  with  a  cheer  rushed  for  the  works.  Before  we 
reached  the  outer  works,  we  got  a  murderous  fire  from  the 
riflemen  behind  the  works.  A  few  fell — a  check  in  the  line. 
An  encouraging  word  from  the  officers,  and  right  gallantly 
we  reached  the  outer  works;  over  them,  with  a  will,  we 
went,  down  the  opposite  side — across  the  moat — there  being 
about  one  foot  of  water  in  it — right  up  to  the  crest  of  the 
parapet ;  and  there  we  lay,  anxiously  waiting  for  our  support 
to  come  up  so  far  as  to  make  it  a  sure  thing  for  us  to  rise  up 
and  go  over  with  a  bound — our  men,  in  the  meantime,  busying 
themselves  by  picking  off  the  sharp-shooters  and  gunners. 
"  As  near  as  I  can  ascertain,  we  were  in  this  position  from 
ten  to  twenty  minutes,  when  both  of  the  regiments  that 
were  to  support  us  broke  and  fled,  leaving  us  to  take  care 
of  ourselves  as  best  we  might.7'  Of  course,  a  retreat  had 
to  be  ordered,  the  line  of  which,  for  a  thousand  yards,  was 
swept  by  a  murderous  fire.  Of  the  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
one  men,  only  eighty-eight — less  than  half — ever  got  back 
again.  Of  the  mess  of  eleven  officers  of  this  gallant  little 
band,  only  four  were  present  at  the  next  meeting.  Fort 
Wagner  was  not  taken,  but  a  landing  had  been  effected  on 
Morris  Island,  and  now  it  was  generally  believed  that  the 
fall  of  Charleston  was  a  mere  question  of  time.  The  rebels 
were  greatly  alarmed. 


THE     ASSAULT.  213 

Seven  days  after,  another  more  formidable  assault  was 
made,  with  similar  results.  Previous  to  making  it,  Gillmore 
had  surrounded  the  fort  with  a  semi-circle  of  batteries,  about 
eighteen  hundred  yards  distant.  The  land  attack  was  to  be 
assisted  by  the  iron-clads,  under  Admiral  Dahlgren.  About 
half-past  twelve,  everything  being  ready,  the  signal  was 
given,  and,  from  land  and  water,  a  terrific  bombardment 
was  opened  on  the  fort,  and  kept  up  all  the  afternoon.  An 
incessant  storm  of  shot  and  shell  fell  upon  it,  driving  the 
gunners  to  cover.  By  night — no  sound  coming  from  the 
fort,  except  as  our  own  shells  exploded  in  arid  over  it — it 
was  supposed  that  the  guns  had  been  effectually  silenced. 
For  eight  hours,  this  tremendous  fire  had  been  kept  up ;  and 
as  the  sun  went  down,  sinking  in  a  mass  of  black  and  angry 
clouds,  the  artillery  of  heaven  opened  all  along  the  western 
horizon,  and  the  sheeted  lightning  cast  a  ghastly,  fitful  light 
over  the  barren  waste  of  sand  and  the  torn  and  ragged  fort, 
that  to  all  human  appearance  was  garrisoned  only  by  dead 
men.  It  was  now  resolved  to  carry  it  by  assault,  and  Strong's 
brigade  moved  off  to  the  perilous  undertaking.  This  was  com 
posed  of  the  Fifty-fourth  Massachusetts  (colored)  regiment 
under  Colonel  Shaw,  the  Sixth  Connecticut,  Forty-eighth 
New  York,  Third  New  Hampshire,  Seventy-sixth  Penn 
sylvania  and  Ninth  Maine.  As  soon  as  its  dusky  outline 
could  be  seen  moving  over  the  sand,  the  guns  from  distant 
Sumter  and  from  Cummings'  Point,  and  last  of  all  from  the 
hitherto  silent  Wagner,  opened  on  it  with  terrible  fury. 
Nothing  daunted,  the  brigade  sprung  forward  on  the  double- 
quick,  and  dashing  swiftly  through  th<3  iron  storm,  made 
straight  for  the  fort,  now  lit  up  in  the  gloom  by  its  own 
incessant  fire.  A  part  reached  the  ditch,  crossed  it,  and 
mounted  the  parapet — led  by  Colonel  Shaw,  who  fell 
there,  waving  on  his  men.  But  every  foot  of  space  was 
swept  by  the  fire  of  the  garrison,  and  in  an  incredibly 


214  THE    REPULSE. 

short  interval  of  time,  Strong  was  wounded,  and  every 
commanding  officer  wounded  or  killed.  The  brigade,  shat 
tered,  and  torn  into  fragments,  rushed  wildly  back  into  the 
darkness.  The  Second  brigade,  under  Colonel  Putnam, 
now  advanced,  and  charging  through  the  same  desolating 
fire,  mounted  the  ramparts,  and,  fighting  hand  to  hand, 
actually  got  into  a  portion  of  the  fort.  But  here  it  halted, 
shattered,  exhausted,  and  powerless  to  advance  another  step. 
Putnam  had  fallen ;  and  through  the  pitchy  darkness,  which 
was  incessantly  seamed  with  fire  from  bursting  shells  and 
exploding  cannon,  the  broken,  confused  ranks — melting  away 
as  they  fled — staggered,  bleeding,  back  to  their  intrench- 
ments;  and  the  deep,  silent,  black  midnight  closed  over 
the  scene.  The  beach  was  strewed  with  the  dead,  whose 
dirge  the  waves  sung  as  they  rolled  gently  on  the  shore, 
while  the  wounded  crawled  away  along  the  sand,  sheltered 
by  the  darkness. 

The  presence  of  the  colored  troops  in  this  assault,  exas 
perated  the  garrison,  and  many  acts  of  violence  and  cruelty 
were  committed  against  their  wounded  officers.  Colonel 
Shaw's  body  was  pitched,  with  his  negro  soldiers,  into  the 
sand ;  and  an  exasperated  feeling  took  possession  of  both 
armies.  General  Strong  was  wounded,  and  died  soon  after 
in  New  York.  This  repulse  produced  intense  excitement 
all  over  the  North,  and  charges  against  this  or  that  person 
were  made  without  much  regard  to  justice.  The  colored 
regiment  led  the  assault,  and  some  laid  the  blame  of  defeat 
to  this  cause.  It  is  very  doubtful  whether  any  other  regi 
ment  would  have  succeeded  better ;  still,  placing  it  in  this 
position  was  unwise,  and  cannot  be  justified  on  any  military 
principle.  To  employ  comparatively  raw  regiments — no 
matter  whether  colored  or  white — to  do  that  which  is  re 
garded  the  hardest,  most  trying  work  the  oldest  veteran  regi 
ments  are  ever  put  to,  is  to  tempt  fortune  and  deserve  defeat. 


MOB    VIOLENCE.  215 

There  was  still  another  and  sadder  misfortune  that  marred 
the  record  of  this  month,  made  glorious  by  the  capture  of 
Vicksburg,  the  opening  of  the  Mississippi,  and  the  victory 
at  Gettysburg.  Collisions  between  the  citizens  and  soldiery 
occurred  in  various  parts  of  the  North ;  and  in  New  York 
city,  they  threatened,  for  a  time,  to  bring  back  the  bloody 
scenes  of  Paris  in  the  time  of  the  Bourbons.  The  offices 
of  the  Provost-Marshals  were  burned,  telegraph  wires  cut, 
railroad  tracks  torn  up,  the  Mayor's  house  sacked,  the 
Colored  Orphan  Asylum  burned,  and  many  persons  killed. 
The  cause  of  these  outrages  was  still  more  alarming — viz.,  the 
enforcement  of  the  draft.  A  revolution  at  the  North  was  far 
more  to  be  dreaded  than  rebellion  a,t  the  South,  though 
backed  by  foreign  intervention.  Luckily,  the  mob  lacked 
organization ;  and  though,  for  two  days,  New  York  city 
seemed  resting  on  the  bosom  of  a  volcano,  whose  earthquake 
throes  extended  to  Albany  and  Boston,  and  even  to  the  far 
West,  the  incipient  outbreak  was  quelled,  and  the  frightful 
chasm,  that  seemed  opening  beneath  our  feet,  was  closed. 
The  ostensible  ground  of  resistance,  in  New  York,  was  the 
inequality  of  the  draft,  growing  out  of  an  erroneous  enroll 
ment.  But  various  causes  produced  it.  In  the  first  place, 
such  efforts  had  been  made  to  get  volunteers,  that  many  people 
had  come  to  believe  that  drafting  was  wrong.  In  the  second 
place,  the  Government,  ever  since  its  organization,  had 
always  obtained  troops  by  fixing  the  proper  quota  to  each 
State,  and  then  calling  on  its  Governor  to  see  that  it 
was  furnished.  This  policy  had  been  accepted  as  the  only 
constitutional  way  to  raise  an  army.  But  the  election  of  the 
previous  Fall  had  given  New  York  a  Democratic  Governor, 
and  should  the  same  state  of  political  feeling  exist  in  the 
coming  Autumn,  many  other  States  might  have  Democratic 
Executives.  The  Administration  feared  that  it  might  thus  be 
balked  in  its  demand  for  troops,  just  as  Madison  was,  in  the 

44 


216  DRAFTING    PROPER. 

war  of  1812,  by  Governor  Strong  of  Massachusetts ;  and  so, 
by  one  bold  stroke,  this  power  was  taken  out  of  the  hands 
of  the  State  Executives,  and  put  in  those  of  Provost-Marshals, 
who  were  scattered  over  the  various  Congressional  Districts. 
This  was  a  perilous  innovation  on  a  long-established  rule. 
That  it  did  not  work  untold  mischief,  was  not  owing  to  the 
wisdom  of  Congress,  but  to  the  patriotism  of  the  people, 
of  all  parties.  God,  in  his  good  providence,  saved  us  from 
the  evil  effects  of  false  impressions  and  bad  legislation. 
That  there  is  anything  wrong,  unjust  or  improper  in  a  draft, 
is  a  miserable  delusion.  A  Government  that  has  no  right  to 
enforce  one,  does  not  deserve  to  exist.  If  the  Government 
owes  its  subjects  protection,  the  subjects  owe  it  service,  in 
return,  and  to  that  extent  necessary  for  its  self-preservation. 

To  prevent  further  troubles,  Major-General  Dix  was  called 
from  the  Department  of  Virginia  to  assume  command  of  the 
Department  of  the  East.  This  was  a  wise  appointment,  for 
men  of  all  parties  had  the  utmost  confidence  in  his  integrity, 
capacity  and  patriotism. 

At  the  close  of  the  month,  the  President  issued  the  follow 
ing  order,  which  is  memorable  as  the  commencement  of  a 
series  of  measures  which  resulted  in  untold  misery  to  our 
brave  soldiers  held  as  prisoners  by  the  South: 

"  EXECUTIVE  MANSION,         ) 
WASHINGTON,  July  30,  1863.  \ 

It  is  the  duty  of  every  Government  to  give  protection  to  its  citizens, 
of  whatever  class,  color,  or  condition,  especially  those  who  are  duly 
organized  as  soldiers  in  the  public  service.  The  law  of  nations,  and  the 
usages  and  customs  of  war  as  carried  on  by  civilized  powers,  permit  no 
distinction  as  to  color  in  the  treatment  of  prisoners  of  war  as  public  ene 
mies.  To  sell  or  enslave  any  captured  person,  on  account  of  his  color,  and 
for  no  offense  against  the  laws  of  war,  is  a  relapse  into  barbarism,  and  a 
crime  against  the  civilization  of  the  age. 

The  Government  of  the  United  States  will  give  the  same  protection  to  all 
its  soldiers ;  and  if  the  enemy  shall  sell  or  enslave  any  one  because  of  his 
color,  the  offense  shall  be  punished  by  retaliation  upon  the  enemy's  prisoners 
in  our  possession. 

It  is  therefore  ordered  that  for  every  soldier  of  the  United  States  killed 
in  violation  of  the  laws  of  war,  a  rebel  soldier  shall  be  executed ;  and  for 


EXCHANGE     OF     PRISONERS.  217 

every  one  enslaved  by  the  enemy  or  sold  into  slavery,  a  rebel  soldier  shall  be 
placed  at  hard  labor  on  the  public  works,  and  continued  at  such  labor  until 
the  other  shall  be  released  and  receive  the  treatment  due  to  a  prisoner  of 
war. 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN." 

The  employment  of  blacks  as  soldiers,  many  of  whom 
were  escaped  slaves,  exasperated  the  South,  and  the  Con 
federate  Government  refused  to  regard  them  as  prisoners 
of  war.  This,  of  course,  necessitated  action  on  the  part  of 
our  Government ;  for  there  can  be  no  plainer  duty  than 
that  of  every  Government  to  protect  its  soldiers.  This  clear, 
explicit,  just  order,  placed  the  matter  on  a  right  foundation  ; 
and  had  the  Secretary*  of  War  been  content  to  adopt  it  as 
the  rule  of  his  action,  the  colored  soldiers  would  have  been 
protected,  and  tens  of  thousands  of  brave  men  spared  a 
horrible  death.  But,  wishing  to  improve  on  it  by  a  theory 
of  his  own,  he  broke  up  the  cartel  agreed  on — which  was 
working  humanely — and  filled  Southern  prisons  with  inno 
cent  victims.  After  a  year  of  horrors,  he  was  compelled  to 
come  back  to  the  principle  of  this  simple  order,  but  all  too  late 
for  an  army  of  sufferers.  This  is  but  one  of  numerous  instances 
which  show  how  vastly  superior  the  President — with  his  up 
right  nature,  freedom  from  passion,  strong  common  sense,  and 
clear  appreciation  of  right — was,  to  the  acutest  lawyers  and 
most  accomplished  diplomatists  of  the  land.  His  practical 
mind  seemed  to  seize  by  intuition  the  right  course ;  and  had 
he  from  the-  outset  been  followed,  instead  of  pushed,  we 
should  have  been  saved  many  blunders  and  misfortunes. 

Although  this  order  disappeared  from  sight,  in  the  long, 
learned  discussion  that  followed,  on  the  question  of  exchange, 
it  reappeared  at  last,  to  vindicate  the  sagacity  of  its  author. 

The  discussion  of  the  Confiscation  Act,  and  other  legis 
lative  enactments  having  reference  to  the  status  of  the  slave 
and  freedman,  and  the  mode  of  carrying  on  the  war,  kept 
the  North,  during  the  Summer,  in  a  state  of  turmoil,  and 


218  STATE    OF    PUBLIC    FEELING. 

furnished  the  Democratic  party  with  the  materials  with  which 
to  organize  an  opposition,  that  they  hoped  might,  in  the 
coming  year,  overthrow  the  Administration,  and  institute  a 
new  order  of  things.  McClellan — whose  removal  from  the 
army  was  believed  to  be  owing  to  his  hostility  to  this  kind 
of  legislation,  and  to  the  President's  Proclamation  of  Eman 
cipation — was  regarded  as  the  man  on  whom  these  opposi 
tion  elements  would  rally  in  the  approaching  struggle. 

The  heavy  tax  on  incomes,  necessary  to  meet  the  frightful 
expenses  of  the  Government — swelled  by  the  direct  tax  on 
property,  to  raise  the  enormous  local  bounties  for  volun 
teers — also  caused  great  excitement.  The  public  debt,  in 
June,  amounted,  in  round  numbers,  to  ten  hundred  and 
ninety-eight  millions  of  dollars — which  practically,  so  far  as 
the  burden  on  the  people  was  concerned,  was  swelled  to  an 
indefinite  amount  by  local  and  State  taxation.  What  the 
pressure  of  this  mighty  indebtedness  would  be,  before  the 
war  could  close,  at  the  present  rate  of  progress,  men  trem 
bled  to  contemplate.  The  inability  of  Congress  to  grapple 
with  this  subject — the  madness  with  which  it  persisted  in 
spending  the  time,  so  pregnant  with  the  fate  of  the  country, 
in  empty  harangues  or  fierce  partisan  warfare — disgusted 
and  discouraged  all  thoughtful  men  of  both  parties.  It 
resolved  that  the  war  should  go  on,  and  yet  seemed  equally 
resolved  that  politics  should  keep  pace  with  it — in  fact,  con 
trol  it.  All  things  considered,  it  was  the  darkest  Summer 
of  the  war,  notwithstanding  the  victories  of  Yicksburg  and 
Gettysburg. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

CAVALRY    ACTION    OF    GREGG FOSTER'S    EXPEDITION    UP    THE    JAMES    RIVER 

FIGHT  BETWEEN  BUFORD  AND  STUART AVERILL?S  OPERATIONS  IN  VIRGINIA 

GILLMORE'S    SIEGE  OF  WAGNER  AND   SUMTER — HERCULEAN  LABOR — "THE 
SWAMP  ANGEL" — BOMBARDMENT  OF  SUMTER  OVER  THE  TOP  OF  WAGNER — 

GREEK  FIRE  THROWN  INTO  CHARLESTON REMONSTRANCE  OF  BEAUREGARD 

ACTION  OF  THE   FLEET DEATH   OF  RODGERS FRENCH    OPINION    OF  THE' 

SIEGE STEADY  APPROACHES  TOWARDS  WAGNER ITS  EVACUATION EVACU 
ATION  OF  FORT  GREGG — MORRIS  ISLAND  OURS BOMBARDMENT  OF  SUMTER 

REFUSAL  OF  DAHLGREN  TO  ATTEMPT  TO  PASS  IT VINDICATION  OF  DU  PONT 

DESOLATION  OF  CHARLESTON RETRIBUTION. 

rpHOUGH  the  Summer  campaign  of  the  Army  of  the 
JL  Potomac  was  ended,  minor  engagements,  in  Virginia, 
occasionally  took  place,  and  the  guerrilla  General  Mosby 
'caused  a  great  deal  of  trouble.  His  conduct  called  forth  a 
stringent  order  from  Halleck. 

In  August,  General  Foster  made  an  expedition  up  the 
James  River,  with  four  gunboats,  and  when  about  seven 
miles  from  Fort  Darling,  encountered  a  rebel  battery,  and 
at  the  same  time,  the  Commodore  Barney  ran  upon  a  torpedo, 
which  exploded  under  her  bows,  lifting  them  ten  feet  out 
of  water,  and  washing  overboard  fifteen  of  her  crew.  Foster 
was  aboard  at  the  time,  but  escaped  injury. 

On  the  Rappahannock,  Buford  had  a  sharp  fight  with 
Stuart's  cavalry,  reinforced  by  infantry,  and,  after  an  obsti 
nate  fight,  drove  him  back,  though  with  a  loss  to  himself 
of  a  hundred  and  forty  men,  sixteen  of  whom  were  killed. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  month,  General  Averill  returned 
from  an  expedition  through  several  counties  in  the  interior 
of  Virginia,  in  which  he  burned  some  saltpetre  works,  and 


220  FORT     SUMTER. 

destroyed  a  quantity  of   arms  and  stores.     He   fought   a 
superior  force  of  the  enemy,  at  White  Sulphur  Springs,  and 

then  retreated,  with  a  loss  of  about  a  hundred  men. 

• 

In  the  meantime,  General  Gillmore  had  pressed  steadily 
towards  Fort  Sumter.  After  the  failure  of  the  assault  on  Fort 
Wagner,  he  sat  down  before  it,  in  regular  siege ;  but,  while 
making  his  slow  approaches  towards  it,  he  carried  out  the 
extraordinary  plan  of  bombarding  Fort  Sumter  over  its  top. 
There  was  between  Morris  and  James  Islands  a  marsh,  cov 
ered  with  sea- weed,  flags  and  rushes,  which  Beauregard 
had  regarded  as  wholly  untenable — as  it  was  a  mere  bed  of 
soft  mud,  in  which  a  man  would  go  down  over  his  head — 
and  so  left  it  out,  in  completing  the  fortifications  for  the 
defense  of  Charleston.  Yet  Gillmore  resolved  to  drive 
piles  into  this  mortar-bed,-  and  mount  on  them  six  two- 
hundred-pound  Parrott  guns,  and  one  monster  three-hundred- 
pounder.  The  timber  for  these  piles  had  to  be  brought 
from  Folly  Island,  a  distance  of  ten  miles,  in  rafts.  To 
accomplish  all  this,  without  the  enemy's  knowledge,  the 
work  had  all  to  be  done  in  the  night-time.  The  rafts  were 
floated  to  their  places,  through  the  darkness,  and  before 
daylight  covered  with  grass  and  sea-weed,  that  entirely  dis- 
'  guised  them,  so  that  the  enemy  was  kept  in  total  ignorance 
of  the*  work  being  done  right  under  their  eyes.  In  the 
night-time,  also,  the  piles  were  driven  into  the  mud.  For 
two  weeks,  this  strange  work  went  on,  without  arousing  the 
suspicion  of  the  enemy.  Ten  thousand  bags  filled  with 
sand,  were  carried  two  miles  by  the  soldiers,  to  .protect 
the  guns.  The  monster  gun  broke  down  several  trucks, 
before  it  was  got  into  position,  but  by  incredible  labor  it 
was  finally  mounted,  and  the  u  Swamp  Angel,"  as  it  was 
called,  was  ready  to  open  its  fire.  By  the  16th  of  August, 
thirty-seven  guns  were  in  position  on  the  artificial  foundation 
laid  in  this  mud-hole,  within  two  miles  and  a  half  of  Suniter, 


A    FIERCE     BOMBARDMENT.  221 

and  but  little  over  four  from  the  city  of  Charleston.  One 
can  imagine  the  consternation  of  the  enemy  when  these 
tremendous  batteries  were  unmasked.  It  was  a  new  crea 
tion — a  volcanic  island  risen  out  of  the  sea. 

On  the  17th,  they  opened  their  fire  on  Sumter.  In  the 
meantime,  Dahlgren,  with  the  Ironsides  and  Monitor  fleet, 
moved  up  opposite  Fort  Wagner,  and  engaged  it,  to  .keep 
it  from  concentrating  its  fire  on  this  new  position  and  dis 
tracting  the  gunners  in  their  bombardment  of  Sumter.  The 
fleet  behaved  gallantly ;  but  almost  at  the  outset,  Captain 
George  W.  Rodgers,  of  the  Catskill,  who  had  boldly  carried 
his  vessel  to  within  three  hundred  yards  of  Wagner,  was 
killed,  and  the  vessel,  with  a  flag  of  distress  flying,  retired 
out  of  the  fight.  All  day  long,  the  terrific  bombardment 
of  Sumter  was  maintained.  An  immense  wall  of  sand-bags 
had  been  built  up  on  the  outside  and  inside  of  the  fort, 

..fifteen  feet  thick — making  the  whole  mass  thirty-five  feet 
thick.  The  sand-bags  had  first  to  be  beaten  down,  before 
the  wall  itself  could  be  reached ;  yet,  so  fierce  was  the  fire, 
and  so  heavy  tfre  metal  thrown,  that  on  the  secpnd  day  the 
naked  walls  were  exposed,  and  the  work  of  demolition  went 
on  with  greater  rapidity.  The  barbette  guns  were  soon 
dismounted,  some  of  them  toppling  over  into  the  sea.  Day 
after  day,  the  bombardment  was  kept  up,  till,  at  the  end 
of  the  seventh  day,  Sumter  was  a  heap  of  ruins.  The 
rubbish,  however,  falling  over  some  of  the  casemates,  made 
them  more  invulnerable  than  ever,  and  a  small  garrison 
there  still  kept  the  rebel  flag  flying. 

Gillmore  now  sent  a  flag  of  truce  to  Beauregard,  demand 
ing  the  surrender  of  Charleston,  and  threatening,  in  case 
of  refusal,  to  shell  the  city.  The  demand  and  threat  both 

'  seemed  so  preposterous,  that  Beauregard  dismissed  the  officer 
without  a  reply.  Gillmore  then  turned  the  u  Swamp  Angel" 
on  the  city,  and  shells  were  thrown  into  its  very  heart.  The 


222  A    FRENCH    VIEW. 

old  "Greek  fire"  had  been  reproduced,  and  shells  loaded 
with  it  were  expected  to  burn  the  town.  It,  however,  proved 
a  failure.  Still,  the  dropping  of  shells  into  the  place  aroused 
the  indignation  of  Beauregard,  who  remonstrated  against  it 
as  barbarous — saying  that  it  was  absurd  to  suppose  that 
Charleston  could  be  taken  until  the  forts  commanding  the 
entrance  to  the  harbor  were  in  our  possession. 

The  engineering  skill  displayed  by  Gillmore,  and  the 
tremendous  range  of  his  guns,  astonished  the  civilized  world. 
The  idea  of  bombarding  a  city  almost  as  far  as  it  could  be 
seen,  was  a  novel  one  in  carrying  out  siege  operations.  The 
French  Journal  des  Sciences  Militaire  had  a  long  article  on 
it,  which  the  United  States  Service  Magazine  published.  It 
commences  thus:  u  Prodigies  of  talent,  audacity,  intrepidity 
and  perseverance  are  exhibited  in  the  attack,  as  in  the  defense 
of  this  city,  which  will  assign  to  the  siege  of  Charleston  an 
exceptional  place  in  military  annals.  It  is  a  duel  '  to  the 
death,7  in  which  science  calls  to  its  aid,  and  puts  in  operation, 
all  the  modern  discoveries  to  develop  upon  a  gigantic  scale 
the  means  of  destruction  and  extermination^  One  is  struck 
with  amazement  in  reading,  in  the  journals  and  letters  from 
America,  the  details  of  this  contest,  in  which  the  two  adver 
saries  ought  to  feel  a  mutual  astonishment,  as  they  rightfully 
astonish  the  entire  world,  by  their  daily  proofs  of  super 
human  heroism."  *  *  *  "  Such  a  position,"  the  writer  adds, 
after  describing  Charleston  Harbor,  "  defended  by  an  engi 
neer  of  transcendent  merit — by  soldiers  who  fear  neither 
fatigue,  suffering  nor  death — would  seem  to  have  been 
impregnable ;  and  yet  the  besiegers,  conducting  their 
enterprise  with  incredible  energy,  make,  day  by  day,  slow 
progress,  but  with  almost  certain  chances  of  ultimate  success. 
It  is  the  land  artillery  which  plays  the  grand  part  in  these  - 
brilliant  and  terrible  operations.  But  what  artillery,  and 
what  projectiles! — solid  shot  and  shells,  of  two  and  three 


SIEGE     OF     WAGNER.  223 

hundred  pounds,  describing  trpjectories  of  six  and  eight  thou 
sand  metres,  striking  the  mark  with  such  precision  and  efficacy 
that  they  penetrate  the  earth-work  to  the  distance  of  ten 
metres,  and  break  in  fragments  works  of  brick  and  stone 
six  and,,  ten  metres  in  thickness.  It  is  a  General,  unknown 
one  year  ago,  who  directs  this  combat  of  artillery,  which 
has  no  precedent  hitherto  in  the  history  of  sieges.  Mahomet 
II,  it  is  true,  employed  cannon  of  a  monstrous  caliber,  which 
terrified  the  defenders  of  Byzantium,  and  finished  the 
destruction  of  the  Greek  Empire ;  but  the  '  Balistique '  of 
the  Mohammedans  produced  only  a  soothing  effect,  in  com 
parison  with  that  of  the  Americans."  He  then  goes  on  to 
describe  the  bombardment  and  assault  of  Fort  Wagner. 

The  Journal  containing  this  chapter,  which  thus  places 
the  siege  of  Charleston  above  all  other  siege  operations  in 
the  history  of  the  world,  is  the  highest  military  authority 
throughout  Europe. 

By  thus  occupying  a  distant  stand-point,  and  viewing 
Gillmore's  engineering  skill  through  the  military  mind  of  the 
Old  World,  we  get  some  correct  idea  of  the  stupendous 
nature  of  the  work  done  before  Charleston.  The  want  of 
success  depreciated  it  in  the  popular  mind,  but  it  stands 
alone  and  without  a  parallel  in  military  annals. 

On  the  1st  of  September,  another  engagement  took  place 
between  our  iron-clads  and  the  forts,  but,  like  the  former, 
was  barren  of  results.  In  it,  Fleet  Captain  Oscar  C.  Badger — • 
the  successor  of  Rodgers — was  wounded  by  a  shell. 

In  the  meantime,  Gillmore  pressed  steadily  towards  Fort 
Wagner.  If  that  could  be  taken,  Fort  Gregg,  on  the  point 
opposite  Sumter,  must  also  fall,  and  then  he  could  plant  his 
batteries  in  point-blank  range  of  the  hated  structure.  He, 
however,  had  no  intention  of  trying  another  assault.  The 
spade  and  shovel,  that  had  risen  from  their  formerly 
despised  position,  were  to  do  the  work.  "  Day  after  day, 


224  MORRIS    ISLAND    OURS. 

our  patient  boys  creep  up,  on  hands  and  knees,  to  their 
dangerous  toil,  with  shovel  and  gun  rolling  slowly  in 
advance — for  protection,  the  '  sap  roller,'  a  round  wicker- 
work  filled  with  sticks.  Gradually  approaching  parallels 
are  thrown  up,  and  each  succeeding  day  brings  our  engineers 
nearer  to  the  fort.  They  are  digging  their  way,  in  spite  of 
shot  and  shell,  into  Wagner.  Although  the  distance  from 
the  first  parallel  to  Fort  Wagner  is  but  six  hundred  yards, 
yet  if  the  whole  number  dug  were  laid  out  in  a  straight 
line,  they  would  reach  ten  miles."  Through  the  long,  hot 
Summer  months,  the  troops  worked,  under  the  broiling 
sun,  with  unflagging  courage,  until  the  parallels  were  at  last 
pushed  so  near  to  the  fort,  that,  with  a  single  bound,  the 
assailants  could  be  inside  the  ramparts.  The  preparations 
were  all  made  for  a  final  assault,  when  the  enemy  suddenly 
evacuated  it,  and  streamed  forward  towards  Fort  Gregg.  Our 
exultant  troops  followed  after,  and  this  also  was  evacuated, 
and  we  had  Morris  Island,  for  which  we  had  struggled  so 
long.  Twenty-one  guns  were  left  in  our  possession.  We 
were  now  in  fair  range  of  Fort  Sumter,  and  its  speedy  fall 
was  eagerly  looked  for.  Fort  Moultrie  was  also  bombarded, 
and  though  Sumter  soon  became  a  still  greater  heap  of  ruins, 
and  Gillmore  pushed  his  operations  with  a  skill  and  energy 
that  deserved  success,  it  soon  became  apparent  that  we  were 
no  nearer  Charleston  than  ever. 

Here,  it  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  though  both  Forts 
Wagner  and  Gregg  were  reduced,  and  Sumter  so  demolished 
as  to  be  able  to  mount  but  a  few  guns,  Dahlgren  never 
attempted  to  carry  the  iron-clads  past  it  up  to  Charleston. 
The  brave  Du  Pont  was  removed  because,  with  all  these 
forts  in  the  enemy's  possession,  and  thoroughly  mounted 
with  the  most  formidable  cannon,  he  failed  to  make  a  second 
attempt  to  pass  or  destroy  it ;  and  yet  Dahlgren,  with  but 
half  the  fire  to  encounter,  did  not  even  risk  a  trial.  This 


CHARLESTON  DESOLATE.  225 

single  fact  is  all  the  testimony  any  just  mind  needs,  to  prove 
whose  views  were  correct.  Dahlgren  saw  plainly  that  Du 
Pont  was  right,  and  was  too  good  an  officer  to  risk  his 
vessels  where  certain  defeat  awaited  him. 

Though  Charleston  was  not  taken,  it  was  almost  as  deso 
late  as  Edoni.  A  Southern. paper  thus  described  its  condi 
tion  :  "  Here  and  there,  a  pedestrian  moves  hurriedly  along, 
and  the  rattle  of  a  cart  or  a  dray  is  alone  heard  for  a  whole 
square.  The  blinds  are  closed ;  vases  of  rare  exotics  droop 
and  wither  on  the  lonely  window-sill,  because  there  is  no 
tender  hand  to  twine  or  nourish  them.  The  walk  glistens 
with  fragments  of  glass,  rattled  thither  by  the  concussion 
of  exploding  shells ;  here,  a  cornice  is  knocked  oft1;  there, 
is  a  small'round  hole  through  the  side  of  a  building  ;  beyond, 
a  house  in  ruins,  and,  at  remote  intervals,  the  earth  is  torn 
where  a  shell  exploded,  and  looks  like  the  work  of  a  giant 
in  search  of  some  hidden  treasure ;  and  little  tufts  of  bright 
green  grass  are  springing  up  along  the  pave,  once  vocal 
with  the  myriad  tongues  of  busy  trade." 

What  a  picture  this  is,  of  the  proud  "  cradle  of  secession !" 
Its  destruction  was  never  very  important,  in  a  military 
view;  but,  as  the  hot-bed  of  treason — the  spot  where  the 
national  flag  was  first  fired  upon,  and  compelled  to  come 
down  at  the  bidding  of  traitors — its  overthrow  was  an  object 
of  intense  desire  to  the  North ;  and  yet,  what  fate  could  be 
worse  than  the  one  she  actually  suffered !  Behold  Charles 
ton,  rocking  to  the  shouts  of  the  excited  multitude,  and 
echoing  to  the  joyful  peal  of  bells,  because  the  brave 
Anderson  is  compelled  to  haul  down  his  flag !  And  behold 
that  same  city  now,  as  drawn  by  the  pen  of  one  of  her  own 
people — desolate,  dreary  and  mournful ! — and  who  will  say 
that  she  has  not  drank  to  the  dregs  the  fearful  cup  she  so 
madly  mixed  for  herself? 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

JULY  AND  AUGUST. 


EVENTS    AT    THE    WEST     DURING     THE     SUMMER GRANT    AT    VICKSBURG RAID 

OF      PHILLIPS ROSECRANS      AT      MURFREESBORO' ADVANCE       ON      CHATTA 
NOOGA — MORGAN'S    RAID    THROUGH    OHIO — THE    PURSUIT — ATTEMPTS    TO 

CROSS    INTO    VIRGINIA BATTLE     OF    BUFFINGTON's    ISLAND ROUT     OF     THE 

BAND — CURIOUS  ASPECT  OF  THE    BATTLE-FIELD QUANTRELL    IN    MISSOURI 

RAID  INTO  KANSAS — MASSACRE  AT  LAWRENCE THE  PURSUIT THE  FLIGHT 

HIS    ESCAPE. 


B 


UT  while  comparative  quiet  reigned  around  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac,  after  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  and 
but  minor  expeditions  broke  the  monotony  along  the  sea 
board,  and  the  tedious  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter  went 
on,  events  of  great  interest  were  transpiring  in  the  West, 
some  of  which  were  to  give  direction  to  all  future  operations 
there,  and  eventually  pierce  the  very  heart  of  the  Con 
federacy.  After  Grant  had  captureci  Yicksburg,  and  then 
turned  and  driven  Johnston  out  of  Jackson,  he  took  up 
his  head-quarters  at  the  former  place,  and  devoted  himself 
to  the  business  of  his  Department,  while  the  army  lay  quiet 
in  order  to  recover  its  strength  for  future  operations.  A 
successful  raid  was  made  into  Central  Mississippi,  under  the 
command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Phillips,  in  which  sixty-five 
locomotives  and  five  hundred  cars  were  destroyed,  and  the 
communications  of  the  rebels  sadly  broken  up.  Besides 
this,  little  was  done  by  Grant's  army. 

But,  up  at  Murfreesboro',  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland 
was  in  motion.  Much  complaint  had  been  made  against 
Rosecrans,  its  Commander,  because  he  lay  inactive  while 
such  important  events  were  taking  place  around  Vicksburg ; 


MORGAN'S  RAID.  227 

but  he  determined,  when  he  advanced,  to  take  no  backward 
step.  Bragg  was  in  his  front,  with  a  powerful  army,  and 
Chattanooga  was  a  strongly  fortified  place,  and  he  knew  that 
no  easy  task  was  before  him. 

When  his  preparations  were  complete,  he  put  his  army  in 
motion,  and,  crossing  the  Cumberland  Mountains  by  four 
different  routes,  pressed  forward  towards  Chattanooga.  But 
while  he  was  thus  pushing  his  victorious  columns  south,  two 
events  occurred,  far  back  of  him,  which,  though  having  no 
real  effect  on  his  campaign,  or  the  war,  produced  the  most 
intense  excitement  throughout  the  North.  These  were, 
Morgan's  raid  through  Ohio,  and  the  massacre  at  Lawrence. 

In  the  latter  part  of  June,  Morgan,  with  a  brigade,  lay 
along  the  banks  of  the  Cumberland  River,  evidently  medi 
tating  some  serious  movement.  A  Union  force  was  dis 
patched  to  the  locality  to  watch  him,  and  had  several 
skirmishes  with  portions  of  his  troops.  But,  on  the  3d  of  July, 
it  was  found  that  he  had  crossed  the  river,  the  day  before,  at 
Burkesville.  Captain  Carter  had  a  brush  with  his  advance,  in 
which  he  was  severely  wounded,  and  his  command  com 
pelled  to  fall  back.  Reinforcements  were  immediately  sent 
him,  which  arrived  just  before  midnight  in  the  vicinity  of 
Columbia,  then  in  possession  of  the  enemy.  An  attack  was 
at  once  ordered,  but  Morgan's  force  being  much  stronger 
than  it  had  been  reported,  the  Union  troops  were  compelled 
to  retreat  to  Jamestown,  from  which  point  Colonel  Wolford 
dispatched  a  courier  to  Somerset,  to  General  Carter  com 
manding  the  United  States  troops  there,  stating  that  Morgan 
had  crossed  the  Cumberland,  and  advanced  north  to  Colum 
bia.  A  proper  force  was  immediately  sent  in  pursuit,  and 
all  through  the  moon-lit  night  of  the  4th  of  July,  the  excited 
pursuers  pressed  gaily  forward,  and  reached  the  north  bank 
of  Green  River  about  daylight  Sunday  morning.  Taking  a 
hurried  breakfast,  they  pushed  on  all  day,  and  that  evening, 


228  MORGAN    CROSSES    THE    OHIO. 

just  before  dusk,  were  joined  by  the  Secotid  Tennessee 
mounted  infantry. 

Morgan,  in  the  meantime,  in  his  bold  march,  had  captured 
Lebanon,  though  not  until  after  a  sharp  fight,  in  which  his 
brother  Tom  was  killed.  In  revenge  for  his  death,  some 
twenty  houses  were  burned,  and  the  post  office  robbed. 
The  Union  troops  captured  here — numbering  in  all  about 
three  hundred — Morgan  compelled  to  run  on  foot,  in  front  of 
his  mounted  men,  for  twelve  miles,  to  Springfield.  A  ser 
geant  giving  out,  he  was  knocked  on  the  head  with  the 
butt  end  of  a  musket,  and  his  brains  trampled  out  by  the 
passing  horsemen.  At  Springfield,  the  prisoners  were 
robbed,  and  then  paroled. 

On  the  night  of  the  6th,  the  pursuing  force  was  joined, 
at  Bargetown,  by  General  Hobson,  with  Shackleford's 
brigade,  composed  of  the  Third,  Eighth,  Ninth  and  Twelfth 
Kentucky  cavalry,  with  two  pieces  of  artillery.  Hobson  at 
once  assumed  command,  and,  pushing  on  to  Shepherdsville, 
found  that  Morgan  at  that  point  had  captured  the  mail  train 
on  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  railroad,  and  about  twenty 
soldiers  who  were  passengers  in  the  cars.  The  horses  here 
giving  out,  Hobson  halted  for  a  day,  but  at  daylight,  on  the 
morning  of  the  8th,  was  again  in  motion,  and  followed  the 
track  of  the  rebel  chieftain  for  thirty  miles,  by  the  letters 
which  his  band  had  taken  from  the  mail-bags,  and,  after 
reading,  had  torn  and  scattered  along  the  road.  Mor 
gan,  in  the  meantime,  had  entered  Elizabethtown,  and, 
helping  himself  to  what  he  wanted,  struck  for  Branden 
burg,  and,  by  a  sudden,  skillful  movement,  captured  the 
steamboats  Alice  Dean  and  J.  T.  McCoombs,  by  which  he 
took  his  whole  force  across  the  Ohio  River.  Among 
all  the  bold  and  extraordinary  movements  of  the  war, 
none  had  been  bolder  or  half  so  desperate  as  this. 
Right  through  the  thickly  settled  State  of  Ohio,  this  fearless 


PROGRESS     OF     THE     RAID.  229 

rider  proposed  to  take  his  lawless  band,  and,  after  working 
incalculable  evil,  recross  the  Ohio,  and  rejoin  the  rebel  army 
in  Virginia  or  south  of  the  Tennessee  River. 

As  Hobson  approached  the  Ohio,  he  saw  the  Alice  Dean, 
wrapped  in  flame  and  smoke,  burning  on  the  opposite  shore, 
and  the  rear  guard  of  Morgan's  force  rapidly  disappearing 
in  the  distance. 

At  Brandenburg,  the  Leavenworth  home-guards  showed 
fight,  but  were  overpowered,  and  forty-five  taken  prisoners. 
The  stores  and  houses  were  plundered  and  the  raiders  cum 
bered  themselves  with  useless  goods,  which  they  soon  had 
to  throw  away. 

Morgan  was  now  in  the  Free  States,  and  his  march  hence 
forward  assumed  an  importance  which  at  once  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  whole  country. 

Hobson  was  across  the  river  on  the  morning  of  the  10th, 
and  at  once  commenced  a  sharp  pursuit.  Morgan's  path 
now  began  to  be  beset  with  ever-increasing  difficulties;  for 
a  powerful  force  was  pressing  on  his  rear,  while  in  front  the 
country  was  rushing  to  arms. 

At  Corydon,  the  home-guards  made  a  short  stand,  losing 
some  fifteen  in  killed  and  wounded,  and  two  hundred  pris 
oners,  which  Morgan  paroled. 

Stealing  all  the  horses  he  could  find,  and  levying  taxes 
where  he  did  not  destroy,  he  pushed  on  to  Blue  River,  and, 
burning  the  bridge  behind  him,  swept  through  Paris. 
Reaching  Yernon,  where  a  force  of  twelve  hundred  militia 
was  assembled,  he  demanded  the  surrender  of  the  place. 
"  Come  and  take  it,"  was  Colonel  Lowe's  response.  Morgan 
surrounded  the  town,  but,  contenting  himself  with  burning 
some  bridges,  he  moved  around  it  to  Versailles,  where  he 
robbed  the  County  Treasurer  of  all  his  money,  about  five 
thousand  dollars — saying,  in  grim  jocoseness,  that  he  was 
sorry  the  County  was  so  very  poor.  Sacking  the  town,  he 


230  WHOLESALE     PLUNDER. 

sent  out  a  detachment,  which  burned  a  bridge  and  captured 
a  telegraph  operator, 'while  with  the  main  column  he  kept 
on  to  Pierceville,  burning  all  the  bridges  on  the  road.  Near 
Wiseburgh,  he  had  a  skirmish  with  the  home-guards,  and  at 
New-UIsas,  a  German  settlement,  his  soldiers  captured  a 
wagon-load  of  lager  beer,  which  they  carried  along  to  drink 
by  the  way.  The  same  night  in  which  the  pursuing  force 
encamped  at  Harrison,  with  their  horses  thoroughly  jaded 
out,  Morgan's  bugles  were  sounding  north  of  Cincinnati. 
On  his  way,  he  at  Miamiville  turned  over  a  railroad  train, 
and  burned  fifty  Government  wagons.  On  the  afternoon 
of  the  15th,  he  entered  Winchester,  and  robbed  the  mail 
and  stole  thirty-five  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  property  and 
fifty  horses,  while  the  soldiers  tore  up  all  the  flags  they  could 
find,  and  tied  the  fragments  to  the  tails  of  mules,  which  they 
drove,  with  shouts  and  laughter,  through  the  streets. 

Morgan  now  struck  south-east,  for  the  purpose  of  reaching 
the  Ohio,  and  crossing  into  Virginia.  The  country  was 
thoroughly  aroused,  and  troops  were  concentrating  from 
various  quarters  to  head  him  off  and  intercept  his  retreat. 
Burning  the  bridge  at  Jacktown,  he  kept  on  to  Wheat  Ridge, 
where  his  force  separated — a  part  going  through  Mount 
Olive.  Six  miles  from  Jackson,  the  citizens  blockaded  the 
road,  which  detained  him  two  hours.  Here  and  there 
shooting  down  a  man  who  showed  hostile  intentions,  and 
pillaging  and  destroying  like  a  band  of  savages,  the  force 
pressed  forward  towards  the  Ohio.  Arriving  at  Jackson, 
Morgan  sent  part  of  his  forces  up  to  Berlin,  where  three 
thousand  militia  were  posted,  who  were  quickly  scattered 
by  a  single  shell  thrown  into  their  midst.  At  the  little  town 
of  Linesville,  the  home-guards  tore  up  a  bridge  and  block 
aded  the  road,  by  which  Morgan  was  detained  another  two 
hours — a  great  gain  to  the  pursuers,  who  were  straining 
every  nerve  to  overtake  him. 


MORGAN    AT    BAY.  231 

In  the  meantime,  General  Judah,  with  a  strong  force,  was 
moving  up  the  Ohio  from  Portsmouth,  a  town  a  hundred 
and  fifteen  miles  above  Cincinnati,  while  gunboats  patrolled 
the  stream.  It  was  evident  that  Morgan  would  strike  for 
the  first  fordable  place  on  the  river,  and  try  to  cross  into 
Virginia,  as  he  was  becoming  sorely  pressed — for,  although 
he  could  supply  fresh  horses  on  the  way,  his  men  were 
getting  worn  out  by  their  long  and  rapid  march. 

Buffington  Island  lies  about  twenty  miles  below  Blenner- 
hassett  Island ;  between  them  are  a  great  many  shoals,  that 
make  crossing  comparatively  easy.  For  this  point,  Morgan 
now  struck,  hoping  to  get  across  before  his  pursuers  were 
up,  or  he  was  headed  off  by  the  force  pressing  up  the  river. 
On  Friday  night,  the  17th,  he  was  at  Pomeroy,  thirty-five 
miles  below  the  island,  and  the  next  night  encamped  in 
some  corn-fields  nearly  opposite  it.  At  this  point,  a  road, 
coming  over  a  range  of  hills  two  miles  distant,  strikes  the 
river  road  nearly  at  right  angles.  Three  hundred  yards 
above  the  former  road,  was  a  private  one,  leading  into  the 
corn-fields  where  Morgan  lay.  Judah  came  down  the  pike, 
and,  there  being  a  dense  fog,  almost  run  upon  the  rebels 
before  he  was  aware  of  their  position.  Morgan  immediately 
fired  on  the  advance  column,  throwing  it  into  confusion,  and 
was  about  to  follow  up  his  success  with  a  charge,  when  the 
gunboat  Moose,  in  the  river,  opened  on  him,  and  at  the 
same  time  Hobson's  force  came  up  in  the  rear.  Our  artillery 
was  soon  got  in  position,  and  the  battle  commenced.  Find 
ing  himself  between  three  fires,  Morgan  moved  up-stream, 
to  escape  the  shells  of  the  gunboat ;  but  she  advanced,  also — 
clinging  to  him  with  a  tenacity  that  soon  convinced  him  that 
in  reaching  the  river,  instead  of  finding  safety  he  had  actually 
run  into  the  lion's  mouth.  Seeing  that  it  was  hopeless  to 
make  a  stand  here,  he  divided  his  force  into  two  columns, 
and  a  rush  was  made  by  one  for  the  river,  at  a  point  about 

45 


232  A     CURIOUS    BATTLE-FIELD. 

a  mile  and  a  half  above  the  island.  But  the  gunboat, 
coming  up,  sent  shot  and  shell  into  the  mass  floundering  in 
the  water — killing  some,  and  turning  others  back,  so  that 
only  about  twenty  succeeded  in  getting  over. 

In  the  meantime,  Basil  Duke,  back  from  the  shore,  was 
so  hard  pressed  that  the  men  broke  in  despair — some  sur 
rendering  themselves  prisoners — among  them  Duke  him 
self — and  others  taking  refuge  in  flight.  A  running  fight 
now  ensued;  the  main  body  of  the  enemy,  aiming  for  a 
point  up  the  river,  opposite  Belleville,  Virginia,  on  reaching 
it,  plunged  into  the  water,  and  began  to  push  for  the 
other  shore.  But  the  Moose  soon  came  looming  through 
the  fog,  and,  pouring  her  shrapnel  into  the  advance 
party,  killed  some,  and  stopped  the  remainder  from 
attempting  to  cross.  About  twenty  more,  however,  got 
over  here.  The  remaining  rebels  now  pushed  on  up  the 
river  fourteen  miles  further,  to  Hawkinsport,  and  again 
made  an  effort  to  cross;  but  the  omnipresent  gunboat  was 
there,  and  they  had  to  keep  on  in  their  headlong  flight. 

Scattering  in  detached  bodies,  the  rebels  now  wandered 
hither  and  thither,  striving  in  vain  to  break  through  the 
toils  with  which  they  were  surrounded.  Some  two  hundred 
succeeded  in  crossing  at  Readsville,  while  Morgan,  with  one 
portion,  struck  into  Columbiana  County,  where  his  force 
surrendered  to  Colonel  Shackleford. 

Over  two  thousand  were  captured  or  killed,  and  all  their 
guns,  accouterments  and  plunder  seized. 

The  battle-field,  and  line  of  retreat,  presented  one  of  the 
most  curious  spectacles  ever  seen  in  war.  The  ground  was 
strewed,  not  only  with  guns,  cartridge-boxes,  &c.,  but  with 
all  sorts  of  hardware  and  dry-goods,  and  household  articles, 
such  as  forks,  spoons,  calicoes,  ribbons,  and  women's  apparel, 
together  with  buggies,  carriages,  market-wagons,  circus- 
wagons,  and  even  quite  a  quantity  of  stationery.  Such 


QUANTRELL.  233 

extraordinary  spoils  never  before  fell  into  the  hands  of  war 
riors.  It  seemed  as  if  a  den  of  thieves,  where  their  plunder 
Was  stored,  had  been  broken  up,  and  not  that  a  reputed  band 
of  heroes  were  retreating,  under  the  leadership  of  a  noted  cap 
tain.  Altogether,  this  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  raids  of 
the  war,  though  distinguished  for  nothing  but  foolhardiness. 
Morgan  crossed  the  Ohio  a  hundred  and  seventy  miles 
below  Cincinnati,  and,  passing  clear  around  that  city, 
attempted  to  recross  the  river  about  a  hundred  and  seventy 
miles  above  it.  For  ten  days,  he  marched  through  the  heart 
of  Ohio,  plundering  and  destroying,  with  apparently  no 
other  object  in  view  than  simple  retaliation.  He  must  have 
moved,  during  this  time,  at  the  rate  of  at  least  fifty  miles  a  day, 
and  yet  did  not  destroy  property  to  the  amount  of  more 
than  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

THE    MASSACRE    AT    LAWRENCE. 

War,  from  its  very  nature,  is  cruel,  but  in  later  days, 
among  civilized'  nations,  it  has  seldom  been  disgraced  by 
such  atrocities  as  the  massacres  at  Lawrence  and  Fort  Pillow. 
Men,  fitted  by  nature  to  be  leaders  of  banditti,  took  advan 
tage  of  the  war  to  follow  the  vocation  for  which  they  seemed 
designed,  and,  gathering  around  them  a  band  of  men,  law 
less  and  desperate  as  themselves,  plundered  and  murdered, 
under  the  pretext  of  carrying  on  a  war  for  independence. 
There  were  degrees  of  crime  among  even  this  abandoned 
class — some  leaders  having  more  control  over  their  followers, 
and  being  more  humane  than  others.  Over  all,  however,  Quan- 
trell  stands  pre-eminent  for  his  barbarities  and  depravity.  His 
whole  career  during  the  war,  was  marked  by  crime  and  vio 
lence  ;  but  in  the  massacre  at  Lawrence,  Kansas,  he  acquired  a 
reputation  that  will  make  his  name  infamous  to  the  end  of  time. 

During  the  Summer,  reports  of  intended  raids  on  various 


234  THE    ATTACK. 

towns,  constantly  agitated  the  frontiers  of  Missouri  and 
Kansas ;  but  General  Ewing,  who  commanded  there,  garri 
soned  the  threatened  places,  and  Quantrell's  force,  numbering 
some  three  hundred,  was  kept  at  bay.  If  disappointed 
in  their  intended  attack  on  a  particular  place,  they  would 
break  up  into  small  predatory  bands,  and  wreak  their  ven 
geance  on  isolated  families  or  parties.  Ewing  scattered  his 
force,  which,  in  separate  detachments,  dogged  these  maraud 
ers  from  one  haunt  and  locality  to  another.  Missouri  finally 
getting  too  hot  for  him,  Quantrell  determined,  in  August,  to 
make  a  dash  into  Kansas.  Selecting  Blackwater,  some  fifty 
miles  from  the  Kansas  line,  as  the  place  of  rendezvous, 
he,  on  the  19th,  moved  off  with  his  mounted  force,  and 
passing  through  Chapel  Hill,  where  he  was  joined  by  fifty 
more  outlaws,  pressed  straight  for  Kansas. 

Captain  Pike,  commanding  two  companies  at  Aubrey, 
forty-five  miles  from  Lawrence,  heard,  on  the  evening  of  the 
20th,  that  Quantrell  had  just  passed  five  miles  to  the  south 
of  him ;  but  instead  of  pushing  on  after  him,  he  forwarded 
the  information  up  and  down  the  line,  and  to  Ewing's  head 
quarters.  The  latter  at  once  sent  forward  a  hundred  men 
to  Aubrey,  thirty-five  miles  distant,  with  orders  for  the  com 
bined  force  to  start  at  once  in  pursuit.  At  midnight,  they 
mounted,  and  pressed  rapidly  forward.  But  Quantrell  had 
struck  across  the  open  prairie,  making  it  difficult  to  keep 
his  track,  so  that  they  gained  but  little  on  him  all  night. 
With  the  start  of  several  hours,  he,  by  riding  rapidly,  reached 
Lawrence  a  little  after  daylight,  and  the  tramp  of  his  horses 
through  the  streets,  and  shouts  of  his  men,  aroused  the  terri 
fied  inhabitants  to  the  sudden  disaster  tliat  had  overtaken 
them.  The  news,  spread  like  lightning  through  the  town, 
and  a  few  seized  their  guns  and  rushed  forth  to  fight,  but 
were  shot  down  by  the  desperadoes,  who  had  complete 
control  of  the  place.  Then  commenced  a  scene  of* pillage 


THE    MASSACRE.  235 

and  violence  which  in  our  history  finds  its  parallel  only  in 
Indian  atrocities.     Houses  and  banks  were  broken  into — 
women  were  stripped  of  their  jewelry,  and  everything  valu 
able  that  could  be  transported  on  horseback,  was  dragged 
forth  and  packed  for  removal  on  fresh  horses  gathered  in 
the  place..    As  fast  as  houses  were  pillaged,  they  were  set 
on  fire,  and  soon  the  crackling  of  flames  mingled  with  the 
shouts  and  cries  of  the  infuriated  demons.     "  During  all  this 
time,  citizens  were  being  murdered  everywhere.     Germans 
and  negroes,  when  caught,  were  shot  immediately.     Many 
persons  were  shot  down  after  they  had  been  taken  prisoners 
and  had  been  assured  that  they  would  not  be  hurt  if  they 
would  surrender.     Messrs.  Trask  and  Baker,  and  two  other 
citizens,  were  so  taken,  and  while  being  marched  towards 
the  river  as  prisoners,  were  fired  upon,  and  all  four  killed 
on  the  spot  except  Mr.  Baker,  who  was  not  expected  to  live. 
Mr.  Dix  had  been  taken  prisoner,  and  his  house  set  on  fire, 
when  one  of  the  fiends  told  him  if  he  would  give  them  his 
money  he  would  not  be  killed ;  otherwise  he  would.     Mr. 
Dix  went  into  the  burning  house,  and  got  a  thousand  dollars 
and  handed  it  over.     He  was  told  to  march  towards  the 
river,  and  had  not  proceeded  twenty  steps  when  he  was 
$hot  dead  from  behind.     Mr.  Hampson,  clerk  of  the  Provost- 
Marshal  had  a  revolver,  and  tried  to  defend  the  few  things 
he  had  saved  from  the  Johnson  House.     His  wife  interfered, 
and  they  told  him  if  he  would  surrender  he  should  be  treated 
as  a  prisoner,  and  be  safe  from  harm.     He  surrendered,  and 
was  immediately  shot  from  behind — the  ball  entering  near 
the  spine,  and  coming  out  below  the  kidneys  in  front.     In 
one  instance,  the  wife  and  daughter  of  a  man  threw  them 
selves  over  his  body,  begging  for  his  life ;   but  one  of  the 
murderers  deliberately  thrust  his  revolver  down  between 
the  two  women,  and  killed  the  man. 

"  Before    ten  o'clock,  the  main  body  of  the  guerrillas 


23G  HORRIBLE    ATROCITIES. 

departed  with  their  plunder,  leaving  a  guard  over  the  pris 
oners  in  town,  and  a  few  stragglers.  The  few  persons 
wounded,  were  wounded  at  this  time  by  the  passing  fiends. 
In  the  earlier  part  of  the  day,  most  of  the  persons  were 
fired  at  from  very  near,  and  killed  instantly. 

u  One  of  the  first  persons  out  was  Colonel  Deitzler.  Mr. 
Williamson  and  myself  helped  him  carry  off  the  dead.  '  The 
sight  that  met  us  when  coming  out,  I  cannot  describe.  I 
have  read  of  outrages  committed  in  the  so-called  dark  ages, 
and,  horrible  as  they  appeared  to  me,  they  sink  into  insig 
nificance  in  comparison  with  what  I  was  then  compelled  to 
witness.  Well-known  citizens  were  lying,  completely  roasted, 
in  front  of  the  spot  where  their  stores  and  residences  had 
been.  The  bodies  were  crisp,  and  nearly  black.  We 
thought,  at  first,  they  were  all  negroes,  till  we  recognized 
some  of  them.  In  handling  the  dead  bodies,  pieces  of 
roasted  flesh- would  remain  in  our  hands.  Soon,  our  strength 
failed  us,  in  this  horrible  and  sickening  work.  Many  could 
not  help  crying  like  children.  Women  and  little  children 
were  all  over  town,  hunting  for  their  husbands  and  fathers, 
and  sad  indeed  was  the  scene  when  they  did  finally  find 
them  among  the  corpses  laid  out  for  recognition.  I  cannot 
describe  the  horrors ;  language  fails  me,  and  the  recollection 
of  the  scenes  I  witnessed,  makes  me  sick  when  I  am  com 
pelled  to  repeat  them."  * 

These,  however,  are  but  few  of  the  details.  Twenty  col 
ored  soldiers  were  shot  in  cold  blood,  and  in  circumstances 
of  fiendish  atrocity.  A  hundred  and  forty  unarmed  men,  in 
all,  were  murdered,  and  twenty-four  wounded.  The  dead 
lined  the  streets  everywhere,  through  which  roamed  weeping 
women  and  children,  while  the  air  was  filled  with  the  smoke 
and  flames  of  a  hundred  and  eighty-five  burning  buildings. 
Altogether,  it  was  a  scene  one  would  never  expect  to  see 

*  William  Kcmpf,  belonging  to  the  Provost-Marshal's  Office, 


THE     FLIGHT.  237 

in  the  Nineteenth  Century,  in  a  civilized  and  Christian  land. 
It  rivaled  in  atrocity  the  massacre  of  the  whites  in  Minne 
sota  by  the  Sioux  Indians,  and  shows  what  desperate  bands 
of  men  infested  our  frontiers.  General  Lane  was  in  the 
place  at  the  time,  and  narrowly  escaped  capture  by  the  des 
peradoes.  Enraged  at  being  unable  to  find  him,  they  burned 
his  house.  Many  heroic  deeds  were  performed  by  the  women 
in  protecting  the  lives  of  the  men,  and  it  must  be  said  to 
the  honor  of  the  wretches,  that  they  refrained  from  commit 
ting  violence  on  them. 

After  quietly  taking  a  lunch  amid  the  smouldering  ruins 
of  the  town,  Quantrell  ordered  his  men  to  mount,  and  lifting 
his  hat  mockingly  to  the  ladies,  bowed  politely,  and  said, 
"  Ladies,  I  now  bid  you  good  morning ;  I  hope  when  we 
meet  again,  it  will  be  under  more  favorable  circumstances." 
He  then  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  rode  away,  followed  by 
his  murderous  gang.  He  took. the  precaution  to  collect  all 
the  fresh  horses  he  could  lay  his  hands  on,  so  as  to  be  able 
to  elude  pursuit. 

The  troops,  under  Major  Plumb,  reached  the  place  only 
to  find  it  in  ruins,  and  the  enemy  gone.  Although  they  had 
pressed  rapidly  forward,  having  made  more  than  sixty-five 
miles,  without  rest  or  food,  since  the  morning  before — filled 
with  rage  at  the  sight  which  met  their  gaze,  they  immediately 
wheeled  and  started  in  pursuit.  Lane,  assembling  a  hundred 
anci  fifty  of  the  citizens,  joined  them,  and  all  day  long  they 
pressed  on  the  flying  track  of  the  foe.  Quantrell  kept  a 
hundred  of  his  best-mounted  men  as  a  rear-guard,  who  the 
moment  our  men,  scattered  over  the  prairies,  came  in  sight, 
would  form  in  line  of  battle.  This  would  compel  a  halt  of 
the  most  advanced  pursuers,  and  by  the  time  the  main  body 
could  get  up,  Quantreli's  gang,  with  the  booty,  would  be 
far  ahead.  The  rear-guard,  the  moment  Plumb  was  ready 
to  commence  an  attack,  would  pour  in  one  volley,  then 
break  into  column  and  gallop  off  at  a  rate  that  defied  pur- 


238  THE    PURSUIT. 

suit.  Thus  the  chase  was  kept  up  till  eight  o'clock  at  night, 
when  the  rear-guard  made  a  stand,  and  a  skirmish  followed. 
The  guerrillas,  however,  finding  another  force,  under  Lieut.  - 
Colonel  Clark,  crossing  their  line  of  retreat,  broke  and  scat 
tered  in  the  darkness,  so  that  the  trail  could  not  be  followed. 

Quantrell,  seeing  that  he  had  baffled  his  pursuers,  halted 
to  rest;  but  at  midnight,  a  body  of  militia  broke  up  his 
camp.  Aided,  however,  by  the  darkness  and  the  uneven 
surface  of  the  prairie,  he  got  safely  off,  and,  continuing  his 
flight,  crossed  the  Kansas  border,  and  at  noon  the  next  day 
reached  the  timber  near  the  middle  fork  of  the  Grand  River, 
Missouri,  an  hour  in  advance  of  his  pursuers.  Here,  his 
forces  scattered.  About  a  hundred,  with  Quantrell  at  their 
head,  moved  down  the  river.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Lazear, 
with  two  hundred  men,  continued  to  press  him  so  closely  that 
he  was  compelled  to  abandon  most  of  his  horses  and  much 
of  the  plunder  he  had  taken  from  the  Lawrence  stores. 

There  had  been,  in  the  pursuit,  frequent  engagements 
with  detached  parties,  and  Ewing  reported  about  a  hundred 
of  the  miscreants  killed.  Though  the  pursuers  traveled  a 
hundred  miles  in  the  first  twenty-four  hours — killing  many 
of  their  horses  by  exhaustion,  and  some  of  the  men  them 
selves  died  from  the  effect  of  the  sun,  and  want  of  rest — 
yet  Quantrell,  by  desperate  riding,  succeeded  in  "escaping. 
Never  did  bloodhounds  hang  more  unflinchingly  on  the 
track  of  a  poor  fugitive,  than  did  these  gallant  soldiers  and 
enraged  citizens  on  the  flying  footsteps  of  this  desperado, 
until  their  horses  gave  out.  No  prisoners  were  captured — 
every  man  being  shot  .remorselessly  down  when  overtaken. 
The  perfect  knowledge  of  the  fate  that  awaited  him, 
imparted  a  desperation  to  Quantrell's  efforts  to  elude  his 
pursuers;  and,  mounted  on  the  best  horse  the  country  could 
furnish,  he  pushed  him  to  the  limit  of  his  endurance,  and 
thus  escaped  a  short  shrift  and  a  quick  passage  to  the  next 
world — to  drag  out  a  miserable  life  in  this. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

SEPTEMBER. 

ROSECRANS  BEFORE  CHATTANOOGA RESOLVES    TO    FLANK  IT HAZEN    LEFT   TO 

GUARD     THE     RIVER BRAGG     EVACUATES     CHATTANOOGA ROSECRANS     RE 
SOLVES    TO     CUT    OFF    HIS     RETREAT SCATTERING     OF     HIS     CORPS BRAGG 

MARCHES  BACK  ON   CHATTANOOGA PERIL    OF    ROSECRANS RAPID    CONCEN 
TRATION     OF    HIS    ARMY FIRST     DAY^S     BATTLE SECOND     DAY'S     BATTLE 

ROUT     OF     OUR     ARMY — STEADFASTNESS      OF     THE     LEFT    WING DESPERATE 

FIGHTING      OF      THOMAS THE       CRISIS UNEXPECTED       DELIVERANCE — THE 

GALLANT     STEEDMAN A    DESPERATE     CHARGE THE     BATTLE      SAVED THE 

ARMY    FALLS    BACK    TO    CHATTANOOGA CAUSES     OF    DEFEAT. 

WHILE  these  stirring  events  were  occurring  in  Ohio 
and  Kansas,  Rosecrans,  with  his  magnificent  army 
well  in  hand,  was  pressing  victoriously  forward  towards 
Chattanooga,  and,  the  last  week  in  August,  drew  up  his 
columns  on  the  banks  of  the  Tennessee,  in  front  of  the  place. 
It  being  a  strong  position  by  nature,  and  made  more  so  by 
art,  it  was  well-nigh  impregnable  against  any  direct  attack. 
Rosecrans  therefore  determined  to  flank  it  by  the  west  and 
south,  and,  if  possible,  get  in  Bragg's  rear  and  cut  him  off 
from  his  base  of  supplies,  so  that  if  he  did  not  retreat  he 
would  be  forced  to  a  decisive  battle  in  the  open  field.  In 
carrying  out  this  plan,  he  took  his  main  army  over  the 
Tennessee,  a  few  miles  below  Chattanooga,  and  marched  up 
the  Lookout  Valley,  lying  west  of  the  Lookout  Mountain. 
On  the  3rd  of  September,  he  put  the  troops  left  behind — 
about  seven  thousand  in  number — under  Brigadier-General 
Hazen,  with  orders  to  watch  the  movements  of  the  enemy 
at  all  the  crossings,  and  make  Bragg  believe  that  a  large 
army  was  still  on  the  north  shore  of  the  river.  This  force 


240  SITUATION    OP    THE    ARMY. 

was  scattered  from  Kingston  to  Williams'  Island,  a  distance 
of  seventy  miles,  and  yet,  so  adroitly  did  Hazen  manage  it — 
causing  the  heads  of  strong  columns  to  appear  simultaneously 
at  different  fords — building  camp-fires  at  prominent  points, 
and  beating  calls  all  along  the  river — that  Bragg  was  thor 
oughly  deceived,  until  the  main  army  was  far  to  the  south 
of  him.  When  he  discovered  it,  he  saw  at  once  that  he 
must  retreat,  or  be  cut  off  from  his  base  of  supplies ;  and, 
'hastily  breaking  up  his  camp,  he  evacuated  Chattanooga. 
The  news  reached  Rosecrans  on  the  8th,  and  he  immediately 
started  in  pursuit. 

To  understand  the  positions  of  the  armies  at  this  time,  it 
is  necessary  to  remember  that  the  Tennessee  at  this  point 
runs  nearly  east  and  west  in  its  general  direction,  and  the 
Chickamauga  Creek  and  the  Lookout  Mountain  hang 
south  from  it,  like  two  great  pendants — the  former  above 
and  the  latter  below  Chattanooga.  Bragg  retreated  along 
the  valley  formed  by  the  Creek  and  Mountain.  Over  the 
Lookout  Mountain,  on  the  west  side,  lay  the  Lookout 
Valley,  up  which  Rosecrans  was  marching.  The  Lookout 
Mountain,  therefore,  divided  the  two  armies.  But  Rose 
crans1  army  was  very  much  scattered  at  the  time  he  heard 
of  Bragg's  retreat.  McCook's. Corps  was  far  up  the  Valley, 
forty-five  miles  south  of  Chattanooga ;  Thomas,  commanding 
the  center,  was  thirteen  miles  back  of  him,  down  the  Valley ; 
while  Crittenden  was  on  the  river,  and  only  some  eight  miles 
from  Chattanooga — two  of  his  divisions  not  yet  being  across. 
Rosecrans  now  immediately  ordered  Crittenden  to  move 
around  the  head  of  Lookout  Mountain,  and  follow  up  Bragg's 
retiring  columns  as  rapidly  as  possible,  by  crossing  the 
Valley  of  Chickamauga  in  a  south-easterly  direction  to  Dalton. 
Had  Crittenden  done  so,  he  would  have  been  cut  off;  for 
Bragg,  instead  of  striking  the  railroad,  as  Rosecrans  supposed 
he  would,  had  moved  directly  sou!h,  and  now  lay  about 


A    NARROW    ESCAPE.  241 

half-way  between  Dalton  and  Lookout  Mountain.  Fortu 
nately,  Crittenden's  movement  was  delayed,  until  Rosecrans 
ascertained  where  the  enemy  really  was.  The  former  was 
therefore  ordered  to  follow  up  the  Chickamauga  Creek,  and 
take  position  at  Gordon's  Mill,  where  the  road  from  Lafayette 
to  Chattanooga  crossed.  Rosecrans  had  supposed  that  Bragg 
was  in  full  retreat,  and  that  the  chief  effort  should  be  to 
intercept  him ;  but  now,  to  his  astonishment,  he  learned  that 
the  rebel  General  was  not  only  not  fleeing,  but  had  faced 
about,  and  was  preparing  to  march  back  on  Chattanooga, 
His  first,  great  object  therefore  was,  to  get  his  scattered 
army  together,  before  Bragg  should  fall  on  Crittenden  and 
cut  him  to  pieces. 

The  Corps  of  the  latter  lay  stretched  along  the  Chicka 
mauga,.  and  extended  up  the  Valley  towards  Crawfish  Springs, 
in  order  to  be  near  as  possible  to  Thomas,  who  was  directed 
to  march  with  all  haste  over  the  mountain  to  his  support. 
The  latter  must  cross  by  way  of  Stevens'  Gap,  and  Bragg, 
aware  of  it,  ordered  General  Hindman  to  occupy  and  hold 
the  Gap,  while  Polk  should  fall  on  Critteridei;,  isolated  and 
away  from  all  support.  Had  Hindman  done  as  he  was 
directed,  Bragg  would  doubtless  have  won  Chattanooga 
again,  and  hopelessly  cut  Rosecrans'  line  of  communication. 
Why  he  neglected  to  do  so,  or  why  Polk  did  not  attack 
Crittenden  during  the  entire  week  he  was  alone  in  the 
Valley,  does  not  appear.  The  double  failure  doubtless 
saved  Rosecrans  and  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland. 

Thomas,  having  sent  forward  Negley  to  hold  the  Gap,  on 
the  8th  and  9th  hurried  his  columns  across  it,  and,  pushing 
down  into  the  Valley,  moved  up  to  Crittenden's  right. 

McCook  was  over  the  Lookout  Mountain,  far  to  the  south, 
when  he  received  the  order  of  Rosecrans  to  join  Thomas, 
and  at  midnight  put  his  columns  in  motion.  Bragg  was 
aware  of  his  isolated  position,  and  took  measures  to  intercept 


242  POSITION     OF    THE    ARMIES.* 

him  on  the  road  which  it  was  supposed  he  must  take.  McCook, 
however,  instead  of  marching  directly  down  to  Thomas, 
recrossed  Lookout  Mountain,  and,  hurrying  down  Lookout 
Valley,  crossed  again  at  Stevens'  Gap.  He  lost  two  or 
three  days'  march  by  this  route,  but  saved  his  army. 

Bat,  while  he  was  urging  his  columns  down  Lookout 
Valley,  and  over  its  rugged  heights  by  Stevens'  Gap,  events 
were  assuming  an  alarming  aspect  along  the  Chickamauga 
Creek.  A  race  had  already  commenced  between  the  two 
armies,  that  were  moving  in  parallel  lines  back  towards 
Chattanooga.  Bragg,  having  received  the  reinforcements 
he  had  been  waiting  for,  determined  to  get  between  our 
army  and  Chattanooga,  and  thus  cut  Rosecrans*  line  of  com 
munications,  and  force  him  into  a  dangerous  retreat,  or 
give  him  battle  on  ground  of  his  own  choosing. 

Whether  Rosecraris  would  have  retreated  to  Chattanooga 
without  risking  a  battle,  had  McCook  arrived  in  time,  would 
probably  have  depended  on  circumstances ;  but  when  the 
latter  did  at  length  form  on  Thomas'  right,  the  line  had 
been  so  prolonged  that  it  was  twelve  miles  in  length,  and 
still  ten  miles  from  Chattanooga. 

On  the  18th,  two  fords,  on  our  extreme  left,  were  fiercely 
assailed,  and  our  forces  there  driven  back — showing  that 
the  enemy,  though  maneuvering  in  front,  designed  to  out 
flank  Rosecrans,  and  thus  force  him  to  a  decisive  battle.  On 
that  night,  therefore,  Thomas  was  ordered  to  break  off  from 
the  center  and  take  position  on  the  left,  leaving  McCook  to 
close  up  and  fill  his  place.  Thus,  on  the  morning  of  the 
19th,  he  held  the  left,  Crittenden  the  center,  and  McCook 
the  right — the  whole  stretching  along  the  Chickamauga  Creek 
from  Gordon's  Mill  towards  Chattanooga.  The  army  was 
still  in  motion  on  the  morning  of  the  19th,  closing  up  its 
line,  for  no  portion  of  it  was  perfectly  settled  in  position 


THE     ATTACK.  243 

but  the  Corps  of  Thomas.  Granger  was  at  Rossville,  four 
miles  from  the  left,  with  a  division  in  reserve. 

Early  in  the  morning,  Wood,  who  was  stationed  at  Gor 
don's  Mill,  saw  low  clouds  of  dust  hovering  along  the  roads 
that,  beyond  the  Creek,  run  towards  Chattanooga — showing 
that  heavy  columns  were  marching  in  that  direction — and 
reported  the  fact  to  Rosecrans. 

Braiman  held  the  extreme  left,  Baird  came  next,  and 
Reynolds  next  to  him.  Negley's  division,  belonging  to 
Thomas,  was  holding  Owen's  Ford,  two  miles  beyond  Gor 
don's  Mill.  Palmer  and  Van  Cleve,  of  Crittenden's  Corps, 
held  the  center.  Sheridan  and  Davis,  of  McCook's  Corps, 
were  marching  swiftly  up  to  close  the  right,  when,  about 
ten  o'clock,  the  sudden  explosion  of  artillery  on  the  extreme 
left,  told  that  the  enemy  had  commenced  the  attack.  Crox- 
ton's  brigade,  having  been  sent  towards,  the  river  to  recon- 
noiter,  was  furiously  assailed,  and  the  remainder  of  Bran- 
nan's  division  came  to  his  succor.  Thomas,  hearing  the 
rapid  firing,  rode  forward  to  ascertain  the  nature  of  the 
attack,  and  finding  the  whole  division  hard  pressed  and 
slowly  giving  way,  ordered  Baird's  division  to  move  at  once 
to  its  support.  The  enemy,  to  his  surprise,  was  over  the 
river,  and  all  the  advantage  it  was  supposed  to  give  as  a 
line  of  defense  was  lost,  and  it  might  as  well  have  never  been 
chosen.  No  strong  position  was  left  to  fall  back  upon,  and 
ranks  of  living  men  and  batteries,  stretching  for  nearly  four 
miles,  through  the  fields  and  woods,  stood  face  to  face  to  each 
other.  The  storm  that  struck  Brannan  and  Baird  with  such 
terrible  fury,  and  rolled  rapidly  down  the  line  from  left  to 
right,  showed  that  Bragg,  beginning  with  his  extreme  right, 
was  swinging  the  rebel  army  against  our  whole  line,  with  the 
intention,  at  some  point,  of  breaking  through  it.  Before  the 
attack  had  reached  the  center,  and  while  Reynolds  and  John 
son  were  struggling  desperately  to  hold  their  ground,  Thomas 


244  A    GRAND    CHARGE. 

succeeded  in  rallying  the  broken  divisions  of  Brannan  and 
Baird,  and  hurled  them  once  more  on  the  enemy.  The  sud 
denness  and  energy  of  the  assault,  that  had  well-nigh  driven 
his  whole  Corps  from  the  field,  thoroughly  aroused  him.  His 
sturdy  regulars  had  been  rolled  back  in  confusion,  and  Scrib- 
ner's  brigade  saved  from  annihilation  only  by  cutting  its  way 
through  a  horde  of  rebels ;  and,  stung  by  the  disaster,  the 
moment  his  columns  were  once  more  in  position,  and  pre 
sented  a  solid  front,  he  ordered  the  whole  line  to  advance. 
The  troops  now  caught  the  high  courage  and  resolution  of 
their  Commander,  and  the  deep  murmur  that  rolled  along 
their  terrible  front,  foretold  a  fearful  onset.  Not  sudden 
and  headlong,  but  grand  and  awful,  like  the  mighty  march  of 
the  ocean-tide,  the  firm-set  battalions  moved  sternly,  steadily 
forward.  Longstreet's  veterans,  flushed  with  success,  threw 
themselves  in  their  way,  but  could  not  stay  that  determined 
march  for  a  moment.  The  rebel  batteries,  forced  back, 
wheeled  into  new  positions,  and  hurled  shot  and  shell  into 
the  close  formations  in  vain.  The  leaders  flung  themselves 
along  their  yielding  lines,  with  waving  swords  and  fiery 
appeals,  to  no  purpose.  The  head  of  each  opposing  column 
that  advanced  to  stem  the  awful  torrent,  melted  away ;  and 
on,  on  swept  the  unbroken  line — over  abandoned  guns, 
caissons,  everything — until  the  field  was  won,  and  the  enemy 
borne  back  nearly  a  mile. 

But  while  this  victory  was  being  gained  on  our  left,  Polk 
and  Hill  had  thrown  themselves  with  such  resistless  impetu 
osity  on  the  center,  that,  though  fighting  manfully  to  hold 
its  ground,  it  was  forced  back,  and  the  rout  was  fast  becom 
ing  complete,  when  Davis  came  up  from  the  right,  and  stopped 
the  progress  of  the  enemy.  It  was  but  for  a  moment,  how 
ever.  Rapidly  accumulating  fresh  troops  on  the  weakened 
point,  the  rebel  Generals  threw  them  forward  with  resistless 
intrepidity.  Hurling  Davis  to  the  right,  and  Van  Cleve  to 


FIRST   DAY'S  BATTLE.  245 

the  left,  in  their  fierce  onset,  they  boldly  penetrated  the  gap 
they  thus  made,  and  for  a  moment  the  battle  seemed  lost 
But  Thomas,  compelled,  by  the  danger  here,  to  pause  and 
fall  back,  now  came  up ;  while  Hazen,  with  twenty  pieces  of 
artillery  massed  at  the  threatened  point,  held  the  shouting 
enemy  in  check.  At  this  juncture,  too,  Wilder's  brigade 
of  mounted  infantry  dashed  up,  and  fell  furiously  on  the 
advancing  columns,  forcing  them  back.  But  the  rebel  leaders, 
rallying  their  troops,  and  strengthened  with  reinforcements, 
again  came  on,  each  time  swinging  off  and  outflanking  us 
to  the  right,  so  that  Wilder  was  compelled  to  fall  back. 
Sheridan  then  came  up,  and  sending  forward  Bradley's 
brigade,  restored  the  fight.  But  the  attack,  that  had  begun 
at  our  extreme  left,  kept  drifting  down  our  line  so  rapidly 
that  Bradley  in  turn  was  nearly  outflanked,  and  began  to 
give  way,  when  Negley  and  Wood  came  down  the  stream  on 
the  double-quick,  and  charging  home,  at  once  arrested  the 
dangerous  movement.  Though  at  times  on  the  point  of 
complete  success,  the  enemy  had  been  stopped  everywhere 
along  the  whole  line,  and  the  two  armies  now  stood  front 
to  front,  on  ground  that  gave  no  advantage  to  either.  Our 
troops  had  rallied  everywhere  with  heroic  determination, 
and  the  army  stood  in  its  place,  immovable  as  a  rock. 
^Baffled  in  every  attempt  to  break  our  line,  Bragg  at  length, 
at  night-fall,  withdrew,  and  darkness  closed  over  the  trampled 
field,  shrouding  its  multitude  of  mangled,  bleeding  victims 
from  sight. 

It  had  been  a  strange  battle,  arid  neither  could  claim  a 
victory.  The  numbers  engaged  on  either  side  were  proba 
bly  about  equal.  Bragg  had  not  waited  for  the  whole  of 
Longstreet's  Corps  to  arrive,  nor  for  several  thousand  Georgia 
militia,  on  the  way  to  reinforce  him.  The  rapid  concentra 
tion  of  our  troops,  made  it  necessary  for  him  to  attack  at 
once,  while  the  army  was  in  motion.  But  the  regular  inter- 


246  NIGHT     AFTER    THE     BATTLE. 

vals  between  our  columns,  which  threatened  at  first  to  be 
our  ruin — and  if  they  had  been  greater,  would  have  been — 
saved  us;  for  each  time  the  enemy  struck  our  flank,  our 
columns,  coming  up,  took  his  flank  in  turn— and  so  on,  in 
succession,  till  Negley  and  Wood  met  and  stopped  the  last 
attack,  and  closed  the  battle.  On  our  part,  it  was  a  battle 
without  a  plan.  The  object  with  Rosecrans  was,  to  concen 
trate  his  army,  and  secure  his  communications  with  Chatta 
nooga.  Attacked  while  doing  this,  he  had  to  hold  the 
enemy  at  bay  as  best  he  could,  and  nothing  but  the  indom 
itable  bravery  of  the  troops  saved  him  from  total  defeat. 
That  Saturday  night  was  one  of  much  suffering  to  the  army, 
for  it  was  cold  and  chilly,  and  no  fires  were  allowed  to  be 
kindled.  The  soldiers  sunk  down  on  the  ground,  to  brood 
over  the  losses  of  the  day,  and  ponder  on  the  terrible  struggle 
that  they  knew  must  take  place  in  the  morning.  Their 
ranks  had  been  dreadfully  thinned ;  no  impression  had  been 
made  on  the  enemy,  and  no  reinforcements  were  near.  They 
had  taken  a  few  prisoners,  and  captured  three  more  guns 
than  the  enemy,  but  had  been  driven  from  Chickamauga 
Creek,  and  were  where  no  water  could  be  obtained,  except 
as  it  was  brought  a  great  distance,  from  springs.  Weary 
and  thirsty,  they  were  compelled  to  lie  down  on  the  trampled 
earth,  and  weary  and  thirsty  they  must  fight  this  battle  over 
again  in  the  morning. 

During  the  night,  Rosecrans  made  some  changes  in  his 
line  of  battle.  The  strong  position  at  Gordon's  Mill  being 
no  longer  of  any  use  to  him — as  the  enemy  was  over  the 
creek — he  withdrew  his  right,  resting  it  on  Missionary 
Ridge.  This  shortened  his  lines  by  nearly  a  mile,  and  made 
his  army  face  more  to  the  south. 

That  night,  a  consultation  was  held  at  head-quarters,  and 
the  following  general  dispositions  made  for  the  next  day : 
Thomas,  strengthened  by  Johnson's  and  Palmer's  divisions, 


SECOND   DAY'S   BATTLE.  247 

was  to  hold  the  position  he  occupied.  McCook,  after  his 
pickets  were  driven  in,  was  to  close  with  his  main  line  on 
Thomas'  right ;  while  Crittenden  was  to  hold  two  divisions  in 
reserve  behind  "the  point  of  junction,  to  be  used  as  circum 
stances  might  require.  Thus  the  army  stood,  on  the  early 
Sabbath  morning,  awaiting  Bragg's  attack,  that  all  knew 
would  not  be  long  delayed.  Suddenly,  the  thunder  of 
cannon  on  the  extreme  left,  announced  the  opening  of  the  con 
flict,  and  the  next  moment,  the  storm  broke  with  appalling 
fury  c^  Thomas.  With  their  usual  tactics,  the  rebels  did 
not  feel  their  way  into  our  position,  but  -fell  in  one  over 
whelming  charge  upon  it.  The  battle  had  hardly  commenced, 
when  its  uproar  became  so  awful,  that  the  boldest  all  along 
the  line  held  his  breath.  Along  a  part  of  his  line,  Thomas 
had  thrown  up  a  breastwork  of  logs  and  rails,  in  front  of 
which  ran  an  incessant  stream  of  fire.  Up  against  it  the 
rebels  moved  with  desperate  valor.  Line  upon  line,  they 
came  steadily  on — each,  as  it  entered  that  withering  fire, 
crumbling  to  fragments ;  yet  still,  fresh  ranks  sternly  advanced 
over  the  spot  where  the  last  had  gone  clown.  But  all  in 
vain  did  that  devouring  fire  consume  the  devoted  columns — 
in  vain  did  it  shrivel  up  and  destroy  the  head  of  each  forma 
tion.  The  rebel  leaders  kept  pouring  in  fresh  troops,  deter 
mined  to  quench  that  volcano  with -human  blood,  and  choke 
it  with  living  victims.  Rosecrans,  seeing  how  fearfully 
Thomas  was  pressed,  ordered  Negley  over  to  his  help,  and 
Wood,  of  Crittenden's  division,  to  supply  Negley's  place  ;  but 
even  this  did  not  arrest  the  ever-increasing  flood  of  rebels. 
For  awhile,  Wood,  in  the  center,. was  heavily  pressed;  but 
still,  the  weight  of  the  attack  fell  on  Thomas.  Maddened 
by  their  repeated  repulse,  the  rebel  leaders  rallied  their 
troops  for  one  last,  decisive  assault.  Covered  by  a  terrific 
fire  of  artillery,  the  massive  columns  moved  steadily  forward, 
and  entering,  without  shrinking,  the  fiery  sleet  that  swept 

46 


248  A    FATAL    ORDER. 

the  field,  pressed  straight  for  that  glowing  breastwork. 
Thomas,  seeing  the  danger,  poured  in  his  volleys  with 
increased  rapidity,  and  the  artillerists  double-shotted  their 
guns  with  canister ;  but  still,  that  dark  gray  mass,  wrapped 
in  its  sulphurous  shroud,  never  faltered,  and,  though  bleed 
ing  and  lessening  at  every  step,-  crept  nearer  and  nearer, 
till  at  last  our  troops  began  to  waver.  The  officers  strove 
nobly  to  steady  them,  while  Thomas  rode  fearlessly  along 
the  undulating  lines  to  inspire  them.  But  it  was  a  vain 
effort.  Division  after  division  crumbled  away,  and  a^ength 
the  whole  wing  swung  back  in  disorder.  Thomas,  however, 
aided  by  his  gallant  lieutenants,  again  rallied  it  in  a  new 
position  ;  and,  with  his  right  resting  on  Missionary  Ridge, 
and  his  left  on  an  eminence  by  the  Lafayette  road,  and  his 
center  a  little  advanced,  he  sent  urgent  request  for  more 
troops. 

It  was  now  about  noon,  and  Rosecrans,  seeing  how  hard 
Reynolds  was  pressed,  ordered  Wood  to  leave  his  position 
in  the  center  and  support  him.  Brannan  was  between  him 
and  Reynolds,  and  to  do  this  he  had  to  fall  back  and  march 
to  the  rear  of  the  former.  This  left  a  wide  gap  in  the  lines, 
which,  the  enemy  perceiving,  dashed  into  as  quick  as  thought. 
We  had  broken  our  own  center — lost  our  own  battle. 
Davis,  from  the  right,  moved  quickly  up  to  close  the  fatal 
opening ;  but  he  came  too  late.  The  rebel  flood,  breaking 
with  resistless  fury  through  it,  smote  him  with  one  terrible 
blow,  swinging  him  back  with  such  violence  that  he  fell  to 
pieces  with  the  shock.  Palmer  and  Van  Cleve,  on  the  other 
side,  shared  the  same  fate.  Sheridan,  left  alone  on  the  right, 
of  course  went  with  Davis ;  yet,  scorning  to  fly,  he  rallied 
his  men,  and  for  awhile  made  a  stand,  against  fearful  odds. 
Gallant,  fearless  and  terrible,  even  in  a  lost  fight,  it  was 
pitiful  to  see  him  strive  with  such  hopeless  desperation  to 
maintain  his  old  renown,  in  that  wild  tumult.  Rosecrans 


A    GALLANT     STAND.  249 

himself,  whose  head-quarters  were  directly  in  rear,  and  had 
been  carried  away  in  the  rush,  could  not  rally  the  troops ; 
and  though,  with  drawn  sword,  followed  by  his  staff,  he 
galloped  amid  the  broken  ranks,  he,  McCook  and  Crittenden 
were  all  borne  backward  in  the  refluent  tide,  and  a  scene 
of  confusion  and  terror  followed  that  beggars  all  description. 
Artillery  and  caissons,  and  wagons  and  horses,  and  a  vast, 
excited  multitude,  with  here  and  there  only  a  fragmentary 
formation,  heaved  and  struggled  on  towards  the  gap  in  the 
mountains,  through  which  the  road  leads  to  Rossville.  Here 
they  became  choked  up,  and  the  shouts  and  yells  and  curses, 
that  rose  in  the  troubled  air,  were  more  appalling  than  the 
roar  of  battle.  For  a  moment,  the  conflict  seemed  over. 
The  Commander-in-Chief  was  gone — the  centre  and  right 
gone,  and  nought  remained  but  the  wearied,  exhausted  left 
wing,  that  had  also  been  forced  backward.  Yet  it  alone 
must  save  the  army,  if  it  is  to.be  saved.  It  was  a  mighty 
task  that  now  devolved  on  Thomas,  but  with  such  division 
and  brigade  leaders  as  Baird,  Brannan,  Reynolds,  Negley, 
Wood,  Harker,  Hazen,  Scribner,  T urchin,  and  others  like 
them,  he  would  do  it,  or  make  it  the  bloodiest  field  ever 
won  by  mortal  foe.  The  enemy,  having  it  all  his  own  way 
in  every  other  part  of  the  field,  and  confident  of  complete 
success,  now  bore  down  with  redoubled  fury  on  this  com 
paratively  feeble  band — full  seventy  thousand  men  against 
a  few  divisions.  So  stood  the  battle  at  noon.  Thomas 
might  well  survey  his  desperate  position  with  a  dismayed 
heart  Still,  he  had  no  thought  of  retreating.  Right  there 
he  would  stand,  and  stand  victorious  or  perish  with  the 
army.  Gathering  up  his  thinned  and  bleeding  ranks,  he 
lined  the  semicircular  ridge,  on  which  he  stood,  with  a  wall 
of  fire,  and  set  it  blazing  with  artillery  from  one  extremity 
to  another.  The  rebels  came  on  in  overwhelming  masses, 
but  could  not  break  through  it.  Battalion  after  battalion 


250  A    FEARFUL     CRISIS. 

moved  up  in  splendid  order,  only  to  scatter  and  melt  away 
like  mist.  There  was  no  shrinking  now.  A  high,  heroic 
purpose  had  taken  possession  of  every  man,  and  he  stood 
there,  a  willing  victim,  in  the  great  sacrifice  that  was  de 
manded  of  him.  Unable  to  force  Thomas'  front,  the  enemy  then 
began  to  swing  around  his  flanks.  On  the  right  of  Thomas, 
a  low  ridge  ran  at  right  angles  to  the  extremity  of  his 
line,  with  a  gorge  directly  in  his  rear;  and  now  the 
rebels  were  seen  pouring  in  dark  masses  through  it.  The 
heart  of  Thomas  stood  still  at  the  sight.  He  had  no  troops 
to  oppose  this  force,  for  his  moving  calls  for  help  had  found 
no  response  from  his  Commander.  His  army,  to  all  human 
appearance,  was  lost.  A  few  minutes  more,  and  the  shouting 
foe  would  be  in  his  rear,  and  then  a  swift  butchery  or  sur 
render  would  close  the  scene.  Turning  his  eye  away  to  the 
left,  he  saw  a  vast  cloud  of  dust  rising  over  the  tree-tops, 
and  soon  after,  dark  columns  of  men  moving  swiftly  across 
the  fields  towards  him.  But  were  they  friends  or  foes? 
Captain  Johnson,  of  Negley's  Staff,  having  in  the  fight 
become  separated  from  his  division,  just  then  galloped  up 
and  reported  himself  for  duty.  u  Find  out,"  exclaimed  his 
distressed  Commander,  u  what  troops  those  are,  moving  upon 
me."  Away  dashed  Johnson  to  fulfill  his  perilous  mission. 
Thomas,  to  whom  the  moments  were  now  fraught  with  life 
and  death,  watched  with  painful,  anxiety  the  approaching 
force,  with  his  glass.  Nearer  and  nearer  they  came,  with 
the  long,  swinging  tread  of  trained  battalions.  It  is — yes, 
it  is  the  battle-flag  of  Granger  that  waves  and  flutters  in  the 
breeze !  Oh,  who  can  tell  the  load  that  rolled  from  his  heart 
as  he  caught  the  welcome  sight  ?  The  firm-set  lip  relaxed 
for  an  instant,  and  a  sudden  gleam  flashed  from  his  blue  eye. 
u  All  is  not  yet  lost."  The  old  flag  shall  yet  fly  over  the 
field,  and  the  battle-shout  still  roll  along  his  shattered  lines ! 
Granger  had  heard,  at  half-past  ten,  the  roar  of  the  fearful 


THE    KESCUE.  251 

storm  that  was  bursting  on  Thomas,  and,  as  it  swelled  and 
deepened,  he  moved  uneasily  about,  and  turned  his  eye 
along  the  road  to  catch  the  form  of  some  Staff-officer  with 
orders  to  march.  But  none  came,  and  being  three  miles 
distant,  he  was  afraid  when  one  should  come  it  might  be 
too  late.  Seized  by  a  sudden  inspiration,  he  called  to  horse, 
and  started  his  columns  for  the  scene  of  .conflict.  Leaving 
Colonel  McCook  to  cover  the  Ringgold  road,  he  took 
Mitchell's  and  Whittaker's  brigades,  under  the  command  of 
Steedman,  and  moved  swiftly  forward.  After  going  about 
two  miles,  he  came  upon  the  enemy,  and  halted.  But 
quickly  perceiving  that  it  was  a  small  force,  he  ordered 
Colonel  McCook  to  take  care  of  it,  and  pushed  on  to  where 
the  incessant  crash  and  roar  of  artillery  and  musketry  told 
him  the  decisive  struggle  was  going  on.  He  had  not  come 
a  moment  too  soon.  As  his  eye  took  in  the  perilous  condi 
tion  of  Thomas,  it  needed  no  consultation  to  decide  what 
was  to  be  done.  He  saw  the  fearful  danger  at  a  glance,  and 
moved  at  once  to  meet  it.  The  gallant  Steedman  dashed 
forward,  and  seizing  the  regimental  colors,  spurred  to  the 
head  of  the  two  brigades,  and  waving  them  above  him, 
shouted  the  charge.  His  troops  were  mostly  new  recruits, 
but,  fired  at  the  danger  that  menaced  Thomas,  they  sent  up 
a  shout  that  rose  over  the  din  of  battle.  Where  that  flag 
went,  they  would  go,  even  into  the  gates  of  death ;  and, 
sweeping  swiftly  forward,  they  met,  breast  to  breast,  the 
veterans  of  Hindman,  pouring  through  the  gorge  and 
already  shouting  the  victory.  There  was  no  halting,  no 
wavering,  no  rallying.  Right  on  into  the  desolating  fire, 
they  pressed,  reckless  of  numbers  and  of  death,  with  a  loud 
and  thrilling  shout.  Over  the  batteries,  over  the  astounded 
battalions  of  Hindman,  they  went,  in  one  wild  wave.  It 
was  marvelous — the  charge  of  those  two  immortal  brigades. 
For  one  moment,  they  were  lost  in  the  smoke  of  battle — the 


. 


252  A     LAST     EFFORT. 

next7  their  standards  were  waving  along  the  ridge.  Like  a 
thunderbolt  they  had  fallen  on  the  columns  pouring  through 
the  gorge,  and  shivered  them  to  fragments — like  a  whirlwind 
they  had  swept  the  ridge,  clearing  it  of  the  foe.  Only 
twenty  minutes  had  passed — and  yet,  in  that  brief  time,  the 
battle  had  been  saved;  and  in  the  same  short  interval,  a 
thousand  men  on  our  side,  or  nearly  a  third  of  those  two 
heroic  brigades,  had  fallen.  A  smile,  such  as  heroes  wear, 
lighted  up  the  face  of  Thomas,  when  he  saw  our  victorious 
banners  waving  where  but  a  moment  before  the  standards 
of  the  enemy  were  advancing  to  his  certain  destruction. 
Hindman,  enraged  to  see  the  victory  so  suddenly  snatched 
from  his  hands,  rallied  to  retake  the  position,  and  Long- 
street's  veterans  were  sent  against  it.  Though  Steedman,  by 
the  fall  of  his  horse  in  the  charge,  had  been  bruised  severely, 
yet  he  still  kept  the  field,  and  with  scarce  a  dozen  pieces  of 
artillery  in  all,  swept  the  enemy  with  such  a  terrific  fire  that 
he  was  forced  to  retire.  But  though  driven  back,  he  returned 
again  and  again  to  the  attack ;  yet  those  two  immortal 
brigades  stood  like  a  blazing  citadel  on  the  heights.  Baffled 
here,  the  enemy  advanced  on  the  left.  Thomas  saw  the 
heavy  column  approaching,  and,  pointing  to  it,  told  Rey 
nolds  to  ugo  in  there."  This  gallant  Commander  obeyed, 
and,  facing  his  troops  by  the  rear  rank,  to  save  time,  ordered 
them  to  u  charge  bayonets."  Springing  forward  at  the 
double-quick,  the  weary,  brave  fellows  walked  straight  over 
the  column,  capturing  several  hundred  prisoners  in  their 
fierce  passage.  Night  was  now  coming  on,  and  Steedman's 
brigades,  which  all  that  Sabbath  afternoon,  though  bleeding 
and  lessening,  had  stood  rock-fast,  had  exhausted  all  their 
own  ammunition,  and  all  they  could  gather  from  the  dead 
and  dying  around  them.  In  this  fearful  dilemma,  Thomas 
saw  the  rebels  rallying  for  a  last  assault.  Casting  his  eye 
along  his  shattered  line,  standing  stern  and  dark  in  the 


CLOSE     OF     THE     BATTLE.  253 

gathering  gloom,  he  ordered  it  to  "stand  fast."  Waiting 
till  the  shadowy  mass  came  within  striking  distance,  he 
shouted,  "Give  them  the  cold  steel!"  With  bayonets  at 
charge,  they  leaped  forward  at  the  double-quick,  rending 
the  gloom  with  their  shout.  As  the  rebels  saw  them 
advancing,  and  caught  the  faint  sheen  of  their  bayonets  in 
the  twilight,  they  turned  and  fled.  The  last  blow  had  been 
struck,  and  a  thrilling  shout  went  up  from  the  darkened  field. 

The  struggle  was  over,  and  the  enemy,  exhausted  and  dis 
couraged,  sullenly  withdrew.  Never  was  a  great  battle 
more  nearly  lost,  and  then  saved — not  even  that  of  Marengo. 
Thomas,  and  his  brave  commanders  and  troops,  had  covered 
themselves  with  glory ;  and  Rosecrans  sent  him  word  to  use 
his  own  judgment  about  attempting  to  hold  his  position. 
The  former,  seeing  that  his  troops  had  been  fearfully  over 
tasked,  and  that  ammunition,  food  and  water  were  sadly 
wanting,  concluded  to  fall  back  on  Rossville,  which  place  he 
reached  in  good  order— the  enemy  hovering  near,  but  afraid 
to  risk  another  blow.  A  new  line  of  battle  was  here  formed, 
with  the  aid  of  McCook's  and  Crittenden's  divisions,  and  the 
advance  of  the  enemy  awaited.  But  he  had  been  too 
severely  punished,  however,  to  renew  the  attack,  and  the 
next  night  the  whole  army  fell  back  to  Chattanooga. 

A  bloodier  Sabbath  than  that  of  the  20th  of  September, 
never  closed  over  this  land.  Sixteen  thousand,  three  hundred 
and  fifty-one,  or  about  a  third  of  Rosecrans'  splendid  army, 
had  disappeared,  of  which  only  five  thousand  were  taken 
prisoners.  Thirty-six  guns,  twenty  caissons,  and  eight  thou 
sand,  four  hundred  and  fifty  small  arms,  and  other  spoils, 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy ;  while  we  could  show  but 
two  thousand  prisoners  to  offset  all  these  losses.  The  loss 
of  the  enemy  in  killed  and  woundedr  however,  was  greater 
than  ours ;  for,  in  their  headlong  advance  on  our  batteries 
and  positions,  they  had  been  mowed  down  with  terrible 


254  REVIEW     OF     THE     CAMPAIGN. 

slaughter.  But,  though  they  got  the  victory,  it  was  to  them 
a  barren  one,  for  they  failed  to  recover  Chattanooga.  The 
possession  of  that  was  the  chief  object  of  the  campaign,  and 
we  still  held  it,  while  the  enemy,  after  two  days  of  desperate 
fighting,  had  gained  only  a  few  miles  of  useless  fields  and  roads. 

Much  criticism  was  passed  on  this  battle,  and  on  the 
movements  that  preceded  it,  and  difference  of  opinion  will 
probably  exist  forever.  It  is  much  easier  to  tell  the  causes 
of  a  failure,  than  to  prevent  it ;  still,  there  were  some  grave 
mistakes,  that  ought  to  have  been  better  guarded  against. 
If  it  was  designed  or  supposed  that  Rosecrans,  after  he  had 
taken  Chattanooga,  would  advance  further  into  the  interior, 
the  Government  at  Washington  should  have  had  supporting 
columns  much  nearer  that  place  than  it  did  have.  A  portion 
of  Grant's  army  should  have  marched  long  before;  for  it 
was  not  to  be  expected  that  that  stronghold  would  fall 
without  a  fierce  struggle,  and  it  might  be  at  a  sacrifice  of  a 
third  of  the  army.  Such  a  contingency  ought  to  have  been  pro 
vided  for,  but  was  not ;  and  when  that  loss  actually  occurred, 
it  was  by  the  narrowest  chance  that  Chattanooga  was  saved. 

Again,  when  the  enemy  evacuated  Chattanooga,  he  did 
not  destroy  the  supplies  or  bridges  along  the  route,  thus 
showing  pne  of  two  things — either  that  he  had  fled  in  such 
haste  that  he  could  not  do  it,  or  that  he  expected  to 
return  and  need  them  himself  again  very  soon.  Rosecrans 
adopted  the  former  view,  and  therefore  strained  every 
nerve  to  cut  off  the  retreat  of  a  demoralized  enemy.  In 
doing  this,  he  made  so  wide  a  separation  of  his  corps  that 
it  was  sure  to  provoke  an  attack  if  any  fight  whatever  was  left 
in  the  enemy.  But  the  idea  that  Bragg  had  failed  to  destroy 
supplies  and  bridges  through  want  of  time,  was  preposterous 
— at  all  events,  the  circumstances  were  sufficiently  suspicious 
to  demand  the  greatest  caution.  The  result  showed  it ;  for 
if  the  rebels  had  not  committed  a  great  blunder,  the  proba 
bilities  are,  we  should  have  lost  Chattanooga. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

THE    ARMY    AT    CHATTANOOGA — GRANT     PLACED    IN    COMMAND    OF    THE    MISSIS 
SIPPI  DIVISION KNOXVILLE   CAPTURED  BY  BURNSIDE JOY  OF  THE  PEOPLE 

BESIEGED    BY    LONGSTREET GRANT     TAKES     COMMAND    AT    CHATTANOOGA 

SHERMAN  ORDERED   TO  JOIN    HIM HOOKER    EFFECTS  A  LODGMENT    IN    LOOK 
OUT     VALLEY — MAZEN.'s      EXPLOIT BATTLE      OF     WAUHATCHIE — SHERMAN^ 

ARRIVAL THE    ARMY    TAKES    UP    ITS  ASSIGNED    POSITION GRANTS    PLAN 

CAPTURE    OF    LOOKOUT    MOUNTAIN BATTLE    ABOVE    THE    CLOUDS THE    BAT 
TLE      OF     MISSIONARY     RIDGE THE     VICTORY PURSUIT     OF     THE     ENEMY 

SHERMAN  SENT  TO  RELIEVE  BURNSIDE LONGSTREET  ABANDONS  THE  SIEGE 

BANKS    AT    NEW  ORLEANS EXPEDITION     TO     SABINE    CITY EXPEDITION     TO 

TEXAS — ITS    FAILURE THE    DEPARTMENT. 

ROSECRANS'  position  in  Chattanooga  soon  became 
exceedingly  precarious,  though  it  was  very  strong— 
the  flanks  of  the  army  resting  on  the  Tennessee  above  and 
below  the  place.  The  enemy  advanced  against  it,  and 
occupied  Missionary  Ridge  and  Lookout  Mountain,  his  line 
stretching  across  Chattanooga  Valley.  Our  communications 
by  way  of  Bridgeport,  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river,  were 
cut  off,  while  the  sharpshooters  there  effectually  commanded 
the  road  on  the  opposite  side.  Supplies  therefore  had  to  be 
hauled  for  sixty  miles  by  land,  over  mountain  roads  that  soon, 
from  the  Fall  rains,  became  almost  impassable.  A  rebel  raid, 
in  the  meantime,  destroyed  several  hundred  wagon-loads  of 
provisions,  and  damaged  the  railroad  between  Stevenson  and 
Nashville,  rendering  the  subsistence  of  our  army  uncertain ; 
and  indeed,  for  a  time,  it  was  doubtful  whether  our  commu 
nications  would  not  be  entirely  destroyed,  and  thus  a 
retreat  become  inevitable.  This  would  be  extremely  peril 
ous,  for  the  artillery  and  war  material  would  have  to  be 
abandoned.  Chattanooga  was  the  key  to  East  Tennessee, 


256  CAPTURE   OP  "KNOXVILLE, 

and  the  army  there  at  the  same  time  threatened  Atlanta, 
the  grand  focus  of  the  net-work  of  railroads  connecting  the 
southern  States  of  the  Confederacy.  If  we  were  driven  back 
from  this  place,  the  struggle  in  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi 
would  have  to  be  gone  over  again.  Hence,  Grant  sent  a 
dispatch  to  Thomas,  to  hold  on  to  the  last  extremity.  The 
latter,  in  reply,  assured  him  that  he  would  keep  the  position 
at  all  hazards. 

While  affairs  were  in  this  precarious  state,  Rosecrans  was 
relieved  by  Thomas ;  and  in  a  few  days,  Grant,  who  had  been 
placed  in  command  of  the  Departments  of  the  Ohio,  of  the 
Cumberland,  and  of  the  Tennessee — constituting  the  Military 
Division  of  the  Mississippi — arrived  in  Chattanooga,  and 
took  charge  in  person.  Hooker,  with  two  corps  from  the 
East,  had  previously  reached  the  vicinity  of  Bridgeport,  thus 
increasing  the  difficulty  of  feeding  the  army. 

In  the  meantime,  however,  a  movement  had  been  made 
which  had  an  important  bearing  on  Chattanooga.  Burnside 
had,  during  the  Summer,  planned  a  campaign  against  Knox- 
ville — the  capture  of  which  had  been  a  great  desideratum 
with  the  Government  since  the  beginning  of  the  war.  His 
preparations  being  completed,  he  set  his  columns  in  motion 
in  August.  Buckner  held  the  place  with  but  a  small  force, 
and  so  secret  had  the  movements  of  Burnside  been  kept, 
and  so  rapid  was  his  march,  that  he  encountered  no  opposi 
tion  ;  and  Colonel  Foster,  with  the  advance,  entered  the 
place  on  the  1st  of  September.  Burnside  himself  proceeded 
to  Kingston,  where  his  scouts  encountered  the  cavalry  pickets 
of  Rosecrans.  The  panic  at  Knoxville,  at  his  sudden  arrival, 
was  great,  and  the  rebel  troops  left  behind  them,  in  their 
flight,  a  considerable  quantity  of  quartermaster-stores.  The 
reception  of  our  troops  by  the  loyal  East  Tennesseans,  who 
had  almost  begun  to  despair  of  ever  seeing  the  old  flag 
among  them  again,  was  most  enthusiastic  and  touching. 


SH« MAN'S  MARCH.  257 

They  cooked  everything  they  had  for  the  soldiers,  without 
ever  dreaming  of  pay.  Women  stood  by  the  roadside  with 
pails  of  water,  waving  Union  flags,  and  shouting,  u  Hurrah 
for  the  Union!" — and  "Welcome,  welcome,  General  Burn- 
side,  welcome  to  East  Tennesse !  "  greeted  the  General,  as 
he  moved  along  with  his  Staif. 

'The  rebel  garrison  at  Cumberland  Gap,  two  thousand 
strong,  was  cut  off,  and,  on  the  9th,  surrendered  to  our 
forces.  Burnside  now  occupied  the  East  Tennessee  railroad 
as  far  as  Morristownr  and  a  strong  force  proceeded  down 
the  road  towards  Chattanooga ;  and  it  was  generally  believed 
that  the  whole  army  would  soon  join  that  of  Rosecrans. 
But  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  a  few  days  after,  and  the 
shutting  up  of  Rosecrans  in  Chattanooga,  entirely  changed 
the  aspect  of  affairs,  and  it  soon  became  evident  that  Burn- 
side  would  have  enough  to  do,  to  take  care  of  himself — for 
Bragg,  feeling  that  he  was  more  than  a  match  for  the  army 
at  Chattanooga,  sent  Longstreet,  with  his  division,  to  retake 
Knoxville.  Being  confident  that  we  should  be  compelled 
to  evacuate  both  places,  the  enemy  expected  to  drive  our 
armies  back  to  the  Ohio. 

But,  at  this  time,  there  was  another  important  character 
moving  to  the  scene  of  action.  Before  Grant  was  put  over  the 
army  at  Chattanooga,  he,  as  soon  as  he  heard  of  Rosecrans7 
disaster  at  Chickamauga,  ordered  Sherman — then  on  the.Big 
Black  River,  twenty  miles  east  of  Yicksburg — to  send  a  divi 
sion  to  his  aid.  Sherman  received  this  dispatch  on  the  22nd 
of  September,  and  at  four  o'clock  that  day,  Osterhaus,  with  his 
division,  was  on  his  way  to  Yicksburg,  and  the  next  day 
steaming  towards  Memphis.  On  the  23rd,  Sherman  received 
another  order,  to  follow  with  his  whole  army.  In  four  days,  he 
was  slowly  steaming  up  towards  Memphis.  Fuel  was  scarce, 
and  he  was  compelled  to  land  troops  to  gather  fence-rails 
and  haul  wood  from  the  interior  in  wagons,  to  keep  up 


258  BROWNE'S    FERRY. 

steam.  At  Memphis,  he  got  orders  from  Halleck  to  proceed 
to  Athens,  Alabama — repairing  the  railroad  as  he  went,  and 
depending  on  himself  for  supplies.  The  work  was  at  once 
begun,  and  gangs  were  kept  employed  day  and  night ;  but 
Sherman  soon  saw — as  Buell  did,  the  year  before,  when 
marching  to  the  same  destination — that  this  would  be  too 
slow  work,  and  he  determined  to  take  to  the  highways  till 
he  could  clear  his  front.  Having  scattered  the  enemy,  he 
again  went  to  work  repairing  the  railroad,  in  accordance 
with  his  first  orders.  Bat  a  dispatch  from  Grant,  urging 
him  forward,  made  him  abandon  again  the  unwelcome  task, 
and  push  on  in  the  manner  which  his  judgment  approved. 

In  the  meantime,  Grant  was  getting  everything  ready  for 
his  arrival,  when  he  designed  to  make  a  general  assault  on 
the  enemy's  strong  position. 

All  this  time,  the  troops  and  animals  were  suffering  for 
the  want  of  provisions,  which  the  obstruction  of  transporta 
tion  rendered  extremely  scarce.  As  was  stated  previously, 
Missionary  Ridge  drops  like  a  pendant,  in  a  south-westerly 
direction,  from  the  Tennessee  River,  above  Chattanooga,  and 
Lookout  Mountain,  in  the  same  direction  from  the  river, 
below  the  place.  Chattanooga,  lying  in  a  bend  of  the  river 
between  the  two  mountains,  was  overlooked  and  commanded 
by  both  heights,  and  hence,  both  must  be  taken.  Hooker 
was.selected  to  operate  against  the  latter  mountain ;  but,  in 
order  to  make  a  lodgment  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  it 
was  necessary  to  occupy  Brown's  Ferry,  which  was  three 
miles  below  Lookout  Mountain,  by  the  river,  arid  six  from 
Chattanooga,  yet,  owing  to  the  sharp  bend  of  the  stream 
that  here  runs  back  almost  parallel  to  its  course,  was  only  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  the  latter  place  by  land.  The  possession 
of  this  ferry  would  also  lessen  the  distance  of  transportation 
to  Bridgeport.  The  Chief-Engineer,  General  W.  F.'  Smith, 
proposed  a  plan  for  seizing  it,  which,  after  a  reconnoissance 


A     BOLD     MOVEMENT.  259 

by  Grant  and  Thomas,  was  adopted.  Four  thousand  men 
being  at  once  placed  under  his  command,  fifty  pontoons, 
capable  of  holding  twenty-five  men  apiece  besides  the  oars 
men,  and  also  two  flatboats  for  carrying  about  a  hundred 
more,  were  built,  in  which  fifteen  hundred  picked  men,  under 
the  gallant  Hazen,  were  placed.  It  was,  we  have  seen,  six 
miles,  by  the  tortuous  river,  to  the  Ferry — three  miles  of 
which  were  picketed  by  the  enemy.  On  the  night  of  the 
27th  of  October,  these  pontoons — mere  boxes — were  quietly 
pushed  off,  and  floated  noiselessly  down  the  current.  It 
was  very  dark,  and  the  drift  of  the  current  rendering  the 
use  of  oars  unnecessary,  they  passed  unheeded  by  the  pickets 
on  shore.  Down,  around  Moccasin  Point,  in  front  of  Look 
out  Mountain,  they  rapidly  floated,  without  being  discovered. 
The  landing  was  to  be  made  at  two  different  points,  and 
here  the  alarm  was  given,  and  the  flash  of  musketry  lit  up 
the  darkness.  This  roused  the  neighboring  camps  of  the 
enemy,  but  the  Union  troops  jumped  ashore,  and  quickly 
formed  to  repel  an  attack.  The  empty  boats  were  then 
rowed  swiftly  across  the  river,  to  a  point  where  stood  the 
balance  of  the  four  thousand,  who  had  secretly  marched 
thither  by  land.  These  having  been  taken  in,  they  were 
rowed  back  to  the  spot  where  the  others  had  disembarked. 
A  strong  position  was  immediately  secured,  and  intrench- 
ments  throwa  up,  The  enemy,  taken  .wholly  by  surprise, 
after  a  feeble  resistance  retreated  up-  the  Valley.  The 
materials  for  a  pontoon  bridge,  which  had  also  been  brought 
down  by  land,  and  concealed,  were  now  brought  out,  and 
by  noon  a  bridge,  nine  hundred  feet  long,  spanned  the, river, 
by  which  supplies  and  reinforcements  could  be  forwarded 
to  our  troops.  The  next  day,  the- whole  of  the  Eleventh 
Corps  was  across,  and  encamped  in  Lookout  Valley.  The 
enemy,  alarmed  at  this  demonstration,  made  an  attempt  to 
drive  back  our  forces  by  a  night  attack. 


260  A    NIGHT    BATTLE. 


BATTLE    OF    WAUHATCHIE. 

Howard's  Corps,  at  the  time,  was  only  a  mile  or  so  from 
Brown's  Ferry.  Geary,  with  his  division,  went  into  camp 
near  Wanhatchie,  three  miles  distant.  Hooker,  who  was 
with  Howard's  Corps,  was  aroused  about  one  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  by  the  " muttering  of  heavy  musketry"  in  the 
direction  of  Geary.  The  latter  had  been  suddenly  attacked 
by  overwhelming  numbers,  and  Hooker,  anxious  for  his 
safety,  ordered  Howard  to  double-quick  his  nearest  division, 
Shurz's,  to  his  aid.  "  Forward  to  their  relief,  boys !  "  he 
shouted,  as  they  streamed  off  on  a  run,  through  the  gloom. 
They  had  not  gone  far,  however,  when  suddenly  there  came 
a  blaze  of  musketry  from  the  hills  near  by,  where  no  enemy 
was  supposed  to  be.  Tyndale's  brigade  was  immediately 
detached,  to  charge  the  heights,  while  the  other  brigade 
kept  on  towards  Geary.  Steiriwehr's  division  now  came  up, 
and  the  hill  to  the  rear  of  Schurz,  and  along  which  the  road 
ran,  was  also  found  to  be  occupied  by  the  enemy.  This, 
Orlan  Smith's  brigade  was  ordered  to  carry  with  the  bayonet. 
It  was  bright  moonlight ;  yet  but  little  of  the  difficulties  of 
the  ascent  could  be  seen.  It  was  very  steep,  and  covered 
with  underbrush  and  seamed  with  gullies  and  ravines,  and 
"  almost  inaccessible  by  daylight."  Yet,  right  up  this,  two 
hundred  feet  high,  -in  the  face  of  a  heavy  fire,  this  skeleton 
brigade  was  ordered  to  charge  bayonet.  Flooded  in  the 
mellow  light,  silent  as  death,  the  Seventy-third  Ohio  and 
Thirty-third  Massachusetts  pressed  up  the  slope,  and  at 
length  reached  the  top,  where  they  came  upon  rifle-pits,  out 
of  which  suddenly  burst  a  volley  from  nearly  two  thousand 
muskets.  Overwhelmed  by  this  awful  fire,  the  brave  fellows 
fell  baek  in  disorder  to  the  foot  of  the  hill.  Though  now 
fully  aware  of  the  difficulties  before  them,  and  that  three 


A    GALLANT    CHARGE.  261 

times  their  number  crowned  the  heights,  these  noble  regi 
ments  re-formed  their  lines,  and  again  sternly  breasted  the 
hill.  Shouts,  and  yells,  and  taunts,  were  hurled  down  on  them, 
and  the  crashing  volleys  tore  through  them ;  yet,  without 
firing  a  shot — with  set  teeth  and  flashing  eyes — they  climbed 
steadily  up  to  those  bla&ing  rifle-pits,  and  then  with  one  bound 
cleared  them.  The  bayonet  did  the  whole  work,  and  not  a 
shot  was  fired  till  the  enemy  was  in  full  retreat.  One  volley 
was  poured  after  them,  and  then  the  shout  of  victory  arose, 
wild  and  clear,  in  the  night  air.  It  was  an  astonishing  charge. 
No  wonder  Hooker  said,  uNo  troops  ever  rendered  more 
brilliant  service,"  and  that  the  reserved  Thomas  declared, 
."  The  bayonet  charge  of  Howard's  troops,  made  up  the  side 
of  a  steep  and  difficult  hill  over  two  hundred  feet  high, 
completely  routing  -the  enemy  from  his  barricades  on  the 
top,  *  *  *  will  rank  among  the  most  distinguished  feats 
of  arms  of  this  war." 

All  this  time,  heavy  and  incessant  volleys  of  musketry 
arose  from  the  spot  where  Geary  was  struggling  against 
overwhelming  numbers.  The  fighting  here  was  desperate, 
and  several  times  he  was  nearly  overborne ;  but,  with  that 
tenacity  which  has  always  distinguished  him,  he  still  clung 
to  his  position,  and  at  length  hurled  the  enemy  back,  com 
pelling  him  to  take  refuge  on  Lookout  Mountain.  The 
Valley  was  now  ours.  Geary  gained  new  honors  in  this 
hard-fought  battle ;  but  they  were  dearly  won,  for  his  son,  a 
captain,  was  killed. 

This  fight  by  moonlight,  after  midnight,  amid  those  wild 
hills — that  blazed  the  while  with  musketry  and  exploding 
shells — presented- a  strange  spectacle.  Hooker  himself  was 
in  the  thickest  of  it,  shouting  on  the  men. 

Our  forces  being  firmly  established  here,  steamboats  could 
run  up  to  Brown's  Ferry,  from  which  it  was  but  a  mile  and 
a  half  to  the  upper  bridge,  opposite  Chattanooga,  The 


262  ARRIVAL     OF     SHERMAN. 

army  was  now  relieved  from  the.  fear  of  starvation,  unless 
the  bridges  should  be  carried  away  by  rafts  sent  down  by 
the  enemy  from  above. 

This  was  a  great  improvement  in  the  condition  of  affairs ; 
still,  Grant  felt  too  weak  to  assume  the  offensive  against  the 
strong  works  which  confronted  him,,  until  Sherman  should 
arrive. 

The  latter  crossed  the  Tennessee  in  person,  on  the  1st  of 
November,  but  there  was  no  way  by  which  to  get  his  army 
over,  and  it  had  to  take  the  long  march  by  Fayetteville  to 
Bridgeport.  Sherman,  in  the  meantime,  pressing  on,  rode 
into  Chattanooga  on  the  15th.  Never  was  a  man  more 
welcome.  Grant  had  received  a  summons  from  Bragg,  to 
remove  the  non-combatants  from  Chattanooga,  as  he  was 
about  to  bombard  it,  to  which  the  former  had  returned  no 
reply,  but  he  now  felt  that  he  soon  would  be  ready  to  send 
one,  in  the  shape  of  his  strong  columns.  Sherman's  troops, 
after  their  long  and  wearisome  march,  needed  rest  sadly, 
and  expected  it,  before  entering  on  one  of  the  most  hazard 
ous  undertakings  of  the  war.  "But,"  said  the  gallant 
leader,  "  I  saw  enough  of  the  condition  of  men  and  animals 
in  Chattanooga,  to  inspire  me  with  renewed  energy."  With 
a  part  of  his  command,  he  was  directed  to  make  a  demon 
stration  on  Lookout  Mountain,  while,  with  the  main  army,  he 
crossed  the  river  and  marched  up  above  Chattanooga,  opposite 
Missionary  ridge.  Returning  to  Bridgeport,  he  took  a  row- 
boat,  and  passed  down  the  river,  to  hurry  forward  his  weary, 
foot-sore  divisions.  Swing's  division  was  the  force  left  to 
make  the  proposed  demonstration  on  Lookout  Mountain. 
The  rest  were  hurried  forward,  but  the  roads  were  almost 
impassable — making  the  increased  effort  demanded  at  the 
end  of  such  a  long  march,  a  terrible  task  to  the  soldiers. 
But  they  toiled  cheerfully  forward,  in  obedience  to  the 
orders  of  their  beloved  Commander,  and,  by  the  23rd,  were 


SHERMAN'S   SUCCESS.  263 

well  up,  and  lay  concealed  behind  the  hills  opposite  the 
Chickamauga  Creek,  which,  skirting  the  extremity  of  Mis 
sionary  Ridge,  here  empties  into  the  Tennessee.  One  divi 
sion,  however,  was  left  behind — a  delay  caused  by  the 
breaking  of  the  pontoon  bridge  at  Brown's  Ferry — and  it 
was  compelled  to  join  Hooker's  Corps,  and  operate  with  him 
in  the  battle  that  followed. 

By  a  skillful  manoeuver,  he,  the  same  night,  moved  a 
small  force  silently  along  the  river,  capturing  every  guard 
of  the  enemy's  pickets  but  one.  The  next  thing  was,  to  get 
his  army  across  the  Tennessee — here  nearly  thirteen  hundred 
feet  wide.  About  three  miles  above  him,  and  on  the  same 
side,  he  found  a  stream  emptying  into  the  river.  Thither, 
a  hundred  and  sixteen  boats  were  carried,  by  a  concealed 
road,  and  launched,  while  three  thousand  men  lay  ready  to 
embark  in  them.  An  hour  after  midnight,  on  the  24th, 
these  boats  silently  floated  down  into  the  Tennessee,  and, 
passing  for  three  miles  the  enemy's  pickets,  landed  the 
troops  on  both  sides  of  the  Chickamauga  Creek,  which 
emptied  into  the  river  opposite  Sherman's  army.  Two 
divisions,  with  artillery,  were  soon  ferried  over,  and  a  tete- 
du-pont  established.  In  a  few  hours,  a  bridge  fourteen 
hundred  feet  long  was  completed,  and  shaking  to  the 
tread  of  Sherman's  mighty  columns.  Another  bridge,  two 
hundred  feet  long,  was  flung  across  the  Chickamauga*  Creek. 
The  extreme  north  point  of  Missionary  Ridge  was  not  occu 
pied  by  the  enemy — his  right  being  farther  back,  near  the 
tunnel  through  which  the  railroad  passed.  This  extremity, 
Sherman  at  once  seized,  thereby  threatening  Bragg's  com 
munications.  A  cavalry  force,  in  the  meantime,  was  sent 
off  eastward  towards  Cleveland. 

Grant  now  had  Sherman's  army  above,  and  Hooker's 
below  him,  and  both  on  the  same  side  of  the  river ;  while 
Thomas  lay  in  front  of  Chattanooga.  Missionary  Ridge, 


264  FIGHT    ABOVE    THE     CLOUDS. 

tending  south-west  from  Sherman,  passed  in  front  of  Chatta 
nooga,  where,  the  center  lay. 

Bragg  was  amazed  at  this  sudden  apparition  of  a  powerful 
army  on  his  extreme  right,  and  immediately  made  prepara 
tions  to  dislodge  Sherman.  In  the  meantime,  Hooker,  from 
below,  moved  against  Lookout  Mountain,  and,  by  dark, 
carried  the  nose  of  it,  and  at  once  opened  direct  communi 
cations  with  Chattanooga.  His  advance  up  the  steep  sides 
of  the  mountain  had  been  made  with  great  celerity  and 
skill.  A  thick  fog  for  awhile  concealed  him,  but,  as  it 
lifted  before  the  sun,  the  cliffs  above  were  seen  crowded 
with  the  enemy,  while  cannon  sent  a  plunging  fire  from  the 
heights.  Grant,  far  down  in  the  mist -shrouded  valley 
below,  could  hear  the  thunder  of  guns  and  crash  of  mus 
ketry  high  up  in  the  clouds  above,  as  though  the  gods  were 
warring  there.  Says  an  eye-witness:  u  At  this  juncture, 
the  scene  became  one  of  most  exciting  interest.  The  thick 
fog,  which  had  heretofore  rested  in  dense  folds  upon  the 
sides  of  the  mountain,  concealing  the  combatants  from  view, 
suddenly  lifted  to  the  summit  of  the  lofty  ridge,  revealing 
to  the  anxious  gaze  of  thousands  in  the  valleys  and  on  the 
plains  below,  a  scene  such  as  is  witnessed  but  once  in  a 
century.  General  Geary's  columns,  flushed  with  victory, 
grappled  with  the  foe  upon  the  rocky  ledges,  and  drove 
him  back  with  slaughter  from  his  works.  While  the  result 
was  uncertain,  the  attention  was  breathless  and  painful ;  but 
when  victory  perched  upon  our  standards,  shout  upon  shout 
rent  the  air.  The  whole  army,  with  one  accord,  broke  out 
into  joyous  acclamations.  The  enthusiasm  of  the  scene 
beggars  description.  Men  were  frantic  with  joy,  and  even 
General  Thomas  himself,  who  seldom  exhibits  his  emotions, 
said  involuntarily,  '  I  did  not  think  it  possible  for  men  to 
accomplish  so  much.' "  The  day  before,  Thomas  had  made 
a  strong  reconnoissance  in  force,  in  his  front,  and,  with  but 


OPENING    OF     THE    BATTLE.  265 

slight  loss,  had  occupied  Orchard  Knob,  and  developed  the 
lines  of  the  enemy.  Everything  was  therefore  now  ready 
for  the  grand  assault  upon  the  rebel  position.  Bragg  had 
thought  that  Chattanooga  was  his  beyond  a  doubt;  but 
suddenly,  to  the  right,  in  front,  and  left  of  him,  he  saw  him 
self  confronted  by  three  armies.  Still,  he  believed  Missionary 
Ridge  to  be  impregnable,  and  that  no  force  could  climb 
its  steep  and  rugged  sides  in  '  the  face  of  his  powerful 
batteries. 

Sherman,  from  his  position,  could  glance  across  to  Tunnell 
Hill,  on  which  the  rebel  batteries  were  placed ;  and  he  looked 
grave,  but  determined,  at  the  fearful  task  that  had  been 
assigned  his  brave  troops.  Before  the  great,  decisive  day 
(the  25th)  had  fairly  dawned,  he  was  in  the  saddle,  and  by 
the  dim  light  that  streaked  the  cloudy  east  betokening  a 
stormy  day,  rode  along  his  entire  line.  A  deep  valley  lay  be 
tween  him  and  the  steep  hill  beyond,  which  was  partly  covered 
with  trees  to  the  narrow,  wooded  top,  across  which  was  abreast- 
work  of  logs  and  earth,  dark  with  men.  Two  guns  enfiladed 
the  narrow  way  that  led  to  it.  Further  back,  arose  a  still 
higher  hill,  lined  with  guns  that  could  pour  a  plunging  fire 
on  the  first  hill  if  it  should  be  taken.  The  depth  and  char 
acter  of  the  gorge  between,  could  not  be  ascertained.  Just 
as  the  rising  sun  was  tinging  with  red  the  murky  rain-clouds, 
the  bugles  sounded  u  Forward!"  and  Corse,  leading  the  adr 
vance,  briskly  descended  the  hill,  crossed  the  valley  under  a 
heavy  fire,  began  to  ascend  the  opposite  heights,  and  soon 
gained  a  foothold ;  but  the  spot  where  he  stood  was  swept 
by  the  enemy's  artillery. 

BATTLE    OF    CHATTANOOGA. 

The  great  battle  had  now  fairly  opened,  and  for  more 
than  an  hour  it  swayed  backward  and  forward  in  front  of 


266  THE    BATTLE. 

Sherman.  Bringing  up  brigade  after  brigade,  this  gallant 
Commander  strove  nobly,  but  in  vain,  to  carry  the  lofty 
heights  above  him.  By  ten  o'clock,  it  was  one  peal  of 
thunder  from  top  to  base,  while  the  smoke,  in  swift  puffs 
and  floating  masses,  draped  it  like  a  waving  mantle.  Corse, 
severely  wounded,  was  borne  to  the  rear;  yet  still  the 
columns  stubbornly  held  the  ground.  All  the  fornoon,  the 
battle  raged  furiously  at  this  point.  This  most  northern  and 
vital  position  .must  be  held  by  the  rebels  at  all  hazards,  for  if 
once  taken,  their  rear  would  be  threatened,  with  all  the  stores 
at  Chickamauga.  Hence,  Bragg  massed  his  forces  here,  and 
at  three  o'clock,  says  Sherman,  il  column  after  column  of  the 
enemy  was  streaming  toward  me  ;  gun  after  gun  poured 
its  concentric  shot  on  us  from  every  hill  and  spur  that  gave 
a  view  of  any  part  of  the  ground."  Once,  he  was  partially 
forced  back,  but  by  a  skillful  move,  he  recovered  his  ground 
and  drove  the  pursuing,  shouting  enemy  to  his  cover.  His 
men  were  sternly  held  to  their  terrible  work ;  but  Sherman 
was  getting  impatient  for  Grant  to  move  on  the  center,  as 
he  told  him  the  night  before  he  would.  From  his  elevated 
position,  he  could  see  the  flags  of  Thomas'  Corps  waving  in 
the  murky  atmosphere ;  but  hour  after  hour  passed  away, 
and  still  they  did  not  advance.  The  enemy  was  steadily 
accumulating  his  forces  against  him,  and  his  troops,  that  had 
fought  from  early  dawn,  were  getting  weary.  Grant  had 
sat  on  his  horse,  listening  to  the  thunder  of  artillery  on  his 
right,  as  Hooker  came  down  like  an  avalanche  from  the 
heights  of  Lookout  Mountain,  and  to  the  deafening  uproar 
on  his  left,  where  his  favorite  lieutenant,  Sherman,  was 
hurling  his  brave  columns  on  the  batteries  of  the  enemy; 
but  still  he  did  not  move.  Thinking,  at  one  time,  that 
Sherman  was  too  hard  pressed,  he  sent  over  a  brigade  to 
his  help ;  but  the  latter,  who  had  become  thoroughly  aroused 
at  the  resistance  he  met  with,  sent  it  back,  saying  he  did  not 


ADVANCE     OF     THE     CENTER.  267 

need  it.  And  so,  hour  after  hour,  for  six  miles,  it  flamed 
and  thundered  along  those  rocky  crests,  until  at  last  the 
decisive  moment,  looked  for  by  Grant,  had  arrived.  In 
front  of  him,  the  steep  acclivity  went  sheer  up  four  hundred 
feet.  The  base  was  encircled  with  a  line  of  rifle-pits,  while 
the  summit  was  black  with  batteries.  Between  him  and  the 
foot  of  the  mountain,  was  an  open  space  a  mile  and  a  half 
wide,  which  the  advancing  columns  would  be  compelled  to 
cross.  He  saw  that  it  would  require  no  common  effort,  and 
no  common  bravery  on  the  part  of  troops,  to  reach  and 
climb  that  steep,  in  the  face  of  such  difficulties,  and  he 
therefore  wished  Sherman  to  push  the  rebel  left  till  Bragg, 
in  order  to  save  the  key  of  his  position,  would  be  compelled  to 
weaken  his  center ;  and  also  till  Hooker  could  come  up,  who 
was  detained  in  building  a  bridge.  The  rebel  Commander, 
not  dreaming  that  Grant  would  attempt  to  advance  up  the 
steep  face  of  the  mountain  in  front,  and  evidently  thinking 
that  he  meant  at  all  hazards  to  crush  his  right,  and  thus 
threaten  his  rear,  drew  away  his  troops  from  the  center,  till 
the  line  here  became  comparatively  weak.  This  was  what 
Grant  had  been  waiting  for,  though  fearful  that  the  day 
would  be  passed  before  it  came.  But  it  had  come  at  last,  and 
Hooker  being  well  advanced,  he,  from  his  position  on  Indian 
Hill,  ordered  the  signal  for  the  "Forward!"  to  be  given. 
These  were,  six  cannon  shots,  to  be  fired  at  intervals  of  two 
seconds.  Strong  and  steady  the  order  rang  out:  "Number 
one,  fire !  Number  two,  fire !  Number  three,  fire !  "  "It 
seemed  to  me,"  says  an  eye-witness,  "like  the  tolling  of  the 
clock  of  destiny.  And  when,  at  'Number  six,  fire!'  the 
roar  throbbed  out  with  the  flash,  you  should  have  seen  the 
dead  line,  that  had  been  lying  behind  the  works  all  day, 
come  to  resurrection  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  and  leap 
like  a  blade  from  its  scabbard."  Three  divisions,  under  the 
command  of  Granger,  composed  the  storming  force,  and  as 


268  MOUNTING    THE    HEIGHTS. 

they  moved  off  towards  the  frowning  heights,  the  enemy 
seemed  to  regard  it  as  a  mere  review.  But,  with  a  swift, 
steady  motion,  the  glittering  line  swept  on,  and  it  was  soon 
evident  that  desperate  work  was  afoot.  Suddenly,  all  along 
the  crest  of  the  ridge,  the  artillery  opened,  and  the  gallant 
line  began  to  melt  away.  Still,  it  never  faltered — the  ban 
ners  kept  advancing,  and  at  last  that  terrible  mile  and  a  half 
were  past,  and  the  columns  stood  face  to  face  with  the  long 
line  of  rifle-pits  at  the  base  of  the  mountain.  A  sheet  of 
fire  ran  along  the  summit,  cutting  with  fearful  mortality  our 
exposed  battalions.  There  was  no  time  to  stop  here,  for, 
great  as  was  the  obstacle  that  confronted  them,  it  was  only 
a  barrier  of  mist,  compared  to  the  awful  work  that  lay 
beyond;  and  so,  with  one  wild  cheer  and  a  bound,  they 
cleared  it,  and  stood  panting  in  the  deserted  ditch.  And 
now  for  the  ridge.  "  Take  it  if  you  can !  "  passed  along 
the  bleeding  line,  but  it  was  already  advancing.  The  brave 
fellows,  casting  one  look  up  the  steep,  rocky  sides,  to  the 
thirteen  batteries  naming  at  the  top,  clutched  their  weapons 
with  a  firmer  grasp,  and  began  to  mount  the  slope.  Here 
can  be  no  rush — no  sudden  charge.  Step  by  step,  like 
mountain  goats,  they  must  win  their  way  upward.  As  the 
smoke  lifted  here  and  there,  Grant  saw,  with  inexpressible 
anxiety,  the  regimental  flags,  like  mere  crimson  specks, 
fluttering  slowly  upward.  Regardless  of  shot  and  shell, 
each  vied  with  the  other  in  the  advance.  Over  their  heads, 
from  Forts  Wood  and  Negley,  and  other  batteries,  our  shot  and 
shell  flew  with  fearful  precision,  and  fell  crashing  in  the  rebel 
works.  Rocks  and  stones,  and  shells  with  lighted  fuses,  were 
rolled  down  on  the  torn  line,  and  it  now  and  then  halted, 
under  some  projecting  rocks,  for  breath.  But  "  Forward !  " 
again  rung  above  the  uproar,  and  each  flag  seemed  to  have  a 
voice  crying  u  EXCELSIOR."  Oh!  it  was  a  thrilling  sight. 
Shot  and  shell  were  doing  their  murderous  work;  but 


THE     VICTORY.  269 

nothing  short  of  annihilation  could  stop  those  noble  bat 
talions.  Higher,  and  still  higher,  they  crept,  until  at  last,  just 
as  the  "sun  was  sinking  in  the  west,  they  reached  the  summit, 
and  then,  as  the  gathered  billow  thunders  and  foams  along 
and  over  the  sunken  ledges  of  the  sea,  they,  with  one  wild 
shout  and  burst,  swept  over  the  deadly  batteries.  The  next 
moment,  cheer  after  cheer  went  up  all  along  the  smoking 
crest,  and  rolled  down  the  crimson  steep,  till,  to  the  right 
and  left,  and  far  below,  the  air  trembled  with  glad  echoes. 
Dismayed,  and  filled  with  consternation  at  the  frightful 
calamity,  Bragg,  mounted  on  his  gray  horse,  sped  away  to 
the  rear,  followed  by  his  discomfited  host.  The  army  was 
now  thrown  forward  in  swift  pursuit,  which  was  kept  up  till 
late  at  night,  and  renewed  next  morning  before  daylight. 
As  the  columns  swept  on,  wagons,  guns,  caissons,  forage, 
stores,  and  all  the  wreck  of  a  routed  army,  met  them  at 
every  step.  By  night,  the  rear-guard  of  the  enemy  was 
reached,  and  a  fight  ensued,  which  lasted  till  darkness  closed 
in.  •  The  next  day,  Hooker  and  Thomas  joined  in  the  pur 
suit,  and  the  beaten  enemy  was  smitten  with  blow  upon 
blow,  until  further  advance  became  impossible.  In  the 
meantime,  Sherman  detached  Howard  to  move  against  the 
railroad  between  Dalton  and  Cleveland,  to  destroy  it.  This 
was  done,  and  communication  between  Bragg  and  Long- 
street  cut  off. 

Our  total  loss  in  this  battle,  was  about  four  thousand. 
We  took  six  thousand  prisoners,  forty  pieces  of  artillery, 
and  five  or  six  thousand  small  arms.  The  rebel  killed  and 
wounded  was  not  known. 

Sherman  was  now  ordered  to  return  to  Chattanooga ;  but, 
receiving  permission  to  make  a  circuit  by  the  north,  as  far 
as  Hiawassee,  he  did  so,  destroying  railroads  and  capturing 
stores.  "This,"  says  Sherman,  "was  to  have  been  the  limit 
of  our  journey.  Officers  and  men  had  brought  no  luggage 


270  A    HARD    DUTY. 

or  provisions,  and  the  weather  was  bitter  cold."  But  at 
this  moment,  Grant  received  a  dispatch  from  Burnside,  at 
Knoxville,  saying  that  his  supplies  would  not  last  a  week 
longer,  and  asking  for  help.  To  reach  him,  nearly  ninety 
miles  distant,  in  that  time,  would  require  heavy  marching ; 
but  Burnside  and  Knoxville  must  be  saved,  if  human  effort 
could  do  it.  Grant  at  once  ordered  Granger  to  march;  but 
finding  that  he  would  not  have  the  necessary  force,  and, 
moreover,  that  he  u  moved  with  reluctance  and  complaint," 
he  determined;  "notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  two 
divisions  of  Sherman's  forces  had  marched  from  Memphis, 
and  had  gone  into  battle  immediately  on  their  arrival  at 
Chattanooga,  to  send  him  with  his  command,"  including 
Granger's.  This  was  assigning  him  a  fearful  task,  and  the 
iron  Commander,  though  shrinking  from  no  effort  where 
duty  called,  felt  that  it  was  asking  a  hard  thing  of  his  brave, 
exhausted  men.  The  language  he  uses  in  regard  to  it, 
shows  this,  and  also  reveals  the  grand  character  of  the  man. 
"  Seven  days  before,"  says  he,  u  we  had  left  our  camps'  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Tennessee,  with  two  days'  rations, 
without  a  change  of  clothing,  stripped  for  the  fight,  with  but 
a  single  blanket  or  coat  per  man — from  myself  to  the  private 
included.  Of  course,  we  then  had  no  provisions  save  what 
we  gathered  by  the  road,  and  were  ill  supplied  for  such  a 
march.  But  we  learned  that  twelve  thousand  of  our  fellow- 
soldiers  were  beleaguered  in  the  mountain  town  of  Knox 
ville,  eighty-four  miles  distant ;  that  they  needed  relief,  and 
must  have  it  in  three  days.  Tliis  ivas  enough,  and  it  liad  to 
le  done."  Noble  words,  from  a  noble  man!  His  tired 
troops,  though  feeling  that  others  could  better  make  this 
long  march,  cheerfully  consented  to  go,  and  that  very  night 
started  forward.  By  daylight,  they  had  made  fifteen  miles, 
and,  on  the  2nd  of  December,  marched  twenty-six,  pushing 
the  enemy,  that  attempted  to  delay  their  advance,  before  them. 


RELIEF     OF     BURNSIDE.  271 

In  the  meantime,  Burnside  was  severely  pressed.  Having 
only  some  twelve  thousand  men,  he  had  been  obliged  to 
fall  back  before  Longstreet  with  his  overwhelming  force. 
Recrossing  the  Tennessee,  which  he  had  passed  in  his  advance, 
and  fighting  as  he  retired,  he  was  finally  compelled  to  take 
refuge  in  Knoxville.  Longstreet,  confident  of  success,  then  sat 
down  in  regular  siege  before  the  place,  knowing  its  reduction 
a  certainty  unless  it  should  be  relieved.  Fearing  its  reinforce 
ment,  he  made  a  desperate  assault  upon  its  strong  works,  but 
was  repulsed  with  heavy  loss.  The  near  approach  of  Sherman 
now  caused  him  to  abandon  his  siege  of  twenty  days.  It 
was  hoped  that,  being  cut  off  from  Bragg,  his  Corps  would 
be  captured  or  dispersed;  but,  passing  around  the  strong 
hold  that  he  could  not  capture,  he  retreated  towards  Vir 
ginia.  Burnside  pursued  him,  and  an  engagement  took 
place  at  Beams1  Station,  but  Longstreet  succeeded  in  falling 
back  without  serious  loss,  and  eventually  opened  up  his 
communications  with  Richmond. 

Sherman  had  pushed  forward  with  great  celerity.  But 
the  rebels  burning  the  bridges  in  their  retreat,  he  feared 
he  might  be  delayed  till  Burnside  would  despair  of  succor, 
and  he  therefore  ordered  Colonel  Long,  commanding  his 
cavalry  brigade,  to  take  his  fleetest,  strongest  animals,  and 
hurry  forward,  and  be  in  Knoxville  in  twenty-four  hours  "  at 
whatever  cost  of  life  or  horse-flesh."  The  distance  was  forty 
miles,  and  the  roads  horrible.  But  this  gallant  Commander 
accomplished  the  task  assigned  him,  and  the  clatter  of  his 
horses'  hoofs  in  the  streets  of  Knoxville,  on  the  night  of  the 
3rd,  sent  joy  to  the  hearts  of  the  beleaguered  little  army. 
Sherman  continued  to  advance  till  the  night  of  the  5th, 
when  a  messenger  arrived  from  Burnside,  saying* that  Long- 
street  had  raised  the  siege.  Sending  on  Granger's  two 
divisions  to  Knoxville,  he  then  halted  his  army,  for  his  work 
was  done.  He  himself  rode  on  to  Knoxville,  to  see  Burn  side. 
He  then  leisurely  returned,  with  his  wearied  army,  to  Chatta- 


272  HARD    WORK. 

nooga.  The  work  it  had  done  was  chiefly  of  a  character 
not  to  attract  public  attention,  but  it  deserved  higher  enco 
miums  than  though  it  had  won  a  victory.  With  short  rations, 
poorly  protected  from  the  weather,  sometimes  barefooted,  it 
had  marched  four  hundred  miles  through  the  enemy's  country, 
— without  sleep  for  three  successive  nights — crossed  the  Ten 
nessee,  borne  the  brunt  of  the  fight  at  Chattanooga,  pursued  the 
flying  enemy  into  Georgia,  then  wheeled  about  and,  by  forced 
marches  for  nearly  a  hundred  miles,  compelled  Longstreet 
to  raise  the  siege  of  Knoxville,  and  then  had  marched  back 
again. 

East  Tennessee  was  saved — in  fact,  a  great  part  of  the 
Valley  of  the  Mississippi ;  for,  had  Knoxville  and  Chatta 
nooga  fallen,  Grant  could  hardly  have  made  a  stand  short 
of  Nashville.  And  yet,  the  probabilities  all  were  that  these 
two  places  would  fall.  Grant  knew  that  he  could  not  long 
remain  at  Chattanooga  with  the  rebel  batteries  crowning  the 
heights  that  overlooked  it;  while,  without  help  from  him, 
Burnside  must  surrender.  His  only  hope  lay  in  the  suc 
cessful  assault  of  the  enemy's  works.  But  this  was  a  des 
perate  measure,  in  which  he  knew  the  chances  were  against 
him.  Still,  it  must  be  taken,  or  all  be  lost.  Thanks  to  his 
brilliant  strategy,  and  the  bravery  of  his  troops,  he  succeeded, 
and  the  turning  point  of  the  rebellion  was  gained. 

While  these  momentous  events  were  transpiring  in  East 
Tennessee,  Banks,  at  New  Orleans,  was  busy  in  his  Department, 
and  great  results  were  expected  from  the  army  under  his 
command,  though  no  formidable  rebel  force  confronted  him. 

In  September,  having  been  reinforced  from  Grant's  army, 
he  sent  General  Franklin  to  seize  Sabine  City,  situated  on 
the  Sabine  River.  Commodore  Bell,  commanding  the  Gulf 
Squadron,  detached  four  gunboats,  under  Lieutenant-Com 
manding  Crocker,  to  co-operate  with  him,  assisted  by  a 
hundred  and  eighty  sharp-shooters  from  the  army.  The 
batteries,  however,  proved  too  powerful  for  the  gunboats. 


TEXAS    EXPEDITION.  273 

The  Clifton  and  Sachem  were  disabled,  and  captured  with 
all  on  board,  and  the  expedition  returned  to  Brashear  City. 
The  army  afterward  advanced,  and,  on  the  21st  of  October, 
occupied  Opelousas,  and  quite  a  severe  fight  occurred,  Nov. 
3d,  near  Bayou  Bourbeaux — General  Washburn  commanding. 

In  September,  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  was  captured  by 
General  Steele. 

In  November,  an  important  expedition  was  made  into 
Texas.  The  garrison  at  Esperanza  fled  at  our  approach, 
after  blowing  up  the  magazine,  and  ten  guns  were  cap 
tured.  Brazos  Island,  Point  Isabel  and  Brownsville  were 
in  Banks'  hands  on  the  9th  of  November.  From  this  point, 
the  army  marched  north-east  a  hundred  miles,  to  Aranzas, 
capturing  three  guns  and  a  hundred  prisoners.  General 
A.  J.  Hamilton,  of  Texas,  having  been  appointed  Military 
Governor  of  the  State,  by  the  President,  accompanied  the 
army,  and  every  one  looked  to  the  expulsion  of  Magruder — 
Commander  of  the  rebel  forces — and  the  speedy  establishment 
of  Federal  authority.  But  not  long  after,  the  expedition 
was  abandoned,  and  General  Banks  returned  to  New  Orleans, 
followed  by  Hamilton.  Washburn  soon  after  left  the  army, 
and  Major-General  Dana  was  placed  in  chief  command. 

News  of  a  projected  movement  against  Mobile  took  the 
place  of  news  from  the  army  in  Texas,  and  its  failure  there 
seemed  to  die  out  of  mind.  Festivities,  balls  and  masquer 
ades  occupied  the  winter  months  in  New  Orleans,  arfd 
military  matters  were  kept  in  abeyance.  Preparations  were 
also  made  for  an  election  to  come  off  in  February,  and  Banks 
devoted  himself  to  the  civil  duties  of  his  Department — not  the 
least  of  which  was  the  question  of  compensated  labor.  The 
large  number  of  slaves  made. suddenly  free  must  work,  and 
to  a  great  extent  under  their  old  masters,  and  therefore  it 
was  important  that  some  just  and  equitable  system  be  adopt 
ed,  and  power  given  to  enforce  it. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC MEADE  S  ADVANCE  TO  THE    RAPIDAN COMPELLED 

TO  RETREAT GALLANTRY  OF  KILPATRICK  AND  THE  CAVALRY BATTLE  OF 

BRISTOW   STATION SUCCESSES    AT    KELLY's    FORD    AND    RAPPAHANNOCK 

STATION — MEADE'S  SECOND  ADVANCE    TO    THE  RAPIDAN — THE    RETREAT — 

WINTER    QUARTERS AVERILL^S    RAID    IN    WESTERN    VIRGINIA — NATIONAL 

CEMETERY  AT  GETTYSBURG THE  PRESIDENT'S  PROCLAMATION  OF  AMNESTY- 
PROPOSITION  TO  ADMIT  REBEL  STATES  INTO  THE  UNION POLITICAL  EXCITE 
MENT CHANGE  OF  PLAN  IN  CARRYING  ON  THE  WAR GRANT  MADE 


IN  the  East,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  had  remained 
comparatively  quiet,  but,  on  the  approach  of  Autumn, 
it  again  assumed  offensive  operations,  for  it  was  necessary  to 
occupy  the  attention  of  Lee,  as  he  was  sending  reinforce 
ments  to  Bragg.  A  general  advance  of  the  army  was 
therefore  determined  upon,  about  the  middle  of  September. 
Pleasanton  was  directed  first  to  cross  the  Rappahannock,  and 
attack  the  rebel  cavalry  picketing  the  river  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  Culpepper.  Gregg  crossed  at  Sulphur  Springs, 
Buford  at  Rappahannock  Bridge,  and  Kilpatrick  at  Kelly's 
Ford.  These,  moving  on  Culpepper,  attacked  Stuart,  who 
held  the  town,  and,  after  an  obstinate  fight,  drove  him  out, 
capturing  three  guns.  Meade  now  advanced,  and  crossing 
the  river  with  his  entire  army,  made  the  place  his  head 
quarters,  with  the  cavalry  guarding  his  flanks  and  rear. 
Lee,  in  the  meantime,  lay  encamped  near  Orange  Court 
House,  and,  though  much  inferior  in  numbers,  boldly  crossed 
the  Rapidan  on  the  9th  of  October,  and,  by  a  skillful  move 
ment,  completely  outflanked  Meade,  which  compelled  the 
latter  to  break  up  his  camp  and  retreat — losing  some  of  his 


A    GALLANT     CHARGE.  275 

stores  in  his  hasty  retrogade  movement.  Pleasanton,  with 
the  cavalry,  remained  behind  to  watch  the  enemy,  and  then 
slowly  retired  toward  the  retreating  army.  Buford  had 
been  forced  back  more  rapidly  than  Kilpatrick,  whose  com 
mand — with  Davis  over  the  right  brigade,  and  Ouster  over 
the  left — fell  back  more  slowly.  When  the  latter  reached 
Brandy  Station,  he  found  that  the  former,  ignorant  of  his 
movements,  was  far  in  advance,  leaving  his  right  entirely 
exposed.  To  make  matters  worse,  Stuart  had  passed  around 
his  left,  so  that  Kilpatrick,  with  whom  was  Pleasanton  him 
self,  was  suddenly  cut  off.  This  gallant  leader  saw  at  a 
glance  the  peril  of  his  position,  and,  riding  to  a  slight  emi 
nence,  took  a  hasty  survey  of  the  ground  before  him.  He 
then  gave  his  orders,  and  three  thousand  swords  leaped 
from  their  scabbards,  and  a  long,  loud  shout  rolled  over  the 
field.  With  a  heavy  line  of  skirmishers  thrown  out,  to  pro 
tect  his  flanks  and  rear,  he  moved  in  three  columns  straight 
on  the  rebel  host,  that  watched  his  coming.  At  first,  the 
w^ell-closed  columns  advanced  on  a  walk,  while  the  batteries 
of  Remington  and  Elder  played  with  fearful  precision  upon 
the  hostile  ranks.  He  thus  kept  on,  till  within  a  few  hundred 
yards  of  the  rebel  lines,  when  the  band  struck  up  "Yankee 
Doodle."  The  next  instant,  a  hundred  bugles  pealed  the 
charge,  and  away,  with  gleaming  sabres  and  a  wild  hurrah, 
went  the  clattering  squadrons.  As  they  came  thundering 
on,  the  hostile  lines  parted  and  let  them  pass  proudly 
through.  Buford  was  soon  overtaken,  and  a  line  of  battle 
formed ;  for  the  rebels,  enraged  to  think  they  had  let  Kil 
patrick  off  so  easily,  reorganized,  and  now  advanced  to  the 
attack.  A  fierce  cavalry  battle  followed,  lasting  till  after 
dark.  Pleasanton,  Buford,  Kilpatrick,  Ouster  and  Davis  again 
and  again  led  charges  in  person.  It  seemed  as  if  the  leaders 
on  both  sides  were  determined  to  test,  on  the  plains  of  Brandy 
Station,  the  question  of  superiority  between  the  cavalry ;  for 


276  BRISTOW    STATION. 

the  charges,  on  both  sides,  were  of  the  most  gallant  and  des 
perate  character.  The  dark  masses  would  drive  on  each 
other,  through  the  deepening  gloom,  with  defiant  yells, 
while  the  flashing  sabres  struck  fire  as  they  clashed  and  rung 
in  the  fierce  conflict.  At  length,  the  rebels  gave  it  up,  and 
our  cavalry,  gathering  up  its  dead  and  wounded,  crossed 
the  Rappahannock.  The  army  fell  back  along  the  railroad, 
from  Saturday  night  till  Wednesday,  without  bringing  on  a 
general  engagement.  To  the  Second  Corps,  commanded  by 
Warren,  was  assigned  the  difficult  task  of  guarding  its  rear. 
At  daylight  on  Wednesday,  this  Corps  took  up  its  march 
along  the  south  side  of  the  Orange  and  Alexandria  railroad, 
and  moved  to  Bristow  Station,  about  three  miles  from 
Manassas  Junction.  As  the  advance,  under  General  Webb, 
was  crossing  Broad  Run,  about  noon,  there  suddenly  came 
out  of  the  woods  north  of  the  railroad,  not  more  than  a 
hundred  yards  distant,  explosion  after  explosion  of  cannon, 
and  the  next  moment,  the  heads  of  the  rebel  columns 
appeared  in  view.  The  attack  was  totally  unexpected,  and 
was  designed  to  throw  the  Corps  into  confusion.  But  War 
ren,  whose  clear  head  no  surprise  could  unsettle,  at  once,  with 
that  tactical  skill  for  which  he  is  so  remarkable,  threw  his 
army  into  position  along  the  railroad,  and  awaited  the  onset. 
Hurrying  up  his  artillery,  and  planting  it  with  consummate 
judgment,  he  soon  rained  a  terrible  fire  on  the  rebel  ranks. 
Scarce  ten  minutes  had  elapsed  after  the  first  sudden  explo 
sion  of  artillery,  before  our  batteries  were  throwing  their 
shells  with  fatal  precision  into  those  of  the  enemy.  So 
horrible  was  the  fire,  that  the  rebels  soon  left  their  pieces 
in  dismay,  and  fled  to  the  woods.  As  the  smoke  lifted,  and 
disclosed  six  of  them  standing  deserted  in  the  field,  Warren 
detailed  ten  men  from  each  regiment  to  bring  them  off. 
They  bounded  forward  with  a  shout,  and  seizing  them  and 
wheeling  them  on  the  retreating  foe,  fired  a  parting  salute, 


DARING    OF    LEE.  277 

then  dragged  five  of  them  back  within  their  lines,  amid  the 
wildest  cheering  of  their  comrades.  The  rebel  infantry  now 
charged  Warren's  position,  but  were  met  with  such  a  wither 
ing  fire  that  they  broke  for  the  woods,  to  form  again.  After 
five  hours  of  fighting,  the  rebel  leaders  gave  it  up,  and 
retired  to  the  woods,  from  which  they  kept  up  an  irregular 
artillery  fire  till  dark,  when  they  fell  back  with  a  loss  of 
some  thirteen  hundred  in  killed,  wounded  and  prisoners,  six 
pieces  of  artillery,  and  two  battle-flags. 

This  was  Warren's  first  battle  as  sole  Commander,  and  the 
way  he  fought  it  showed  the  highest  skill  and  capacity  as  a 
General.  Meade,  in  his  congratulatory  order,  said:  "The 
skill  and  promptitude  of  Major-General  Warren,  and  the 
gallantry  and  bearing  of  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the 
Second  Corps,  are  entitled  to  high  commendation." 

Lee,  having  forced  Meade  to  fall  back  to  the  line  of  Bull 
Run,  destroyed,  the  Orange  and  Alexandria  railroad  from 
the  Rapidan  to  Manassas.  He  deserved  a  good  deal  of 
credit  for  this  skillful  movement,  for,  with  an  army  much 
inferior  to  Meade's  at  the  outset,  he  had  sent  off  a  large 
body  to  reinforce  Bragg ;  then  with  his  comparatively  small 
force,  had  boldly  assumed  the  offensive,  and  forced  our  army 
into  a  retreat. 

On  the  7th  of  the  next  month,  Generals  French  and 
Sedgwick  attacked  a  portion  of  the  rebel  army  at  Kelly's 
Ford,  taking  about  five  hundred  prisoners.  The  Rappahan- 
nock  Station  was  protected  by  several  strong  forts.  On  the 
north  side  was  a  fort  and  two  redoubts,  held  by  a  force  two 
thousand  strong.  Against  these,  French  and  Sedgwick 
next  moved,  with  great  rapidity,  and,  having  cut  off  the 
enemy's  retreat,  stormed  them — the  Sixth  Maine,  Fifth 
Wisconsin  and  Fourteenth  New  York  forming  the  assaulting 
force.  As  they  dashed  into  the  rifle-pits  and  forts,  a  short 
and  bloody  hand-to-hand  fight  followed — men  actually 


278  ADVANCE     OF     MEADE. 

grasping  each  other's  bayonets,  in  the  close  death"  struggle. 
But  in  twenty  minutes  it  was  over,  and  then  a  loud  and 
thrilling  cheer  went  up.  Over  sixteen  hundred  men,  four 
guns,  and  eight  battle-flags,  fell  into  our  hands. 

Lee  now  retired  to  his  old  position  behind  the  Rapidan, 
not  so  jubilant  as  when  he  advanced  across  it  to  drive 
Meade  back  to  the  Rappahannock.  The  latter,  stung  at  the 
audacious  manner  in  which  he  had  been  driven,  by  an  infe 
rior  force,  from  the  Rapidan,  now  made  preparations  to 
advance  again,  and  on  the  26th  of  November,  the  day  after 
the  battle  of  Missionary  Ridge,  {he  Second  Corps,  under 
General  Warren,  marched  to  the  Germania  Ford,  and  crossed 
the  river  in  the  afternoon — many  of  the  troops  wading  up 
to  their  nocks  in  the  icy  water.  Warren  then  moved  forward, 
and  next  day,  confronted  the  rebel  army.  But  General 
French,  on  the  right,  and  Sykes  on  the  left,  marching  by 
different  routes,  had  not  been  heard  from — in  fact,  the  for 
mer  had  lost  his  way — and  hence,  Warren  could  not  make 
the  attack  he  contemplated.  But,  at  sundown,  he  advanced 
his  skirmishers,  and,  by  his  brilliant  maneuvering,  made  the 
enemy  believe  that  he  was  about  to  attack  him,  and  thus 
gained  time  for  the  other  Corps  to  arrive.  Just  before  dark, 
the  First  Corps,  under  Newton,  came  up,  and  at  daylight 
next  morning,  the  Sixth,  under  Sedgwick.  The  line  of 
battle  was  at  once  formed,  and  advanced,  but  the  enemy 
was  gone,  having  decamped  the  night  before.  A  pursuit 
was  immediately  started,  and  the  rear-guard  overtaken. 
But  a  heavy  rain  setting  in,  accompanied  by  a  dense  fog, 
it  was  impossible  to  obtain  accurate  knowledge  of  the 
rebel  position,  which  was  a  very  strong  one,  on  the  west 
bank  of  Mine  Run.  Warren,  however,  determined  if  possible 
to  bring  on  a  battle,  and,  with  an  escort,  advanced  and  made 
a  close  personal  reconnoissance  of  the  enemy's  fortifications. 
So  perilous  was  this  bold  tour  along  the  hostile  lines,  that 


WINTER     QUARTERS.  279 

twenty  men  were  killed  and  wounded  before  it  was  com 
pleted.  Warren  having  laid  his  plans,  resolved  to  attack, 
and  the  next  morning  at  daylight,  his  Corps  was  in  motion. 
But  the  whole  day  was  spent  in  maneuvering  his  forces,  in 
the  wooded,  unknown  country,  to  thwart  the  rebel  attempt  to 
get  in  his  rear,  and  to  obtain  the  required  position.  He  report 
ed  to  Meade  that  night,  when  it  was  resolved  that  a  general 
assault  on  the  enemy's  fortifications  should  take  place  at 
eight  o'clock  the  next  morning.  But  Warren  ascertained, 
at  daylight,  that  the  rebel  lines  had  been  entirely  changed 
during  the  night,  and  that  his  force  and  position  wrere  such 
that  it  would  be  foolhardiness  to  make  the  attempt,  when  as 
yet  the  whole  army  was  not  up.  Another  plan  was  formed, 
but  abandoned,  and,  on  the  night  of  the  1st  of  December, 
the  army  recrossed  the  Rapidan,  and  eventually  retired  to 
winter  quarters. 

Thus  ended  the  third  year  of  the  history  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac.  Its  last  operations  had  not  been  successful, 
though  Warren,  the  young  and  recently-made  Major- General, 
had  shown  a  generalship  and  capacity  for  command,  which 
made  him  one  of  the  most  prominent  leaders  in  it,  and 
marked  him  out  as  one  of  the  main  pillars  on  which  Grant 
was  to  rest  in  his  great  campaign. 

During  this  month  (December),  a  brilliant  exploit  was 
performed  by  General  Averill,  who  was  directed  to  destroy 
the  East  Tennessee  and  Virginia  railroad.  It  cannot  be 
described  in  fewer  words  than  in  his  own  language : 

"  I  cut  the  Virginia  and  Tennessee  railroad,  at  Salem,  on 
the  16th  instant,  and  arrived  safely  at  this  point  (Edray, 
Pocahontas  County,  W.  Va.,)  with  my  command — consisting 
of  the  Second,  Third  and  Eighth  Virginia  mounted  infantry, 
Fourteenth  Pennsylvania,  Dobson's  battalion  of  cavalry,  and 
Ewing's  battery  at  Salem. 

"  Three  depots  were  destroyed,  containing  two  thousand 

48 


280  AVERILL'S  RAID. 

barrels  of  flour,  ten  thousand  bushels  of  wheat,  one  hundred 
thousand  bushels  of  shelled  corn,  fifty  thousand  bushels  of 
oats;  two  thousand  barrels  of  meat,  several  cords  of  leather, 
one  thousand  sacks  of  salt,  thirty-one  boxes  of  clothing, 
twenty  bales  of  cotton,  a  large  amount  of  harness,  shoes  and 
saddles,  equipments,  tools,  oil,  tar,  and  various  other  stores, 
and  one  hundred  wagons. 

"  The  telegraph  wire  was  cut,  coiled  and  burned,  for  half 
a  mile. 

"  The  water-station,  turn-table  and  three  cars  were  burned, 
and  the  track  torn  up  and  rails  heated  and  destroyed  as 
much  as  possible  in  six^  hours.  Five  bridges,  and  several 
culverts,  were  destroyed,  over  an  extent  of  fifteen  miles. 

"  A  large  quantity  of  bridge-timber  and  repairing  mate 
rials  were  also  destroyed. 

"  My  march  was  retarded  occasionally  by  the  tempest  in 
the  mountains,  and  the  icy  roads.  I  was  obliged  to  swim 
my  command,  and  drag  my  artillery  with  ropes,  across 
Craig's  Creek,  seven  times  in  twenty-four  hours. 

"  On  my  return,  I  found  six  separate  commands — under 
Generals  Early,  Jones,  Fitz-Hugh  Lee,  Imboden,  Jackson, 
Echols,  and  McCouslin — arranged  in  a  line  extending  from 
Staunton  to  Newport,  upon  all  the  available  roads,  to  pre 
vent  my  return.  I  captured  a  dispatch  from  General  Jones 
to  General  Early,  giving  me  the  position  and  that  of  Jack 
son  at  Clifton  Forge,  and  Covington  was  selected  to  carry. 

"  I  marched  from  the  front  of  Jones  to  that  of  Jackson, 
at  night.  His  outposts  were  pressed  in,  at  a  gallop,  by  the 
Eighth  Virginia  mounted  infantry,  and  the  two  bridges 
across  Jackson's  River  were  saved,  although  fagots  had 
been  piled  ready  to  ignite. 

"My  column,  about  four  miles  long,  hastened  across, 
regardless  of  the  enemy,  until  all  but  my  ambulances,  a  few 
wagons,  and  one  regiment,  had  passed,  when  a  strong  effort 


AVER  ILL'S   RAID.  281 

was  made  to  retake  the  first  bridge,  in  which  they  did  not 
succeed. 

"The  ambulances  and  some  sick  men  were  lost,  and,  by 
the  darkness  and  difficulties,  the  last  regiment  was  detained 
upon  the  opposite  side  until  morning.  "When  it  was  ascer 
tained  that  the  enemy  seemed  determined  to  maintain  his 
position  up  the  cliffs  which  overlooked  the  bridges,  I 
caused  the  bridges,  which  were  long  and  high,  to  be  de 
stroyed,  and  the  enemy  immediately  changed  his  position 
to  the  flank  and  rear  of  the  detachment  which  was  cut  off. 
I  sent  orders  to  the  remnants  to  destroy  our  wagons,  and 
come  to  me  across  the  river,  or  over  the  mountains. 

u  They  swam  the  river,  with  the  loss  of  only  four  men 
who  were  drowned,  and  joined  me.  In  the  meantime, 
forces  of  the  enemy  were  concentrating  upon  me,  at  Calla- 
ghanX  over  every  available  road  but  one,  which  was  deemed 
impracticable,  but  by  which  I  crossed  over  the  top  of  the 
Alleghanies  with  my  command,  with  the  exception  of  four 
caissons,  which  were  destroyed  in  order  to  increase  the 
teams  of  the  pieces.  My  loss  is  six  men  drowned,  one  officer 
and  four  men  wounded,  .and  four  officers  and  ninety  men 


missing. 


:t  We  captured  about  two  hundred  prisoners,  but  have 
retained  but  forty  officers  and  eighty  men,  on  account  of 
their  inability  to  walk.  We  took  also  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  horses. 

"My  horses  have  subsisted  entirely  upon  a  very  poor 
country,  and  the  officers  and  men  have  suffered  cold,  hunger 
and  fatigue  with  remarkable  fortitude.  My  command  has 
marched,  climbed,  slid  and  swum  three  hundred  and  fifty-five 
miles,  since  the  8th  instant." 

The  public  mind,  East,  had  been  kept  in  a  state  of 
excitement  by  other  than  military  events.  During  Novem 
ber,  the  National  Cemetery  at  Gettysburg,  for  the  burial  of 


282  AMNESTY     PROCLAMATION. 

the  soldiers  who  fell  there,  was  consecrated,  with  great  cere 
mony — Edward  Everett  delivering  the  Address. 

The  most  important  event  of  December,  however,  was  a 
proclamation  of  amnesty,  by  the  President,  and  a  proposition 
for  the  admission  of.  rebel  States  back  into  the  Union.  A 
full  pardon  was  granted  to  all  who  would  take  the  following 
oath,  except  the  class  afterwards  mentioned . 

"  I, ,  do  solemnly  swear,  in  presence  of  Almighty  God,  that  I 

will  henceforth  faithfully  support,  protect  and  defend  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States,  and  the  "Union  of  the  States  thereunder ;  and  that  I  will,  in 
like  manner,  abide  by  and  faithfully  support  all  Acts  of  Congress  passed 
during  the  existing  rebellion  with  reference  to  slaves,  so  long  and  so  far  as 
not  repealed,  modified  or  held  void  by  Congress,  or  by  decision  of  the 
Supreme  Court ;  and  that  I  will,  in  like  manner,  abide  by  and  faithfully  sup 
port  all  proclamations  of  the  President,  made  during  the  existing  rebellion, 
having  reference  to  slaves,  so  long  and  so  far  as  not  modified  or  declared 
void  by  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court.  So  help  me,  God." 

The  persons  exceptecl  from  the  benefits  of  the  foregoing  provisions,  are  r 
All  who  are,  or  shall  have  been,  civil  or  diplomatic  officers  or  agents  of  the 
so-called  Confederate  Government ;  all  who  have  left  judicial  stations  under 
the  United  States,  to  aid  the  rebellion ;  all  who  are,  or  shall  have  been, 
military  or  naval  officers  of  said  so-called  Confederate  Government,  above 
the  rank  of  Colonel  in  the  Army,  or  of  Lieutenant  in  the  Navy ;  all  who 
left  seats  in  the  United  States  Congress,  to  aid  the  rebellion ;  all  who 
resigned  commissions  in  the  Army  or  Navy  of  the  United  States,  and  after 
ward  aided  the  rebellion ;  and  all  who  have  engaged  in  any  way  in  treating 
colored  persons,  or  white  persons  in  charge  of  such,  otherwise  than  lawfully 
as  prisoners  of  war,  and  which  persons  may  have  been  found  in  the  United 
States  service  as  soldiers,  seamen,  or  in  any  other  capacity. 

The  following  portion,  relating  to  the  re-establishment  of 
the  States  in  the  Union,  was  met  with  a  storm  of  denuncia 
tion  by  the  opposition,  as  a  high-handed  attempt  to  secure 
electoral  votes  at  the  Presidential  Election  to  take  place  the 
next  Autumn : 

"  And  I  do  further  proclaim,  declare,  and  make  known,  that  whenever  in 
any  of  the  States  of  Arkansas,  Texas,  Louisiana,  Mississippi,  Tennessee, 
Alabama,  Georgia,  Virginia,  Florida,  South  Carolina  and  North  Carolina,  a 
number  of  persons,  not  less  than  one  tenth-  in  number  of  the  votes  cast  in 
guch  State  at  the  Presidential  Election  of  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  sixty,  each  having  taken  the  oath  aforesaid  and  not  having 
since  violated  it,  and  being  a  qualified  voter  by  the  election  law  of  the  State 
existing  immediately  before  the  so-called  Act  of  Secession,  and  excluding 


POLITICAL    AGITATION.  283 

all  others,  shall  re-establish  a  State  Government  which  shall  be  republican, 
and  in  nowise  contravening  said  oath,  such  shall  be  recognized  as  the  true 
Government  of  the  State,  and  the  State  shall  receive  thereunder  the  benefits 
of  the  Constitutional  provision  which  declares  that  '  the  United  States  shall 
guarantee  to  every  State  in  this  Union  a  republican  form  of  government, 
and  shall  protect  each  of  them  against  invasion,  and,  on  application  of  the 
Legislature,  or  the  Executive  (when  the  Legislature  cannot  be  convened), 
against  domestic  violence.' 

And  I  do  further  proclaim,  declare,  and  make  known  that  any  provision 
which  may  be  adopted  by  such  State  Government  in  relation  to  the  freed 
people  of  such  State,  which  shall  recognize  and  declare  their  permanent 
freedom,  provide  for  their  education,  and  which  may  yet  be  consistent,  as  a 
temporary  arrangement,  with  their  present  condition  as  a  laboring,  landless 
and  homeless  class,  will  not  be  objected  to  by  the  National  Executive.  And 
it  is  suggested  as  not  improper,  that,  in  constructing  a  loyal  State  Govern 
ment  in  any  State,  the  name  of  the  State,  the  boundary,  the  subdivisions, 
the  Constitution,  and  the  general  code  of  laws,  as  before  the  rebellion,  be 
maintained,  subject  only  to  the  modifications  made  necessary  by  the  condi 
tions  heretofore  stated,  and  such  others,  if  any,  not  contravening  said 
conditions,  and  which  may  be  deemed  expedient  by  those  framing  the  new 
State  Government. 

To  avoid  misunderstanding,  it  may  be  proper  to  say  that  this  proclama 
tion,  so  far  as  it  relates  to  State  Governments,  has  no  reference  to  States 
wherein  loyal  State  Governments  have  all  the  while  been  maintained.  And, 
for  the  same  reason,  it  may  be  proper  to-further  say,  that  whether  members 
sent  to  Congress  from  any  State  shall  be  admitted  to  seats,  constitutionally 
rests  exclusively  with  the  respective  Houses,  and  not  to  any  extent  with  the 
Executive.  And  still  further,  that  this  proclamation  is  intended  to  present 
the  people  of  the  States  wherein  the  National  authority  lias  been  suspended, 
and  loyal  State  Governments  have  been  subverted,  a  mode  in  and  by  which 
the  National  and  loyal  State  Governments  may  be  re-established  within  said 
States,  or  in  any  of  them ;  and,  while  the  mode  presented  is  the  best  the 
Executive  can  suggest,  with  his  present  impressions,  it  must  not  be  under 
stood  that  no  other  possible  mode  would  be  acceptable. 

Given  tinder  my  hand,  at  the  City  of  Washington,  the  eighth  day  of  De 
cember,  A.  D.  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-three,  and  of  the  Inde 
pendence  of  the  United  States  of  America  the  eighty-eighth. 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN." 

All  during  the  Autumn,  political  matters  agitated  the 
public  mind  almost  as  much  as  events  in  the  field. 
Schenck's  military  orders  with  regard  to  elections  in  Mary 
land  and  Delaware,  were  denounced  as  an  attempt  to  control 
the  polls  with  the  bayonet ;  and  all  felt  that  the  fierce  party 
strife  that  was  to  be  waged  the  coming  year,  would  test  the 
stability  of  our  Government  more  than  anything  that  had 
yet  transpired — and  trembled  to  contemplate  it. 


284  ,     A     LIEUTENANT-GENERAL. 

The  Army  of  the  Potomac,  as  we  have  noticed,  went  into 
winter  quarters  near  Washington,  confronted  by  the  rebel  army 
under  Lee ;  and  Grant's  army  did  the  same  at  Chattanooga,  in 
front  of  Bragg.  The  calls,  from  time  to  time,  for  volunteers, 
had  amounted  to  a  prodigious  number,  and  still  the  war 
seemed  as  far  from  being  over  as  ever,  and  it  became  very 
evident  that  a  radical  change  must  be  made  in  the  mode  of 
carrying  it  on.  Scott's  original  plan  was,  to  have  two  great 
armies  move  simultaneously — one  down  the  Valley  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  another  along  the  Eastern  coast — and  driving 
the  enemy  before  them,  finally  crush  him  somewhere  in  the 
Southern  States.  McClellan's  plan  was  the  same ;  and  the 
movements  West  commenced  almost  simultaneously  with  his. 
The  recall  of  the  army  from  before  Richmond,  broke  up  this 
plan,  and  ever  since,  in  the  East,  the  Government  had  been  oc 
cupied  in  defending  its  own  Capital.  This  course,  it  was  plain, 
must  be  brought  to  a  close,  or  the  war  never  would  be  ended. 
Halleck  was  evidently  unequal  to  the  task  6f  grasping  and 
carrying  out  a  great  plan ;  and  the  Secretary  of  War  was 
no  better.  Congress,  had  only  made  matters  worser  by 
its  interference,  and  resolved,  at  last,  to  abandon  it,  and 
compel  the  Cabinet  to  do  the  same,  and  so  passed  an  Act 
creating  the  office  of  Lieutenant-General — evidently  for  the 
purpose  of  giving  General  Grant  that  rank.  The  President 
at  once  nominated  him,  and  his  confirmation  took  a  heavy 
load  from  the  public  heart.  A  military  man,  with  the  power 
to  grasp  and  the  energy  to  carry  out  a  great  plan,  and 
embrace  the  vast  field  of  operations,  was  at  last  at  the  head 
of  the  national  forces,  and  it  was  plain  that  the  day  of  u  quid 
nuncs  "  at  Washington  was  over.  The  mighty  power  of  the 
North,  which  had  been  hurled  hither  and  thither  with  such 
blind  energy,  was  to  be  held  calmly  in  hand,  and  made  to 
move  like  the  steady,  resistless  tide  of  the  ocean,  on  the 
rebel  forces. 


SHERMAN'S  RAID.  285 

Previous,  however,  to  the  commencement  of  this  new 
order  of  things,  and  as  if  designed  by  Providence  as  a 
preparation,  a  movement  was  made  by  Sherman  into  Central 
Mississippi.  Placing  a  cavalry  force  of  nearly  eight  thou 
sand  under  General  W.  F.  Smith,  with  orders  to  start  on  the 
1st  of  February  from  Memphis,  and  to  move  toward 
Meridian,  he  himself,  on  the  3rd  of  February,  with  a  force 
of  about  twenty  thousand  infantry  and  twelve  hundred 
cavalry,  and  provisions  for  twenty  days,  took  his  departure 
from  Vicksburg.  His  march  was  easterly,  across  the  Big 
Black  River,  by  way  of  Champion  Hills,  Clinton  and  Jack 
son.  Moving  rapidly  eastward— scattering  the  astonished 
enemy  as  he  advanced — by  the  middle  of  the  month,  he  was 
at  Meridian,  the  center  of  a  network  of  railroads.  Here  he 
halted,  and  waited  for  Smith's  cavalry,  but  it  did  not  come. 
This  officer  did  not  start  till  the  llth,  and  had  advanced 
only  a  little  beyond  Okalona,  when  he  was  met  by  the 
enemy.  Ordering  a  retreat,  he  was  attacked  and  defeated 
badly,  and  finally  succeeded  in  reaching  Memphis  with  his 
command  completely  disorganized.  Sherman  intended  to 
cut  off  Mobile  from  Johnston,  who  had  succeeded  Bragg  in 
the  command  of  the  Confederate  army ;  confuse  and  cut  up, 
as  much  as  possible,  Polk's  army,  that  was  confronting  him ; 
destroy  military  depots,  supplies,  &c. ;  and,  if  everything 
should  work  favorably,  swoop  down  on  Mobile,  on  which  Far- 
ragut  was  pounding.  But  Smith's  defeat  put  a  stop  to  his 
movements.  He  did  not  dare  to  advance  further  without 
that  cavalry  force,  and  so  he  leisurely  retraced  his  steps  to 
Yicksburg,  followed  at  a  respectful  distance  by.  his  cautious 
adversary. 

This  expedition  was  designed  to  be  an  important  one,  and 
the  public  expected  great  results  from  it ;  but  the  failure 
of  the  cavalry  force  to  co-operate  with  it,  converted  it  into 
a  raid.  Yet,  in  moving  across  the  whole  State  of  Missis- 


286  USEFUL    KNOWLEDGE. 

sippi,  for  a  hundred  and  thirty  miles,  he  had  not  merely 
caused  great  destruction,  and  terror  among  the  inhabitants, 
but  had  tested  practically  the  capacity  of  the  country  to 
feed  an  army,  and  doubtless  obtained  that  knowledge  which 
afterward  made  him  attempt  the  bold  and  daring  march 
across  the  State  of  Georgia. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

GRANT  AT  THE  HEAD  OF  ALL  OUR  ARMIES — SHERMAN  APPOINTED  OVER  GRANTS 

DEPARTMENT    WEST A    SURVEY    OF    THE    WHOLE    FIELD FARRAGUT  AT    MO- 

BILE CALL  FOR  FIVE  HUNDRED  THOUSAND  MEN BUTLER?S  FAILURE  BEFORE 

RICHMOND THE    EXPEDITION    INTO    FLORIDA     UNDER     GENERAL    SEYMOUR 

BATTLE      OF     OLUSTEE KILPATRICK's      BOLD      ATTEMPT     TO      LIBERATE      OUR 

PRISONERS  IN  RICHMOND DEATH  OF  COLONEL  DAHLGREN FORREST'S    RAID 

IN  KENTUCKY SURRENDER  OF  UNION  CITY ATTACK  ON  PADUCAH DAS 
TARDLY  CONDUCT  OF  THE  REBELS ATTACK  ON  FORT  PILLOW THE  MAS 
SACRE THE  REBELS  ATTACK  PLYMOUTH,  NORTH  CAROLINA A  REBEL  IRON 
CLAD  ATTACKS  THE  MIAMI  AND  SOUTHFIELD,  SINKING  THE  LATTER EVACUA 
TION  OF  PLYMOUTH POPULAR  INDIGNATION. 

TjlVERYTHING  now  seemed  ready  for  the  great  change 
•  Tj  that  took  place  the  next  month,  when  Lieutenant- 
General  Grant  was  put  at  the  head  of  all  the  armies  of  the 
Union.  The  same  order  of  the  12th  of  March,  that  gave 
him  this  high  position,  assigned  to  Sherman  the  command 
of  the  Department  of  the  Mississippi — composed  of  the 
minor  Departments  of  the  Ohio,  the  Cumberland,  the  Ten 
nessee,  and  Arkansas — in  short,  the  command  vacated  by 
Grant.  Under  him,  was  a  group  of  lieutenants  rarely 
equaled,  never  surpassed,  in  any  army — McPherson,  Hooker, 
Thomas,  Howard,  Hurlbut,  Logan  and  Schofield.  It  was  a 
grand  army,  and  grandly  officered. 

Grant,  in  Washington,  at  once  went  back  to  the  original 
military  plan  of  moving  two  armies  simultaneously  south — 
one  east,  and  the  other  west  of  the  Alleghanies.  Richmond 
and  Atlanta  were  the  objective  points,  which,  when  once 
reached — the  former  the  head,  and  the  latter  the  heart  of 
the  Confederacy — the  two  mighty  armies  could  steadily 


288  SURVEi"     OF    THE     FIELD. 

approach  each  other,  crushing  and  grinding  whatever  lay 
between  them.  As  Grant,  from  his  high  position,  took  a 
glance  at  the  work  before  him,  what  a  spectacle  met  his 
gaze !  Never  before  had  one  Commander  surveyed  such  a 
vast  field  of  operations,  and  looked  over  such  a  mighty 
array,  subject  to  his  single  control.  From  the  Potomac  to 
the  Rio  Grande,  for  five  thousand  miles,  arose  the  smoke  of 
camp-fires,  and  stood  embattled  hosts  awaiting  his  bidding. 
To  aid  him  in  the  gigantic  task  before  him,  six  hundred 
vessels  of  war  lined  the  rivers  and  darkened  the  coast  for 
twenty-five  hundred  miles,  while  four  thousand  guns  lay 
ready  to  send  their  stern  summons  into  rebel  defenses. 

Soon,  the  effect  of  Grant's  grand  designs  began  to  be 
felt,  though  scarcely  seen  by  the  public  eye.  Railways 
groaned  under  the  weight  of  soldiers  returning  to  their 
regiments;  the  rivers  were  black  with  transports  bearing 
ordnance  and  supplies,  and  the  entire  North  trembled  under 
the  tremendous  preparations  going  forward.  It  was  no  single 
isolated  battle  that  Grant  contemplated,  but  mighty,  unceas 
ing  blows  to  be  dealt  by  the  colossal  force  under  his  com 
mand.  It  was  to  be  a  final  struggle  between  the  North  and 
South — the  last  fatal  interlocking  of  the  two  giants  in  a 
death  grapple. 

We  needed  a  practical  head  like  his,  over  the  Navy 
Department.  If  the  naval  power  of  the  South  had  borne 
any  proportion  to  its  land  forces,  this  want  would  have  been 
felt  in  a  deplorable  manner.  But  our  naval  strength  was  so 
overwhelmingly  preponderant,  that  great  disasters  were 
almost  impossible.  But  the  feelings  of  our  naval  Commanders 
may  be  gathered  from  Farragut's  dispatches  from  before 
Mobile,  on  the  outer  forts  of  whose  Bay  he  was  fiercely 
pounding,  while  Sherman  was  traversing  the  State  of  Mis 
sissippi  with  the  hope  of  lending  him  a  helping  hand.  In 
the  latter  part  of  January,  he  had  made  a  bold  reconnoissance 


FARRAGUT     AT     MOBILE.  289 

of  Forts  Morgan  and  Gaines,  and,  as  a  result  of  his  observa 
tions,  wrote  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  that  he  was  satis 
fied  that  if  he  had  had  but  a  single  iron-clad,  he  could  have 
u  destroyed  the  whole  force  in  the  Bay,  and  reduced  the 
forts  at  his  leisure."  In  the  latter  part  of  February,  he 
shelled  Fort  Powell  Two  or  three  months  later,  he  wrote : 
"  I  deeply  regret  that  the  Department  has  not  been  able  to 
give  us  one  of  the  many  iron-clads  that  are  off  Charleston 
and  on  the  Mississippi.  I  have  always  looked  for  the  latter, 
but  it  appears  that  it  takes  its  twice,  as  long  to  build  an  iron 
clad  as  any  one  else.  It  looks  as  if  the  contractors  and  the 
fates  were  against  us.  While  the  rebels  are  bending  their 
whole  energies  to  the  war,  our  people  are  expecting  the 
war  to  close  by  default,  and  if  they  do  not  awake  to  a  sense 
of  their  clanger  soon,  it  will  be  so."  This  was  very  plain 
talk,  by  one  who  stood  at  the  head  of  the  navy,  to  the 
Secretary,  and  shows  how  differently  things  would  have 
been  managed  if  he  had  been  allowed  to  control  matters. 

Between  the  victory  of  Chattanooga  and  the  next  May, 
when  Grant  would  be  ready  to  begin  his  great  simultaneous 
movement  of  the  two  grand  armies  of  the  republic,  there 
was  considerable  activity  in  military  affairs  in  various  parts 
of  the  country.  In-  January,  quite  a  fight  occurred  at 
Strawberry  Plains,  Tennessee,  and  the  rebels  obtained  some 
successes  in  Western  Virginia.  The  President's  proclama 
tion,  on  the  1st  of  February,  ordering  a  draft  for  five 
hundred  thousand  men  to  be  made  on  the  10th  day  of 
March,  showed  what  mighty  preparations  were  in  prospect. 

Butler,  having  heard  that  Richmond  was  weakly  garri 
soned,  started  an  expedition  to  liberate  the  prisoners  there, 
but  it  turned  out  a  miserable  failure. 

One  of  the  most  important  expeditions — or,  at  least,  most 
talked  about — was  one  under  General  Seymour,  that  left 
Port  Royal,  the  fore  part  "of  the  month,  for  Jacksonville, 


290  FLORIDA    EXPEDITION. 

Florida.  It  was  composed  of  twenty  steamers,  eight 
schooners,  and  about  five  thousand  troops.  It  left  Hilton 
Head  on  the  morning  of  the  6th,  and  occupied  Jacksonville 
the  next  day.  Gillmore,  the  Commander  of  the  Department, 
said  the  object  of  the  expedition  was:  First,  to  procure  an 
outlet  for  cotton,  lumber,  timber,  &c.  *  Second,  to  cut  off 
one  of  the  enemy's  sources  of  supplies.  Third,  to  obtain 
recruits  for  any  colored  regiments.  And  last,  "to  inaugu 
rate  measures  for  the  speedy  restoration  of  Florida  to  her 
allegiance,  in  accordance  with  instructions  received  from  the 
President,  by  tlie  hands  of  Major  John  Hay,  Assistant  Adjutant- 
General"  The  three  first  reasons  might  as  well  have  been 
omitted,  as  the  last  was  the  true  one.  Seymour,  in  accord 
ance  with  his  instructions,  pushed  a  force  on  to  Baldwin, 
twenty  miles  from  Jacksonville,  while  another  portion  was 
sent  forward  to  Sanderson.  These  preliminary  steps  being 
taken,  Gillmore  returned  to  Jacksonville,  leaving  Seymour 
in  command  in  the  field.  The  latter,  on  his  own  responsi 
bility,  now  determined  to  advance  inland  a  hundred  miles, 
without  supplies,  in  order  to  destroy  the  railroad,  near  the 
Savannah  River.  On  the  18th,  the  army  left  its  camp  at 
Jacksonville,  in  light  marching  order,  with  ten  days'  rations, 
and  made  sixteen  miles,  over  bad  roads,  that  day.  The 
next  day,  it  marched  seventeen  miles,  and  encamped  at  a 
place  called  Barber's.  In  the  morning,  the  march  was 
resumed,  the  objective  point  being  Lake  City,  nearly  forty 
miles  distant ;  but  the  columns  had  proceeded  only  sixteen 
or  eighteen  miles,  when  the  enemy's  skirmishers  were  met. 
Pushing  these  back  four  miles,  the  army  came  upon  the 
rebels  in  force.  The  columns  were  at  once  deployed,  and 
Hamilton's  battery  ordered  forward  to  within  a  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  of  the  hostile  line.  This  close  proximity,  of 
course,  brought  the  gunners  completely  under  the  fire  of  the 
sharpshooters.  It  went  in  with  four  pieces,  fifty  horses, 


BATTLE     OF     OLUSTEE.  291 

eighty-two  men  and  four  officers.  In  twenty  minutes,  half 
of  the  guns,  half  of  the  officers,  more  than  half  of  the  men, 
and  all  but  ten  of  the  horses,  were  lost.  The  different  regi 
ments,  as  they  came  into  position,  were  met  by  a  murderous 
fire.  One  broke,  another  got  out  of  place,  and  yet  the 
conflict  raged  with  terrible  ferocity.  Seymour  was  every 
where  present,  apparently  reckless  of  death,  striving  to  win 
the  battle  thus  suddenly,  unexpectedly  thrown  upon  him; 
but  his  efforts  were  all  in  vain.  He  succeeded  only  in 
holding  the  men  to  a  useless  slaughter.  From  two  o'clock 
till  dark,  the  contest  was  close  and  deadly,  when,  as  if  by 
mutual  consent,  it  ceased,  and  Seymour,  leaving  most  of  his 
wounded  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  withdrew,  and  the 
troops,  foot-sore  and  weary,  marched  all  night  to  Barber's — 
having  marched  over  thirty  miles,  and  fought  for  four  hours, 
since  the  previous  morning.  The  next  morning  (Sunday), 
the  shattered,  dispirited  army  continued  its  retreat,  and  did 
not  rest  till  it  reached  its  old  camps  at  Jacksonville.  Over 
one-fifth  of  the  army  of  five  thousand  men,  and  five  pieces 
of  artillery,  were  lost  in  this  disastrous  fight — called  the 
battle  of  Olustee,  because  it  occurred  a  few  miles  from  this 
railroad  station.  The  whole  affair  caused  a  great  deal  of 
indignation,  and,  as  in  the  case  of  all  foolish,  unsuccessful 
expeditions,  every  one  engaged  in  it  was  blamed  by  turns. 
Now  the  President  and  Hay — whom  he  had  made  Major  on 
purpose  to  accompany  the  expedition — were  blamed ;  now 
Seymour,  for  being  ambuscaded,  and  now  Gillmore,  for 
allowing  it  to  be  so  miserably  conducted.  So,  too,  the 
Seventh  New  Hampshire,  and  a  colored  regiment,  were 
accused  of  losing  the  battle  by  their  poltroonry.  Of  course, 
an  investigation  was  called  for,  while  the  newspapers  dis 
cussed  it  freely,  without  waiting  for  its  developments.  Gill- 
more  asserted  that  Seymour  moved  inland  in  direct  violation 
of  his  orders,  and,  after  he  started,  required  him,  his  superior, 


292  KILPATRICK'S   RAID. 

to  make  a  naval  demonstration  in  his  behalf.  Seymour  has 
not  seen  fit  to  tell  how  much  the  presence  of  Major  Hay  had 
to  do  with  this  departure  from  the  course  marked  out  for  him 
by  Gillmore.  We  suspect  it  would  be  hard  to  fix  the  blame 
on  any  one  man.  It  was  one  of  those  shrewd  little  plans 
got  up  between  those  at  Washington  and  some  civilians  and 
officers — the  success  of  which  was  intended  to  astonish  the 
country,  and  show  that  all  the  wisdom  did  not  rest  in  military 
quarters.  All  that  need  be  said  of  it  is,  it  was  a  foolish 
expedition  from  the  start — badly  carried  out,  and  a  total, 
disgraceful  failure. 

The  rebel  General,  Patton  Anderson,  soon  after  the  battle, 
did  an  act  which  should  be  mentioned  to  his  honor.  He 
made  out  and  sent  in  a  complete  list  of  all  our  prisoners  in 
his  hands,  both  white  and  colored,  together  with  a  descrip 
tion  of  the  character  of  the  injuries  of  each  of  the  wounded. 
This  conduct  was  the  more  noticeable,  being  in  such  striking 
contrast  with  the  brutality  shown  to  the  blacks  at  Fort 
Wagner  and  other  places. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  month,  Kilpatrick  started  on  his 
great  raid  for  the  relief  of  our  prisoners  in  Richmond,  which 
were  reported  to  be  in  a  most  suffering  condition.  Know 
ing  that  the  rebel  Capital  was  weakly  garrisoned,  he  thought 
that  he  might,  by  a  sudden  dash,  enter  it  and  release  them 
before  a  sufficient  force  could  be  brought  up  to  arrest  his 
progress.  His  plan  was  submitted  to  the  President  and 
Secretary  of  War,  and  after  due  deliberation  accepted,  and, 
on  the  last  day  of  February,  this  daring  leader,  with  four 
thousand  chosen  men,  left  his  camp  at  Steven sburg,  and 
marched  for  Ely's  Ford,  on  the  Rapidan.  By  the  aid  of  a 
daring  scout  named  Hogan,  he  succeeded  in  capturing  the 
entire  picket  stationed  there,  without  giving  the  alarm.  Pie 
then  pushed  rapidly  forward,  and  at  daylight  reached 
Spottsylvania  Court  House.  Elated  with  his  successful  start, 


RICHMOND     ALARMED.  293 

he  now  moved  rapidly  towards  the  Beaver  Dam  Station,  on 
the  Virginia  Central  railroad,  which  he  reached  at  four 
o'clock,  and  where  he  went  into  camp  for  a  few  hours. 
Colonels  Dahlgren  and  Cook,  with  five  hundred  men,  had 
been  sent  across  the  James  River,  to  move  down  its  south 
bank  and  release  the  prisoners  at  Belle  Isle,  and  then  with 
them  join  Kilpatrick  in  the  city,  who  was  to  enter  it  by  the 
Brook  turnpike.  The  latter  carried  the  first  line  of  rebel 
works,  within  two  miles  of  the  Capital,  and  opened  on  it 
with  his  artillery,  the  sound  of  which  was  to  be  the  signal 
for  Dahlgren  to  advance.  The  latter,  however,  misled  by  a 
negro  guide,  did  not  appear,  and  Kilpatrick,  disappointed 
in  not  having  his  co-operation,  and  finding  the  rebel  defenses 
stronger  than  he  had  anticipated,  now  spent  some  hours  in 
reconnoitering  to  see  if  he  could  not  find  a  weak  place 
where  he  could  dash  in.  In  the  meantime,  the  city  was 
thrown  into  the  wildest  consternation.  The  bells  were  rung, 
and  couriers  sent  off  to  hurry  up  the  troops  on  the  Chicka- 
hominy.  Finding  the  obstacles  in  front  of  him  too  great  to 
be  surmounted,  and  the  hostile  forces  concentrating  fast,  he 
was  compelled  reluctantly  to  abandon  his  bold  design,  and  see 
to  the  safety  of  his  command.  Falling  back,  he  swept  around 
Richmond  to  the  Chickahominy,  which  he  crossed,  at  Meadow 
Bridge,  and  went  into  camp  in  the  midst  of  a  driving  storm  of 
sleet,  and  hail,  and  snow.  Here  he  was  attacked  by  a  heavy 
force,  but  succeeded,  after  a  sharp  fight,  in  repulsing  it,  and 
moving  off  to  Old  Church,  again  went  into  camp,  to  wait 
the  arrival  of  his  scattered  detachments.  During  the  day, 
they  all  came  in  except  Dahlgren's  command.  At  length, 
hearing  that  the  latter  was  over  the  Pamunkey,  and  making 
his  way  towards  Gloucester  Point,  he  moved  leisurely  down 
the  Peninsula,  a»d  arrived  safely  at  Yorktown.  Dahlgren, 
becoming  separated  in  the  darkness  from  his  main  body, 
fought  his  way,  with  a  hundred  men,  to  within  three  miles 


294  DEATH     OF     DAHLGREN. 

of  King  and  Queen  Court-House,  where  he  fell  into  an 
ambuscade  and  was  shot  down,  and  all  but  seventeen  of  his 
party  killed  or  taken  prisoners.  The  body  of  this  gallant 
young  officer  was  shamefully  maltreated,  and  buried  in  the 
middle  of  the  road  by  the  rebels,  to  show  their  savage  hate. 
They  asserted,  in  extenuation  of  their  conduct,  that  a  paper 
was  found  in  his  pocket,  directing  that  Richmond  when 
captured  should  be  laid  in  ashes  and  given  overdo  plunder. 
This  raid  had  a  special,  noble  object  in  view,  which  would 
sanction  the  taking  of  heavy  risks. 

The  sudden  appearance  of  the  rebels,  the  latter  part  of 
this  same  month,  in  the  western  part  of  Kentucky,  took  the 
country  by  surprise. 

On  the  24th  of  March,  Forrest,,  in  command  of  the  rebel 
forces,  attacked  Union  City,  which  was  surrendered  by 
Colonel  Hawkins,  the  Commander,  in  a  manner  that  called 
forth  the  bitterest  condemnation.  The  next  day,  the  com 
bined  rebel  force,  numbering  in  all  six  thousand  men, 
attacked  Paducah,  which  post  was  held  by  Colonel  S.  GL 
Hicks,  with  six  hundred  and  fifty-five  men.  On  the  approach 
of  the  enemy,  Colonel  Hicks  retired  into  Fort  Anderson 
with  his  little  band,  resolved  to  hold  it  to  the  last  extremity, 
while  some  gunboats  in  the  river,  commanded  by  Captain 
Shirk,  moved  up  to  his  assistance.  Forrest  advanced  to 
the  attack,  but  failed  to  make  any  impression  on  the  fort. 
He  then  sent  a  flag  of  truce  to  Colonel  Hicks,  demanding 
the  surrender  of  the  place,  saying  in  conclusion,  "  If  you 
surrender,  you  shall  be  treated  as  prisoners  of  war,  but  if  I 
have  to  storm  your  works,  you  may  expect  no  quarter." 
Hicks  very  quietly  replied,  that  he  had  been  placed  there 
by  his  Government  to  defend  the  post,  and  should  do  it. 
Forrest,  however,  made  a  base  use  of  the  flag  of  truce,  and 
advanced  his  troops,  while  the  negotiations  were  going  on, 
to  advantageous  positions.  His  sharpshooters  also  mingled 


A     COWARDLY     ACT.  295 

with  the  women  and  children  that  had  been  sent  out  of  town 
to  avoid  danger,  and  picked  off  the  officers  of  the  gunboats, 
knowing  that  they  could  not  be  lired  on  without  killing  the 
women  and  children.  They  also  placed  women  in  front  of 
their  lines  as  they  moved  towards  the  fort — a  piece  of 
dastardly  cowardice  that  can  hardly  be  believed  of  any 
American. 

Forrest  made  three  desperate  assaults  on  the  place  during 
the  day,  but  each  time  was  met  with  such  a  destructive  fire 
that  he  was  repulsed  with  a  loss  of  three  hundred  killed 
and  about  a  thousand  wounded,  while  on  our  side  only 
sixty  were  killed  or  wounded.  Finding  that  Colonel  Hicks 
could  be  neither  frightened  nor  forced  into  a  surrender,  he 
withdrew,  and  on  the  12th  of  next  month — the  anniversary 
of  the  attack  on  Fort  Sumter — drove  in  the  pickets  of  the 
garrison  of  Fort  Pillow.  This  fort  was  situated  on  a  high 
bluff  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  and  was  garrisoned 
with  five  hundred  and  fifty-seven  men — two  hundred  and 
sixty-two  of  whom  were  colored  troops. 

MASSACRE   AT    FORT    PILLOW. 

The  attack  was  made  at  sunrise.  Major  Booth,  of  the 
colored  troops,  the  senior  in  command,  was  killed  about  nine 
o'clock,  and  Major  Bradford  succeeded  him.  Forrest  pressed 
his  attack  vigorously,  up  to  .three  o'clock,  but  without  any 
success.  The  gunboat  New  Era,  Captain  Marshall,  threw 
its  shells  with  great  effect  into  the  rebel  ranks,  causing  them 
to  flee  from  one  ravine  into  another,  as  she  shifted  from  one 
position  to  another  in  answer  to  the  signals  from  the  fort. 
Forrest,  finding  that  he  could  not  carry  the  place  by  assault, 
resorted  to  a  flag  of  truce,  under  cover  of  which,  with  true 
Mexican  duplicity,  he  determined  to  gain  a  position  that 
would  enable  him,  with  a  single  dash,  to  get  into  the  fort.  He 

49 


29G  MASSACRE    AT     FORT     PILLOW. 

now  demanded  a  surrender  of  the  place,  and  Major  Bradford 
asked  an  hour  in  which  to  consult  with  his  officers.  Forrest 
replied  that  he  would  give  him  but  twenty  minutes,  and  in 
the  meantime  moved  his  men  along  a  ravine  to  the  position 
he  desired.  Bradford  rejecting  the  summons  to  surrender, 
the  rebels  made  a  sudden  rush,  and,  with  the  cry,  uNo 
quarter !  "'  cleared  the  ramparts  with  a  bound.  There  was 
no  fighting — overwhelmed  by  superior  numbers,  the  troops, 
black  and  white,  threw  down  their  arms,  and  precipitated 
themselves  down  the  steep  bluff  near  the  fort — some  hiding 
themselves  under  the  brush  that  lined  the  river  shore— 
some  taking  refuge  in  the  w^ater  itself,  and  lying  with 
their  heads  just  far  enough  out  to  allow  them  to  breathe. 
Then  commenced  a  scene  of  cruelty  and  murder  that 
finds  its  parallel  in  our  land  only  in  Forts  Minims  and 
Raisin.  All  of  the  savage  was  there — the  thirst  for  blood, 
remorseless  hate  and  barbarity,  and  fiendish  yells — all  but 
tke  scalping-knife.  Neither  sex,  nor  age,  nor  color,  was 
spared — everything  went  down  before  that  bloody  onslaught. 
Even  children  were  hacked  to  death  or  coolly  shot  down, 
while  their  tearful,  despairing  faces  were  turned  pleadingly 
on  their  murderers.  The  sick  were  not  spared  by  these 
fiends,  who  seemed  determined  to  enact  a  scene  that 
should  shock  the  civilized  world.  The  matter  was  one  that 
demanded  some  official  action,  and  the  Joint  Committee  on 
the  Conduct  and  Expenditures  of  the  War  appointed  Messrs. 
Wade  and  Gooch  a  sub-committee  to  proceed  to  the  spot, 
and  investigate  it.  That  we  may  not  seem  to  exaggerate 
the  conduct  of  the  rebels,  we  quote  a  portion  of  the  report 
of  this  Committee: 

''Immediately  after  the  second  flag  of  truce  retired,  the 
rebels  made  a  rush  from  the  positions  they  had  so  treacher 
ously  gained,  and  obtained  possession  of  the  fort,  raising 
the  cry  of  4No  quarter!'  But  little  opportunity  was 


THE     MASSACRE.  297 

allowed  for  resistance.  Our  troops,  black  and  white,  threw 
down  their  arms,  and  sought  to  escape  by  running  down 
the  steep  bluff  near  the  fort,  and  secreting  themselves  behind 
trees  and  logs,  in  the  bushes,  and  under  the  brush — some 
even  jumping  into  the  river,  leaving  only  their  heads  above 
the  water,  as  they  crouched  down  under  the  bank. 

u  Then  followed  a  scene  of  cruelty  and  murder  without  a 
parallel  in  civilized  warfare,  which  needed  but  the  tomahawk 
and  scalpiug-knife  to  exceed  the  worst  atrocities  ever  com 
mitted  by  savages.  The  rebels  commenced  an  indiscriminate 
slaughter,  sparing  neither  age  nor  sex,  white  nor  black, 
soldier  or  civilian.  The  officers  and  men  seemed  to  vie 
with  each  other  in  the  devilish  work ;  men,  women,  and 
even  children,  wherever  found,  were  deliberately  shot  down, 
beaten,  and  hacked  with  sabres ;  some  of  the  children,  not 
more  than  ten  years  old,  were  forced  to  stand  up  and  face 
their  murderers,  while  being  shot ;  the  sick  and  the  wounded 
were  butchered  without  mercy — the  rebels  even  entering  the 
hospital-building,  and  dragging  them  out  to  be  shot,  or 
killing  them  as  they  lay  there  unable  to  offer  the  least 
resistance.  All  over  the  hill-side,  the  work  of  murder  was 
going  on;  numbers  of  our  men  were  collected  together  in 
lines  or  groups,  and  deliberately  shot ;  some  were  shot  while 
in  the  river,  while  others  on  the  bank  were  shot,  and  their 
bodies  kicked  into  the  water,  many  of  them  still  living  but 
unable  to  make  any  exertions  to  save  themselves  from 
drowning.  Some  of  the  rebels  stood  on  the  top  of  the  hill, 
or  a  short  distance  down  its  side,  and  called  to  our  soldiers 
to  come  up  to  them,  and  as  they  approached,  shot  them 
down  in  cold  blood ;  if  their  guns  or  pistols  missed  fire, 
forcing  them  to  stand  there  until  they  were  again  prepared 
to  fire.  All  around  were  heard  cries  of  '  No  quarter ! ' 
4  No  quarter ! '  4  Kill  the  damned  niggers ;  shoot  them 
down ! '  All  who  asked  for  mercy,  were  answered  by  the 


298  THE    MASSACKE. 

most  cruel  taunts  and  sneers.  Some  were  spared  for  a  time, 
only  to  be  murdered  under  circumstances  of  greater  cruelty. 
No  cruelty  which  the  most  fiendish  malignity  could  devise, 
was  omitted  by  these  murderers.  One  white  soldier,  who 
was  wounded  in  one  leg  so  as  to  be  unable  to  walk,  was 
made  to  stand  up  while  his  tormentors  shot  him ;  others  who 
were  wounded  and  unable  to  stand,  were  held  up  and  again 
shot.  One  negro,  who  had  been  ordered  by  a  rebel  officer 
to  hold  his  horse,  was  killed  by  him  when  he  remounted ; 
another,  a  mere  child,  whom  an  officer  had  taken  up  behind 
him  on  his  horse,  was  seen  by  Chalmers,  who  at  once  ordered 
the  officer  to  put  him  down  and  shoot  him,  which  was  done. 
The  huts  and  tents  in  which  many  of  the  wounded  had 
sought  shelter,  were  set  on  fire,  both  that  night  and .  the 
next  morning,  while  the  wounded  were  still  in  them — those 
only  escaping  who  were  able  to  get  themselves  out,  or  who 
could  prevail  on  others  less  injured  than  themselves  to  help 
them  out ;  and  even  some  of  those  thus  seeking  to  escape 
the  flames,  were  met  by  those  ruffians  and  brutally  shot 
down,  or  had  their  brains  beaten  out.  One  man  was  delib 
erately  fastened  down  to  the  floor  of  a  tent,  face  upward, 
by  means  of  nails  driven  through  his  clothing  and  into  the 
boards  under  him,  so  that  he  could  not  possibly  escape,  and 
then  the  tent  set  on  fire ;  another  was  nailed  to  the  side  of 
a  building  outside  of  the  fort,  and  then  the  building  set  on 
fire  and  burned.  The  charred  remains  of  five  or  six  bodies 
were  afterward  found,  all  but  one  so  much  disfigured  and 
consumed  by  the  flames  that  they  could  not  be  identified, 
and  the  identification  of  that  one  is  not  absolutely  certain, 
although  there  can  hardly  be  a  doubt  that  it  was  the  body 
of  Lieutenant  Akerstrom,  Quartermaster  of  the  Thirteenth 
Tennessee  cavalry,  and  a  native  Tennesseean ;  several  wit 
nesses  who  saw  the  remains,  and  who  were  personally 


THE     MASSACRE.  299 

acquainted  with  him  while  living,  have  testified  that  it  is 
their  firm  belief  that  it  was  his  body  that  was  thus  treated. 
"  These  deeds  of  murder  and  cruelty  ceased  when  night 
came  on,  only  to  be  renewed  the  next  morning,  when  the 
demons  carefully  sought,  among  the  dead  lying  about  in  all 
directions,  for  any  of  the  wounded  yet  alive,  and  those  they 
found  were  deliberately  shot.  Scores  of  the  dead  and 
wounded  were  found  there  the  day  after  the  massacre,  by 
the  men  from  some  of  our  gunboats,  who  were  permitted  to 
go  on  shore  and  collect  the  wounded  and  bury  the  dead. 
The  rebels  themselves  had  made  a  pretense  of  burying  a 
great  many  of  their  victims,  but  they  had  merely  thrown 
them,  without  the  least  regard  to  care  or  decency,  into  the 
trenches  and  ditches  about  the  fort,  or  the  little  hollows  and 
ravines  on  the  hill-side,  covering  them  but  partially  with 
earth.  Portions  of  heads  and  faces,  hands  and  feet,  were 
found  protruding  through  the  earth  in  every  direction.  The 
testimony  also  establishes  the  fact  that  the  rebels  buried 
some  of  the  living  with  the  dead,  a  few  of  whom  succeeded 
afterward  in  digging  themselves  out,  or  were  (Jug  out  by 
others — one  of  whom  your  Committee  found  in  Mound  City 
hospital,  and  there  examined.  And  even  when  your  Com 
mittee  visited  the  spot,  two  weeks  afterward,  although  par 
ties  of  men  had  been  sent  on  shore,  from  time  to  time,  to 
bury  the  bodies  unburied,  and  rebury  the  others,  and  were 
even  then  engaged  in  the  same  work,  we  found  the  evidences 
of  this  murder  and  cruelty  still  most  painfully  apparent ;  we 
saw  bodies  still  unburied  (at  some  distance  from  the  fort) 
of  some  sick  men  who  had  been  met  fleeing  from  the  hospital, 
and  beaten  down  and  brutally  murdered,  and  their  bodies 
left  where  they  had  fallen.  We  could  still  see  the  faces, 
hands  and  feet  of  men,  white  and  black,  protruding  out  of 
the  ground,  whose  graves  had  not  been  reached  by  those 
engaged  in  reinterring  the  victims  of  the  massacre ;  and, 


300  THE    MASSACRE. 

although  a  great  deal  of  rain  had  fallen  within  the  preceding 
two  weeks,  the  ground,  more  especially  on  the  side  and  at 
the  foot  of  the  bluff  where  the  most  of  the  murders  had 
been  committed,  was  still  discolored  by  the  blood  of  our 
brave  but  unfortunate  men,  and  the  logs  and  trees  showed 
but  too  plainly  the  evidences  of  the  atrocities  perpetrated 
there. 

"  Many  other  instances  of  equally  atrocious  cruelty  might 
be  enumerated,  but  your  Committee  feel  compelled  to  refrain 
from  giving  here  more  of  the  heart-sickening  details,  and 
refer  to  the  statements  contained  in  the  voluminous  testimony 
herewith  submitted.  Those  statements  were  obtained  by 
them  from  eye-witnesses  and  sufferers;  many  of  them,  as 
they  were  examined  by  your  Committee,  were  lying  upon 
beds  of  pain  and  suffering,  some  so  feeble  that  their  lips 
could  with  difficulty  frame  the  words  by  which  they  endeav 
ored  to  convey  some  idea  of  the  cruelties  which  had  been 
inflicted  on  them,  and  which  they  had  seen  inflicted  on 
others. 

u  How  many  of  our  troops  thus  fell  victims  to  the  malig 
nity  and  barbarity  of  Forrest  and  his  followers,  cannot  yet 
be  definitely  ascertained.  Two  officers  belonging  to  the 
garrison,  were  absent  at  the  time  of  the  capture  and  massacre. 
Of  the  remaining  officers,  but  two  are  known  to  be  living, 
and  they  are  wounded,  and  now  in  the  hospital  at  Mound 
City.  One  of  them,  Captain  Potter,  may  even  now  be  dead, 
as  the  surgeons,  when  your  Committee  were  there,  expressed 
no  hope  of  his  recovery.  Of  the  men,  from  three  hundred 
to  four  hundred  are  known  to  have  been  killed  at  Fort 
Pillow — of  whom  at  least  three  hundred  were  murdered  in 
cold  blood,  after  the  post  was  in  possession  of  the  rebels, 
and  our  men  had  thrown  down  their  arms  and  ceased  to 
offer  resistance.  Of  the  survivors,  except  the  wounded  in 
the  hospital  at  Mound  City,  and  the  few  who  succeeded  in 


FATE     OF     BRADFORD.  301 

making  their  escape  unhurt,  nothing  definite  is  known ;  and 
it  is  to  be  feared  that  many  have  been  murdered  after  being 
taken  away  from  the  fort. 

"  In  reference  to  the  fate  of  Major  Bradford,  who  was  in. 
command  of  the  fort  when  it  was  captured,  and  who  had  up 
to  that  time  received  no  injury,  there  seems  to  be  no  doubt. 
The  general  understanding  everywhere  seemed  to  be,  that 
he  had  been  brutally  murdered  the  day  after  he  was  taken 
prisoner. 

"  There  is  some  discrepancy  in  the  testimony,  but  your 
Committee  do  not  see  how  the  one  who  professed  to  have 
been  an  eye-witness  of  his  death  could  have  been  mistaken. 
There  may  be  some  uncertainty  in  regard  to  his  fate. 

"  When  your  Committee  arrived  at  Memphis,  Tennessee 
they  found  and  examined  a  man  (Mr.  McLagan)  who  had 
been  conscripted  by  some  of  Forrest's  forces,  but  who,  with 
other  conscripts,  had  succeeded  in  making  his  escape.  He 
testifies  that  while  two  companies  of  rebel  troops,  with  Major 
Bradford  and  many  other  prisoners,  were  on  their  march 
from  Brownsville  to  Jackson,  Tennessee,  Major  Bradford 
was  taken  by  five  rebels — one  an  officer — led  about  fifty 
yards  from  the  line  of  march,  and  deliberately  murdered,  in 
view  of  all  there  assembled.  He  fell — killed  instantly  by 
three  musket-balls,  even  while  asking  that  his  life  might  be 
spared,  as  he  had  fought  them  manfully,  and  was  deserving 
of  a  better  fate.  The  motive  for  the  murder  of  Major  Brad 
ford,  seems  to  have  been  the  simple  fact  that,  although  a 
native  of  the  South,  he  remained  loyal  to  his  Government. 
The  testimony  herewith  submitted,  contains  many  statements 
made  by  the  rebels,  that  they  did  not  intend  to  treat  '  home 
made  Yankees,'  as  they  termed  loyal  Southerners,  any  better 
than  negro  troops." 

The  testimony  taken  was  very  voluminous — covering  the 
whole  ground;  and,  that  there  might  be  no  charge  of 


302  TESTIMONY     OF     A    PRIVATE. 

unfairness,  the  name  and  rank  of  each  witness  were  given, 
together  with  all  the  questions  put  to  him.  A  severe  cross- 
examination  would  doubtless  have  caused  many  of  the  state 
ments  to  be  modified,  and  have  impeached  the  credibility  of 
some  of  the  witnesses.  As  an  example  of  the  kind  of  testi 
mony  bearing  hardest  against  the  perpetrators  of  this  enor 
mous  crime,  we  give  a  single  statement  made  by  a  private : 
"  In  about  five  minutes  after  the  disappearance  of  the  flag 
of  truce,  a  general  assault  was  made  upon  our  works  from 
every  direction.  They  were  kept  at  bay  for  some  time, 
when  the  negroes  gave  way  upon  the  left,  and  ran  down  the 
bluff,  leaving  an  opening  through  which  the  rebels  entered, 
and  immediately  commenced  an  indiscriminate  slaughter  of 
both  white  and  black.  We  all  threw  down  our  arms,  and 
gave  tokens  of  surrender,  asking  for  quarter.  (I  was 
wounded  in  the  right  shoulder  and  muscle  of  the  back,  and 
knocked  down,  before  I  threw  down  my  gun.)  But  no 
quarter  was  given.  Voices  were  heard  upon  all  sides, 
crying :  l  Give  them  no  quarter ;  kill  them ;  kill  them  ;  it  is 
General  Forrest's  orders.'  I  saw  four  white  men  and  at  least 
twenty-five  negroes  shot  while  begging  for  mercy ;  and  I 
saw  one  negro  dragged  from  a  hollow  log  within  ten  feet  of 
where  I  lay,  and  as  one  rebel  held  him  by  the  foot  another 
shot  him.  These  were  all  soldiers.  There  were  also  two 
negro  women  and  three  little  children  standing  within 
twenty-five  steps  from  me,  when  a  rebel  stepped  up  to  them 
and  said :  '  Yes,  God  damn  you,  you  thought  you  were  free, 
did  you?'  and  shot  them  all.  They  all  fell  but  one  child, 
when  he  knocked  it  in  the  head  with  the  breach  of  his  gun. 
They  then  disappeared  in  the  direction  of  the  landing, 
following  up  the  fugitives,  firing  at  them  wherever  seen. 
They  came  back  in  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  shooting, 
and  robbing  the  dead  of  their  money  and  clothes.  I  saw  a 
man  with  a  canteen  upon  him,  and  a  pistol  in  his  hand.  I 


ATTACK    ON    PLYMOUTH.  303 

ventured  to  ask  him  for  a  drink  of  water.  He  turned 
around,  saying :  '  Yes,  God  damn  you,  I  will  give  you  a 
drink  of  water,'  and  shot  at  my  head  three  different  times, 
covering  my  face  up  with  dust,  and  then  turned  from  me, 
no  doubt  thinking  he  had  killed  me,  remarking  :  'God  damn 
you,  it's  too  late  to  pray  now ; '  then  went  on  with  his 
pilfering.  I  lay  there  until  dark,  feigning  death,  when  a 
rebel  officer  came  along,  drawing  his  sabre,  and  ordered  me 
to  get  up,  threatening  to  run  his  sabre  into  me  if  I  did  not, 
saying  I  had  to  inarch  ten  miles  that  night.  I  succeeded  in 
getting  up,  and  got  among  a  small  squad  he  had  already 
gathered  up,  but  stole  away  from  them  during  the  night, 
and  got  among  the  dead,  feigning  death,  for  fear  of  being 
murdered.  The  next  morning,  the  gunboat  came  up  and 
commenced  shelling  them  out,  when  I  crawled  out  from 
among  the  dead,  and  with  a  piece  of  paper  motioned  to  the 
boat ;  she  came  up,  and  I  crawled  on  board. 

WILLIAM  F.  f  MAYS." 

murk. 

It  is  hard  to  believe  that  native-born  American  citizens — 
men  brought  up  in  the  light  of  the  civilization  of  the 
Nineteenth  Century,  and  educated  under  Christian  influences, 
could  be  guilty  of  such  deeds.  *  Acts  of  violence  have 
been  committed  on  both  sides,  during  this  sanguinary  strug 
gle,  which  are  undreamed  of  by  the  public.  It  always  has 
been,  and  always  will  be  so,  in  war ;  but  such  deeds  as  these, 
are  not  to  be  classed  amid  its  ordinary  cruelties,  and  should 
never  find  a  place  among  the  records  of  civilization.  Their 
proper  place  is  in  the  war  song  of  the  Indian,  as  he  dances 
around  the  fire  in  which  his  bleeding. captives  are  writhing. 

Another  event  of  considerable  importance,  occurred  on 
the  Eastern  coast,  at  Plymouth,  North  Carolina,  during  the 
month.  A  land  force  of  rebels  made  a  furious  attack,  on 
the  18th,  upon  the  garrison  commanded  by  General  Wessels, 


304  A     REBEL    RAM. 

but  were  repulsed.  The  next  day,  the  iron-clad  rebel  ram — • 
Albermarle — came  down  the  Roanoke  River,  and  attacked 
the  Southfield  and  Miami.  These  two  boats  were  fastened 
together  at  the  time,  and  were  driven  straight  on  the  hostile 
steamer,  as  she  came  heavily  down.  The  latter,  reckless 
of  the  heavy  rifled  shot,  that  bounded  like  peas  from  her 
mailed  sides,  moved  fearlessly  on  the  two  boats,  striking  the 
Southfield — sinking  her  immediately,  and  seriously  damaging 
the  Miami.  Captain  Flusser  was  killed  in  the  engagement. 
It  was  feared  that  the  ram  would  soon  have  possession  of 
the  whole  Sound,  and  that  Roanoke  Island  would  be  attacked. 
Plymouth  had  to  be  evacuated,  and  the  public  was  loud  in 
its  denunciations  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  A  resolution 
of  inquiry  was  passed  by  Congress,  requesting  him  to  give 
an  explanation  of  the  matter. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

SANITARY    FAIRS BANKS     IN     NEW    ORLEANS INAUGURATION     OF     THE     FREE 

STATE      GOVERNMENT THE      RED      RIVER      COTTON      EXPEDITION PORTER'S 

ASCENT  OF  THE  RED  RIVER CAPTURE    OF    BATTERIES    BY    GENERAL  SMITH 

MARCH    OF    BANKS    ACROSS    THE    COUNTRY    TO    ALEXANDRIA ADVANCE  INTO 

THE  INTERIOR DEFEAT  OF    BANKS RETREAT    OF    STEELE RETURN    OF    THE 

GUNBOATS    TO    ALEXANDRIA UNABLE    TO     GET    BELOW    THE     FALLS  —  GRAND 

ENGINEERING    SUCCESS    OF    COLONEL    BAILEY PASSAGE    OF    THE    FALLS    BY 

THE    FLEET AN    EXCITING    SPECTACLE PROMOTION    OF    BAILEY DESTRUC 
TION    OF    THE    GUNBOATS    SIGNAL,     COVINGTON,  AND    TRANSPORT    WARNER 

RETURN     OF    THE    EXPEDITION CANBY    SUPERSEDES     BANKS  IN  THE  FIELD 

THE    LATTER    RETURNS    TO    NEW    ORLEANS VIEW    OF    THE    EXPEDITION. 

FT1HOUGH  having  no  direct  bearing  on  the  war,  the  great 
JL  Fairs  throughout  the  country  the  first  few  months  of 
this  year,  deserve  a  special  mention.  The  raising  of  funds 
on  such  a  gigantic  scale  for  the  relief  of  our  wounded  and 
sick  soldiers,  had  never  before  been  witnessed.  Independ 
ent  of  the  amount  of  good  done,  and  the  vast  number  of 
soldiers  thus  saved  to  the  army,  it  created  a  bond  between 
the  people  and  the  soldiers  that  rendered  it  impossible  for 
them  ever  to  feel  that  their  interests  were  separate. 

Before  the  great  decisive  movements  of  the  Spring  com 
menced,  the  country  was  destined  to  suffer  one  more  morti 
fication  from  the  failure  of  an  ill-starred  expedition. 

General  Banks  in  New  Orleans  after  adjusting  the  labor 
system  and  seeing  to  the  elections,  on  the  4th  of  March  inau 
gurated  the  Free  State  government  with  the  most  imposing 
ceremonies.  A  multitude,  estimated  at  fifty  thousand  in 
number,  assembled  in  Lafayette  Square,  where  a  platform 
had  been  erected,  and  the  newly  elected  Governor  Hahn  was 


306  RED    RIVER    EXPEDITION. 

installed  into  office  amid  the  firing  of  cannon,  the  playing 
of  patriotic  airs,  and  the  huzzas  of  the  multitude. 

The  political  machinery  having  been  put  in  working  order, 
Banks  could  turn  his  attention  to  affairs  in  the  field,  ancl  in 
this  month  a  combined  naval  and  land  expedition  was  fitted 
out  destined  to  become  famous  as  the  u  Red  River  Cotton 
Expedition." 

Porter,  with  a  large  fleet  of  gunboats  and  transports  car 
rying  a  portion  of  Sherman's  army  under  A.  J.  Smith,  left 
Vicksburg  early  in  March,  and  proceeded  towards  Alexan 
dria,  where  the  main  army,  under  Banks,  was  to  meet  him, 
after  having  marched  across  the  country.  The  objective 
point  in  the  expedition  was  Shreveport,  in  Caddo  Parish,  on 
the  Red  River,  some  six  hundred  and  seventy  miles  by  water 
from  New  Orleans,  and  a  great  depot  for  commissary  stores 
of  the  rebel  army.  On  the  passage  up  the  river,  Fort  De- 
Russey,  a  formidable  work,  was  captured  by  a  rapid  land 
march  of  Smith,  together  with  ten  guns  and  three  hundred 
prisoners.  Alexandria  surrendered  to  Porter  without  a  bat 
tle,  and  here,  on  the  17th,  the  land  force  joined  him,  having 
marched  a  hundred  and  seventy  miles  in  five  days.  The 
army  by  land,  and  the  gunboats  by  water,  now  moved  for 
ward  toward  Shreveport,  some  three  hundred  miles  distant. 
It  was  a  long  and  weary  march  for  the  troops,  and  almost, 
equally  arduous  work  for  the  gunboats  to  make  their  way 
up  the  shallow,  tortuous  stream.  Steele,  commanding  in 
Arkansas,  was  to  co-operate  with  this  force,  moving  on 
Shreveport  from  Little  Rock — having  these  two  objects  in 
view — to  keep  Price,  in  Arkansas  from  joining  the  rebel 
force  under  Kirby  Smith  in  Louisiana,  and  to  take  Shreve 
port  in  rear  while  Banks  advanced  against  it  in  front.  At 
Mansfield,  forty-five  miles  Jrom  it,  the  rebels  made  a  stand, 
where  our  cavalry  came  up  with  them  on  the  8th  of  April. 
The  army  was  scattered  over 'the  country  far  back  in  the 


DEFEAT     OF     BANKS.  307 

rear,  which  Kirby  Smith  seemed  fully  aware  of.  At  first, 
on  the  7th,  the  cavalry,  commanded  by  Colonel  Robinson, 
drove  the  enemy  before  it,  and  pursued  him  some  fourteen 
miles,  when  the  column  Came  upon  a  body  of  infantry 
which,  after  a  sharp  contest,  was  also  forced  back.  Colonel 
Landrum's  brigade  of  infantry,  and  Colonel  Lucas'  of  cav 
alry,  coming  up  that  night,  the  whole  advanced  in  the  morn 
ing,  but  on  arriving  near  Sabine  Cross-Roads,  they  found 
themselves  suddenly  confronted  by  fifteen  or  twenty  thou 
sand  men.  In  the  *  meantime  General  Ransom  with  his 
troops  arrived,  accompanied  by  General  Banks.  The  latter 
immediately  dispatched  a  courier  to  Franklin,  in  the  rear,  to 
hasten  up  with  his  Corps,  but  Kirby  Smith  saw  his  advantage, 
and  pressed  it  vigorously.  The  cavalry  in  front  were  turned 
back  in  terrible  rout,  and  the  troops  though  struggling 
bravely  to  bear  up  against  the  disorder,  were  also  at  length 
overborne  and  their  artillery  captured — their  ranks  being 
broken  by  the  fleeing  wagon  train  which  somehow  had  got  in 
advance.  But  at  this  critical  moment,  when  every  thing 
seemed  lost,  Franklin  arrived  with  his  Corps,  and  waving  his 
hat  above  his  head  fell  furiously  upon  the  exulting,  shouting 
rebels.  Two  horses  were  successively  shot  under  him,  but 
leaping  to  the  saddle  of  a  third,  he  still  led  on  his  men. 
By  his  gallantry  he  succeeded  in  checking  the  victorious 
progress  of  the  rebels  for  a  time,  but  he  also  was  at  last 
borne  back  in  the  refluent  tide.  Fortunately,  the  Nineteenth 
Army  Corps  under  General  Emory,  had  been  advised  of  the 
rout,  and  stood  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle  as  the  fleeing 
army  came  in  sight.  Allowing  the  shattered,  broken  col 
umns  to  pass  to  the  rear,  it  closed  sternly  up  and  bravely 
breasted  the  storm  till  darkness  put  an  end  to  the  conflict. 

In  the  meantime  Smith,  with  the  Sixteenth  and  Seven 
teenth  Army  Corps,  had  reached  Pleasant  Hill,  and  drawn 
up  his  forces  behind  a  low  ridge.  The  next  day  the  rebels 


308  THE     RETREAT. 

advanced,  confident  of  success,  and  Emory,  whose  line  of 
battle  had  been  formed  in  front  of  Smith,  and  masked  him, 
after  dealing  the  enemy  a  heavy  blow,  fell  back,  according 
to  pre-arrangement,  when  the  co'nfident,  shouting  foe  dashed 
forward  in  pursuit.  Smith's  troops  lay  flat  on  the  ground 
until  the  first  rebel  line  was  well  up  the  slope,  when  seven 
thousand  muskets  suddenly  blazed  in  its  front,  and  the 
artillery  swept  the  crowding  columns  with  terrible  slaugh 
ter.  The  rebels,  stunned  at  the  suddenness  and  awfulness 
of  the  blow,  stopped  and  staggered  back,  and  before  they 
could  recover  their  senses,  Smith  gave  the  order  to  charge, 
when  his  brave  troops  swept  the  field  with  a  shout. 

But  nothing  now  could  change  the  defeat  into  a  victory, 
and  next  morning  the  retreat  was  continued.  Banks  sent 
word  to  Porter,  acquainting  him  with  his  disaster,  and  di 
rected  him  to  fall  back  to  Grand  Ecore,  whither  he  was 
retreating.  From  this  point  the  retreat  was  continued  to 
Alexandria  without  serious  molestation,  except  at  Monet's 
Bluff,  where  the  rebels  made  an  attach  on  him,  but  were  re 
pulsed  with  heavy  loss.  Here  he  halted  to  save  the  gun 
boats,  which  could  not  get  over  the  falls  above  the  place,  on 
account  of  low  water. 

In  the  meantime  Steele  had  advanced  from  Little  Rock, 
but  when  near  Cam  den  his  wagon  train  was  cut  off  and 
destroyed.  Marmaduke  with  a  heavy  force  now  confronted 
him,  and  Banks  having  retreated,  the  whole  rebel  force  was 
free  to  operate  against  him,  and  he  was  compelled  to  fall  back. 
At  Saline  Falls,  however,  Price  pressed  him  so  hard  that  he 
was  forced  to  turn  and  give  battle,  and  fell  with  such  fury 
on  his  pursuers,  that  they  let  him  alone  during  the  rest  of 
his  retreat,  and  he  reached  Little  Rock  again  in  safety. 

In  the  meantime  the  rebels  were  swarming  along  the 
shores  of  the  Red  River,  both  above  and  below  Alexandria. 
Above,  Porter  was  dreadfully  harassed  from  the  shores,  and 


A    GREAT    ENGINEER.  309 

things  began  to  wear  a  gloomy  aspect.  There  was  no  ap 
pearance  of  a  rise  in  the  river,  and  without  one,  Porter's 
entire  fleet  must  be  destroyed,  to  prevent  its  falling  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy — for  forage  was  getting  short,  and  the 
protecting  army  would  soon  have  to  move.  With  its  departure 
all  attempts  to  save  the  boats  would  be  abandoned.  In  this 
painful  dilemma  Lieutenant-Colonel  Bailey,  acting  engineer 
of  the  Nineteenth  Army  Corps,  proposed  to  build  a  series 
of  dams  across  the  rocks  at  the  lower  falls,  and  raise  the 
water  sufficiently  to  let  the  boats  pass  over  the  upper  ones. 
His  plan  was  ridiculed  by  the  best  engineers,  but  Bailey  had 
tried  it  before,  in  floating  logs  down  the  western  rivers,  and 
was  so  sanguine  of  success,  promising  to  complete  the  work 
in  ten  days,  that  Banks  was  requested  to  let  him  attempt  it. 
Three  thousand  men,  and  two  or  three  hundred  wagons 
were  put  at  his  disposal,  and  the  work  commenced.  Those 
quiet  shores  at  once  became  a  human  hive,  and  the  sound 
of  the  axe,  the  crash  of  falling  trees  and  shouts  of  men, 
made  the  forests  echo.  The  army  and  fleet  looked  on  in 
astonishment  at  this  new  system  of  engineering  adopted  by 
this  bold  western  man.  On  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  a 
dam,  made  of  fallen  trees,  was  run  out  some  three  hundred  feet, 
and  then  four  coal  barges  filled  with  brick  were  sunk  at  the 
end.  From  the  other  shore,  cribs  filled  with  stone  to  meet 
the  barges,  were  built.  The  work  was  successfully  accom 
plished,  and  the  water  rapidly  rose.  In  one  day  more  it 
would  have  been  high  enough  to  let  the  boats  above  the 
upper  falls  pass  over;  when,  unfortunately,  on  the  9th  of 
May,  the  pressure  became  so  great  that  two  of  the  coal 
barges  were  forced  downward  from  their  position,  and  swung 
round  at  right  angles  to  the  dam.  The  water  immediately 
began  to  pour  through  like  a  cataract.  Porter  saw  with  a 
sinking  heart  the  catastrophe,  for  he  feared  the  men  would 
have  no  heart  to  rebuild  the  dam.  Determined  if  possible 


310  PASSAGE    OF     THE    BOATS. 

to  save  some  of  his  vessels,  he  jumped  upon  a  horse  and  gal 
loping  up  stream,  ordered  the  Lexington  to  try  to  pass  the 
falls.  She  succeeded,  and  then  headed  straight  for  the  fear 
ful  shute  in  the  dam.  Tens  of  thousands  lined  the  shores, 
watching  with  breathless  interest  the  perilous  movement. 
Not  a  sound  but  the  low  steady  rush  of  the  torrent  broke 
the  stillness  as  she  neared  the  boiling  maelstrom.  Crowding 
on  all  steam,  her  gallant  Commander  stood  and  calmly 
watched  the  approaching  crisis.  The  vessel,  impelled  by  a 
full  head  of  steam,  and  the  swiftly  descending,  sloping  hill 
of  water,  rushed  like  a  inad  thing  toward  what  seemed  cer 
tain  destruction.  Leaping  into  the  boiling  cauldron,  she 
settled  heavily  in  the  surge,  and,  for  a  moment,  seemed 
going  to  the  bottom.  Rolling  heavily  from  side  to  side,  she 
at  length  caught  on  a.  rock,  and  hung  for  an  instant  sus 
pended  in  the  torrent,  then,  rising  slowly,  swept  off  into 
deep  water,  and  rounded  quietly  to.  The  watching,  excited 
multitude  that  had  not  uttered  a  word  while  the  fate  of  the 
vessel  was  held  in  a  fearful  crisis,  now  rent  the  heavens 
with  deafening  shouts.  From  shore  to  shore  the  wild  cheers 
echoed,  and  again  and  again  were  taken  up  and  sent  in 
thunder  toward  the  sky.  The  Neosho  now  tried  it,  but  the 
pilot  becoming  frightened  as  the  vessel  approached  the 
abyss,  stopped  her  engine.  Porter ,  saw  the  fatal  mistake, 
and  watched  to  see  her  disappear  iff  the  tumultuous  waters. 
Her  hull  went  out  of  sight,  and  jshe  seemed  lost,  but  slowly 
lifting  herself  again,  she  heave^forward  and  passed  through, 
though  with  a  hole  in  her  bottom.  The  partial  success  of 
the  experiment  encouraged  the  men  to  rebuild  the  clam; 
though  they  had  been  working  for  eight  days  and  nights  up  to 
their  necks  in  water,  they  cheerfully  entered  on  the  herculean 
task.  Bailey  now  left  a  gap  of  fifty  feet  in  the  darn,  to 
avoid  the  tremendous  pressure  of  the  water,  and  built  wing 
dams  on  the  falls  above,  so  as  to  make  a  deep  channel  for  the 


THE     FLEET     SAVED.  311 

current.  In  three  days  the  work  was  accomplished,  and  on 
the  llth  and  12th  six  gunboats  and  two  tugs  were  got 
over  the  upper  falls.  They  then  one  after  another,  with 
their  hatches  battened  down,  took  the  shute  of  the  dam, 
cheered  loudly  by  the  whole  army  as  they  successively  passed 
safely  through.  It  was  a  great  engineering  success — the 
entire  fleet  being  saved — thanks  to  the  skill  of  an  engineer 
who  dared  to  attempt  an  undertaking  that  all  had  ridiculed. 
Porter  could  hardly  moderate  his  delight  at  this  Unexpected 
deliverance  of  his  fleet,  and  heaped  encomiums  tfn  Bailey, 
whom  the  Government  very  properly  rewarded  with  the 
star  of  a  Brigadier-General. 

Porter  in  his  report  said  :  "  Words  are  inadequate  to  ex 
press  the  admiration  I  feel  for  the  abilities  of  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Bailey.  This  is,  without  doubt,  the  best  engineer 
ing  feat  ever  performed.  Under  the  best  circumstances  a 
private  company  would  not  have  completed  this  work  under 
one  year,  and,  to  an  ordinary  mind,  the  whole  thing  would 
have  appeared  an  impossibility.  Leaving  out  his  abilities  as 
an  engineer,  and  the  credit  he  has  conferred  upon  the  country, 
he  has  saved  to  the  Union  a  valuable  fleet  worth  nearly  two 
millions  of  dollars.  More,  he  has  deprived  the  enemy  of  a 
triumph  which  would  have  emboldened  them  to  carry  on 
this  war  a  year  or  two  longer ;  for  the  intended  departure 
of  the  army  was  a  fixed  fact,  and  there  was  nothing  left  for 
me  to  do,  in  case  that  event  occurred,  but  to  destroy  every 
part  of  the  vessels,  so  that  the  rebels  could  make  nothing 
of  them.  The  highest  honors  the  Government  can  bestow 
on  Colonel  Bailey  can  never  repay  him  for  the  service  he 
has  rendered  the  country." 

The  fleet,  however,  did  not  get  off  entirely  scatheless. 
The  gunboats  Signal  and  Covington,  having  been  sent  down 
the  river  from  Alexandria  to  convoy  the  Warner,  a  boat 
loaded  with  cotton,  unexpectedly  came  upon  a  series  of 

50 


312  A    DISASTER. 

rebel  batteries  about  thirty  miles  from  the  place.  These 
batteries  were  so  concealed,  that  their  existence  was  not 
dreamed  of  until  they  opened  on  the  boat  loaded  with 
cotton — piercing  her  boilers  almost  instantly,  and  sending 
her,  a  helpless  wreck,  against  the  opposite  bank.  The  rebel 
troops  fired  at  the  same  time  with  musketry,  .killing  and 
wounding  nearly  two  hundred  soldiers  that  were  aboard  of 
her.  Others  were  killed  in  trying  to  escape  to  the  shore. 
The  Signal  and  Covington  at  once  rounded  to  and  pushed 
back  to  help  the  transport,  but  soon  found  that  they  had 
enough  to  do  to  take  care  of  themselves.  Their  steam  pipes' 
were  soon  cut,  and  their  boilers  perforated  with  shot,  yet 
they  gallantly  maintained  the  unequal  contest  for  five  hours. 
Lieutenant  George  P.  Lord,  commanding  the  Covington, 
fired  his  last  charge  of  ammunition — then  spiked  his  guns, 
set  fire  to  his  vessel,  and  with  what  was  left  of  his  crew, 
escaped  to  the  shore.  Soon  the  flaming  boat  blew  up  with 
a  loud  explosion.  Lieutenant  Edward  Morgan,  of  the  Sig 
nal,  maintained  the  contest  for  half  an  hour  longer,  but  find 
ing  that  he  was  only  exposing  his  men  to  useless  'slaughter, 
abandoned  it.  His  decks  being  strewn  with  the  wounded 
who  had  gallantly  stood  by  him  to  the  last,  he  could  not 
consent  to  set  fire  to  his  vessel,  and  so  he  gave  permission 
for  all  to  escape  as  they  best  could.  But  few,  however,  got 
off,  for  in  attempting  to  climb  the  opposite  bank  they  became 
a  fair  mark  for  the  sharp-shooters,  and  were  dropped,  one 
after  another,  into  the  river. 

When  Banks  heard  of  this  disaster,  he  seat  out  a  body  of 
cavalry  and  dispersed  the  rebels. 

Both  fleet  and  army  now  came  back  to  the  Mississippi, 
and  Canby  was  sent  to  take  the  place  of  Banks  in  the  field, 
while  the  latter  returned  to  New  Orleans  to  confine  himself 
to  the  civil  duties  of  his  department.  This  ended  his  mili 
tary  career  of  which  his  friends  had  expected  so  much. 


BAD     ECONOMY.  313 

The  expedition,  whoever  planned  it,  was  a  foolish  one,  while 
Banks,  in  carrying  it  out,  showed  a  great  lack  of  military 
sagacity.  With  the  enemy  in  his  immediate  front,  he  was 
caught  with  his  army  widely  scattered  apart,  and  his  trains 
anywhere  but  where  they  should  have  been.  Beaten  in  detail, 
he  w^as  driven  back  in  disgrace,  and  the  whole  expedition 
turned  out  a  mortifying  failure,  and  came  very  near  being  a 
great  catastrophe.  Its  chief  object  seemed  to  have  been  to 
gather  cotton,  of  which  large  quantities  were  known  to  be 
in  this  section.  It  was  a  bad  speculation,  however,  on  the 
part  of  the  Government,  and  most  disastrous  to  the  military 
reputation  of  the  Commander.  If  Franklin,  whom  the  Sec 
retary  of  War  had  sent  to  Banks  in  a  fit  of  spleen,  had  been 
at  the  head  of  it,  a  different  result  would  have  been  reached. 
It  is  proper  to  state  that  though  this  expedition  was  start 
ed  almost  simultaneously  with  the  movement  of  the  two 
great  armies  under  Sherman  and  Grant,  it  had  no  connection 
whatever  with  it.  It  w^as  organized  previous  to  the  assump 
tion  of  supreme  command  by  Grant,  or  it  never  would  have 
been  organized  at  all.  It  had  been  sanctioned  by  those  un 
fortunate  strategists,  Halleck  and  Stanton,  and  hence  had  to 
proceed.  Nothing  was  left  for  Grant  to  do  but  to  hurry  it 
forward  as  fast  as  possible,  and  have  it  out  of  his  way  before 
his  great  movements  commenced.  Hence,  as  far  back  as  the 
15th  of  March,  he  notified  Banks  of  the  importance  of  cap 
turing  Shreveport  at  the  earliest  possible  day,  and  that  if  he 
should  "  find  that  the  taking  of  it  would  occupy  from  ten  to 
fifteen  days — more  time  than  General  Sherman  had  given  to 
his  troops  to  be  absent  from  their  command — he  would  send 
them  back  at  the  time  specified  by  General  Sherman,  even 
if  it  led  to  the  abandonment  of  the  main  object  of  the  Red 
River  expedition,- for  this  force  was  necessary  to  movements 
east  of  the  Mississippi ;  that  should  his  expedition  prove 
successful,  he  would  hold  Shreveport  and  the  Red  River 


314  GRANT'S   INSTRUCTIONS. 

with  such  force  as  he  might  deem  necessary,  and  return  the 
balance  of  his  troops  to  the  neighborhood  of  New  Orleans, 
commencing  no  move  for  the  further  acquisition  of  territory 
unless  it  was  to  make  that  then  held  by  him  more  easily 
held ;  that  it  might  be  a  part  of  the  spring  campaign  to 
move  against  Mobile ;  that  it  certainly  would  be  if  troops 
enough  could  be  obtained  to  make  it  without  embarrassing 
other  movements ;  that  New  Orleans  would  be  the  point  of 
departure  for  such  an  expedition  ;  also  that  he  had  directed 
General  Steele  to  make  a  real  move  from  Arkansas  as  sug 
gested  by  him,  (General  Banks,)  instead  of  a  demonstration, 
as  Steele  thought  advisable." 

Grant  told  him,  moreover,  to  move  as  quickly  as  possible — 
abandon  Texas  altogether,  and,  leaving  only  a  portion  of 
his  army  to  guard  the  Mississippi,  to  prepare  to  co-operate 
with  Farragut  against  Mobile.  This  would  keep  a  part  of  the 
Southern  army  away  from  Richmond,  while  the  farther  he 
went  toward  Shreveport,  the  less  use  he  was  to  Grant.  Hence, 
as  we  have  said,  the  only  interest  the  General-in  Chief  took 
in  the  expedition,  was  to  have  it  over  with  as  speedily  as 
possible. 

But  all  these  battles  and  expeditions  in  the  East  and  West, 
were  isolated  affairs,  having  no  bearing  on  the  mighty  move 
ment  about  to  be  made.  They  caused  some  noise  and  much 
angry  feeling  and  vituperation,  but  the  burdened  trains  and 
crowded  boats,  steadily  moving  without  noise  and  observation, 
southward,  were  the  really  great  events  of  those  four  months. 
These  separate  successes  or  disasters  were  the  mere  by-play 
to  the  great  drama  about  to  open — the  dim  and  far-off 
flashes  along  the  edge  of  the  storm-cloud,  which  was  soon 
to  darken  all  the  heavens,  and  shake  the  earth  with  its 
thunder. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

GRANT'S  DELAY  IN  FRONT  OF  WASHINGTON — THE  PRESIDENT'S  DETERMINATION 

NOT  TO  INTERFERE  ANY,  MORE  WITH  THE  ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC THE  TWO 

ARMIES  MOVE THE  ATLANTA  CAMPAIGN ITS  DIFFICULTIES COMPOSITION 

AND  STRENGTH  OF*SHERMAN's  ARMY D ALTON   FLANKED BATTLE  OF  RE- 

SACA A  FIERCE  STRUGGLE FIGHT  AT  DALLAS ALLATOONA  FLANKED BAT 
TLE  OF  KENESAW  MOUNTAIN DEATH  OF  MAJOR-GENERAL  POLK SHERMAN 

DIRECTS  THE  SHOT  THAT  KILLS  HIM SHERMAN'S  FIRST  DEFEAT KENESAW 

FLANKED THE  CHATTAHOCHEE  REACHED  AND  CROSSED ATLANTA  IN  SIGHT. 

THE  long  delay  of  Grant  in  front  of  Washington  awak 
ened  much  surprise,  but  he  had  resolved  not  to  move 
till  he  was  ready.  No  order  to  move  at  a  certain  day,  like 
that  of  President  Lincoln  formerly  to  the  Army  of  the  Poto 
mac,  without  consulting  the  General-in-Chief,  was  given. 
The  public  might  grumble  and  grow  impatient,  but  he  had 
learned  from  experience  the  folly  of  such  a  course,  and  deter 
mined  to  let  Grant  take  his  own  time,  if  he  did  not  move  till 
mid-summer.  The  lesson  he  had  learned,  had  been  a  costly 
one  to  the  country,  and  to  our  brave  soldiers,  but  it  was 
learned  at  last — that  the  General-in-Chief  should  be  left  to 
carry  out  his  own  plans  without  interference  from  politicians 
or  the  Secretary  of  War.  This  settled  determination  of  his, 
neither  to  meddle  with  military  movements  himself,  nor  let 
others  do  it,  filled  every  one  with  hope,  and  was  a  good 
augury  of  the  future.  The  public  settled  down  patiently 
into  the  conviction  that  Grant  was  to  be  left  untrammeled, 
and  the  Secretary  of  War  to  be  confined  to  his  legitimate  du 
ties,  for  which  he  was  eminently  qualified. 

At  length  the  first  of  May,  the  appointed  time,  came,  and 


316          THE  TWO  GREAT  CAMPAIGNS. 

the  two  mighty  armies  arose  from  their  long  apparent  torpor, 
and  the  knell  of  the  Confederacy  from  that  hour  began  to 
toll.  Their  movement  was  simultaneous,  and  the  campaigns 
practically  parallel ;  yet  their  starting  points  were  a  thou 
sand  miles  apart,  with  the  lofty  Alleghanies  between.  In 
some  respects  they  were  widely  different.  Grant  had  but 
little  over  half  as  far  to  go  as  Sherman,  with  no  flank  to  guard 
but  his  right,  and  that  easily  made  secure  by  an  army 
of  occupation  in  the  defiles  of  the  Shenandoah  Valley. 
Neither  was  he  confined  to  a  single  base  like  Sherman,  but 
could  change  it  at  his  pleasure,  as  he  afterward  did.  The 
latter  could  reach  his  objective  point  only  by  a  single  line 
of  railway,  stretching  for  nearly  two  hundred  miles  through 
a  comparative  wilderness,  with  Forrest's  daring  cavalry 
threatening  both  flanks  and  his  long  line  of  communications, 
which,  if  once  permanently  cut,  would  secure  the  destruction 
of  his  army.  They  were  different  in  another  respect ;  Grant 
could  at  any  time  fling  his  army,  by  water,  in  front  of  Rich 
mond,  wrhen  the  difficulties  of  his  task  would  be  only  just 
commenced,  while  Sherman,  if  he  should  once  get  in  front  of 
Atlanta,  would  have  achieved  the  most  difficult  part  of  his 
campaign. 

The  eyes  of  the  whole  country  were  fixed  on  the  'two 
armies,  but  Grant  held  more  fully  the  attention  of  the  East, 
and  Sherman  that  of  the  West.  The  South  saw  the  coming 
storm  and  braced  itself  to  meet  it. 

Sherman,  at  the  outset,  had  asked  for  one  hundred  thou 
sand  men,  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  pieces  of  artillery.  The 
disgraceful  failure  of  the  Red  River  expedition,  interfered 
somewhat  with  this  arrangement,  but  the  War  Department,  by 
great  effort,  succeeded  in  giving  him  all  but  twelve  hundred 
of  the  required  number  of  men.  His  force  was  divided  as  fol 
lows  : — the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  Major-General  Thomas, 
sixty  thousand,  seven  hundred  and  seventy-three  men,  and  one 


SHERMAN'S   TASK.  317 

hundred  and  thirty  guns ;  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  McPherson, 
twenty-four  thousand,  four  hundred  and  sixty-five  men,  and 
ninety-six  guns  ;  Army  of  the  Ohio,  Schofield,  thirteen  thou 
sand  five  hundred  and  fifty-nine  men,  and  twenty-eight  guns. 
Kilpatrick  commanded  the  cavalry  of  the  Army  of  the  Cum 
berland.  The  Confederate  Army  opposed  to  him  was  sixty 
thousand  strong,  including  ten  thousand  cavalry ;  the  latter 
superior  to  that  of  Sherman.  Hardee,  Hood  and  Polk  com 
manded  the  three  Corps,  composing  this  army. 

Sherman  had  a  most  difficult  task  before  him.  If  he  suc 
ceeded,  he  would  solve  a  new  problem  in  war— or  rather 
introduce  a  new  principle  into  military  science,  viz. : — that 
an  army  of  a  hundred  thousand  men  could  be  marched  three 
hundred  miles  from  its  actual  base,  (which  was  Nashville,)  and 
yet  this  long  line  of  communication  be  kept  open.  Such  a 
thing  had  been  considered  an  impossibility  ;  and  when  the 
news  of  his  advance  reached  Europe,  there  was  no  discussion 
among  military  men  respecting  his  probable  success ;  it  was 
settled  that  he  was  going  to  certain  defeat.  The  South  also 
had  no  doubt  on  the  subject. 

The  public  will  never  appreciate  the  skill  which  Sherman 
showed  in  arranging  his  forces,  securing  his  transportation, 
and  guarding  his  communications — a  skill  that  astonished 
and  baffled  his  foes,  and  yet  retained  his  army  almost  intact. 
By  all  ordinary  rules,  in  order  to  guard  his  transportation 
and  secure  his  communications  as  he  advanced,  he  would 
have  had  to  deplete  his  army  and  string  it  along  his  rear,  till 
but  a  handful  would  be  left  by  the  time  he  reached  Atlanta, 
if  he  got  there  at  all.  One  of  his  devices  to  protect  his  line 
was  an  admirable  and  successful  one.  By  a  glance  at  the 
map,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  railroad  in  its  course  to  Atlanta 
frequently  crosses  streams.  The  bridges  over  these  had  to  be 
protected  at  all  hazards.  The  destruction  of  the  railroad 
between  them  was  comparatively  of  small  account  as  it  could 


318  FIRST    MOVEMENT. 

be  repaired  in  a  few  hours.  To  protect  the  bridges,  and  at 
the  same  time,  not  materially  lessen  his  force,  he  had  small 
bomb-proof  block  houses,  or  fortifications,  built  near  them, 
as  he  advanced,  large  enough  to  hold  a  few  hundred  men, 
and  provisioned  for  a  long  time.  These  the  enemy  could 
not  beat  down  with  their  cannon,  nor  carry  by  assault,  nor 
could  they  starve  out  the  garrisons.  In  the  meantime,  a  few 
pieces  of  artillery  completely  commanded  the  approaches  to 
the  bridges,  so  that  no  force  could  advance  to  destroy  them. 
He  also  accumulated  at  different  points,  as  he  advanced,  vast 
stores  of  imperishable  provisions,  so  that  in  case  of  accident, 
he  could  subsist  his  army  until  communications  could  be 
restored.  Although  it  was  necessary  to  the  success  of  his 
campaign  that  the  railroads  should  be  kept  exclusively  for 
military  purposes,  the  fact  that  they  were,  caused  incalcula 
ble  suffering  to  the  people  of  East  Tennessee. 

Having  thus  anticipated  almost  every  contingency  that 
could  arise,  he,  early  in  May,  put  his  magnificent  columns 
in  motion.  Johnston  lay  in  and  about  Dalton,  which  was  so 
strongly  fortified  that  an  attack  in  front  would  have  been 
madness,  and  Sherman  here  began  that  series  of  movements 
which  won  for  him  the  sobriquet  of  the  "  great  flanker." 
Resaca  lay  eighteen  miles  south  of  Dalton,  directly  on  the 
railroad,  and  he  determined,  if  possible,  to  reach  this  by  a 
circuitous  route,  and  seize  it,  thus  compelling  Johnston  to 
retreat  or  accept  a  battle,  unprotected  by  his  fortifications. 
McPherson's  army  was  at  once  started  westward  on  a  circuit 
of  some  thirty  or  forty  miles,  through  Snake  Creek  Gap  to 
this  point,  while  Thomas  moved  directly  up  in  front  of  Dal 
ton,  as  if  about  to  force  a  passage  there.  But  Dalton  was 
covered  by  Rocky-Face  Ridge,  cleft  in  two  by  Buzzard- 
Roost  Gap,  through  which  ran  the  railroad.  This  nar 
row  defile  was  filled  with  abattis,  artificially  flooded  by  a 
neighboring  creek,  and  swept  from  end  to  end  by  artillery 


DALTON     FLANKED.  319 

posted  on  every  commanding  spur,  and  on  a  height  at  the 
farther  extremity.  Against  this  Thomas  made  first  a  feint, 
and  then  a  vigorous  attack,  in  which  Veatch's  division  of 
Howard's  Corps  actually  carried  the  rocky  ridge,  but  could 
not,  from  the  obstacles  opposed  to  it,  reach  the  gorge — while 
Geary's  division  of  Hooker's  Corps  made  a  gallant,  desperate 
push  for  the  summit.  Added  to  the  natural  obstacles  and  fire 
of  the  enemy,  huge  rocks  were  sent  down,  crashing  through 
the  trees  and  advancing  lines  with  resistless  fury.  No  decisive 
advantage  was  gained  by  our  forces,  but  the  enemy  was  kept 
so  well  occupied  that  McPherson  was  left  to  make  his  diffi 
cult  march  undisturbed,  till  he  got  within  a  mile  of  Resaca 
If,  by  a  sudden  bold  push,  he  could  have  taken  this  place, 
Johnston's  army  would,  doubtless,  have  been  annihilated. 
But,  on  reconnoitering,  he  found  it  too  strong  to  be  carried 
by  assault,  for  the  wily  Johnston  had  provided  against  this 
possible  contingency,  by  hurrying  off  troops  thither.  Mc 
Pherson  therefore  fell  back  on  Snake  Creek  Gap,  ready  to 
strike  the  rebel  flank  when  the  army  should  retreat.  Hook 
er's  Corps  was  immediately  sent  over  to  McPherson's  aid,  fol 
lowed  by  all  of  Schofield's  army,  until  Howard's  Corps  alone 
remained  in  front  of  Dalton.  Johnston,  seeing  the  trap  that 
was  set  for  him,  immediately  evacuated  his  stronghold  and 
fell  back  rapidly  to  Resaca,  when  Howard  entered  Dalton 
and  kept  on  directly  in  the  enemy's  track. 

Thus  was  the  first  eighteen  miles  won.    Sherman  lost  about 
a  thousand  men  in  these  first  movements. 


BATTLE    OF    RESACA. 

Reaching  Resaca,  Sherman  found  his  adversary  strongly 
posted,  and  he  at  once  initiated  another  flank  movement. 
The  Oostenaula  stream,  which  is  here  crossed  by  a  railroad 
bridge,  he  pontooned,  and  then  hurried  off  Sweeney ',s  division, 


320  BATTTLE     OF     RESACA. 

with  orders  to  move  around,  and  threaten  Calhoun,  still  far 
ther  down  on  the  railroad,  while  Garrard's  division  of  cavalry 
was  sent  to  destroy  the  railroad  beyond.  There  was  some 
heavy  fighting  here  during  the  first  day.  Judah's  division 
of  Schofield's  Corps  charged  bravely  on  the  enemy,  but  was 
repulsed.  Cox,  getting  out  of  ammunition,  ordered  a  charge 
of  the  enemy's  breastworks  in  his  immediate  front,  and  car 
ried  them  with  a  cheer.  Palmer's  Corps  also  pressed  the 
enemy  vigorously,  who,  after  vainly  endeavoring  to  break 
our  centre,  massed  his  forces  against  our  left,  and  came  down 
in  one  of  those  impetuous  overwhelming  assaults,  for  which 
the  rebels  were  distinguished.  Stanley  caught  the  blow  on 
his  flank,  and,  for  awhile,  bore  up  firmly  against  it.  At  last, 
however,  he  gave  way,  and  the  broken  confused  ranks  began 
to  retire  in  disorder,  when  there  suddenly  arose  a  cheer, 
heard  above  the  roar  of  artillery.  Robinson's  brigade  was 
coming  to  the  rescue  on  a  run.  With  one  terrible  blow,  it 
stopped  the  shouting,  exultant  enemy,  and  sent  him  bleed 
ing,  discomfited  back  to  his  breastworks.  Darkness,  at 
length,  closed  the  combat,  and  night  came  down  on  the  val 
ley  and  ridges,  strewed  with  the  dead  and  wounded.  Though 
no  material  advantage  was  gained,  the  enemy  had  failed  to 
break  our  extended,  incomplete  line  at  any  point. 

Quiet  reigned  over  the  two  armies  that  night,  except  that 
the  incessant  blows  of  the  axe,  and  the  falling  of  trees  show 
ed  that  Johnston  was  busy  in  piling  obstructions  in  his  front. 
Sunday  morning,  the  15th,  dawned  mild  and  peaceful,  but 
by  the  time  the  sun  was  an  hour  high,  the  scattering 
fire  of  the  skirmishers  told  that  the  day  was  to  be  one 
of  blood,  not  of  rest.  By  noon  Sherman  had  his  army  well 
up,  extending  for  miles  in  a  sort  of  semi-circle — McPherson 
on  the  right,  Thomas  in  the  centre,  and  Schofield  on  the  left, 
with  Howard  extending  beyond.  The  rebel  army — Hood 
on  the  right,  Hardee  in  the  centre,  and  Polk  on  the  left,  was 


GALLANTRY     OF     BUTTERFIELD.  321 

drawn  up  behind  breastworks,  calmly  awaiting  the  coming 
shock.  At  a  given  signal,  the  whole  army  moved  forward, 
and  the  battle  began.  Into  our  uncovered  ranks  the  enemy 
hurled  jshot  and  shell  with  desolating  effect,  until  the  dead 
lay  everywhere,  but  not  a  brigade  wavered.  Inch  by  inch 
the  gallant  regiments  worked  their  way  on,  pressing  heavier 
and  heavier,  every  moment,  the  astonished  enemy — deter 
mined,  at  whatever  sacrifice,  to  carry  the  strong  position  that 
confronted  them. 

Hooker  threw  forward  Butterfield's  division  against  the  en 
emy's  strongest  position,  supported  by  Williams'  and  Geary's 
divisions,  and  the  battle  opened  vigorously  on  both  sides. 
Hooker  fought  for  three  or  four  hours  and  made  steady  head 
way,  carrying  line  after  line  of  rifle-pits,  until  Butterfield's  di 
vision  encountered  a  lunette  of  formidable  size.  Several 
attempts  were  made  to  carry  this  and  capture  its  guns,  which 
were  pouring  a  destructive  fire  into  our  lines,  but  they  did  not 
succeed.  The  troops  fought  with  great  desperation,  but  as 
often  as  they  advanced  upon  the  lunette,  the  terrific  volleys 
of  musketry  from  the  enemy  in  the  fortifications  hurled  them 
back  in  confusion.  At  last  Butterfield  charged  forward  and 
took  a  position  under  the  protecting  works  of  the  fort,  and 
so  close  to  the  guns  within,  that  they  could  be  touched  by  the 
men's  "hands.  "  In  the  effort  to  gain  this  exposed  position, 
the  contest  was  a  bloody  one,  Geary's  division  supporting 
Butterfield.  Ward's  brigade,  which  were  participating  in 
their  first  battle,  fought  with  marked  determination,  and  con 
tributed  much  to  secure  the  position." 

"After  vain  efforts  to  capture  the  lunette,  from  which  the 
enemy  poured  into  our  ranks  grape,  canister  and  shrapnel, 
Hooker's  forces  gave  up  the  unequal  contest,  and  during  the 
balance  of  the  day  lay  under  the  breastworks  protected 
from  the  enemy's  fire,  and  picking  off  every  rebel  who 
showed  himself  above  the  ramparts.  Night  found  him  in 


322  CAPTURE     OF     RESACA. 

this  position,  and  he  at  once  matured  plans  for  capturing  the 
works  by  strategy,  under  cover  of  darkness.  The  pioneers 
were  brought  up  ;  the  ends  were  dug  out  of  the  works,  and 
the  guns  drawn  out  by  the  aid  of  ropes,  under  a  destructive 
fire  from  the  occupants  of  the  lunette,  who  were  driven  out 
or  captured,  as  our  troops  swarmed  in  through  the  opening 
in  overwhelming  numbers." 

This  Corps  lost  very  heavily.  At  ten  o'clock  at  night. 
Hooker  began  to  throw  up  breast-works  to  protect  himself, 
and  in  the  meantime  advanced  his  skirmish  line.  This  in  the 
darkness  moved  upon  the  enemy,  and  a  night  battle  com 
menced,  lighting  up  the  gloom  with  flame,  and  sending  its 
heavy  thunder  all  along  our  expectant  line.  At  two  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  the  rebels  gave  way,  and  the  low  moans  of 
the  dying,  and  cries  for  water  succeeded  to  the  uproar  that 
made  the  night  hideous.  In  this  battle  the  gallant  Kilpat- 
rick  was  wounded,  and  had  to  leave  the  army  till  his  recovery. 

Monday  morning  dawned  bright  and  clear,  but  as  the  sun 
climbed  the  heavens  it  revealed  the  whole  valley  filled  with 
smoke  and  fog,  that  lay  like  a  great  pall  over  the  spring 
brightness  and  beauty.  It  was  soon  discovered  that  the 
rebels,  not  wanting  to  risk  another  battle,  had  evacuated  their 
works,  and  were  in  full  retreat.  Our  line  immediately  ad 
vanced,  and  the  cavalry  pressed  fiercely  on  the  eneniy.'s  rear. 
The  latter  succeeded  in  getting  off  his  artillery,  but  was 
compelled  to  burn  his  -wagon  trains  to  prevent  them  from 
falling  into  our  hands. 

An  officer  visited  the  spot  where  the  desperate  hand-to- 
hand  fight  had  occurred,  for  the  lunette,  and  says,  "this 
was  thickly  strewed  with  the  dead  and  wounded.  Inside 
and  around  the  work,  rebel  and  Union  officers  and  men  lay 
piled  together ;  some  transfixed  with  bayonet  wounds,  their 
faces  wearing  that  fierce  contorted  look  which  marks  those 
who  have  suffered  agony.  Others,  who  were  shot  dead,  lay 


A     GHASTLY     SPECTACLE.  323 

with  their  calm  faces  and  glassy  eyes  turned  to  heaven. 
One  might  think  they  were  but  sleeping.  Others  had  their 
skulls  crushed  in  by  the  end  of  a  musket,  while  the  owner 
of  the  musket  lay  stiff  beside  them  with  the  death-grip 
tightened  on  the  piece.  Clinging  to  one  of  the  guns  with 
his  hand  on  the  spoke  and  his  body  bent  as  if  drawing  it, 
lay  a  youth  with  the  top  of  his  head  shot  off.  Another  with 
his  body  cut  in  two  still  clung  to  the  ropes."  * 

Crossing  the  Oostenaula,  Johnston  partially  destroyed  the 
bridge,  so  that  the  pursuit  was  delayed.  McPherson  en 
deavored  to  throw  over  pontoons,  and  get  in  his  rear,  but 
was  unable  to  do  so  under  the  heavy  fire  to  which  he  was 
exposed,  and  the  former  got  off  with  his  army.  Our  loss  in 
these  two  days  had  been  heavy — about  five  thousand  in  all. 
That  of  the  enemy  was  not  probably  so  great,  for  he  fought 
behind  breastworks— but  we  took  nearly  a  thousand  prison 
ers,  and  eight  guns,  and  a  large  quantity  of  stores. 

The  whole  army  at  once  pressed  rapidly  in  pursuit — a  por 
tion  going  by  circuitous  roads — struggling  through  the  rough 
country  as  it  best  could — fording  the  shallow  streams — pon- 
tooning  the  deep  ones,  and  hovering  like  a  storm-cloud  on 
the  fleeing  enemy.  The  movements  were  complicated  and 
often  wide  apart,  yet  Sherman's  grasping  mind  embraced 
them  all,  so  that  the  entire  army  moved  like  a  single  piece 
of  mechanism. 

On  the  17th,  Newton's  division  had  a  snarp  artillery  fight 
at  Adairville,  near  Calhoun,  but  Johnston  never  halted 
in  his  flight;  and  on  the  18th,  after  some  heavy  skirmishing, 
Clinton  fell  into  our  hands.  Here  Sherman  gave  his  gallant 
weary  troops  a  few  days  rest,  while  he  hurried  forward  his 
supplies  and  re-established  telegraphic  and  railroad  commu 
nication  with  Chattanooga. 

*  Captain  Conyngliam. 


I 
324  MARCH     ON     DALLAS. 

It  was  beautiful  spring  weather,  and  the  country  around 
being  fine,  a  perfect  carnival  reigned  in  the  camps  that  were 
scattered  for  miles  in  every  direction.  Racing  and  hunting 
parties  were  got  up,  and  mirth  and  gaiety  took  the  place  of 
battles  and  marches.  But  the  vast  extent  of  country  occu 
pied  by  the  army,  and  its  wooded  character,  gave  opportu 
nity  to  the  base  and  villainous  soldiers  that  belong  to  every 
army  to  carry  out  a  system  of  pillage  and  house  burning 
that  filled  the  inhabitants  with .  terror,  and  spread  suffering 
on  every  side,  Cold-blooded  murders  were  not  wanting  to 
complete  the  dark  list  of  crimes  committed  by  them. 

Leaving  a  garrison  here,  and  also  one  at  Rome,  which  had 
been  captured  with  all  its  warehouses,  foundries,  workshops, 
and  fifteen  hundred  bales  of  cotton,  without  a  fight,  Sherman 
on  the  23rd,  again  put  his  army  in  motion  toward  Dallas — that 
lay  west  of  the  railroad,  south  of  Allatoona — a  place  strong 
by  nature,  and  covered  with  fortifications.  If  this  point  could 
be  reached  before  Johnston  abandoned  Allatoona,  he  would 
be  cut  off  from  Atlanta.  This  he  must  prevent  at  all  hazards, 
and  the  rugged  character  of  the  country  gave  him  every 
facility  for  making  obstinate  defense  all  along  our  line  of 
march.  Day  after  day  more  or  less  fighting  occurred,,  but 
still  swinging  steadily  off  to  the  right,  Sherman  continued 
to  push  his  victorious  columns  forward  till  he  approached 
Dallas.  The  junction  of  the  Acworth,  Marietta  and  Dallas 
railroad,  he  was  very  anxious  to  secure,  and  Hooker  was 
ordered  to  hasten  forward  and  seize  it.  Near  New  Hope 
Church,  the  latter  came  upon  the  enemy  in  strong  force,  and 
attacked  him  fiercely.  The  Corps  fought  with  its  accus 
tomed  gallantry,  and  Geary's  division  especially  distinguished 
itself.  The  rebels  also  fought-  desperately,  disputing  bravely 
every  inch  of  ground,  yet  Hooker  drove  them  steadily 
toward  the  junction.  But  night  came  on  before  he  reached 
it,  and  a  drenching,  pelting  rain  storm  set  in,  which  arrested 


BATTLE     OF     DALLAS.  325 

the  fight ;  and  the  tired  Corps  sunk  to  rest  on  the  flooded 
field. 

For  three  days  now,  there  was  constant  .skirmishing,  and 
some  heavy  fighting  between  portions  of  the  army,  while 
Sherman  was  developing  his  line,  preparatory  to  a  general 
onward  movement.  On  the  28th,  Johnston,  taking  advan 
tage  of  the  somewhat  disintegrated  state  of  our  army,  fell  furi 
ously  on  McPherson,  while  closing  in  on  the  army  of  Thomas. 
Hardee's  and  Folk's  Corps  made  the  assault,  which  was  sud 
den  and  terrible.  Our  men  were  behind  rifle  pits  extending 
for  two  miles,  waiting,  as  the  skirmishers  fell  back,  to  receive 
the  shock.  Logan,  hat  in  hand,  rode  along  his  division,  en 
couraging  the  men,  who  replied  with  shouts.  Soon  after, 
McPherson  with  his  staff,  rode  along  the  whole  line,  received 
with  deafening  cheers  as  he  passed.  The  assaulting  columns 
came  down  with  shouts  and  yells,  that  rose  over  the  crash  of 
their  volleys ;  but  our  troops  reserved  their  fire  until  the  enemy 
were  within  a  few  yards,  when  a  volley  from  the  first  rank 
leaped  forth  like  a  sheet  of  lightning,  cutting  with  its  fiery 
blade  the  rebel  line  of  battle.  A  second  one  from  the  rear 
rank  instantaneously  followed,  and  the  rash,  brave  foe  fell 
like  grass  before  the  swinging  scythe.  Rolled  back  before  this 
withering  fire,  they  rallied  again  and  again,  and  came  on 
with  the  same  defiant  shouts,  charging  up  almost  to  the  muz 
zles  of  the  guns.  But  it  was  like  the  waves  beating  the 
rocks.  The  Army  of  the  Tennessee  never  wavered,  but 
steady  and  stern,  stood  and  reaped  that  harvest  of  death,  till 
night  fell,  when  the  baffled  foe  gave  it  up,  and  retired,  leav 
ing  the  ground  covered  with  dead.  His  loss  in  this  despe 
rate  assault  was  fully  three  thousand,  while  McPherson's  was 
not  over  a  third  as  great. 

Sherman  now  paused  a  few  days  to  mislead  the  enemy, 
and  on  the  1st  of  June  sent  McPherson  around  to  the  left 
on  another  flank  movement.  Johnston  was  confounded  at 


326  BATTLE     OF     KENESAW. 

these  continual  flank  movements — now  around  his  right,  and 
then  around  his  left,  ever  threatening  his  communications 
with  Atlanta.  As  before,  so  now  he  was  compelled  to  aban 
don  his  stronghold  which  he  had  fortified  with  so  much  care, 
and  fell  back  to  Kenesaw  Mountain,  if  possible  a  still  stronger 
position  than  any  he  had  thus  far  abandoned.  Making  Alla- 
toona  Pass  a  secondary  base,  and  leaving  a  garrison  there  to 
hold  it,  and  repairing  the  railroad  behind  him,  Sherman  pre-. 
pared  to  advance  again. 

On  the  9th  of  June  "Forward"  sounded  from  our  bugles, 
and  the  conquering  army  took  up  its  march  for  Kenesaw 
Mountain. 

BATTLE  OF  KENESAW  MOUNTAIN. 

It  drew  up  in  front  of  this  formidable  height,  whose  crest, 
four  hundred  feet  high,  was  seen  to  be  lined  with  artillery. 
On  the  right  arose  other  mountains,  and,  farther  back,  Lost 
Mountain — all  dark  with  batteries,  while  every  spur  was  alive 
with  men,  "felling  trees,  digging  pits,  and  preparing  for-  the 
grand  struggle  impending."  Says  Sherman,  "the  scene  was 
enchanting,  too  beautiful  to  be  disturbed  by  the  rude  clamors 
of  war,  but  the  Chattahoochee  lay  beyond,  and  I  had  to  reach 
it."  "  By  the  llth  of  June  our  lines  were  well  up,  and  we  made 
dispositions  to  break  the  line  between  Kenesaw  and  Pine 
Mountains.  General  Hooker  was  on  its  right  and  front,  Gen 
eral  Howard  on  its  left  and  front,  and  General  Palmer  be 
tween  it  and  the  railroad."  On  the  14th,  during  a  sharp 
cannonade,  General  Polk  was  killed,  and  the  next  morning 
Pine  Mountain  was  discovered  to  be  abandoned. 

The  death  of  Polk,  as  related  by  Captain  Conyngham,  re 
minds  one  of  the  death  of  Moreau,  at  Leipsic.  Bonaparte, 
seeing  a  group  of  officers  on  a  distant  elevation,  ordered  a 
captain  of  artillery  to  throw  a  shot  into  it,  saying,  perhaps 


DEATH     OF     POLK.  327 

some  little  Generals  are  there.  The  latter  did  so,  and  the 
cannon  ball  smote  Moreau. 

Sherman,  riding  up  to  a  battery,  took  a  careful  survey  of 
Pine  Mountain  with  his  glass.  Then  turning  to  Captain  Si- 
monson,  he  said,  "  Can  you  send  a  shell  right  on  the  top  of  that 
knob  ?  I  notice  a  battery  there,  and  several  general  officers 
near  it."  "  HI. try,  General,"  was  the  reply.  He  fired.  "  A 
little  too  high,  try  again,  with  a  shorter  fuse,"  said  Sher 
man.  The  second  shell  flew  through  the  air,  and  entering 
the  distant  group,  crashed  through  the  side  of  Polk,  tearing 
his  body  into  fragments. 

Thomas  and  Schofield  now  advanced,  and.  found  the  ene 
my  again  strongly  intrenched  along  the  line  of  rugged  hills 
that  connect  Kenesaw  and  Lost  Mountains.  .  On  the  17th, 
the  enemy  abandoned  Lost  Mountain,  and  took  position  on 
Kenesaw ;  his  right  wing  thrown  back,  so  as  to  cover  Mari 
etta,  and  his  left  covering  the  railroad  in  the  rear,  thus  con 
tracting  his  lines,  and  leaving  no  weak  spot  open  to  an  at 
tack.  From  his  high  position  he  could  look,  down  on  every 
movement  of  our  troops,  while  his  cannon  thundered  away 
upon  our  long  line.  To  make  matters  worse,  a  heavy  rain 
storm  had  set  in,  and  day  and  night,  week  after  week,  it 
poured  down  on  the  exposed  army,  turning  the  narrow  coun 
try  roads  into  gulleys,  and  every  open  space  into  a  marsh,  and 
thus  preventing  any  general  movement.  The  troops  suffered 
greatly,  yet  kept  steadily  at  work.  "  General  McPherson 
watching  the  enemy  on  Kenesaw,  and  working  his  left  for 
ward  ;  General  Thomas,  swinging,  as  it  were  on  a  grand  left 
wheel,  his  left  on  Kenesaw,  connected  with  General  McPher 
son,  while  General  Schofield  was  all  the  while  working  to 
the  south  and  east  along  the  old  Sandtown  road." 

Thus  matters  went  on,  amid  the  pelting  rain,  when  on  the 
22nd,  Hood  made  a  sudden  attack  on  Hooker's  Corps. 
Driving  in  the  advanced  detachments,  he  fell  furiously  on 

51 


328  A     REPULSE. 

Williams'  division.  The  onset  was  fierce,  but  failed — the 
enemy  losing  seven  or  eight  hundred  men.  Sherman  now 
determined  to  assault  in  turn ;  and,  on  the  27th,  the  army 
advanced  against  the  stronghold.  The  long  rain  storm  had 
cleared  away,  the  roads  were  good — and  a  warm  summer 
sun  was  shining,  as  the  columns  moved  off  on  the  desperate 
undertaking.  The  grand  assault  was  made  by  the  two  armies 
of  Thomas  and  McPherson,  at  two  different  points.  Gulleys, 
rocks,  trees,  and  underbrush,  lay  on  the  line  of  march,  before 
the  mountain,  swarming  now  with  men  like  bees,  could  be 
reached.  Heralded  by  the  crash  of  artillery,  the  columns 
moved  steadily  forward,  and  the  battle  soon  raged  furiously. 
Kenesaw  seemed  a  volcano  there  in  the  summer  air,  while  a 
surge  of  fire  kept  rolling  steadily  up  its  base.  Troops  never 
behaved  more  gallantly,  and  the  officers  held  them  to  their 
deadly  work  with  unparalleled  devotion.  Generals  McCook 
and  Barker  fell  at  the  head  of  their  brigades,  cheering  on 
the  men,  and  many  otlrer  officers  went  down  before  the  awful 
fire  that  swept,  without  cessation,  the  rugged  slopes  of  the 
mountain.  Bat  it  was  vain  valor,  for  the  position  was  too 
strong  to  be  carried  by  direct  assault.  Some  brave  regi 
ments  mounted  half  way  up  the  slope,  but  only  to  be  hurled 
back  broken  and  bleeding ;  and  at  length  the  bugles  rung 
out  the  order  to  cease  firing,  and  the  battle  was  over.  Sher 
man  had  met  his  first  defeat.  His  loss  was  severe,  reaching 
full  three  thousand,  among  whom  were  many  valuable 
officers. 

If  Sherman  made  any  mistake  in  this  remarkable  cam 
paign,  it  was  in  ordering  this  assault.  His  own  reasons  for 
making  it  are  not  satisfactory.  He  says,  "all  looked  to  out 
flank.  An  army  to  be  efficient  must  not  settle  down  to  one 
single  mode  of  offense,"  &c.  An  army  must  "settle  down" 
just  to  that  "  mode  of  offense  "  which  will  bring  victory  with 
the  least  loss  of  life.  He  thought  also  that  the  "moral 


THE    CHATTAHOOCIIEE     REACHED.  329 

effect"  of  a  successful  assault  would  be  good.  But  it  is 
equally  true  that  the  "moral  effect"  of  an  unsuccessful  one 
is  bad,  and  the  chances  here  were  nine  to  one  against  him. 
Besides,  he  after  all,  had  to  fall  back  again  to  his  old  flank 
ing  system,  the  only  wise  course  when  it  can  be  taken  against 
such  a  strong  position  as  Kenesaw  mountain  was. 

Gathering  up  his  bleeding  army,  and,  burying  his  dead, 
under  a  flag  of  truce,  he  sent  McPherson  forward  to  the 
Chattahoochee,  far  in  the  rear  of  Kenesaw  Mountain.  As 
soon  as  Johnston  was  aware  of  this  movement,  he  evacuated 
his  strong  position,  and  Sherman  rode  into  Marietta.  The 
result  showed  that  this  would  have  been  the  proper  course 
at  first,  and  that  he  could  have  had  the  strong  position  with 
out  the  loss  of  a  man. 

Sherman  now  pressed  forward,  in  hope  of  catching  John 
ston  in  the  confusion  of  crossing  the  Chattahoochee.  But 
the  latter  had  provided  against  such  a  contingency,  and  cov 
ered  his  movements  so  well  that  no  considerable  advantage 
could  be  gained  over  him,  though  more  or  less  fighting  oc 
curred  all  the  way  to  its  banks.  On  the  4th  and  5th  of  July, 
the  rebel  army  crossed  the  river  in  safety.  On  the  7th, 
Schofield  effected  a  lodgment  on  the  farther  bank,  and  laid 
a  good  pontoon  and  trestle  bridge.  Sherman  handled  his 
troops  with  such  skill,  that  by  the  ninth,  he  had  secured 
three  good  points  for  crossing  over  his  army  above  the  ene 
my's  tete-du-pont,  when  the  latter  reluctantly  abandoned  his 
last  line  of  defense,  and  fell  back  to  Atlanta. 

In  the  meantime  Rousseau,  with  two  thousand  cav 
alry,  was  sent  around  Atlanta,  to  destroy  the  railroad  at 
Opelika,  Ala.,  south,  and  cut  off  Johnston's  supplies.  This 
force  was  gone  twelve  days,  and  succeeded  in  accomplishing 
its  object,  and  returned,  with  the  loss  of  only  thirty  men. 

The  control  of  the  Chattahoochee,  Sherman  said,  "  was  one 
if  not  the  chief  object  of  the  campaign,"  but  Atlanta  lay 


330  ATLANTA    IN     SIGHT. 

only  eight  miles  distant,  and  he  determined  to  capture  it. 
But  after  the  heavy  marching  and  fighting  of  the  past  few 
weeks,  the  army  needed  rest  before  entering  on  such  a  des 
perate  undertaking,  and  it  pitched  its  camps  along  the  stream, 
and  gave  itself  up  to  several  days'  repose.  From  a  neigh 
boring  hill  the  steeples  of  Atlanta,  and  the  smoke  of  its 
foundries  could  be  seen.  Around  it  stretched  a  beautiful 
country,  dotted  with  plantations,  while  in  every  direction, 
the  smoke  of  locomotives,  as  they  sped  along  the  plains,  re 
vealed  the  various  lines  of  railroad  that  centered  in  the 
place. 


CHAPTER  XXY. 

ATLANTA    REACHED HOOo's    FIRST    ATTACK — HIS    ASSAULT    ON  MC  PHERSON 

DEATH  OF  THE  LATTER HOWARD  PLACED  OVER  THE  ARMY  OF  THE  TENNES 
SEE STONEMAN  AND  MC  COOK's  RAID HOOKER  RESIGNS FIERCE  ATTACK 

ON  HOWARD — SHELLING  OF  ATLANTA AN  UNSUCCESSFUL  ASSAULT WHEE 
LER  SENT  TO  CUT  SHERMANS  COMMUNICATIONS-^-KILPATRICK  DISPATCHED 

TO    CUT    HOOD'S SHERMAN  RESOLVED  TO    PLANT    HIS    ARMY    ON  THE    MACON 

ROAD BATTLE  OF  JONESBORO* ATLANTA  CUT  OFF HOOD   EVACUATES  IT 

SLOCUM  TAKES  POSSESSION THE  REBEL  ARMY  PURSUED  TO  LOVEJOY^S  STA 
TION — REST  TO  THE  ARMY SUMMING  UP  OF  THE  CAMPAIGN SHERMAN  OR 
DERS  ALL  THE  INHABITANTS  TO  LEAVE HIS  CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  HOOD 

AND  THE  MAYOR,  ON  THE  SUBJECT. 

ON  the  17th  of  July,  the  whole  army  moved  forward, 
fighting  as  it  advanced,  and,  at  length,  Atlanta  greeted 
the  eyes  of  the  weary,  suffering,  yet  enthusiastic  troops. 

Johnston,  at  this  time,  was  removed  from  command,  and 
Hood  put  in  his  place.  A  new  mode  of  conducting  the  cam 
paign  was  now  to  be  inaugurated.  The  Fabian  policy  was 
dropped  at  once,  and  the  impetuous  Hood,  the  moment  he 
obtained  the  control  of  the  army,  broke  into  a  furious  offen 
sive.  On  the  20th,  Sherman  was  in  the  act  o£  forming  his 
new  lines,  about  five  miles  from  Atlanta,  with  no  enemy  in 
force  apparently  near,  when  suddenly,  nearly  the  whole  of 
Hood's  army  came  pouring  forward  with  shouts  and  yells, 
that  tolled  like  thunder  over  the  field.  Newton's  division 
of  Howard's  Corps,  and  •Johnson's  of  Palmer's,  received  tlie 
first  shock.  They  had  just  before  thrown  up  a  breastwork 
of  rails,  behind  which  they  poured  in  a  galling  fire.  Hook 
er's  Corps,  however,  was  entirely  uncovered,  yet  stood  like 
a  flaming  citadel  in  the  open  fields.  Where  this  onset  was 


332  HOOD'S  FIRST  ATTACK. 

made,  a  gap  in  the  lines  existed,  which  Hood  hoped  to  pene 
trate.  Had  he  succeeded,  disastrous  consequences  would, 
doubtless,  have  followed.  But  though  the  assault  was  sud 
den  as  a  thunder-clap,  and  found  our  troops  partially  unpre 
pared,  it  failed  to  break  through  our  lines.  The  rebels  threw 
themselves  forward  on  our  batteries  with  a  recklessness  that 
was  frightful  to  behold.  Their  ranks  melted  away  before 
the  fire  like  the  sand  bank  when  caved  by  the  torrent,  yet 
the  living  never  faltered.  Over  their  own  piled-up  dead,  they 
still  crowded  the  gates  of  death  with  a  self-devotion  never 
surpassed.  The  sacrifice  was  great,  but  it  did  not  avail,  and 
the  bleeding,  shattered  host  fell  back  to  its  intrenchments, 
having  lost  in  this  short,  fierce  engagement,  according  to  the 
estimate  of  Thomas,  five  thousand  men.  Our  loss  was  about 
half  that  number. 

Two  days  after,  Hood  abandoned  his"  extensive  line  of  de 
fenses,  falling  back  to  his  interior  position  of  redoubts,  in 
front  of  which  were  almost  impenetrable  clievaux-de-frise, 
with  water  between  them. 

While  Thomas  was  thus  pushing  forward  in  front,  Mc- 
Pherson,  from  Decatur  to  the  eastward,  was  moving  down 
the  railroad  toward  the  city. 

Hood,  two  days  after  this  terrible  repulse,  made  another 
desperate  attempt  to  break  through  the  net  that  was  steadily 
closing  round  him.  Leaving  just  enough  troops  in  the  in- 
trenchmente  to  hold  them,  he  massed  his  entire  army  against 
McPherson  on  the  left,  who  had  not  yet  got  into  position. 
The  onset,  if  possible,  was  more  terrific  than  that  of  two 
days  before,  and,  at  one  time,  came  very  near  overwhelming 
the  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  Blair  caught  the  first  blow, 
and  then  the  shouting,  yelling,  frantic  mass  poured  down  on 
the  whole  line  with,  a  fury  that,  at  first,  seemed  irresistible. 
In  the  meantime,  a  heavy  force  got  in  the  rear  and  captured 
some  twelve  guns.  The  enraged  gunners  rushed  back  for 


A     BLOODY     CONTEST.  333 

tlieir  pieces,  and  a  bloody,  hand  to  hand  fight  took  place 
over  them.  In  front,  the  rebels,  with  their  usual  daring, 
clashed  unflinchingly  through  the  fire  that  wasted  them,  up 
to  the  very  breastworks,  and  planted  their  colors  alongside 
of  our  own,  and  fought  like  tigers  around  them.  "For  a 
Italfan  hour,  the  two  armies  foucjltt  face  to  face  each  side  of  the 
same  line  of  ititrenchments,  tvith  the  battle  colors  of  the  re 
spective  parties  flying  from  the  same  works"  The  struggle 
was  so  close  and  deadly  that  orders  were  of  little  avail — it 
was  a  contest  of  the  old  Greeks  and  Romans,  when  every 
thing,  for  a  time,  rested  solely  on  the  valor  of  the  soldiers. 
Sherman,  with  Schofield  and  Howard,  stood  on  an  elevation 
that  commanded  a  view  of  the  battle  field.  Planting  two  bat 
teries  on  two  hills — one  on  each  side  of  him — which  poured  a 
converging  fire  into  the  enemy,  he  sent  word  to  Logan,  in  the 
centre,  to  mass  his  troops  and  charge.  "  You  must  retake 
those  guns,"  was  the  stern  order.  No  sooner  did  the  gallant 
Logan  receive  it,  than  he  swiftly  massed  his  troops,  and 
riding  alternately  at  the  heads  of  the  columns,  shouted  them 
on.  Wood's  division  led  the  charge,  and  a  loud  cheer  rolled 
down  the  line,  as  it  advanced.  The  enemy  supposing  we 
were  thoroughly  beaten,  were  astonished  at  the  sight,  but 
moved  boldly  out  to  meet  the  onset — the  artillery,  on  both 
sides,  playing  over  the  heads  of  the  troops.  Soon,  however, 
it  ceased  as  the  approaching  lines  came  close  together.  A 
crushing  fire,  a  cheer,  and  then  we  were  upon  and  over  them, 
scattering  them  in  flight,  and  retaking  part  of  the  guns. 

The  struggle  was  a  short  one,  but  while  it  lasted,  death 
reaped  the  field  with  rapid  strokes.  Six  tremendous  assaults 
were  made  on  the  Fifteenth,  Sixteenth  and  Seventeenth 
Corps,  but  when  darkness  closed  over  the  field,  victory  was 
ours.  The  dead  lay  everywhere — sometimes  in  ranks,  as 
though  whole  companies  had  been  swept  away  by  a  single 
volley.  Logan  -reported  the  enemy's  dead  at  over  three 


334  DEATH     OF    MCPHERSON. 

thousand,  and  the  whole  rebel  loss  was  estimated  at  twelve 
thousand,  including  seventeen  hundred  prisoners.  We  cap 
tured,  also,  eighteen  stand  of  colors,  and  five  thousand  small 
arms.  Our  loss  was  only  a  little  over  seventeen  hundred. 
The  enemy,  however,  succeeded  in  carrying  off  eight  pieces 
of  artillery.  Our  greatest  loss,  however,  was  the  death  of 
General  McPherson,  who  fell  while  crossing  a  piece  of  woods, 
attended  only  by  an  orderly.  He  came  unexpectedly  upon 
a  detachment  of  rebels,  who  fired  upon  him  as  he  attempt 
ed  to  escape. 

A  comparatively  young  man,  he  was  one  of  the  ablest 
officers  in  the  army.  Long  before  he  was  known  to  the 
public,  Grant  leaned  on  him,  and  the  enemy,  who  knew  his 
worth,  feared  him.  Noble  and  pure-minded,  he  was  beloved 
by  all.  Able  in  .council,  his  opinions  carried  great  weight, 
while  in  "the  high  places  of  the  field,"  he  moved,  a  tower 
of  strength.  As  Napoleon,  when  it  was  told  him  that  the 
noble,  true-hearted  Duroc  had  fallen,  so  the  iron-hearted 
Sherman,  when. the  tidings  reached  him  that  McPherson  was 
dead,  burst  into  tears. 

The  next  day,  Garrard  returned  from  a  cavalry  raid  to 
Covington,  forty- two  miles  east  of  Atlanta,  in  which  railroads, 
bridges,  cotton,  stores,  &c.,  were  destroyed,  he  having  lost 
but  two  men  in  the  expedition. 

Sherman  was  now  able  to  move  his  lines  so  as  to  lay  regu 
lar  siege  to  Atlanta,  but  to  cut  off  its  supplies,  it  was  necces- 
sary  that  the  Macon  road  should  be  broken  up.  To  accom 
plish  this,  Stoneman  was  dispatched  with  a  cavalry  force  of 
five  thousand,  while  McCook,  with  four  thousand  infantry  was 
to  meet  him  on  the  railroad  near  Lovejoy's,  and  co-operate 
with  his  movement.  The  former  got  in  front  of  Macon7  but 
on  his  return,  he  was,  surrounded  by  Iverson,  and  captured, 
with  a  thousand  of  his  men.  McCook  performed  his  part 
of  the  task  assigned  him,  but  getting  hemnlcd  in  by  a  large 


ATTACK     ON     HOWARD,  335 

force  of  infantry  and  cavalry,  had  to  cut  his  way  out,  which 
he  did  in  the  most  gallant  style.  On  the  whole,  the  expe 
dition  was  a  sad  -failure.  Sherman,  in  the  meantime,  kept 
extending  his  lines  and  tightening  his  coils  around  the 
doomed  place.  Like  a  scorpion  girt  with  fire,  Hood  turned 
and  turned  to  find  some  way  of  escape,  and  on  the  28th,  at 
noon,  again  flung  his  army  in  a  desperate  assault  on  our 
lines.  Again  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  received  the  rebel 
assault,  but,  this  time,  under  the  leadership  of  Howard. 
Sherman  had  put  him  in  McPherson's  place,  which  so  offend 
ed  Hooker,  who  felt  his  claims  were  overlooked,  that  he  re 
signed  his  position  and  came  home.  Howard  had  assumed 
direct  command  only  the  day  before  the  battle. 

Says  Sherman,  u  The  enemy  had  come  out  of  Atlanta  by 
the  Bell's  Ferry  road,  and  formed  his  masses  in  the  open 
fields,  behind  a  swell  of  ground,  and  after  the  artillery  firing, 
advanced  in  parallel  lines,  directly  against  the  Fifteenth 
Corps,  expecting  to  catch  that  flank  in  air.  His  advance  was 
magnificent,  but  founded  on  an  error  that  cost  him  sadly ; 
for  our  men  coolly  and  deliberately  cut  down  his  men,  and, 
in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  rebel  officers,  his  ranks  broke  and 
fled.  But  they  were  rallied  again  and  again,  as  often  as  six 
times,  at"  some  points,  and  a  few  of  the  rebel  officers  and 
men  reached  our  lines  of  rail-piles,  but  only  to  be  killed  or 
hauled  over  as  prisoners."  These  assaults  continued  from 
noon  until  four  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  enemy  disappear 
ed,  leaving  his  dead  and  wounded  in  our  hands.  The  splen 
did  and  daring  manner  in  which  the  rebel  troops,  right  on 
the  top  of  repeated  defeats,  were  brought  to  the  assault, 
speaks  volumes  for  their  bravery.  After  being  driven  for 
nearly  two  hundred  miles,  and  then,  when  turning  and 
breaking  into  a  furious  offensive,  remorselessly  slaughtered,  it 
showed  the  highest  order  of  bravery,  and  marvellous  endu 
rance,  to  move  with  confident  bearing,  as  they  did,  against 


336  WHEELER'S   CAVALRY. 

overwhelming  numbers,  protected  by  breastworks.  The  en 
emy's  loss,  in  this  last  attack,  was  estimated  at  six  thousand, 
while  our  own  was  under  six  hundred — a  great  disparity, 
if  true.  Five  stand  of  colors  were  taken,  and  two  thousand 
muskets. 

Hood  now  let  Sherman  advance  his  lines  without  inter 
ruption.  He  was  dashing  his  army  to  pieces  against  the  ad 
amantine  wall  closing  around  him ;  and  he  saw  that  some 
other  course  must  be  adopted,  or  his  fate  was  sealed. 

Sherman  now  began  to  shell  the  place,  and,  at  one  point, 
made  an  assault,  in  which  he  lost  some  four  hundred  men. 
But,  on  a  careful  examination  of  the  enemy's  works,  he  saw 
that  the  place  could  not  be  carried  by  storm  without  a  loss 
that  would  leave  him  without  an  army,  and  he  cast  about 
for  other  means  of  reducing  it.  If  he  could  once  plant  his 
army  on  the  Macon  road,  he  knew  that  Hood  would  have  to 
leave,  for  this,  now,  was  his  only  line  of  supplies.  He  at 
once  resolved  to  do  this,  and  the  18th  day  of  August  being- 
chosen  for  the  movement,  the  wagons  were  loaded  with  fif 
teen  days'  provisions. 

But  Hood,  in  the  meantime,  had  formed  a  similar  plot 
against  Sherman.  Finding  himself  unable  to  break  through 
his  lines  and  defeat  his  army,  he  determined  to  cut  his  com 
munications,  and  starve  him  into  a  retreat.  Wheeler,  with 
all  his  cavalry,  was  sent  off  toward  Chattanooga,  to  operate 
on  the  single  line  of  railroad  by  which  Sherman's  army  was 
fed.  When  this  was  told  the  latter,  instead  of  being  alarm 
ed,  he  said,  "I  could  not  have  asked  anything  better,  for  I 
have  provided  well  for  such  a  contingency."  He  knew  that 
Wheeler  would  fail,  while  it  relieved  him  from  the  annoy 
ances  of  cavalry.  He,  therefore,  resolved  to  cut  the  West 
Point  railroad  at  Fairburn,  and  the  Macon  road  at  Jones- 
boro',  by  cavalry  alone,  and  Kilpatrick,  who  had  returned  to 
duty,  was  dispatched  with  four  thousand  men  and  eight  pie- 


HOOD'S     LAST     BATTLE.  337 

ces  of  artillery  to  carry  out  his  plan.  Although  this  bold  rider 
made  a  complete  circuit  of  Atlanta,  yet  the  expedition  was 
only  partially  successful.  (  Breaking  the  roads  was  compara 
tively  a  small  matter ;  they  must  be  -held  permanently,  and 
so  Sherman  returned  to  his  original  plan.  The  surplus  wag 
ons  were  sent  back  to  his  intrenched  bridge  on  the  Chatta- 
hoochee  river,  whither  the  Twentieth  Corps  was  also  dis 
patched,  and  the  various  movements  at  once  commenced  for 
carrying  it  out.  The  separate  columns  moved  like  clock 
work,  and  reaching  without  delay  the  points  aimed  at,  show 
ed  the  highest  stragetic  skill  on  the  part  of  Sherman. 

To  a  common  observer,  only  a  vast  army  could  be  seen 
marching  by  various  roads  over  the  country ;  but,  in  Sher 
man's  plan,  they  were  like  the  several  wheels  of  a  mighty 
machine,  whose  steady  revolutions  lift  the  ponderous  ham 
mer,  which  by  its  descending  blows  grinds  every-thing 
beneath  it  to  powder. 

The  West  Point  railroad  was  reached  and  torn  up,  and 
then  the  army  moved  eastward  to  Jonesboro'.  On  the  31st, 
Howard,  who  was  on  the  right,  arrived,  while  Thomas,  in  the 
centre,  was  at  Couch's,  and  Schofield  commanding  the  left,  at 
Rough  and  Ready.  A  glance  at  the  map,  will  show  in  what 
a  desperate  position  Hood  was  now  placed.  He  was  com 
pletely  cut  off  south  and  east,  by  railroad,  and  he  must  de 
molish  this  living  wall,  closing  around  him,  or  leave  Atlanta 
at  once.  He  attempted  to  effect  the  former,  and  S.  D.  Lee  and 
Hardee,  with  their  Corps,  fell  on  Thomas  with  desperate  reso 
lution,  and  a  fierce  battle  followed.  The  rebels  fought  with 
their  accustomed  gallantry,  and,  for  a  while,  pressed  Thomas' 
veterans  sorely,  but  they  were  finally  repulsed  with  a  loss  of 
some  four  thousand  men.  Davis'  Corps  now  came  up,  and, 
at  four  o'clock  on  the  1st  of  September,  moved  majestically 
on  the  rebel  position,  sweeping  it  like  an  inundation,  and 
capturing  an  entire  brigade,  with  its  General  and  eight  guns. 


338  .        ATLANTA     EVACUATED. 

Five  thousand  more  were  here  put  hors-du-combat,  while  our 
loss,  in  both  engagements,  was  but  little  over  two  thousand. 
Hood's  army  was  fast  melting  away,  and  the  shattered  rem 
nant  must  now  flee  or  be  -captured.  He  saw  plainly  that  all 
was  lost,  and  that  night,  hastily  evacuated  Atlanta,  blow 
ing  up  magazines  and  stores,  and  destroying  seven  locomo 
tives  and  eighty-one  cars. 

The  torch  was  applied,  also,  to  a  thousand  bales  of  cotton, 
which  made  the  midnight  heavens  lurid  with  flame.  Light 
ed  on  his  gloomy  march  by  this  sea  of  fire,  Hood  moved 
swiftly  forward  over  the  country  toward  Macon.  The  in 
habitants  of  Atlanta,  filled  with  consternation,  streamed 
after  him  in  every  vehicle  they  could  lay  their  hands  on, 
making  a  scene  of  terror  and  confusion  that  baffles  descrip 
tion.  Slocum,  of  the  Twentieth  Corps,  seven  miles  north,  on  the 
Chatahoochee,  heard  the  explosions,  caused  by  the  blowing 
up  of  the  cars,  and  saw  the  ruddy  heavens,  and  suspecting 
the  cause,  sent  out,  at  day -break,  a  strong  column  to  recon 
noitre.  Atlanta  was  found  deserted,  and  he  marched  in  and 
took  possession  of  it. 

At  daylight,  next  morning,  the  army  started  in  pursuit  of 
Hood,  and  kept  up  the  chase,  for  thirty  miles,  to  Lovejoy's, 
where  he  was  found  strongly  fortified.  Here  it  was  arrested 
and  moved  back  to  Atlanta,  for  the  campaign  was  over,  and 
the  tentless,  almost  shoeless,  ragged  soldiers  needed  rest. 
Sherman  wrote,  "  Atlanta  is  ours,  and  fairly  won,"  and  so  it 
was — won  by  genius,  skill,  and  downright  hard  fighting.  He 
had  given  the  lie  to  all  prognostications,  and  stamped  him 
self  the  foremost  General  of  the  age. 

This  extraordinary  campaign  cannot  be  summed  up  better 
than  in  these  words  of  Colonel  Bowman.  "  When  we  reflect 
upon  the  enormous  distance  traversed — upon  its  rugged  and 
defensible  character ;  it  b'eing  nothing  less  than  a  penetra 
tion  of  the  entire  series  of  parallel  Alleghariy  ranges — upon 


REVIEW     OF     THE     CAMPAIGN.-  339 

the  strong  army  and  able  General  of  the  enemy,  contesting 
our  advance,  inch  by  inch,  over  ground  entirely  known  to 
them  and  unkown  to  us,  after  years  of  preparation  in  roads 
and  fortified  places — upon  the  fact  that  Sherman  was  obli 
ged  to  rebuild  bridges  and  railroads,  as  he  advanced,  and 
protect  his  line  of  supplies,  all  the  way  from  Nashville  to 
Atlanta,  three  hundred  miles  long — upon  the  dazzling  series 
of  victories  unbroken,  save  at  Kenesaw,  which  crowned  our 
banners — upon  the  miraculous  handling  of  troops,  as  if  by 
mechanism,  over  the  most  wretched  of  roads,  in  the  most 
impracticable  of  countries — upon  the  skillful  and  extraordi 
nary  system  of  supplies,  of  food,  forage  and  ammunition — 
upon  the  tremendous  disparity  of  loss  inflicted  on  the  ene 
my,  although  he  fought  a  defensive  campaign — upon  the- 
wonderful,  tactical  genius  of  the  great  Commander,  whether 
on  the  march  or  in  battle — this  campaign  must  stand  unsur 
passed  in  the  annals  of  history."  Even  the  momentous  events 
transpiring  East,  could  not  overshadow  this  great  campaign, 
not  only  great  in  its  actual  character,  but  also  in  its  results. 
The  centre  of  Southern  railroads  was  reached,  the  Confed 
eracy  again  bisected,  and  Sherman's  hand  was  feeling  its 
great  arteries. 

He  now  placed  his  cam^  in.  order  and  showed  that  he  had 
come  to  stay.  He  commenced  putting  Atlanta  in  a  state  of 
defense,  and  ordered  aAfton-combatants  to  be  removed  to 
Hood's  lines,  with  their  servants  and  effects.  He  asked  the 
latter  for  his  co-operatioli  in  effecting  this.  Hood  acceded  to 
his  proposition,  but  bitterly  denounced  the  measure  as  "un 
precedented,  studied  and  ungenerous  cruelty" 

This  was  a  charge  so  wholly  contrary  to  Sherman's  char 
acter,  and  so  repugnant  to  his  feelings,  that  he  replied  to  it. 
He  had  before  shown  that  he  wielded  a  trenchant  pen,  as 
well  as  sword.  ,  His  letter  to  the  Massachusetts  agent,  who 
asked  to  enter  his  lines  to  get  blacks  to  fill  up  the  quota  of 


340  A     PLAIX     LETTER. 

the  State,  under  the  President's  call  for  troops,  struck  a  hard 
blow  at  that  miserable,  pseudo  patriotism,  that  wished  to 
keep  the  able-bodied  whites  from  the  war,  and  place  its  tre 
mendous  responsibilities  on  mercenary  foreigners,  or  the 
poor,  liberated  blacks.  His  answer  to  Hood  showed  the 
same  capacity  to  strike  hard  blows.  He  says : — 

"  GENERAL, — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  letter, 
of  this  date,  at  the  hands  of  Messrs.  Ball  and  Crew,  consenting  to  the  ar 
rangements  I  had  proposed  to  facilitate  the  removal  south,  of  the  people  of 
Atlanta,  who  prefer  to  go  in  that  direction.  I  enclose  you  a  copy  of  my 
orders,  which  will,  I  am  satisfied,  accomplish  my  purpose  perfectly.  You 
style  the  measures  proposed  '  unprecedented,'  and  appeal  to  the  dark  his 
tory  of  war  for  a  parallel,  as  an  act  of  'studied  and  ungenerous  cruelty.' 
It  is  not  unprecedented,  for  General  Johnston  himself  very  wisely  and  prop 
erly  removed  the  families  all  the  way  from  Dalton  down,  and  I  see  no  reason 
why  Atlanta  should  be  excepted.  Nor  is  it  necessary  to  appeal  to  the  dark 
history  of  war,  when  recent  and  modern  examples  arc  so  handy.  You,  your 
self,  burned  dwelling-houses  along  your  parapet,  and  I  have  seen  to-day  fifty 
houses  that  you  have  rendered  uninhabitable  because  they  stood  in  the  way 
of  your  forts  and  men.  You  defended  Atlanta  on  a  line  so  close  to  the 
town  that  every  cannon-shot,  and  many  musket-shots,  from  our  line  of  in 
vestments,  that  overshot  their  mark,  went  into  the  habitations  of  women  and 
children.  General  Ilardee  did  the  same  at  Joncsboro',  and  General  John 
ston  did  the  same  last  Summer  at  Jackson,  Mississippi.  I  have  not  accused 
you  of  heartless  cruelty,  but  merely  instance  these  cases,  of  very  recent  oc 
currence,  and  could  go  on  and  enumerate  hundreds  of  others,  and  challenge 
any  fair  man  to  judge  which  of  us  has  tire  heart  of  pity  for  the  families  of  a 
*  brave  people.'  I  say  it  is  a  kindness  to  these  families  of  Atlanta,  to  re 
move  them  now  at  once  from  scenes  that  women  and  children  should  not  be 
exposed  to ;  and  the  brave  people  should  scorn  to  commit  their  wives  and 
children  to  the  rude  barbarians  who  thus,  as  you  say,  violate  the  laws  of  war, 
as  illustrated  in  the  pages  of  its  dark  history.  In  the  name  of  common 
sense,  I  ask  you  not  to  appeal  to  a  just  God  in  such  a  sacrilegious  manner — 
you,  who,  in  the  midst  of  peace  and  prosperity,  have  plunged  a  nation  into 
civil  war,  'dark  and  cruel  war;'  who  dared  and  badgered  us  to  battle;  in 
sulted  our  flag;  seized  our  arsenals  and  forts,  that  were  left  in  the  honorable 
custody  of  a  peaceful  ordinance  sergeant ;  seized  and  made  prisoners  of  war 
the  very  garrisons  sent  to  protect  your  people  against  negroes  and  Indians, 
long  before  any  overt  act  was  committed  by  the  (to  you)  hateful  Lincoln- 
Government;  tried  to  force  Kentucky  and  Missouri  into  the  rebellion  in  spite 
of  themselves ;  falsified  the  vote  of  Louisiana;  turned  loose  your  privateers  to 
plunder  unarmed  ships ;  expelled  Union  families  by  the  thousand ;  burned 
their  houses,  and  declared,  by  Act  of  your  Congress,  the  confiscation  of  all 
debts  due' Northern  men  for  goods  had  and  received.  Talk  thus  to  the  ma 
rines,  but  not  to  me,  who  have  seen  these  things,  and  who  will  this  day  make 
as  much  sacrifice  for  the  peace  and  honor  of  the  South,  as  the  best-born 
Southerner  among  you.  If  we  must  be  enemies,  let  us  be  men,  and  fight  it 


A    SAD     CONDITION.  341 

out  as  we  propose  to-day,  and  not  deal  in  sncli  hypocritical  appeals  to  God 
and  humanity.  God  will  judge  us  in  due  time ;  and  He  will  pronounce 
whether  it  be  more  humane  to  tight  with  a  town  full  of  women  and  the  fam 
ilies  of  a  "  brave  people"  at  our  back,  or  to  remove  them,  in  time,  to  places 
of  safety  among  their  own  friends  and  people. 

I  am,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  Servant, 
(Signed,)  W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Major-General  Commanding." 

This  policy,  at  the  first  blush,  did  seem  cruel,  and  the  fact 
that  the  enemy  committed  acts  of  barbarity,  was  no  justifica 
tion  for  Sherman's  committing  similar  acts.  It  is,  therefore, 
but  right  that  he  should  be  heard  in  his  own  defense.  So  heav 
ily  did  this  order  fall  on  the  innocent  women  and  children, 
that  the  Mayor  begged  him,  in  the  name  of  mercy,  to  revoke 
it.  Among  other  things,  he  says : — 

u  Many  poor  women  are  in  an  advanced  state  of  pregnan 
cy  ;  others,  having  young  children,  whose  husbands,  for  the 
greater  part,  are  either  in  the  army,  prisoners,  or  dead. 
Some  say,  '  I  have  such  a  one  sick  at  my  house ;  who  will 
wait  on  them  when  I  am  gone?  '  Others  say :  '  What  are  we 
to  do  ?  we  have  no  houses  to  go  to,  and  no  means  to  buy, 
build,  or  rent  any  ;  no  parents,  relatives,  or  friends  to  go  to.' 
Another  says :  '  I  will  try  and  take  this  or  that  article  of 
property  ;  but  such  and  such  things  I  must  leave  behind, 
though  I  need  them  much.'  We  reply  to  them :  '  General 
Sherman  will  carry  your  property  to  Rough  and  Ready,  and 
then  General  Hood  will  take  it  thence  on  ;T  and  they  will  re 
ply  to  that :  '  But  I  want  to  leave  the  railroad  at  such  a 
place,  and  cannot  get  conveyance  from  thence  on.' 

"  We  only  refer  to  a  few  facts  to  illustrate,  in  part,  how 
this  measure  will  operate  in  practice.  As  you  advanced,  the 
people  north  of  us  fell  back,  and  before  your  arrival  here  a 
large  portion  of  the  people  here  had  retired  South ;  so  that 
the  country  south  of  this  is  already  crowded,  and  without 
sufficient  houses  to  accommodate  the  people,  and  we  are  in 
formed  that  many  are  now  staying  in  churches  and  other  out- 


342          SHERMAN'S   REPLY  TO  THE  MAYOR. 

buildings.  This  being  so,  how  is  it  possible  for  the  people 
still  here  (mostly  women  and  children)  to  find  shelter,  and 
how  can  they  live  through  the  Winter  in  the  woods — no  shel 
ter  or  subsistence — in  the  midst  of  strangers  who  know  them 
not,  and  without  the  power  to  assist  them  much  if  they  were 
willing  to  do  so. 

"  This  is  but  a  feeble  picture  of  the  consequences  of  this 
measure.  You  know,  the  woe,  the  horror  and  the  suffering 
cannot  be  described  by  words.  Imagination  can  only  con 
ceive  of  it,  and  we  ask  you  to  take  these  things  into  consid 
eration.  We  know  your  mind  and  time  are  continually  oc 
cupied  with  the  duties  of  your  command,  which  almost  de 
ters  us  from  asking  your  attention  to  the  matter,  but  thought 
it  might  be  that  you  had  not  considered  the  subject  in  all  of 
its  awful  consequences,  and  that,  on  reflection,  you,  we  hope, 
would  not  make  this  people  an  exception  to  all  mankind ;  for 
we  know  of  no  such  instance  ever  having  occurred — surely 
not  in  the  United  States.  And  what  has  this  helpless  peo 
ple  done,  that  they  should  be  driven  from  their  homes,  to 
wander  as  strangers,  outcasts  and'  exiles,  and  to  subsist  on 
charity  ?  " 

Sherman  felt  the  truth  of  all  this,  and  saw  that  his  course 
might  be  deemed  harsh  in  the  sight  of  the  world,  so,  to  clear 
himself  from  an  unjust  charge,  and  place  the  reason  of  his 
conduct  on  record  for  the  future  historian,  he  wrote  the  fol 
lowing  letter : — 

"ATLANTA,  Ga.,  Sept.  12,  1864. 

JAMES  M.  CALHOUN,  Mayor,  E.  E.  RAWSON,  and  S.  C.  WELLS,  representing 
the  City  Council  of  Atlanta  : 

GENTLEMEN  :— I  have  your  letter  of  the  llth,  in  the  nature  of  a  petition, 
to  revoke  my  orders  removing  all  the  inhabitants  from  Atlanta.  I  have  read 
it  carefully,  and  give  full  credit  to  your  statements  of  the  distress  that  will 
be  occasioned  by  it,  and  yet  shall  not  revoke  my  order,  simply  because  my 
orders  are  not  designed  to  meet  the  humanities  of  the  case,  but  to  prepare 
for  the  future  struggles,  in  which  millions,  yea  hundreds  of  millions,  of  good 
people  outside  of  Atlanta  have  a  deep  interest.  We  must  have  Peace,  not 
only  at  Atlanta,  but  in  all  America.  To  secure  this,  we  must  stop  the  war 


A    NOBLE     DEFENSE.  343 

that  now  desolates  our  once  happy  and 'favored  country.  To  stop  war,  we 
must  defeat  the  rebel  armies  that  are  arrayed  against  the  laws  and  Constitu 
tion,  which  all  must  respect  and  obey.  To  defeat  these  armies  we  must  pre 
pare  the  way. to  reach  them  in  their  recesses,  provided  with  the  arms  and 
instruments  which  enable  us  to  accomplish  our  purpose. 

Now,  I  know  the  vindictive  nature  of  our  enemy,  and  that  we  may  have 
many  years  of  military  operations  from  this  quarter,  and,  therefore,  deem  it 
wise  and  prudent  t#  prepare  in  time.  The  use  of  Atlanta  for  warlike  purpos 
es  is  inconsistent  with  its  character  as  a  home  for  families.  There  will  be  no 
manufactures,  commerce,  or  agriculture  here  for  the"  maintenance  of  families, 
and,  sooner  or  later,  want  will  compel  the  inhabitants  to  go.  Why  not  go 
now,  when  all  the  arrangements  are  completed  for  the  transfer,  instead  of 
waiting  till  the  plunging  shot  of  contending  armies  will  renew  the  scene  of 
the  past  month  ?  Of  course,  I  do  not  apprehend  any  such  thing  at  this  mo 
ment,  but  you  do  not  suppose  that  this  army  will  be  here  till  the  war  is  over. 
I  cannot  discuss  this  subject  with  .you  fairly,  because  I  cannot  impart  to  you 
what  I  propose  to  do ;  but  I  assert  that  my  military  plans  make  it  necessary 
for  the  inhabitants  to  go  away,  and  I  can  only  renew  my  offer  of  services  to 
make  their  exodus  in  any  direction  as  easy  and  comfortable  as  possible.  You 
cannot  qualify  war  in  harsher  terms  than  I  will. 

War  is  cruelty,  and  you  cannot  refine  it ;  and  those  who  brought  war  on 
our  country,  deserve  all  the  curses  and  maledictions  a  people  can  pour  out. 
I  know  I  had  no  hand  in  making  this  war,  and  I  know  I  will  make  more  sac 
rifices  to-day  than  any  of  you,  to  secure  peace.  But  you  cannot  have  peace 
and  a  division  of  our  country.  If  the  United  States  submits  to  a  division 
now,  it  will  not  stop,  but  will  go  on  till  we  reap  the  fate  of  Mexico,  which  is 
eternal  war.  The  United  States  does  and  must  assert  its  authority  wherever 
it  has  power ;  if  it  relaxes  one  bit  to  pressure,  it  is  gone,  and  I  know  that 
such  is  not  the  national  feeling.  This  feeling  assumes  various  shapes,  .but 
always  comes  back  to  that  of  Union.  Ouce  admit -the  Union,  once  more 
acknowledge  the  authority  of  the  National  Government,  and  instead  of  devo 
ting  your  houses  and  streets  and  roads  to  the  dread  uses  of  war,  I  and  this 
army,  become  at  once  your  protectors  and  supporters,  shielding  you  from 
danger,  let  it  come  from  what  quarter  it  may.  1  know  that  a  few  individuals 
cannot  resist  a  torrent  of  error  and  passion,  such  as  has  swept  the  South  into 
rebellion ;  but  you  can  point  out,  so  that  we  may  know  those  who  desire  a 
Government,  and  those  who  insist  on  war  and  its  desolation. 

You  might  as  well  appeal  against  the  thunder-storm,  as  against  these  ter 
rible  hardships  of  war.  They  are  inevitable  ;  and  the  only  way  the  people  of 
Atlanta  can  hope  once  more  to  live  in  peace  and  quiet  at  home,  is  to  stop 
this  war,  which  can  alone  be  done  by  admitting  that  it  began  in  error,  and  is 
perpetuated  in  pride.  We  don't  want  your  negroes  or  your  horses,  or  your 
houses  or  your  land,  or  anything  you  have  ;  but  we  do  want,  and  will  have  a 
just  obedience  to  the  Laws  of  the  United  States.  That  we  will  have,  and  if 
it  involves  the  destruction  of  your  improvements,  we  cannot  help  it.  You 
have  heretofore  read  public  sentiment  in  your  newspapers,  that  live  by  false 
hood  and  excitement,  and  the  quicker  you  seek  for  truth  in  other  quarters, 
the  better  for  you. 

I  repeat,  then,  that,  by  the  orginal  compact  of  government,  the  United 
States  had  certain  rights  in  Georgia,  which  have  never  been  relinquished,  and 
never  will  be ;  that  the  South  began  war  by  seizing  forts,  arsenals,  mints, 

52 


344  MOMENTOUS    EVENTS. 

custom-houses,  &c.,  &c.,  long  before  Mr.  LINCOLN  was  installed,  and  before 
the  South  had  one  jot  or  tittle  of  provocation.  I,  myself,  have  seen  in  Mis 
souri,  Kentucky,  Tennessee  and  Mississippi,  hundreds  and  thousands  of  wo 
men  and  children  fleeing  from  your  armies  and  desperadoes,  hungry  and  with 
bleeding  feet.  In  Memphis,  Yicksburg  and  Mississippi,  we  fed  thousands 
upon  thousands  of  the  families  of  rebel  soldiers  left  on  our  hands,  and  whom 
we  could  not  see  starve.  Now  that  war  comes  home  to  you,  you  feel  very 
different ;  you  deprecate  its  horrors,  but  did  not  feel  themavhen  you  sent  car 
loads  of  soldiers  and  ammunition,  and  moulded  shell  and  shot,  to  carry  war 
into  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  and  desolate  the  homes  of  hundreds  and  thou 
sands  of  good  people,  who  only  asked  to  live  in  peace,  at  their  old  homes, 
and  under  the  Government  of  their  inheritance.  But  these  comparisons  are 
idle.  I  want  peace,  and  believe  it  can  only  be  reached  through  Union  and 
war,  and  I  will  ever  conduct  war  purely  with  a  view  to  perfect  and  early 
success. 

But,  my  dear  Sirs,  when  that  peace  does  come,  you  may  call  on  me  for 
anything.  Then  will  I  share  with  you  the  last  cr^ker,  and  watch  with  you 
to  shield  your  homes  and  familes  against  danger  from  every  quarter.  Now, 
you  must  go,  and  take  with  you  the  old  and  feeble ;  feed  and  nurse  them, 
and  build  for  them,  in  more  quiet  places,  proper  habitations  to  shield  them 
against  the  weather,  until  the  mad  passions  of  men  cool  down,  and  allow  the 
Union  and  peace  once  more  to  settle  on  your  old  homes  at  Atlanta. 

Yours,  in  haste, 

W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Major-General." 

It  is  a  noble  defense. 

But,  while  these  momentous  events  were  passing  in  the 
West,  others,  calculated  to  move  the  nation  to  the  centre, 
and  which  arrested  and  held  the  attention  of  the  civilized 
world,  were  transpiring  in  the  East.  Amid  the  mighty  move 
ments,  gigantic  battles,  and  fearful  slaughter,  that  shook  and 
crimsoned  the  earth  between  Washington  and  Richmond, 
the  news  of  the  fall  of  Atlanta  came  like  a  faint  and  far-off 
echo. 


CHAPTER  XXYI. 

NECESSITY    OF   UNITY   OF   ACTION SIGEL  IN    THE    SHENANDOAH  VALLEY 

GRANT'S  INSTRUCTIONS  TO  BUTLER — FOLLY  OF  PLACING  THE  LATTER  IN  THE 

IMPORTANT   POSITION    HE    HELD NUMBER  OF  THE  TROOPS  CO-OPERATING 

DIRECTLY  WITH  GRANT OUR  ENTIRE  MILITARY  FORCE GRANTS  PLAN  OF 

CAMPAIGN ADVANCE  OF   THE    ARMY  OF    THE    POTOMAC CROSSING    THE 

RAPIDAN — COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  "BATTLES  OF  THE  WILDERNESS" FIRST 

DAY SECOND  DAY THIRD  DAY RETREAT  OF  THE  ENEMY — ADVANCE  OF 

OUR  ARMY — FIGHT   OF  WARREN's    CORPS DEATH   OF   SEDGWICK GRAND 

ASSAULT  ON  THE  ENEMY' S  WORKS HANCOCK' S  BRILLIANT  NIGHT  ATTACK 

FEARFUL     APPEARANCE     OF     THE     BATTLE-FIELD A    WEEK'S     COMPARATIVE 

REST CHANGE     OF    BASE,    AND     BRINGING     UP     OF     REINFORCEMENTS THE 

DEAD    OF    THE    WILDERNESS. 

THE  simultaneous  movement  of  the  combined  forces  of 
the  Republic,  East  and  West,  was  a  sublime  spectacle. 
The  tread  of  more  than  a  half  a  million  of  men,  suddenly 
shook  the  earth,  as,  with  faces  turned  southward,  they  mo 
ved  on  the  tottering  Confederacy.  All  of  Grant's  energies, 
for  months,  had  been  directed  to  secure  this  unity  of  action, 
this  consolidation  of  Northern  strength.  With  forces  far 
outnumbering  those  of  the  South,  backed  by  an  overwhelm 
ing  navy,  we  yet  had  made  but  little  progress  toward  put 
ting  down  the  rebellion.  First  a  blow  would  be  struck  East, 
and  then  one  West,  with  sufficient  intervals  between  them, 
to  allow  the  rebel  leaders,  with  their  shorter  interior  lines,  to 
transfer  troops  from  one  section  to  another,  so  as  always 
to  present  a  force  at  the  menaced  point,  nearly,  if  not  quite 
equal  to  the  one  we  had  there. 

The  armies,  under  Halleck's  and  Stanton's  administration, 
had,  to  use  Grant's  homely  but  expressive  phrase,  worked 


346  SIGEL'S  DUTY. 

41 like  a  balky  team"  His  great  object,  therefore,  was  to  re 
verse  all  this,  and  when  he  had  attained  his  object,  he  was 
ready  to  move ;  and  the  roll  of  the  drum,  and  the  pealing 
bugle  awoke  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  from  its  long  slum 
bers,  and,  for  the  fourth  time,  it  turned  its  face  toward 
Eichmond. 

As  before  stated,  Grant  had  only  his  right  flank  to  pro 
tect,  and  thus  keep  Lee  from  threatening  Maryland  and' 
Washington,  by  way  of  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  To  secure 
this,  he  says  : — 

"  General  Sigel  was,  therefore,  directed  to  organize  all 
his  available  force  into  two  expeditions,  to  move  from  Bev 
erly  and  Charlestown,  under  command  of  Generals  Ord  and 
Crook,  against  the  East  Tennessee  and  Virginia  railroad. 
Subsequently,  General  Ord  having  been  relieved  at  his  own 
request,  General  Sigel  was  instructed,  at  his  own  sugges 
tion,  to  give  up  the  expedition  by  Beverly,  and  to  form  two 
columns,  one  under  General  Crook,  on  the  Kanawha,  num 
bering  about  ten  thousand  men,  and  one  on  the  Shenandoah, 
numbering  about  seven  thousand  men.  The  one  on  the  Shen 
andoah  to  assemble  between  Cumberland  and  the  Shenan 
doah,  and  the  infantry  and  artillery  advanced  to  Cedar 
Creek  with  such  cavalry  as  could  be  made  available  at  the 
moment,  to  threaten  the  enemy  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley, 
and  advance  as  far  as  possible ;  while  General  Crook  would 
take  possession  of  Lewisburg  with  part  of  his  force,  and 
move  down  the  Tennessee  railroad,  doing  as  much  damage 
as  he  could,  destroying  the  New  River  bridge,  and  the  salt 
works  at  Saltville,  Virginia." 

A  still  more  important  co-operating  force  was  under  But 
ler,  who  commanded  at  Fortress  Monroe.  In  this  depart 
ment,  including  North  Carolina,  were  a  little  over  fifty-nine 
thousand  troops.  On  Butler's  proper  co-operation,  Grant 
mainly  depended  for  success ;  and  it  was  one  of  those  stu- 


INSTRUCTIONS     TO     BUTLER.  347 

pendous  follies  the  Administration  seemed  determined  to 
commit  to  the  last,  to  let  this  man.  without  military  educa 
tion,  or  experience  in  the  field,  hold  so  vital  a  command. 
The  following  were  Grant's  instructions  to  him : — 

"FORTRESS  MONROE,  Ya.,  April  2,  1864. 

GENERAL  : — In  the  spring  campaign,  which  it  is  desirable  shall  commence 
at  as  early  a  day  as  practicable,  it  is  proposed  to  have  a  co-operative  action 
of  all  the  armies  in  the  field,  as  far  as  this  object  can  be  accomplished. 

It  will  not  be  possible  to  nnite  our  armies  into  two  or  three  large  ones,  to 
act  as  so  many  units,  owing  to  the  absolute  necessity  of  holding  on  to  the 
territory  already  taken  from  the  enemy.  But,  generally  speaking,  concen 
tration  can  be  practically  effected  by  armies  moving  to  the  interior  of  the  en 
emy's  country,  from  the  territory  they  have  to  guard.  By  such  movement, 
they  interpose  themselves  between  the  enemy  and  the  country  to  be  guarded, 
thereby  reducing  the  number  necessary  to  guard  important  points,  or,  at 
least,  occupy  the  attention  of  a  part  of  the  enemy's  force  if  no  greater  object 
is  gained.  Leya's  army  and  Richmond  being  the  greater  objects  toward 
which  our  attention  must  be  directed,  in  the  next  campaign,  it  is  desirable  to 
unite  all  the  force  we  can  against  them.  The  necessity  of  covering  Wash 
ington  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  of  covering  your  department 
with  your  army,  makes  it  impossible  to  unite  these  forces  at  the  beginning 
of  any  move.  I  propose,  therefore,  that  what  comes  nearest  us  of  anything 
that  seems  practicable: — The  Army  of  the  Potomac  will  act  from  its  present 
base,  Lee's  army  being  the  objective  point.  You  will  collect  all  the  forces 
from  your  command,  that  can  be  spared  from  garrison  duty — I  should  say 
not  less  than  twenty  thousand  effective  men — to  operate  on  the  south  side 
of  James  River,  Richmond  being  your  objective  point.  To  the  force  you 
already  have,  will  be  added  about  ten  thousand  men  from  South  Carolina, 
under  Major-General  Gillmore.  who  will  command  them  in  person.  Major- 
General  W.  F.  Smith  is  ordered  to  report  to  you,  to  command  the  troops 
sent  into  the  field  from  your  own  department. 

General  Gillmore  will  be  ordered  to  report  to  you  at  Fortress  Monroe,  with 
all  the  troops  on  transports,  by  the  18th  instant,  or  as  soon  thereafter  as  prac 
ticable.  Should  you  not  receive  notice  by  that  time  to  move,  you  will  make 
such  disposition  of  them  and  your  other  forces,  as  you  may  deem  best  calcu 
lated  to  deceive  the  enemy  as  to  the  real  move  to  be  made. 

When  you  are  notified  to  move,  take  City  Point  with  as  much  force  as 
possible.  Fortify,  or  rather  intrench,  at  once,  and  concentrate  all  your  troops 
for  the  field  there  as  rapidly  as  you  can.  From  City  Point  directions  cannot 
be  given,  at  this  time,  for  your  further  movements. 

The  fact  that  has  already  been  stated — that  is,  that  Richmond  is  to  be  your 
objective  point,  and  that  there  is  to  be  co-operation  between  your  force  and 
the  Army  of  Potomac — must  be  your  guide.  This  indicates  the  necessity 
of  your  holding  close  to  the  south  bank  of  the  James  River,  as  you  advance. 
Then,  should  the  enemy  be  forced  into  his  intrenchments,  in  Richmond,  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  would  follow,  and  by  means  of  transports  the  two  armies 
would  become  a  unit. 


348  STRENGTH    OF    THE    ARMY. 

All  the  minor  details  of  your  advance  are  left  entirely  to  your  direction. 
If,  however,  you  think  it  practicable  to  use  your  cavalry  south  of  yon,  as  to 
cut  the  railroad  about  Hick's  Ford,  about  the  time  of  the  general  advance,  it 
would  be  of  immense  advantage. 

You  will  please  forward  for  my  information,  at  the  earliest  practicable  day, 
all  orders,  details,  and  instructions,  you  may  give  for  the  execution  of  this 
order. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant-General. 

Major-General  B.  F.  BUTLER." 

These  instructions  lie  subsequently  reiterated,  and  inform 
ed  him  farther,  that  he  expected  him  to  move  from  Fortress 
Monroe  the  same  day  that  Meade  advanced  from  Culpep- 
per,  and  also  stated  the  plan  which  he  proposed  to  follow. 

The  Army  of  the  Potomac  proper,  numbered,  at  this  time, 
a  little  over  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  men.  The 
Ninth  Corps,  under  Burnside,  held  in  reserve,%and  number 
ing  a  little  over  twenty  thousand  men,  was  stationed  on  the 
road  near  Bull  Run.  His  orders  were,  not  to  move  until 
he  heard  that  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  had  crossed  the 
Rapidan,  and  then  to  move  promptly. 

Thus,  it  will  be  seen,  that  Grant  had  directly  co-operating 
with  him,  in  various  directions,  over  two  hundred  thousand 
troops.  Although  our  military  force,  at  this  time,  was  nine 
hundred  and  seventy  thousand  and  seven  hundred  men,  only 
a  little  over  six  hundred  and  sixty-two  thousand  were  avail 
able  for  duty ;  hence,  a  third  of  our  actual  force  was  opera 
ting  against  Richmond.  More  or  less  remotely  and  directly, 
more  than  two  hundred  thousand  bayonets  were  pointing 
toward  the  rebel  Capital. 

The  general  plan  of  operations,  adopted  by  Grant,  in  the 
important  campaign  on  which  he  was  entering,  he  states  to 
be  as  follows : — 

"My  first  object,  being  to  break  the  military  power  of  the 
rebellion,  and  capture  the  enemy's  important  strongholds, 
made  me  desirous  that  General  Butler  should  succeed  in  his 
movement  against  Richmond,  as  that  would  tend  more  than 


GRANT'S   PLAN.  349 

anything  else,  unless  it  were  the  capture  of  Lee's  army,  to 
accomplish  this  desired  result  in  the  East.  If  he  failed,  it 
was  my  determination,  by  hard  fighting,  either  to  compel 
Lee  to  retreat,  or  to  so  cripple  him  that  he  could  not  detach 
a  large  force  to  go  North,  and  still  retain  enough  for  the 
defense  of  Richmond.  It  was  well  understood,  by  both 
Generals  Butler  and  Meade,  before  starting  on  the  cam 
paign,  that  it  was  my  intention  to  put  both  their  armies 
south  of  James  River,  in  case  of  failure  to  destroy  Lee  with 
out  it." 

This  shows  how  important  was  the  position  held  by  But 
ler,  and  how  absurd  it  was  to  place  him  in  it.  The  General 
in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  second  only  to  Grant,  should 
have  commanded  there — one  who  would  not  have  been 
"corked  up"  at  the  very  outset. 

The  quotation  above,  however,  does  not  give  a  clear  view 
of  Grant's  entire  plan.  The  success  of  Butler's  operations 
against  Richmond  were,  at  the  best,  problematical,  and  his 
own  plans  had  to  be  formed  on  their  possible  failure. 

It  appears,  in  other  parts  of  Grant's  report,  that  his  first 
object  was  to  turn  Lee's  left  flank  at  Mine  Run — where  the 
latter  held  a  strong  position — and  compel  him  to  a  decisive, 
pitched  battle.  If  he  accomplished  this,  he  believed  that, 
with  his  superior  force,  he  could  destroy  him,  or  so  utterly 
shatter  him,  that  he  could  present  but  feeble  resistance  any 
where  between  that  point  and  the  rebel  Capital.  If  Butler 
could  capture  Petersburg,  destroy  the  South  Side  railroad, 
and  work  around  Richmond  till  his  left  rested  on  the  James 
above  the  city,  Grant  could  form  a  junction  with  him  there, 
which  would  leave  the  Capital  completely  invested.  The 
course  he  was  actually  compelled  to  pursue,  was  the  last 
one  he  desired.  Butler  not  only  failed  in  performing  what 
was  expected  of  him,  but  he,  himself,  also  failed  to"  get  a  de- 


350  MOVEMENT     OF     THE    ARMY 

cisive  battle  out  of  Lee,  and  was  beaten  back  in  every  attack, 
from  the  Wilderness  to  the  James. 

On  the  night  of  the  3rd  of  May,  all  was  in  commotion  in 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  the  next  morning,  it  moved 
in  splendid  array  across  the  Rapidan.  It  was  divided  into 
three  Corps — the  Second,  commanded  by  Hancock,  the  Fifth, 
by  Warren,  and  the  Sixth,  by  Sedgwick.  Two  Corps  crossed 
at  Germania  Ford,  and  the  other  at  the  United  States  Ford. 
Sheridan,  commanding  the  cavalry,  led  the  advance,  and 
protected  the  immense  trains,  composed  of  over  four  thou 
sand  wagons,  which  were  to  be  carried  through  that  broken, 
wooded  country. 

This  day,  the  army  marched  about  twelve  miles.  Grant 
expected  that  his  passage  of  the  Rapidan  would  be  stub 
bornly  contested ;  but  Lee  seemed  to  think  that  his  chances 
of  success,  with  his  inferior  force,  would  be  better,  to  attack 
the  army  while  on  the  march,  and  separated  in  the  forest — for 
the  course,  it  was  compelled  to  take,  led  across  a  wild  and 
desolate  tract  of  country,  overgrown  with  stunted  pines,  and 
as  unfit  for  a  battle-field  as  could  be  imagined.  This  u  Wil 
derness,"  as  it  was  called,  extended  from  Chancellorsville  up 
to  Mine  Run,,  where  Lee  lay  intrenched.  Besides,  by  the 
road  that  Grant  was  compelled  to  take.  Lee  could  come 
down  on  him  on  the  Orange  and  Chancellorsville  turnpike 
and  the  Orange  and  Chancellorsville  plank  road,  and  strike 
him  at  right  angles,  while  on  the  march.  This,  as  soon  as 
Grant's  plan  was  fully  developed,  he  did,  compelling  the 
latter  to  halt,  and  form  line  of  battle  in  the  woods,  so  as  to 
cover  the  fords  over  which  the  trains  were  passing.  This 
was  the  last  thing  Grant  desired.  He  knew  the  country  im 
perfectly,  and  could  in  no  way  overlook  it,  while  every  high 
way  and  byway  was  familiar  to  Lee  and  his  corps-com 
manders. 

On  Thursday  morning,  Warren  reached  the   Old  Wilder- 


POSITION     OF"  OUR    ARMY.  351 

ness  Tavern,  ten  miles  south  of  the  ford,  and  situated  on  the 
Germania  and  Chancellorsville  plank  road — Sedgwick  being 
on  his  right  with  his  line  extending  back  to  the  river.  Han 
cock,  who  had  crossed  five  or  six  miles  farther  down  the 
river,  was  directed  to  move  forward  to  Shady  Grove  Church 
from  Chancellorsville,  but  Grant,  finding  that  a  battle  was 
to  be  thrown  upon  him  on  this  unfortunate  spot,  counter 
manded  the  order,  and  Hancock  was  directed  to  swing 
round  and  hasten  forward,  by  a* cross-road,  with  all  possible 
dispatch  and  close  up  with  Warren,  and  form  the  left  wing. 
Lee,  aware  of  the  gap  here,  made  a  desperate  effort  to  get 
into  it,  and  thus  divide  the  armies.  Previous  to  this,  how 
ever,  a  part  of  Griffin's  division  had  been  pushed  forward  to 
ascertain  the  designs  of  the  enemy,  in  doing  which  a  severe 
fight  occurred,  and  the  force  was  compelled  to  fall  back  with 
a  loss  of  several  hundred  men. 

About  three  o'clock,  Lee  attempted  to  get  between  Han 
cock  and  Warren;  Grant  penetrating  his  design — and  Mott's 
division,  the  advance  of  Hancock's  Corps,  just  then  coming 
up — he  ordered  this,  with  Getty's,  on  Warren's  left,  to  charge 
the  enemy,  so  as  to  hold  him  back  until  the  rest  of  Han 
cock's  Corps  could  arrive.  They,  at  once,  plunged  into  the 
woods,  vdiich  were  so  dense  that  artillery  was  almost  entirely 
useless,  and  the  real 

BATTLE    OF    THE  WILDERNESS 

commenced.  The  woods  were  soon  ablaze  with  the  fire  of 
the  musketry,  but  every  effort  of  the  enemy  to  advance  at 
this  point,  was  baffled,  and  he  was  held  sternly  back  until  Han 
cock's  Corps  arrived  and  closed  up  the  line  on  the  left.  The 
battle  was  a  singular  one.  Says  an  eye-witness  :— 

"The  fighting — who  shall  describe  it?  Not  a  thousand 
men  can  be  seen  at  once,  yet  for  miles,  in  the  front,  thou- 


352  FIRST  DAY'S   BATTLE. 

sands  are  engaged.  The  volleyed  thunders  of  the  combat 
roll  among  the  glens  and  ravines,  hoarser  and  higher  than 
the  voices  of  an  Eastern  jungle.  The  woods  are  alive  with 
cries  and  explosions,  and  the  shrill,  anvil  clatter  of  musketry. 
One  cannon,  pitched  afar,  times  the  wild  tumult  like  a  tolling 
bell.  The  smoke  is  a  shroud  about  our  heroes ;  there  is  not 
wind  enough  to  lift  it  into  a  canopy. 

41  And  now,  out  of  the  concealed  and  awful  scenery,  where 
the  fight  goes  on,  there  come  the  ruins  it  has  wrought,  in 
shapes,  borne  in  blankets  and  on  litters — maimed,  tortured, 
writhing ;  with  eyes  dull  with  the  stupor  of  coming  death ; 
or  bright  with  delirious  fire.  Listen  to  the  hell,  raging  be 
yond  and  below ;  behold  this  silent,  piteous  procession,  that 
emerges  ceaselessly,  and  passes  on.  Into  and  out  of  the 
ordeal  of  fire  ;  from  the  pride  of  the  ranks  to  the  suffering  of 
the  hospital,  these  forms  have  been,  and  come,  and  are  of  no 
more  avail."  VL. 

Darkness,  at  length,  put  an  end  to  the  contest.  Grant 
saw,  at  a  glance,  the  peril  he  was  in,  and  that  Lee  needed 
but  slight  success  at  this  point  to  compel  him  to  re-cross  the 
river,  as  Burnside  and  Hooker  had  done  before  him,  and  he, 
therefore,  brought  over  a  part  of  Sedgwick's  Corps,  to  which 
he  added  some  of  Warren's  force  to  strengthen  Hancock. 
Burnside's  Corps,  too,  which  had  strained  forward  all  night, 
was  up  in  the  morning.  Grant  had  notified  him  at  four 
o'clock,  the  afternoon  before,  that  he  was  over  the  Rapidan, 
and  directed  him  to  hasten  forward.  So  swiftly  did  he  march 
that,  says  Grant: — 

uBy  six  o'clock  of  the  morning  of  the  6th,  he  was  leading 
his  Corps  into  action  near  the  Wilderness  Tavern,  some  of 
his  troops  having  marched  a  distance  of  thirty  miles,  cross 
ing  both  the  Rappahannock  and  Rapidan  Rivers.  Consider 
ing  that  a  large  proportion,  probably  two-thirds  of  his  com 
mand,  was  composed  of  new  troops,  unaccustomed  to  march- 


DEATH     OF     WASDWORTH.  353 

es,  and  carrying  the  accoutrements  of  a  soldier,  this  was  a 
remarkable  march." 


SECOND  DAY'S  BATTLE. 


Grant,  however,  did  not  wait  his  arrival.  He  had  given 
his  orders  the  night  before,  for  a  general  advance  of  the 
whole  line,  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning.  The  army,  at 
this  time,  stretched  for  about  seven  miles  through  the  Wil 
derness,  and  as  no  general  survey  of  it  could  be  had,  much 
had  to  be  left  to  the  separate  Commanders.  At  five  o'clock, 
Sedgwick  attacked  on  the  right,  moving  with  his  accustomed 
gallantry  on  Evvell — on  the  left,  Hancock  burst  like  a  tor 
rent  on  the  enemy,  and  drove  him  back  in  confusion,  and, 
for  hours,  the  battle  roared  like  a  tornado  for  seven  miles 
through  the  pine  forest.  Grant  stood  under  a  tree  and  lis 
tened  to  the  crashing  volleys  that  receded  away  in  the  dis 
tance,  while  aids  were  constantly  coming  and  going  with 
reports  and  orders. 

Still,  the  line  of  that  terrific  fire  seemed  to  advance  no 
where,  except  on  the  left.  Hancock  steadily  pushed  the 
enemy  before  him  for  a  mile  and  a  half,  taking  a  rebel  rifle- 
pit  and  five  stand  of  colors.  Wadsworth,  connecting  with 
his  right,  put  forth  desperate  efforts.  Apparently  forgetful 
that  he  had  a  life  to  lose,  he  again  and  again  led  the  charge 
in  person.  Two  horses  were  shot  under  him,  and,  at  length, 
a  shot  pierced  his  own  head  and  he  fell.  His  body  was  seized 
by  the  enemy,  and  he  died  in  their  hands. 

But,  at  length,  Hancock's  victorious  career  was  stopped. 
The  rebels  rallying  fiercely,  fell  on  his  exhausted  battalions, 
whose  ammunition  was  now  getting  low,  and  bore  them 
steadily  back,  until,  at  eleven  o'clock,  he  occupied  the  ground 
which  he  held  in  the  morning.  His  extreme  left,  for  the 
moment,  was  turned,  but  the  mischief  was  quickly  repaired, 


354  LAST     EFFORT     OF     THE     ENEMY. 

and  a  lull  at  this  point  came  in  the  contest.  But,  at  four 
o'clock,  Longstreet  coming  up,  having  made  a  forced  march 
of  twenty  five  miles,  Lee  resolved  to  make  one  more 
desperate  effort  to  turn  our  left  and  double  it  up  on  the 
army. 

The  enemy  came  on  in  four  lines,  and  fell  with  such  des 
peration  on  Hancock  that  he  succeeded  in  breaking  his  firm 
formation,  and,  for  a  moment,  the  battle  seemed  lost.  When 
the  startling  news  was  borne  to  Grant,  he  replied,  "  I  don't 
believe  it.'1  But  Gibbon's  division  was  promptly  formed  in 
rear  of  the  break,  and  the  headlong  torrent  that  was  pouring 
through  was  stopped.  For  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  the 
battle  raged  here  with  terrible  ferocity.  Longstreet  was 
determined  to  complete  what  he  had  so  auspiciously  begun, 
and  hurled  his  columns  forward  with  a  desperation  and  gal 
lantry,  that  could  not  be  surpassed.  Hancock,  however, 
knowing  that  the  battle  lost  here  was  lost  everywhere,  dispu 
ted  every  inch  of  ground  with  a  .stubbornness  that  neither 
valor  nor  numbers  could  overcome. 

The  use  of  so  little  artillery,  made  this  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  battles  on  record — over  two  hundred  thousand 
men  fought  in  a  vast  jungle. 

"  There  in  the  depths  of  those  ravines,  under  the  shadows 
of  those  trees,  entangled  in  that  brush- wood,  is  no  pomp  of 
war,  no  fluttering  of  banners  in  an  unhindered  breeze,  no 
solid  tramp  of  marching  battalions,  no  splendid  strategy  of 
the  fields  Napoleon  loved  to  fight  on.  There  a  Saturnalia, 
gloomy,  hideous,  desperate,  rages  confined.  That  metallic, 
hollow  rack  of  musketry,  is  like  the  clanking  of  great  chains 
about  the  damned ;  that  sullen  yell  of  the  enemy,  a  fiend 
ish  protest  and  defiance.  How  the  hours  lag ;  how  each 
minute  is  freighted  with  a  burden  that  the  days  would  have 
groaned  to  bear  in  other  times !  Still,  the  sad,  shuddering 
procession,  emerging  out  of  the  smoke  and  tumult  and  pass- 


A    VIVID     DESCRIPTION.  355 

ing  on.  Still  the  appealing  eyes,  and  clenched  hands,  and 
quivering  limbs  of  human  creatures,  worse  than  helpless, 
whose  fighting  is  over.  The  paths  are  full  of  them,  the  roads 
are  thick  with  them,  the  forest  seems  to  take  up  the  slow 
movement,  and  move  with  them  like  giants  hovering  over 
the  funeral  of  Lilliputians.  Piled  in  ambulances,  they  move 
on  further  yet,  while  the  torturer  of  battle  plies  on  below, 
making  more  victims.  Here  and  there,  beside  some  path, 
you  shall  see  a  heaped  blanket,  labeled  by  some  thoughtful 
bearer  with  the  name  of  the  corpse  beneath  it  bore  in  life ; 
here  and  there,  you  shall  come  across  a  group  of  men  bend 
ing  over  one  wounded,  past  help,  and  dying  an  agonized 
death.  And  often — too  often — the  shameful  spectacle  of 
one  bearing  a  weapon,  unhurt,  pallid  and  fear-stricken,  flits 
through  an  opening  toward  the  rear,  and  is  gone.  You 
shall  meet  with  soldiers,  in  groups  of  one,  or  two,  or  three, 
hidden  in  some  thicket,  or  coolly  making  coffee  by  the 
road-side.  And  hearing  the  roar  of  the  battle  below,  and 
seeing  the  bloody  trail  of  the  battle  behind,  it  shall  be  a 
.glad  thing  to  see  these  men  hunted  by  officers  ba,ck,  with 
curses,  to  the  ranks,  to  share  the  dangers  of  their  nobler 
comrades. 

u  About  this  battle  there  is  a  horrible  fascination.  It  is 
like  a  maelstrom.  You  feel  it  sucking  you  in,  and  you  go 
nearer  to  see  men  fall  like  those  you  have  seen  fallen.  Down 
through  the  break,  underneath  the  edges  of  the  smoke, 
where  the  bullets  are  thick,  and  the  trunks  of  trees,  like  the 
ranks  of  men,  sway  and  fall  with  the  smiting  of  shells,  you 
have  a  little  view  of  the  courage  and  the  carnage  of  this 
fight.  There  are  the  enemy,  retreated  to  the  breastworks — 
a  ragged  pile  of  fallen  trees  and  heaped  up  earth — hiding 
their  heads,  spitting  lead  and  flame.  Here  is  the  Sixth 
Corps — what  you  can  see  of  it — plunging  on,  firing  contin 
ually,  tumbling  over  branches  and  limbs,  sinking  waist-deep 


356  CLOSE     OF     THE     CONTEST. 

in  swamps,  fighting  with  its  might,  and  bleeding  at  every 
pore." 

The  covering  of  the  trees,  and  the  absence  of  cannon, 
made  it  a  very  close  contest — the  lines  often  almost  meeting 
in  the  fierce  encounter.  For  seven  miles,  the  forest  was  alive 
with  the  confused  sounds  of  this  awful  struggle,  out  of  which 
arose  fierce  jets  of  smoke,  that  settled  in  a  vast  and  sulphur 
ous  cloud  above  the  green  tree-tops.  The  dead  and  wounded 
lay  thick  as  autumn  leaves  along  the  low  ridges  and  slopes, 
and  in  front  of  the  hastily  thrown  up  intrenchments,  and 
when  night  put  an  end  to  the  contest,  the  "Wilderness" 
was  dreary  and  desolate  indeed.  After  dark,  the  enemy 
made  an  attack  on  our  left,  in  which  Seymour  and  Shaler 
were  taken  prisoners,  with  a  large  number  of  troops. 

The  battle,  on  this  day,  was  the  decisive  one,  and  at  its 
close,  it  was  evident  that  Lee  had  put  forth  his  greatest 
effort,  and  just  at  the  moment  too  when  Grant  was  in  a  posi 
tion  to  be  beaten,  if  ever  he  could  be.  Still  the  latter  was 
not  certain  that  the  attack  would  not  be  renewed  in  the 
morning,  and  he,  therefore,  during  the  evening,  selected  a 
new  and  stronger  position,  and  contracted  his  lines.  But 
Saturday  brought  no  renewal  of  the  attack,  and  the  day  was 
spent  in  reconnoissances  and  skirmishes  along  the  whole  line. 
The  result  of  the  day's  operations,  was  a  conviction,  on  the 
part  of  Grant,  that  the  enemy  was  preparing  to  retreat,  and 
he,  therefore,  determined,  weary  as  his  army  was,  to  throw 
it  forward  by  a  rapid,  night  march  towards  Spottsylvania. 
If  he  reached  this  place  first,  Lee  would  be  cut  off  from  Rich 
mond,  and  compelled  to  give  him  battle  in  the  open  field. 
Accordingly,  at  ten  o'clock,  our  advance  started  off  through 
the  gloom. 

The  moon  had  been  down  for  an  hour,  and  the  army 
passed  like  a  mighty  shadow  over  the  sterile  country.  u  The 
fires  burned  brightly,  and  at  a  distance,  upon  the  wooded 


THE     RACE.  357 

hillsides,  looked  like  the  lights  of  a  city.  Standing  upon  an 
eminence,  at  the  junction  of  the  GermSnia,  Chancellorsville, 
and  Orange  Court-House  roads,  along  which  the  tramp  of 
soldiers,  and  the  rumble  of  wagon  trains,  made  a  smothered 
din,  one  could  almost  imagine  himself  peering  clown  through 
the  darkness  on  the  streets  of  a  metropolis,  in  peace.  Back 
in  the  forest,  from  the  hospitals,  from  the  trees,  from  the 
roadside,  the  wounded  were  being  gathered  in  ambulances 
for  the  long,  night  journey.  That  part  of  the  army,  not 
on  the  move,  was  slumbering  by  its  fires,  waiting  for  the 
signal." 

Lee,  however,  was  soon  made  aware  of  the  movement, 
and  dispatched  Longstreet,  an  hour  later,  to  the  same  point. 
The  two  exhausted  columns  marched  by  parallel  roads,  but 
Longstreet  had  the  shortest  distance  to  go  in  the  race,  and 
reached  Spottsylvania  first. 

BATTLE    OF    SUNDAY,    MAY  8TH. 

Warren's  Corps  was  in  the  advance,  in  the  march  for  this 
vital  point,  and  Bartlett's  brigade,  of  Griffin's  division,  was 
ordered  to  attack  the  place  at  once,  on  the  supposition  that 
only  cavalry  held  it.  But,  to  his  astonishment,  this  Com 
mander  run  into  Longstreet's  whole  Corps,  and  was  shivered 
to  fragments — one  regiment,  the  First  Michigan,  losing  three- 
fourths  of  its  number  in  fifteen  minutes.  Robinson's  divis 
ion,  on  the  left,  finding  itself  confronted  by  an  overwhelming 
force,  also  gave  way  in  disorder. 

At  that  critical  moment,  Warren,  with  his  Staff,  arrived 
on  the  field,  and  fired  at  the  sight  of  the  disordered  ranks, 
spurred  forward  and -seizing  a  division  flag,  rallied  the  troops 
by  his  gallant  bearing,  and  held  them  firmly  to  the  shock, 
until  the  other  portions  of  his  Corps  could  arrive.  From 
eight  till  twelve — for  four  hours — he  maintained  the  unequal 


358  DEATH     OF     SEDGWICK. 

struggle,  and,  at  length,  gained  an  open  space  which  led  up 
to  the  rebel  line  of  "battle,  that  stretched  through  a  piece 
of  woods. 

Two  fresh  divisions  coming  up — Crawford's  and  Getty's — • 
an  attack  was  made  on  the  enemy's  position  just  at  evening, 
and  after  an  hour  and  a  half  of  severe  fighting,  the  first  line 
of  breastworks  was  carried,  though  with  heavy  loss  to  us. 
The  next  morning  Grant  saw  his  line  advanced  to  within  less 
than  three  miles  of  Spottsylvania  Court-House,  and  well 
intrenched. 

MONDAY. 

>. 

This  was  a  sad  day,  for  it  took  from  the  army  one  of  its 
ablest  Commanders.  Sedgwick  having  gone  out  in  advance 
to  superintend  the  placing  of  some  batteries,  noticed  that 
one  of  the  gunners  dodged,  as  the  sharp  whistle  of  a  bullet 
sounded  near.  Amused  at  the  man's  nervousness,  he  said, 
pleasantly,  u  Pooh,  man,  you  can't  hit  an  elephant  at  that 
distance  " — referring  to  the  nearest  enemy  in  sight — when  the 
bullet,  of  a  sharpshooter  ensconced  in  one  of  the  neighbor 
ing  trees,  entered  his  eye,  and  passed  directly  into  his  brain. 
The  blood  gushed  from  his  nostrils,  and  with  a  serene  smile 
on  his  face,  he  fell  into  the  arms  of  his  Assistant  Adjutant- 
General.  A  noble  man,  a  strong  leader,  a  great  General, 
and  one  of  the  firmest  props  of  Grant,  he  fell  where  he 
always  preferred  to  fall,  on  the  field  of  battle,  with  his  face 
to  the  foe. 

Monday  was  a  day  of  comparative  quietude,  though  there 
was  constant  skirmishing.  Hancock  had  crossed  the  Po 
and  thrown  up  intrenchments,  working  all  night  by  the  light 
of  lanterns,  hung  in  the  blossoming  cherry  trees.  Heavy 
cannonading  occured  at  intervals,  along  the  line,  and  an 
attack  of  the  enemy  was  expected,  but  was  not  made  in  any 
force  or  determination. 


SHERIDAN'S   RAID.  359 

Both  armies  were  fearfully  exhausted.  For  the  last  three 
days,  the  line  of  battle  had  been  constantly  formed,  and,  for 
forty-eight  hours,  many  of  the  troops  had  been  without  rest 
or  regular  rations. 

Soldiers  had  never  shown  greater  endurance  on  any  battle 
field,  and  the  "three  days'  battle  in  the  Wilderness"  will 
remain  to  all  time,  as  an  evidence  of  the  superiority  of 
American  troops — when  once  inured  by  long  service — to  any 
others  in  the  world. 

On  this  day,  Sheridan,  with  the  cavalry  force,  started  on  a 
raid  to  sever  Lee's  communications  with  Richmond.  The 
very  next  day  he  sent  a  dispatch  to  the  Secretary  of  War, 
stating  that  he  had  "turned  the  enemy's  right,  and  got  into 
their  rear ;  had  destroyed  from  eight  to  ten  miles  of  railroad, 
two  locomotives,  and  three  trains,  and  a  very  large  quantity 
of  supplies ;  and  that  since  he  had  got  into  their  rear,  there 
was  great  excitement  among  the  inhabitants  and  with  the 
army.  The  enemy's  cavalry  had  tried  to  annoy  his  rear  and 
flank,  but  had  been  run  off,  and  he  had  recaptured  five  hun 
dred  of  our  men — two  of  them  colonels." 

From  this  point  he  moved  on,  spreading  destruction  in 
his  path,  until  he  reached  the  suburbs  of  Richmond,  and 
actually  entered  the  first  line  of  works.  But  finding  it  im 
possible  to  proceed  farther,  he  wheeled  about  and  crossed 
the  Chickahominy  at  Meadow  Bridge,  having  suffered  but 
slight  loss  in  his  daring  ride.  But,  like  every  movement  of 
the  kind,  since  the  war  commenced,  it  was  of  no  practical 
importance,  for  it  had  no  effect  whatever  on  Lee's  move 
ments. 

On  Tuesday,  the  10th,  Grant  having  finished  his  recon- 
noissances,  and  got  his  army  into  position,  determined  to 
assault  the  enemy's  works.  It  was  ordered  to  take  place  at 
five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  all  day  long  the  artillery 
beat  in  a  steady,  awful  storm  on  the  rebel  position — in  some 

53 


360  GRAND     ASSAULT. 

places  setting  fire  to  the  forest,  that  smoked  and  flamed 
above  the  dead  and  wounded.  More  or  less  fighting  oc 
curred  all  along  the  lines,  and  at  about  four  o'clock,  the 
enemy  came  out  and  attacked  Barlow's  division,  which 
occupied  a  flanking  and  somewhat  isolated  position  over 
the  stream,  and  compelled  it  to  re-cross  and  join  the  Second 
Corps.  This  delayed  the  proposed  attack  for  an  hour  and 
a  half,  so  that  it  was  sundown  before  the  columns  began  to 
advance. 

During  this  interval,  however,  the  cannonading  was  ter 
rific,  and  shot  and  shell  fell  in  a  ceaseless  shower  on  the 
rebel  works.  At  half  past  six,  Grant  and  Meade,  with  their 
staffs,  took  positions  on  an  eminence  that  overlooked,  to 
some  extent,  the  field  of  operations,  and  the  signal — twelve 
cannon  shots — sounded  the  advance.  With  cheers  that  rose 
over  the  crash  of  cannon,  the  assaulting  columns  at  once 
leaped  forward  and  pressed  over  the  broken  field.  Through 
patches  of  wood — over  ridges,  across  swampy  holes  and 
ravines — swept  at  every  step  by  a  destructive  fire — the 
dark  lines  steadily  advanced,  although  the  brave  battalions 
crumbled  away  like  frost-work  before  the  enfilading  fire  that 
ploughed  through  the  ranks.  It  was  a  vain  effort,  however, 
and  it  was  soon  evident  that  the  troops  were  held  to  a  use 
less  slaughter — those  strong  works  could  not  be  carried. 
The  only  success,  of  importance,  was  achieved  by  the  Sixth 
Corps,  that,  since  the  death  of  Sedgwick,  had  been  com 
manded  by  General  Wright. 

"  About  three  hundred  yards  in  front,  the  enemy  occupied 
a  work  very  strongly  constructed,  as  high  as  a  man's  head, 
and  loop-holed  at  the  top.  The  party  organized  to  attack 
this  work,  was  disposed  by  General  Russell  and  led  by  Colo 
nel  Upton.  It  consisted  of  a  portion  of  the  First  division, 
the  Vermont  brigade  of  the  Second  division,  and  some 
picked  troops  of  General  Neill's  command,  who  were  massed, 


A    GALLANT     CHARGE.  361 

on  the  eve  of  the  attack,  to  the  left  and  front  of  three  bat 
teries — Cowan's,  McCartney's  and  Rhodes'.  Some  compa 
nies  of  the  Forty-ninth  New  York  regiment  had  occupied, 
during  the  afternoon,  a  work  in  advance  of  the  general  line, 
and  just  to  the  left  of  the  line  of  march  of  the  column  of 
attack.  As  the  column  pressed  forward,  these  companies 
moved  by  the  left  flank,  engaging  a  battery  of  the  enemy  on 
the  right  of  his  work. 

"The  batteries  of  McCartney,  Cowan  arid  Rhodes  opened 
on  the  work,  over  the  heads  of  the  attacking  column,  which 
moved  steadily  on  in  the  face  of  a  terrific  blaze  of  musketry, 
with  arms  a-port,  and  without  firing  a  shot,  up  to  the  very 
face  of  the  enemy's  position.  It  poured — a  flood  of  savage 
faces  and  plunging  bayonets — over  the  crest  of  the  work 
and  into  the  midst  of  the  enemy,  capturing,  in  an  instant, 
nine  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  very  men  who  had  stampeded 
the  brigades  of  Shaler  and  Seymour,  on  Friday  night,  in 
the  Wilderness,  and  sending  a  scattering  volley  after  a  host 
of  flying  rebels.  Twelve  guns,  also,  came  into  our  pos 


session." 


Shouts  of  laughter  greeted  these  prisoners,  as  they  were 
run  back  into  our  lines  at  full  speed,  before  the  bayonets  of 
their  captors.  Darkness,  at  length,  closed  the  conflict,  and 
our  bleeding  lines  retired  from  the  hopeless  struggle.  Our 
losses  this  day  were  fearful,  and  the  moon  that  night,  looked 
down  on  hetacombs  of  brave  men,  piled  everywhere  around 
the  rebel  works  and  over  the  fields. 

The  next  day  was  spent  in  skirmishing  and  manoeuvering. 
In  the  afternoon,  a  heavy  storm  set  in,  followed  by  a  dark 
and  foggy  night.  Hancock  took  advantage  of  the  darkness 
and  rain  to  change  his  position,  and,  unobserved  by  the 
enemy,  planted  himself  on  his  right  flank.  Between  four 
and  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  in  the  midst  of  a  pouring 
rain,  the  troops  moved  silently  forward  against  a  salient  or 


362  CHARGE     OF     HANCOCK. 

angle  of  the  enemy's  works,  held  by  Johnson,  which  here 
were  exceedingly  strong,  with  a  wide  ditch  in  front.  Bar 
low's  division  had  the  advance,  Miles'  brigade  leading.  The 
assaulting  columns  moved  swiftly,  and  in  dead  silence,  for 
ward,  and  without  a  cheer  or  a  shot,  swept  in  one  dark  flood 
over  the  ramparts,  capturing  almost  the  entire  division  of 
Johnson. 

Hancock  now  turned  the  captured  artillery  on  the  enemy, 
and  drove  them  back  for  nearly  a  mile.  'But  here  they 
rallied,  and  a  long  and  bloody  fight  followed.  The  other 
Corps  were  brought  up,  and  a  desperate  effort  was  made  to 
turn  this  brilliant  success  into  a  complete  victory ;  and  all 
through  the  forenoon,  in  the  midst  of  the  pelting  rain,  the 
fearful  conflict  continued  to  rage.  At  noon  the  storm  broke, 
and  the  sun  came  out,  but,  alas !  not  to  light  us  to  victory. 
The  first  advantage  was  the  last,  of  any  importance,  that  was 
gained,  and  after  hours  of  heavy  fighting,  it  was  evident  that 
the  enemy's  position  could  not  be  carried.  The  rebels,  fight 
ing  with  a  desperation  never  surpassed,  made  five  successive 
charges  to  re-take  the  works  that  had  been  carried  by  Han 
cock.  The  two  armies  were  rapidly  concentrated  around 
this  single  spot — the  one  to  retake,  and  the  other  to  hold  the 
captured  works — hence,  the  struggle  and  the  slaughter  here 
were  awful. 

"  Column  after  column  of  the  enemy  penetrated  to  the 
very  face  of  the  breastwork,  to  be  hewn  down  and  sent  back 
like  a  broken  wave.  Column  after  column  still  came  on, 
dealing  death  and  meeting  it,  and  making  way  for  other 
columns  and  others  still ;  and  all  the  day  long,  against  this 
rush  of  a  foe,  that  seemed  disdainful  of  life,  the  angle  was 
held  by  our  troops,  fighting,  falling,  but  unyielding,  to  the 
close.  Our  artillery  made  havoc  on  that  day ;  from  dawn  to 
dusk,  the  roar  of  the  guns  was  ceaseless ;  a  tempest  of  shell 
shrieked  through  the  forest,  and  plowed  the  field. 


A    FRIGHTFUL     SPECTACLE.  363 

11  When  the  night  came,  the  angle  of  those  works,  where  the 
battle  had  been  hottest  and  from  which  the  enemy  had  been 
finally  driven,  had  a  spectacle  for  whoever  cared  to  look, 
that  would  never  have  enticed  his  gaze  again.  Men  in  hun 
dreds,  killed  and  wounded  together,  were  piled,  in  hideous 
heaps — some  bodies  that  had  lain  for  hours  under  the  con 
centric  fire  of  the  battle,  being  perforated  with  wounds. 
The  writhing  of  the  wounded  beneath  the  dead,  moved  these 
masses  at  times ;  at  times,  a  lifted  arm  or  a  quivering  limb, 
told  of  an  agony  not  yet  quenched  by  the  Lethe  of  death 
around." 

Says  another  correspondent : — u  The  angle  of  the  works 
at  which  Hancock  entered,  and  for  the  possession  of  which 
the  savage  fight  of  the  day  was  made,  is  a  perfect  Golgotha. 
In  this  angle  of  death  the  dead  and  wounded  rebels  lie,  this 
morning,  literally  in  piles — men  in  the  agonies  of  death 
groaning  beneath  the  dead  bodies  of  their  comrades.  On  an 
area  of  a  few  acres,  in  the  rear  of  their  position,  lie  not  less 
than  a  thousand  rebel  corpses,  many  literally  torn  to  shreds 
by  hundreds  of  balls,  and  several  with  bayonet  thrusts 
through  and  through  their  bodies,  pierced  on  the  very  mar 
gins  of  the  parapet,  which  they  were  determined  to  retake  or 
perish  in  the  attempt.  The  one  exclamation  of  every  man 
who  looks  on  the  spectacle  is,  '  God  forbid  that  I  should  ever 
gaze  upon  such  a  sight  again." 

Hancock's  achievement  was  a  brilliant  one,  and,  for  a 
time,  promised  success,  but  as  it  turned  out,  it  was  a  useless 
-waste  of  life. 

Grant's  losses,  since  he  crossed  the  Rapidan,  had  been 
fearful — a  whole  army  had  disappeared — and  it  was  neces 
sary  that  these  should  be  repaired,  and  now  for  six  days  the 
army  had  comparative  rest,  while  reinforcements  were  hur 
ried  up  from  Washington.  The  manner  in  which  the  troops 
came  pouring  in  showed  the  forecast  of  Grant.  He  had 


364  UNBURIED     DEAD. 

anticipated  no  easy  victory — he  knew  Lee  and  his  gallant 
veterans,  and  hence  prepared  for  the  frightful  loss  of  life 
which  had  now  taken  place.  These  gathering  hosts  showed 
too  the  almost  exhaustless  resources  of  the  North,  and  that 
they  were  at  last  being  employed  by  a  man  who  knew  how 
to  use  them. 

Grant  a  few  days  before,  had  telegraphed  to  the  Secretary 
of  War,  "  I  propose  to  fight  it  out  on  this  line,  if  it  takes  all 
Summer,"  and  it  was  evident  that  he  meant  to.  This  was  said 
in  no  spirit  of  obstinacy,  as  it  was  generally  supposed — it  was' 
a  mere  re-affirmation  of  judgment  on  the  plan  he  had  adopted, 
notwithstanding  the  frightful  sacrifices  of  life  the  carrying  it 
out  had  demanded. 

The  base  of  supplies,  in  the  meantime,  had  been  changed 
to  Fredericksburg.  Maneuvering  of  the  forces,  skirmishing 
and  heavy  artillery  firing,  kept  the  troops  on  the  alert,  but 
Grant  had  resolved  not  to  dash  his  army  to  pieces  again  on 
the  strong  works  before  him. 

The  ceaseless  energy  with  which  he  had  pushed  the  ene 
my,  had  not  left  him  sufficient  time  to  bury  his  dead  prop 
erly,  and  the  u  Wilderness  "  presented  a  shocking  spectacle, 
with  its  uncovered,  or  but  partially  interred  bodies,  scattered 
amid  the  shattered  trees  of  the  forest  and  wreck  of  the  fight. 

During  these  seventeen  fearful  days,  Sherman's  army  had 
been  sending  up  its  victorious  shouts  amid 'the  mountains  of 
Georgia,  as  it  hewed  its  way  toward  Atlanta,  and  Butler 
causing  consternation  among  the  inhabitants  of  Richmond, 
as  the  sound  of  his  cannon  broke  over  the  rebel  Capital. 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 


BUTLER'S  ADVANCE  TO  CITY  POINT — BUTLER'S  CAMPAIGN — BERMUDA  HUN 
DRED —  POSITION  OF  THE  ARMY KAUTz's  CAVALRY  EXPEDITION TORPE 
DOES RICHMOND  AND  PETERSBURG  RAILROAD  SEVERED — SUTLER'S  DIS 
PATCH OPERATIONS  AGAINST  DRURY's  BLUFF DILATORINESS  OF  BUTLER 

REFUSES   TO    INTRENCH    HIMSELF    ON    THE    RAILROAD MORNING    ATTACK    OF 

THE  ENEMY CAPTURE  OF  HECKMAN  AND  HIS  BRIGADE GILLMORE  AND  BUT 
LER  ON  THE  SITUATION    OF    THE    ARMY RETREAT    TO    BERMUDA    HUNDRED 


TREATMENT    OF    A    CHAPLAIN— NAVAL    OPERATIONS    ALONG    THE     COAST IN 

FLORIDA LOSS  OF  THE  COLUMBINE INVESTMENT  OF  NEWBERN REBEL  IRON 
CLADS GALLANT     FIGHT     OF    SMITH    WITH    THE    ALBEMARLE    IN    ALBEMARLE 

SOUND CONDUCT  OF  THE  SASSACUS STEELE  IN  ARKANSAS. 

IN  accordance  with  Grant's  orders,  General  Butler,  on  the 
4th  of  May,  moved  his  army  from  Fortress  Monroe,  to 
co-operate,  by  an  advance  on  Richmond,  with  the  former, 
and  keep  reinforcements  back  from  Lee.  .While  Grant  was 
entering  on  the  terrific  "  Battles  of  the  Wilderness,"  and  its 
dreary  solitudes  were  echoing  to  the  roar  of  his  guns,  Butler 
with  his  army  on  transports,  guarded  by  iron-clads,  was 
steaming  up  the  James  River,  toward  City  Point,  that  lay 
about  fifteen  miles  below  the  rebel  Capital.  A  landing  was 
made  at  this  place  without  opposition,  and  soon  the  army 
was  planted  securely  on  the  narrow  strip  of  land,  known  as 
Bermuda  Hundred. 

The  river  here  takes  a  sharp  bend,  so  that  the  army 
rested  both  its  right  and  left  flank  on  it,  though,  by  the 
stream,  they  were  many  miles*apart.  A  line  of  intrench- 


366  KAUTZ'S     RAID. 

ments  was  also  stretched  across  the  neck,  while  either  ex 
tremity  was  protected  by  gun-boats.  A  more  secure  position 
could  not  have  been  selected.  The  difficulty  was  that  while 
an  army  here  could  repel  a  large  force,  a  small  one,  on  the 
other  hand,  could  coop  it  up  so  as  to  render  it  inoperative. 
It  was  like  a  cavern,  the  mouth  of  which  could  be  defended 
by  a  few  men  within,  against  great  odds  without;  and, 
on  the  other  hand,  a  few  men  could  prevent  any  egress 
from  it. 

Simultaneous  with  the  advance  of  the  army,  a  cavalry  ex 
pedition,  under  General  Kautz,  was  sent  off  to  strike  the 
Richmond  and  Weldon  railroad,  at  a  point  some  eighty  miles 
distant,  and  destroy  a  bridge  three  thousand  feet  long,  and 
then  act  as  circumstances  might  dictate. 

A  strong  fleet  of  gun-boats  and  iron-clads,  under  Admiral 
Lee,  co-operated  with  the  army.  It  was  known  that  torpe 
does  had  been  sunk  in  the  river,  and  hence  they  were  drag 
ged  for  in  advance.  .  But,  notwithstanding  the  utmost  pre 
caution  was  taken,  about  noon,  on  the  6th,  one  that  had 
escaped  discovery,  exploded  under  the  Commodore  Jones, 
near  Four  Mile  Creek,  utterly  destroying  the  vessel,  and 
killing  and  wounding  half  of  the  crew.  A  party  of  marines 
and  sailors  immediately  landed  at  the  point  and  discovered 
three  galvanic  batteries  sunk  in  the  ground.  Two  men  also 
were  captured  in  a  battery  near. 

One  of  these  being  interrogated  respecting  the  locality  of 
the  torpedoes,  at  first  professed  entire  ignorance,  but  being 
placed  in  the  advance  boat  of  those  dragging  for  them,  and 
told  that  he  would  be  blown  up  with  the  rest,  he  became 
more  communicative,  and  stated  where  those  he  knew  of 
were  placed.  He  said,  moreover,  that  the  one  which  exploded 
under  the  Commodore  Jones  contained  two  thousand  pounds 
of  powder — that  the  large  ones  were  exploded  by  galvanic 
batteries,  but  the  smaller  ones,  either  by  contact  or  a  line 


TORPEDOES.  367 

from  shore.  Those  that  were  sunk,  were  put  down  by 
Hfhiter  Davidson,  formerly  of  the  United  States  Navy,  who 
commanded  a  boat  named  the  Torpedo,  which  was  built  for 
this  especial  service. 

*  The  next  day,  the  7th,  the  tug  gun-boat  Shawsheen,  while 
looking  for  one  of  these  submarine  terrors,  near  Turkey 
Bend,  came  under  the  fire  of  a  rebel  battery,  and  was  de 
stroyed,  and  most  of  the  officers  and  crew  captured. 

First  Assistant-Engineer  Young  sent  to  the  department  a 
sketch  of  these  galvanic  batteries,  by  which  the  torpedoes 
were  exploded,  which  is  curious,  as  a  part  of  our  naval  his 
tory  during  a  war,  that  brought  into  service  so  many  new 
missiles  of  destruction. 

He  says: — "The  galvanic  batteries  were  formed  of  nine 
zinc  cups,  each  one  battery,  or  a  set  of  cups  being  placed  on. 
shelves  directly  over  the  other.  In  each  zinc  cup  was  placed 
a  porous  clay  cup.  In  the  zinc  cup,  and  outside  the  porous 
cup,  was  placed  the  sulphuric  acid  and  water,  and  inside  the 
porous  cup  was  placed  the  nitric  acid.  The  zinc  of  one  cup 
was  connected  to  the  cast-iron  of  the  other,  by  a  clamp  and 
thumb  screw.  The  negative  wires  led  directly  to  the  tor 
pedoes,  (one  to  each.)  The  positive  wires  ran  along  near  a 
foot-path,  parallel  with  the  river,  for  about  two  hundred 
feet,  and  terminated  at  a  sub-battery.  In  this  sub-battery, 
were  two  large  wooden  plugs,  with  a  hole  about  one-half 
inch  in  diameter  in  each ;  these  holes  being  filled  with  mer 
cury  ;  the  positive  wires  connecting  from  the  torpedoes  to 
the  bottom  of  these  plugs;  the  positive  wires,  from  the 
charged  batteries,  being  inserted  in  the  mercury  at  the  top 
of  its  respective  plug,  to  form  the  connections  and  explode 
the  torpedoes.  The  wires  from  the  river  bank  to  the  torpe 
does  were  supported  by  a  three  inch  rope,  being  stopped 
to  rope  about  every  four  feet.  At  a  distance  of  every  fifteen 
feet  of  the  rope,  were  some  five  or  six  feet  of  three-quarter 


368    RICHMOND   AND   PETERSBURG  R.    R.    SEVERED. 

link  chain  to  assist  in  keeping  it  on  the  bottom.  The  wires 
were  covered  with  gutta  percha,  about  one-quarter  iAch 
thick.  The  battery  used  is  generally  known  as  the  Bunsen 
battery." 

With  such  infernal  mechanism  lining  the  banks  of  a  nar 
row  river,  and  connecting  with  vast  masses  of  gun-powder, 
lying  concealed  on  the  bottom,  and  all  under  the  control  of 
hidden  operators  on  shore,  the  navigation  of  the  stream  was 
made  most  perilous.  We  had  not  a  Commander  afloat  who 
would  not  rather  at  any  time  engage  a  hostile  fleet,  of  vastly 
superior  force,  than  carry  his  vessels,  without  an  enemy  in 
sight,  up  such  a  river.  There  is  something  infinitely  more 
appalling  in  sailing  over  such  hidden  engines  of  destruction, 
than  there  is  meeting  any  danger  face  to  face. 

About  the  time  the  rebel  batteries  opened  on  our  fleet — 
destroying  the  Shawsheen — a  fight  commenced  on  land.  But 
ler  moving  out  his  army  toward  the  Richmond  and  Peters 
burg  railroad,  the  rebels  attacked  him.  The  day  was  ex 
cessively  warm,  but,  about  eleven  o'clock,  the  enemy  opened 
with  artillery,  and  a  sharp  cannonade  was  kept  up  along  the 
lines. 

While  the  left  and  centre  were  thus  engaged,  a  brigade, 
on  the  right,  under  Colonel  Barton,  pressed  forward,  and 
striking  the  railroad,  succeeded  in  tearing  up  the  track  for 
some  distance,  and  setting  a  bridge  on  fire.  But  being 
heavily  pressed  in  turn,  it  was  compelled  to  retire. 

The  action  continued  with  more  or  less  severity  till  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  order  was  given  for  the 
army  to  fall  back  to  the  lines  held  in  the  morning. 

On  the  9th,  Butler  again  moved  forward  to  break  up 
more  effectually  this  important  railroad.  With  General 
Smith's  Corps,  on  the  left,  and  Gillmore,  with  the  Tenth 
Corps,  on  the  right,  the  columns  began  their  march  at  day 
light,  and  passed  cautiously  through  the  thick  woods  in  front, 


BUTLEB'S  DISPATCH.  369 

without  meeting  the  enemy.  About  nine  o'clock,  Smith 
struck  the  railroad  at  Port  Walthall  Junction,  and  Gillmore 
at  Chester  Station,  and  the  work  of  destruction  commenced. 
But  little  resistance  was  made  by  the  enemy,  and  it  was  evi 
dent  that  he  had  been  taken  wholly  by  surprise.  \ 

Butler  now  determined  to  advance  on  Petersburg,  and  the 
army,  the  same  afternoon,  moved  forward.  The  place  was 
held  by  Beauregard  with  a  large  force,  who  had  been 
ordered  up  from  the  south  to  take  charge  of  affairs  around 
Richmond. 

Butler,  elated  with  his  easy  success,  and  fully  believing 
that  he  could  hold  possession  of  the  railroad  communication 
between  Richmond  and  Petersburg,  sent  the  following  tele 
gram  to  Washington,  summing  up  his  achievements,  and 
announcing  the  separation  of  Beauregard's  forces  from  those 
of  Lee : — 
•  v  *  "MAY  9,  1864. 

Our  operations  may  be  summed  up  in  a  few  words.  With  one  thousand 
and  seven  hundred  cavalry  we  have  advanced  up  the  Peninsula,  forced  the 
Chickahominy,  and  have  safely  brought  them  to  our  present  position.  These 
were  colored  cavalry,  and  are  now  holding  our  advanced  pickets  toward 
Richmond. 

General  Kautz,  with  three  thousand  cavalry,  from  Suffolk,  on  the  same 
day  with  our  movement  up  James  River,  forced  the  Blackwater,  burned  the 
railroad  bridge  at  Stony  Creek,  below  Petersburg,  cutting  in  two  Beaure 
gard's  force  at  that  point. 

We  have  landed  here,  intrenched  ourselves,  destroyed  many  miles  of 
railroad,  and  got  a  position  which,  with  proper  supplies,  we  can  hold  out 
against  the  whole  of  Lee's  army.  I  have  ordered  up  the  supplies. 

Beauregard,  with  a  large  portion  of  his  force,  was  left  south  by  the  cut 
ting  of  the  railroads  by  Kautz.  That  portion  which  reached  Petersburg 
under  Hill,  I  have  whipped  to-day,  killing  and  wounding  many,  and  taking 
many  prisoners,  after  a  severe  and  well-contested  fight. 

General  Grant  will  not  be  troubled  with  any  further  reinforcements  to 
Lee  from  Beauregard's  force. 

BENJAMIN  F.  BUTLER,  Major-General." 

More  or  less  fighting  occurred  between  the  hostile  forces, 
without  bringing  on  a  decisive  battle,  and  Butler,  at  length, 
determined  to  advance  against  Fort  Darling,  located  on 


370  ADVANCE     OP    BUTLER. 

Briny's  Bluff.  The  batteries  here  were  the  main  obstacle 
that  prevented  our  gun-boats  from  moving  as  near  to  Rich 
mond  as  the  depth  of  water  would  allow,  and  if  they  were 
once  silenced,  it  was  believed  that  the  advance  of  the  fleet 
would  compel  the  evacuation  of  the  rebel  Capital. 

Butler  having  reached  Kingsland  Creek,  formed  line  of 
battle  on  the  south-east  side,  in  view  of  James  River.  The 
fleet,  in  the  meantime,,  moved  to  the  vicinity  of  the  fort  to 
co-operate  with  the  land  forces. 

The  news  of  Hancock's  brilliant  success  at  Spottsylvania, 
reached  the  army  on  this  day,  causing  immense  cheering  all 
along  the  front. 

For  five  days  there  had  been  more  or  less  fighting,  and 
much  of  the  time  in  a  pouring  rain,  but  no  decisive  advan 
tage  had  been  gained  by  either  side.  Butler  succeeded  in 
taking  some  of  the  outer  works  of  Fort  Darling ;  and  from 
the  daily  bulletins,  published  by  war  correspondents,  the 
public  expected  the  speedy  capture  of  this  stronghold. 
Foiled  here,  Butler  attempted  to  get  toward  Petersburg — 
the  fall  of  which  had  been  prematurely  announced — but 
meeting  with  strong  opposition,  he,  on  Monday,  changed 
front,  and  moved  toward  Richmond.  His  line,  at  this  time, 
was  three  miles  long,  extending  from  the  James  River  to  the 
Richmond  and  Petersburg  railroad.  He  had  been  molested 
so  little  in  the  occupancy  of  this  road,  that  he  seemed  to 
think  the  enemy  had  abandoned  all  hope  of  re-occupying  it, 
and  hence  neglected  to  take  those  precautions  which  a  skillful 
Commander  would  have  adopted. 

Gillmore,  one  of  the  ablest  engineers  of  the  age,  and 
of  much  experience  in  the  field,  advised  him  to  throw  up 
intrenchments  so  as  to  be  able  to  hold  this  important  posi 
tion  against  any  attack  of  the  enemy.  But  Butler,  in  a 
pompous  manner,  replied,  that  he  was  acting  on  the  offen 
sive,  and  not  defensive,  and  refused  to  follow  his  advice. 


CAPTURE     OF    HECKMAN.  371 

Gillniore,  clearly,  .did.  not  believe  that  the  rebels  had  aban 
doned  all  hope  of  re-taking  this  important  railroad,  and  the 
event  proved  the  correctness  of  his  opinion.  The  move 
ment  to  City  Point  had  evidently  been  a  surprise,  and  had 
Butler  advanced  at  once,  before  the  enemy  recovered  from 
it,  Petersburg,  if  not  Richmond,  could  have  been  easily 
captured. 

But  the  five  days,  or  more,  that  he  had  been  campaigning 
in  the  open  country,  had  been  improved  by  Beauregard  in 
hurrying  up  troops,  which,  the  moment  they  were  well  in 
hand,  he  meant  to  hurl  with  resistless  fury  on  our  army. 
Monday  morning,  the  16th,  was  selected  for  the  assault,  and 
a  better  time  could  not  have  been  chosen.  The  night  had 
been  exceedingly  dark,  and  toward  morning  a  dense  fog 
wrapped  everything  in  impenetrable  gloom.  Shrouded  in 
this,  the  enemy  came  noiselessly  down  on  our  unsuspecting 
line,  striking  it  first  on  the  right  flank.  Heckman's  brigade 
was  posted  here,  on  which  the  onset  came  with  the  sudden 
ness  of  a  thunder-clap. 

The  fog  Jay  .so  thick  over  the  fields,  that  a  person,  a  few 
rods  distant,  was  invisible ;  hence  the  proximity  of  the  ene 
my  was  unknown  till  his  unearthly  yells  rose  out  of  the  mist, 
right  in  the  face  of  the  brigade.  '  Heckman,  than  whom  a 
braver  man  never  lived,  dashed  through  the  gloom,  shouting 
to  his  men  to  stand  firm,  and  succeeded,  by  great  effort,  in 
rallying  a  portion  of  his  brigade,  whose  loud  cheers  soon 
answered  the  defiant  yells  of  their  assailants.  So  dense  was 
the  fog,  that  the  troops  were  brought  breast  to  breast,  be 
fore  they  could  see  each  other,  and  the  fight  became  a  hand- 
to-hand  contest.  Wholly  unable  to  see  the  ground  occupied 
by  the  enemy,  Heckman  could  not  tell  what  disposition  to 
make  of  his  regiments — in  fact,  was  totally  ignorant  of  the 
strength  of  the  force  opposed  to  him. 

Under  such  circumstances,  the  contest  could  not  be  other- 


372  A    NOVEL     DEFENSE. 

wise  than  a  short  one.  The  rebels  knew  the  exac!  position 
of  the  brigade,  and  swiftly  overlapping  it,  took  it  in  rear, 
and  captured  nearly  the  whole,  and  with  it  its  leader,  the 
gallant  Heckman.  Two  regiments  of  Gillmore's  Corps  had 
been  detached  from  it,  and,  under  Weitzel,  lay  in  rear  of 
the  brigade  as  a  reserve.  These,  aroused  by  the  firing 
and  yells,  that  rent  the  fog  in  advance,  sprung  to  their 
arms,  and  were  led,  by  Colonel  Drake,  swiftly  forward 
toward  the  spot  where  the  conflict  was  raging.  Charging 
fiercely  on  the  exultant  foe,  they  bore  him  back,  and  rescued 
some  three  or  four  hundred  of  our  prisoners.  The  rebels 
rallying,  charged  back,  but  could  not  move  those  noble  regi 
ments  from  their  places. 

The  battle  raged  furiously  here,  for  a  long  time,  for 
both  sides  brought  up  reinforcements  to  this  vital  point. 
The  contest,  however,  was  not  confined  to  the  right  flank, 
but  drifted  steadily  down  the  line  for  two  miles  and  a 
half. 

"  The  rebel  plan  of  massing  brigade  after  brigade,  in  line 
of  battle,  and  hurling  them  in  rotation  against  us,  was  here 
tried  with  very  bad  results.  General  Smith,  with'  that  fore 
thought  which  is  characteristic  of  him,  anticipating  some 
such  move  on  the  part  of  the  enemy,  had  ordered  a  large 
quantity  of  telegraph  wire  to  be  intertwisted  among  the  trees 
and  undergrowth  which  lay  in  front  of  our  position.  Wister 
and  Burnham  received  the  order  and  obeyed  it.  Heckman 
failed,  unfortunately,  to  get  it.  When,  therefore,  the  rebels 
charged  upon  our  intrenchments,  in  the  dull  light,  hundreds 
of  them  were  tripped  down,  and  unable  to  tell  the  cause. 
As  they  lay  upon  the  ground,  our  musketry-fire  kept  many 
of  them  from  ever  rising  more.  As  with  the  first  line,  so 
with  the  second.  They  met  the  same  fate.  The  third  line 
fared  no  better,  and  this  simple  agency  of  a  telegraphic  wire, 
interlaced  among  the  trees,  played  more  havoc  in  the  rebel 


,       RETREAT     OF     BUTLER.  373 

ranks  than  anything  else.  The  dead  lay  like  autumn  leaves 
before  the  front  of  Wister  and  Burnham." 

About  eight  o'clock,  there  was  a  lull,  and  Butler,  now 
thoroughly  alarmed,  ordered  a  retreat.  For  the  first  time 
in  his  life,  he  had  experienced  a  real  rebel  charge,  and  his 
confidence  in  his  own  powers  seemed  suddenly  to  vanish. 
Notwithstanding  the  disaster  that  had  overtaken  the  army, 
Gillmore  was  not  disposed  to  abandon  so  readily  this  position 
on  the  railroad,  the  holding  of  which  was  so  necessary  to 
ultimate  success;  and  when  he  received  the  order  to  fall 
back,  sent  an  urgent  remonstrance  to  Butler  to  withdraw  it, 
saying  that  he  believed  he  could  hold  his  position.  Receiv 
ing,  in  reply,  a  peremptory  order  to  retreat,  he  reluctantly 
obeyed,  and  the  army  fell  back  to  its  intrenched  position  at 
Bermuda  Hundred. 

Thus,  in  a  single  morning,  the  whole  value  of  the  Penin 
sula  movement  was  lost,  and  might  as  well  have  not  been 
undertaken  at  all,  for  the  rebels  not  only  had  possession  of 
the  railroad  again,  by  which  they  could  forward  troops  and 
supplies  to  Lee,  but  had  cooped  up  Butler  in  his  strong  posi 
tion,  so  that  he  was  as  powerless  to  make  any  aggressive 
movement,  as  though  locked  up  in  an  iron  cage.  There 
never  was  a  movement  begun  with  such  a  promise  of  success, 
that  ended  so  disgracefully. 

Grant  saw  a  most  important  part  of  his  great  plan  thus 
suddenly  broken  up,  thereby  increasing  four-fold  the  magni 
tude  of  the  work  before  him.  The  chagrin  and  feeling  with 
which  he  received  the  news,  may  be  gathered  from  the  man 
ner  in  which  he  alludes  to  the  subject  in  his  official  report. 
He  says : — 

"  On  the  16th,  the  enemy  attacked  General  Butler  in  his 
position  in  front  of  Drury's  Bluff.  He  was  forced  back,  or 
drew  back,  into  his  intrenchments  between  the  forks  of  the 
James  and  Appomattox  Rivers — the  enemy  intrenching 


374  ABUSE    OF    A    CHAPLAIN. 

strongly  in  his  front,  thus  covering  his  railroads,  the  city, 
and  all  that  was  valuable  to  him.  His  army,  therefore, 
though  in  a  position  of  great  security,  was  as  completely 
shut  off  from  further  operations,  directly  against  Richmond, 
as  if  it  had  been  in  a  bottle  strongly  corked.  It  required 
but  a  comparatively  small  force  of  the  enemy  to  hold  it 
there." 

A  little  farther  on,  referring  to  the  same  lamentable  affair, 
he  says : — 

"  The  army  sent  to  operate  against  Richmond,  having  her 
metically  sealed  itself  up  at  Bermuda  Hundred,  the  enemy 
was  enabled  to  bring  the  most,  if  not  all,  the  reinforcements 
brought  from  the  south  by  Beauregard,  against  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac.  In  addition  to  this  reinforcement,  a  very  con 
siderable  one — probably  not  less  than  fifteen  thousand  men — 
was  obtained  by  calling  in  the  scattered  troops,  under  Breck- 
enridge,  from  the  western  parts  of  Virginia." 

The  public  was  not  aware,  at  first,  of  the  extent  of  the 
misfortune,  and  rested  comparatively  satisfied  with  the  an 
nouncement  that  Butler's  "  position  was  impregnable."  It 
was  as  much  as  the  position  of  a  war  correspondent  was 
worth,  in  the  Army  of  the  James,  to  breathe  one  word  in 
disparagement  of  Butler's  skill,  or  express  a  doubt  of  the 
wisdom  of  Ms  movements. 

This  had  a  striking  illustration  in  the  case  of  a  chaplain  in 
Gillmore's  Corps.  In  a  private  letter  to  the  editor  of  The 
Evening  Post,  he  stated  some  very  unwholesome  truths,  res 
pecting  this  unfortunate  battle.  This  was  published  anony 
mously,  but  Butler  having  discovered  its  author,  under  a 
trumped-up  charge  of  his  being  absent  without  leave,  got  the 
unsuspecting  clergyman  within  his  department,  and,  unable 
to  make  him  consent  to  unsay  the  truth,  and  state  a  false 
hood,  threw  him  into  confinement  among  rebels  and  negroes, 
where  he  kept  him  for  more  than  a  month,  subjected  to 


KAUTZ1^     RAID.  375 

exposures  that  well  nigh  destroyed  his  life.  Refusing  to 
grant  him  a  trial,  in  direct  violation  of  his  duty ;  refusing, 
also,  to  allow  him  to  hold  religious  service  with  his  fellow- 
prisoners,  he  continued  his  unmanly  persecutions  until  pow 
erful  friends  of  his  victim,  from  without,  took  up  the  case, 
when  he  was  compelled  to  release  his  despotic  grasp,  and  let 
the  injured  man  go  free  to  paint  his  persecutor  in  his  true 
colors. 

Kautz's  cavalry  raid,  which  started  two  or  three  days 
before  this  disastrous  battle,  accomplished  its  work  success 
fully.  The  damages  inflicted  upon  the  enemy  have  been 
described  as  follows : 

u  Going  direct  to  Walthall  Junction,  the  depot  of  the 
Richmond  and  Petersburg  railroad  was  destroyed,  together 
with  its  contents.  Moving  on  to  Chester  Station,  a  similar 
scene  was  enacted. 

"  Marching  on  to  the  Richmond  and  Danville  road,  the 
depot  at  the  coal  mines,  with  a  large  number  of  cars,  was 
demolished.  The  same  occurred  at  Tomahawk  Station.  At 
Powhatan,  a  locomotive  and  train  were  destroyed,  together 
with  the  railroad  buildings.  When  the  Third  New- York 
and  Eleventh.  Pennsylvania  cavalry  approached  Chola,  on 
the  line  of  the  Lone  road,  their  further  progress  was  con 
tested  by  a  rebel  infantry  regiment  stationed  there.  After  a 
brisk  fight,  our  men  drove  the  rebels.  In  the  short  engage 
ment,  but  few  were  killed  or  wounded,  on  our  side. 

"The  rebels  having  retired,  the  command  pushed  on,  after 
destroying  considerable  of  the  property,  a  train  of  cars,  and 
a  locomotive  included.  The  expedition  then  struck  for  the 
South-side  road.  Here,  at  Black's  and  White's,  another 
train  was  destroyed,  with  a  large  amount  of  commissary 
stores.  At  Wellsville  and  Wilson's  Station,  railroad  property 
was  demolished. 

54 


376        BUTLEK  HERMETICALLY  SEALED. 

"At  Lawrence ville,  the  Court-House  of  Brunswick  County, 
a  large  amount  of  corn,  tobacco  and  flour,  belonging  to  the 
Confederate  Government,  and  which  had  been  taken  from 
farmers,  for  taxes,  was  burned. 

u  On  the  Nottaway  River,  near  Jarrett's  Station7  a  pontoon 
bridge  was  destroyed.  The  part  of  the  Petersburg  and 
Weldoii  railroad,  which  was  tapped  by  the  former  raid,  had 
Jbeen  repaired,  but  this  time  the  raiders  broke  it  more  effect 
ually.  At  all  the  stations,  where  the  expedition  halted  to 
destroy  depots,  the  railroad  track  was  torn  up  for  several 
miles  on  each  side.  Bridges  were  leveled,  not  only  on  the 
railroads,  but  on  several  turnpikes. 

u  There  were  large  quantities  of  commissary  stores  all 
along  the  line  of  the  road,  which  were  rendered  thoroughly 
useless  for  the  Confederates.  The  work  done  by  this  expe 
dition  was  most  effectual ;  four  railroads  being  rendered 
useless  to  the  rebels,  to  say  nothing  of  what  else  was  done, 
which  will  cripple  them  very  materially. 

"  Our  men  penetrated  within  four  miles  of  Richmond,  and 
three  of  Petersburg.  Encounters  with  the  enemy  occurred 
on  several  occasions,  but  they  always  were  compelled  to 
retire." 

With  small  loss,  the  force  again  reached  City  Point,  on 
the  evening  of  the  18th. 

Butler  now  being  u  corked  up,77  but  little  interest  was  felt 
by  Grant,  in  his  action,  for  he  knew  that  nothing  more  could 
be  done  in  that  direction  until  he  should  arrive  with  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  There  was  plainly,  now,  but  one 
way  to  form  a  junction  with  Butler,  and  that  was  to  march 
to  the  spot  where  he  lay  helpless.  The  Army  of  the  James 
being  u  hermetically  sealed,"  it  must  remain  useless  to  him 
until,  by  his  presence,  he  could  unseal  it. 

The  rebels,  emboldened  by  their  success,  endeavored  to 
get  possession  of  the  James  River,  below  Butler,  and  cut 


ACTION     OF     THE    NAVY.  377 

off  his  supplies ;  they  accordingly  attacked  both  Fort  Pow- 
hatan  and  Wilson's  Wharf,  but  were  repelled  by  the  moni 
tors  under  Admiral  Lee. 

But,  while  the  month  of  May  will  be  forever  marked  in 
our  calendar  for  the  mighty  military  movements  it  witnessed, 
East  and  West,  its  record  would  not  be  complete  without 
giving  the  naval  operations  along  our  coast. 

When  Grant  set  in  motion  our  great  armies,  it  was  under 
stood  that  the  navy  should,  at  the  same  time,  threaten  the 
rebel  ports,  not  yet  in  our  possession,  and  thus  keep  from 
Lee  reinforcements  that  otherwise  would  reach  him.  With 
all  our  borders  at  peace,  the  entire  military  force  of  the 
North  was  available,  and  could  be  sent  in  any  desired  direc 
tion.  At  the  South,  this  state  of  things  was  reversed,  and 
with  fewer  men  to  bring  into  the  field,  she  had  to  keep 
back  many,  even  of  these,  to  protect  the  few  ports  that  still 
remained  to  her. 

At  Mobile,  Farragut  lay  waiting  for  one  or  two  iron-clads 
to  boldly  force  his  way  into  the  bay,  while  expeditions  up 
the  rivers  of  Florida  kept  detachments  of  troops  there,  which 
Lee  would  soon  be  in  sore  need  of.  In  one  of  these  up  the 
St.  John's,  we  lost  the  steam  tug,  Columbine,  which  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Our  batteries  and  iron-clads  were 
also  pounding  away  on  the  defenses  of  Charleston  harbor — 
holding  strong  garrisons  there  to  defend  the  place. 

Thinking  that  we  had  drawn  away  our  forces  from  New- 
bern,  to  fill  up  our  armies,  the  rebels  organized  an  expedi 
tion  against  it,  and  in  the  fore  part  of  the  month,  news  was 
received  that  it  was  closely  besieged  by  the  enemy,  and 
fears  were  entertained  that  it  might  fall  into  his  hands,  but 
he  was  driven  back  in  disgrace. 

Although  nothing  but  disaster  had  overtaken  the  Southern 
navy  from  the  outset,  two  formidable  rams,  on  the  eastern 
fcoast,  this  Spring,  caused  a  good  deal  of  alarm  to  our  ship- 


378  FIGHT     WITH    THE    ALBEMARLE. 

ping.  One,  at  Wilmington,  was  reported  to  be  a  powerful 
vessel,  and  a  strong  force  was  kept  watching  her.  The  Al- 
bemarle,  that  had  wrought  such  mischief  to  the  Miami  and 
Southfield,  in  Albemarle  Sound,  was  decoyed  out  of  the 
Roanoke  River,  by  Melancthon  Smith,  senior  officer  in  the 
Sound,  and  attacked  by  eight  steamers.  The  gun-boat  Bomb 
shell,  which  accompanied  it,  was  captured,  and  the  ram  was 
compelled  to  retire  from  the  conflict,  apparently,  somewhat 
damaged.  The  Sassacus  behaved  nobly  in  the  combat.  Lay 
ing  herself  alongside  her  formidable  antagonist,  she  poured 
in  her  heavy  shot  at  close  quarters.  After  the  capture  of 
the  Bombshell — she  being  some  distance  off,  and  the  ram 
lying  broadside  too — Roe,  the  Commander,  "ordered  full 
steam  on  and  open  throttle,  and  laid  the  ship  fair  for  the 
broadside  of  the  ram,  to  run  her  down.  The  Sassacus  struck 
her  fairly  just  abaft  her  starboard  beam,  in  the  position,  in 
the  rear  of  the  house  or  casemate,  with  a  speed  of  nine  or 
ten  knots,  making  twenty-two  revolutions  with  thirty  pounds 
of  steam.  As  I  struck,  (he  says,)  she  sent  a  one  hundred- 
pounder  rifle-shot,  through  and  through,  from  starboard  bow 
to  port-side,  at  the  berth-deck.  The  collision  was  pretty 
heavy,  and  the  ram  careened  a  good  deal, — so  much  so  that 
the  water  washed  over  her  deck,  forward  and  aft  the  case 
mate.  At  one  time,  I  thought  she  was  going  down ;  I  kept 
the  engine  pushing,  as  I  hoped,  deeper  and  deeper  into  her, 
and  also  hoping  it  might  be  possible  for  some  one  of  the 
boats  to  get  up  on  the  opposite  side  of  me,  and,  perhaps, 
enable  us  to  sink  her,  or,  at  least,  to  get  well  on  to  her  on 
all  sides.  I  retained  this  position  full  ten  minutes,  throwing 
grenades  down  her  deck  hatch,  and  trying  in  vain  to  get 
powder  into  her  smoke-stack,  and  receiving  volleys  of  mus 
ketry,  when  the  stern  of  the  ram  began  to  go  round,  and  her 
broadside  port  bearing  on  our  starboard  bow,  when  the  ram 
fired,  and  sent  a  one  hundred-pounder,  Brook's  rifle-shot, 


CLOSE     OF     THE     CONFLICT.  379 

through  the  starboard  side,  on  the  berth-deck,  passing 
through  the  empty  bunkers  into  the  starboard  boiler,  clear 
through  it,  fore  and  aft,  and  finally  lodging  in  the  ward 
room.  In  a  moment,  the  steam  filled  every  portion  of  the 
ship,  from  the  hurricane-deck  to  the  fire-rooms,  killing  and 
stifling  some,  and  rendering  all  movements,  for  a  time,  impos 
sible.^ 

Just  before  receiving  this  shot,  he  sent  a  one  hundred- 
pounder,  solid  shot,  against  the  monster,  which  broke  into 
fragments  against  his  mailed  sides,  one  of  the  pieces  actually 
bounding  back  upon  his  own  deck.  The  flag-ship,  Matta- 
besett,  and  the  Wyalusing,  engaged  the  ram  with  equal 
gallantry,  laying  their  vessels  alongside  of  it,  with  a  boldness 
never  surpassed  in  any  naval  combat.  They  rained  their 
heaviest  shot  and  shell  on  the  huge  structure,  at  close  quar 
ters,  cutting  away  the  flag,  but  failing  to  reach  any  vital  part. 

In  Arkansas,  Steele  pushed  Price  at  every  point  and  forced 
him  into  disastrous  retreat. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

SURVEY  OF  GRANT'S  POSITION — SIGEL'S  FAILURE  IN  THE  SHENANDOAH  VAL 
LEY SPOTTSYLVANIA   FLANKED THE    RACE  FOR  THE  NORTH  ANNA  RIVER 

HANCOCK'S  AND  WARREN'S  CORPS — FIGHT  OF  THE  LATTER  AT  JERICHO  FORD 

GALLANTRY  OF  GRIFFIN ASSAULT  OF  A  REDAN  BY  HANCOCK GALLANT 

CHARGE THE  ENEMY  FALLS  BACK  TO  THE  SOUTH  ANNA STRENGTH  OF  HIS 

POSITION TRANSFER  OF  BASE  TO  PORT  ROYAL GRANT  AGAIN  FLANKS  THE 

ENEMY  AND   CROSSES  THE  PAMUNKEY  AT  HANOVERTOWN MOVEMENT   TO 

COLD  HARBOR BATTLE  OF  COLD  HARBOR GRANT  RESOLVES  TO  TRANSFER 

THE     ARMY     TO     THE    JAMES    RIVER A    DELICATE     OPERATION GILLMORE?S 

FAILURE  TO    TAKE    PETERSBURG LEE  DECEIVED THE  JAMES  SAFELY  CROSS 
ED ATTACK    ON  PETERSBURG  BY  SMITH OUTER  WORKS  CARRIED VARIOUS 

ASSAULTS BUTLER  AGAIN  CUTS  THE  RICHMOND  AND  PETERSBURG  RAILROAD, 

AND  AGAIN  DRIVEN  BACK LAST  GRAND  ASSAULT THE  POSITION  OF  AF 
FAIRS REVIEW  OF  THE  CAMPAIGN GRANTS    SAGACITY    AND  JUDGMENT 

VINDICATED. 

DURING  the  time  that  Grant  lay  before  Spottsylvania, 
waiting  for  reinforcements  to  come  up,  and  recruiting 
his  overtasked  army,  he  had  ample  time  to  survey  his  posi 
tion.  As,  he  said,  "  during  three  long  years  the  Armies  of 
the  Potomac  and  Northern  Virginia  had  been  confronting 
each  other,"  and  "  in  that  time  they  had  fought  more  des 
perate  battles  than  it  probably  ever  before  fell  to  the  lot  of 
two  armies  to  fight,  without  materially  changing  the  vantage- 
ground  of  either."  It  was  not  a  pleasant  reflection  to  think 
of  these  terrible  struggles  and  fearful  losses — all  made  with 
out  giving  him  any  "vantage  ground." 

To  make  matters  worse,  Butler  had  totally  failed  in  his 
co-operative  movement,  so  that,  practically,  he  must  be  left 
out  of  any  plan  Grant  might  adopt  to  reach  Richmond.  Sigel 
also  had  miserably  failed  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  and  the 


SIGEL'S    FAILURE.  381 

prospect  was  that  he  must  look  to  himself,  and  his  gallant 
army  alone,  for  success.  The  part  this  officer  performed  in 
the  grand  campaign  cannot  be  better  given  than  in  the  fol 
lowing  few  sentences  of  Grant: — 

"  The  movement  of  the  Kanawha  and  Shenandoah  Valleys 
under  General  Sigel,  commenced  on  the  first  of  May.  Gen 
eral  Crook,  who  had  the  immediate  command  of  the  Kan 
awha  expedition,  divided  his  forces  into  two  columns,  giving 
one,  composed  of  cavalry,  to  General  Averill.  They  crossed 
the  mountains  by  separate  routes.  Averill  struck  the  Ten 
nessee  and  Virginia  railroad,  near  Wytheville,  on  the  10th, 
and  proceeding  to  New  River  and  Christiansburg,  destroyed 
the  road,  several  important  bridges  and  depots,  including 
New  River  bridge,  forming  a  junction  with  Crook  at  Union, 
on  the  15th.  General  Sigel  moved  up  the  Shenandoah  Val 
ley,  met  the  enemy  at  New  Market,  on  the  15th,  and  after  a 
severe  engagement,  was  defeated  with  heavy  loss,  and  re 
tired  behind  Cedar  Creek.  Not  regarding  the  operations 
of  General  Sigel  as  satisfactory,  I  asked  his  removal  from 
command,  and  Major-General  Hunter  was  appointed  to  su 
persede  him." 

Grant  having,  at  length,  established  his  base  of  supplies, 
and  received  his  reinforcements,  gave  orders  for  the  army  to 
move  on  the  18th.  Still  determined,  if  possible,  to  get  a 
field-fight  out  of  Lee,  he  planned  a  flank  movement  around 
the  right  of  the  rebel  army  to  the  North  Anna  River.  If  he 
succeeded  in  reaching  this  point  first,  it  would  place  him  in 
Lee's  rear,  cut  off  his  communications,  and  compel  him  to 
evacuate  the  strong  works  at  Spottsylvania, 

The  movement  was  postponed,  however,  on  account  of  an 
unexpected  attack  of  Ewell,  who  came  out  of  his  intrench- 
ments  and  assailed  our  right,  so  that  it  did  not  commence 
till  the  night  of  the  21st 

To  mask  it  more  effectually,  Hancock  and  Wright  were 


382  SPOTTSYLVANIA     FLANKED. 

previously  ordered  to  attack  the  rebel  left,  as  though  it  were 
Grant's  intention  to  turn  that  flank.  After  losing  several 
hundred  men  in  this  feint,  the  former  was  shifted  over,  by 
night,  to  our  extreme  right,  and  at  once  commenced  his 
march  for  the  North  Anna.  Torbert's  cavalry,  in  the  mean 
time,  moved  off  ten  miles  east  of  Spottsylvania,  on  the  Fred- 
ericksburg  railroad,  to  clear  the  country  for  the  march. 
Hancock  at  first  struck  off  with  his  Corps  east  to  Massaponax 
Church,  then  wheeled  south,  and  moving  rapidly  forward 
all  night,  and  all  next  day,  reached  Bowling  Green  at  even 
ing — the  head  of  his  column  being  seventeen  miles  from 
Spottsylvania. 

Lee,  however,  having  in  some  way  obtained  information 
of  this  movement,  and  penetrating  Grant's  design,  at  once 
proceeded  to  checkmate  it.  At  midnight,  the  reveille  was 
beat  in  the  rebel  camp,  and,  by  one  o'clock,  Longstreet's 
Corps  was  pushing  on  through  the  darkness  toward  the 
North  Anna.  In  the  presence  of  such  an  enemy  as  Lee, 
Hancock's  movement  was  a  perilous  one,  for  it  exposed  him 
to  a  flank  attack  while  on  the  march. 

To  guard  against  this,  he  took  a  somewhat  circuitous 
route,  which,  of  course,  gave  Longstreet  all  the  advantage  in 
the  race,  as  he,  moving  directly  to  the  rear,  had  a  much 
shorter  line  to  traverse. 

Warren  broke  off  from  the  main  army  a  few  hours  after 
Hancock  started — taking,  for  a  while,  the  same  road.  With 
a  promptness,  that  could  hardly  have  been  surpassed  had 
there  been  a  mutual  understanding,  Swell's  Corps  at  once 
moved  off  in  the  same  direction.  Saturday  afternoon,  Bum- 
side  followed  the  other  two  Corps,  leaving  Wright — in  com 
mand  of  Sedgwick's  old  Corps — alone  in  front  of  Spottsyl 
vania. 

Hill,  with  his  Corps  still  remaining  behind  in  the  intrench- 
ments,  at  once  came  out  and  attacked  him,  evidently  for  the 


THE     NORTH    ANNA.  383 

purpose  of  ascertaining  the  actual  force  left  behind.  Break 
ing  through  our  skirmish  line  he  was  received  with  such  a 
terrible  artillery  fire  that  he  dared  not  push  his  attack,  and 
fell  back  to  the  cover  of  the  works. 

That  night  Wright  followed  the  rest  of  the  army,  when 
Hill  also  moved  off,  and  Spottsylvania,  in  front  of  which  such 
rivers  of  blood  had  flowed,  was  left  silent  and  deserted. 

The  country,  over  which  these  two  mighty  armies  now 
marched,  seeking  a  new  battle-field,  had  thus  far  escaped  the 
ravages  of  war,  and  sprouting  wheat  and  clover  fields,  and 
quiet  farm-houses,  greeted  the  eyes  of  the  weary  soldiers  as 
they  toiled  forward  toward  the  North  Anna.  From  the 
outset,  it  was  plain  that,  unless  the  movement  could  be  kept 
secret  for  several  hours  at  least,  we  could  not  reach  the  de 
sired  point,  before  the  enemy.  As  he  started  almost  simul 
taneously  with  us,  there  could  be  but  one  result  to  the  race, 
and  when,  on  Monday,  the  heads  of  our  columns  approached 
the  North  Anna,  the  enemy  was  found  to  be  there  in  po 
sition. 

This  river  was  sixty-five  miles  from  the  Rapidan,  and  but 
twenty-five  from  Richmond,  but  though  distance  had  been 
overcome,  the  obstacles  that  intervened  between  Grant  and 
the  rebel  Capital,  remained  great  as  ever.  Hancock  struck 
the  stream  near  where  the  Fredericksburg  and  Richmond 
railroad  crosses  it — Warren,  who  had  the  right,  four  miles 
farther  up,  at  Jericho.  Griffin's  division  of  the  latter  Corps, 
in  advance,  at  once  plunged  into  the  stream,  and  waist-deep, 
floundered  over  the  rocky  bed  to  the  farther  bank.  The 
enemy  apparently  not  expecting  that  any  part  of  our  force 
would  cross  so  high  up,  had  no  troops  to  oppose  the  passage 
here.  The  rest  of  the  Corps  rapidly  followed,  and  Griffin 
moving  swiftly  over  an  open  space,  a  third  of  a  mile  wide, 
took  position  in  a  piece  of  woods,  and  soon  encountered  a 
heavy  skirmish  line  of  the  enemy. 


384  GRIFFIN'S   FIGHT. 

The  rebel  leaders,  made  aware  of  Warren's  movement, 
hurried  up  reinforcements  to  this  point,  and,  at  five  o'clock, 
fell  furiously  on  Griffin — coming  on  in  two  lines  of  battle, 
and  suddenly  opening  with  three  batteries  on  his  uncovered 
ranks.  But  Griffin,  with  his  accustomed  gallantry  and  firm 
ness,  held  his  position,  and  gave  the  on-sweeping  battalions 
such  a  murderous  fire,  that  the  attack  in  front  was  soon 
abandoned,  and  the  rebel  Commander  detached  a  brigade  to 
make  a  detour  and  fall  on  his  right  flank.  Cuyler,  who  com 
manded  here,  had  not  yet  got  into  position,  and  his  brigade 
gave  way  before  the  sudden  onset. 

This  was  a  critical  moment  for  Griffin,  but  with  that 
promptness  which  has  always  distinguished  him,  he  quickly 
ordered  up  three  regiments  of  Bartlett's  brigade,  and  restored 
the  line.  The  Eighty-third  Pennsylvania  regiment,  command 
ed  by  Lieutenant- Colonel  McCoy,  ran  into  the  rebel  brig 
ade  while  on  the  march.  With  great  presence  of  mind,  he 
quickly  moved  his  forward  companies  into  line,  and  poured  in 
a  sudden  volley,  while  one  of  his  men  seized  the  rebel  leader 
by  the  collar,  and  pulled  him  into  our  lines  a  prisoner. 
Caught  in  flank  and  rear,  by  the  fire  of  the  regiment,  the 
rebel  brigade  broke  and  fled. 

The  brilliancy  and  success  of  this  engagement  called  forth 
a  congratulatory  order  from  Meade.  A  failure  here,  at  the 
outset,  would  have  complicated  matters  much,  and  for  a  few 
moments,  it  seemed  inevitable. 

While,  on  the  right,  this  conflict  was  passing  on  the  south 
bank  of  the  stream,  Hancock,  on  the  left,  was  engaged  in  a 
desperate  fight  on  the  north  side.  Here,  on  either  bank,  the 
rebels  had,  long  before,  erected  strong  works,  which  now 
swept  the  shores  with  a  destructive  fire.  Hancock  saw,  at 
once,  that  there  must  be  no  delay ;  that  the  redan  on  the  side 
nearest  him,  must  be  taken  at  all  hazards,  by  assault.  This 
perilous  task  was  assigned  to  Birney's  gallant  division. 


A    GALLANT    ASSAULT.  385 

"  On  the  left,  was  the  brigade  of  Colonel  Egan ;  on  his 
right,  Pierce's  brigade,  and  General  Mott's  brigade  on  the 
right  of  Pierce.  The  Fourth  brigade  (the  Excelsior,  com 
manded  by  Colonel  Blaisdell,  of  the  Eleventh  Massachusetts) 
came  up  partly  in  the  rear,  its  left  to  the  right  of  the  redan. 
To  cover  the  assault,  three  sections  of  artillery  were  put  in 
position,  and  replied  to  the  artillery  fire  of  the  enemy.  On 
the  left  of  Birney's  division,  was  Barlow's  division,  the  left 
of  which  connected  with  the  right  of  Gibbon's  division,  while 
Tyler's  heavy  artillery  division  was  held  in  reserve. 

"  An  hour  before  sundown,  on  Monday,  the  assault  was 
begun  and  most  brilliantly  executed,  by  Birney's  command, 
which  swept  across  the  open  space  at  double  quick,  under  a 
storm  of  artillery  and  volleys  of  musketry.  Two  regiments 
of  the  Excelsior  brigade,  (the  Seventy-first  and  Seventy- 
second  New- York,)  first  reached  the  redan,  the  garrison  of 
which  ran  precipitately,  as  the  menacing  line  of  fixed  bay 
onets  came  sweeping  along.  Making  a  foothold  in  the 
parapet  with  their  muskets,  the  brave  fellows  clambered  up 
and  simultaneously  planted  their  colors  on  the  rebel  strong 
hold. 

u  Thirty  rebels,  unable  to  get  away  in  time,  were  captured 
in  the  ditch.  The  total  loss  in  this  brilliant  exploit,  the 
very  rapidity  and  daring  of  which  astonished  and  paralyzed 
the  rebels,  did  not  exceed  a  hundred  men,  and  secured  us 
the  possession  of  the  bridge,  across  which  a  portion  of  Han 
cock's  Corps  immediately  crossed,  and  held  the  bridge-head 
during  the  night." 

Wright's  Corps,  crossing  at  Jericho's  Ford,  took  position 
in  rear  of  Warren.  The  enemy  being  swept  from  the  line 
of  the  stream,  Burnside's  Corps,  on  the  25th,  crossed  over 
between  Hancock  and  Warren.  The  Army  of  the  Potomac 
now  lay  south  of  the  North  Anna,  with  the  exception  of 
Hancock's  Corps,  which  was  unable  to  cross,  as  the  rebels 


386  LEE     AGAIN     FLANKED. 

had  burnt  the  bridge,  when  they  found  they  could  no  longer 
hold  it. 

Grant  now  changed  his  base  to  Port  Royal,  on  the  Rap- 
pahannock,  and  a  long,  sad  train,  containing  our  wounded, 
was  soon  winding  its  way  to  that  point.  In  the  meantime, 
he  pushed  on  his  advance  columns  three  miles  toward  the 
South  Anna,  which  was  found  to  be  the  real  rebel  line  of 
defense — having  evidently  been  selected,  long  ago,  and 
strongly  fortified. 

For  the  last  few  days,  the  heat  had  been  overpowering, 
and  the  troops  were  much  exhausted ;  still  there  seemed  no 
end  to  their  labors.  Wherever  they  moved,  strong  defenses 
sprung  up  in  their  faces,  behind  which  the  enemy  mocked  at 
their  efforts  to  force  him  into  a  decisive  engagement. 

Lee  lay  here  with  his  centre  advanced,  and  his  flanks 
thrown  back,  and  strongly  protected,  hoping  that  Grant  would 
dash  his  army  against  the  intrenchments,  as  he  did  at  Spott- 
sylvania.  But  the  latter,  after  a  thorough  reconnoissance  of 
the  position,  was  satisfied,  he  said,  that  it  was  stronger  than 
any  the  enemy  had  hitherto  taken  up,  and  so,  on  the  night 
of  the  26th,  he  withdrew  his  army  to  the  north  bank  of  the 
North  Anna,  and  again  moved  around  Lee's  right  flank, 
crossing  the  Pamunkey  at  Hanovertown.  Sheridan,  with 
Merritt's  and  Torbert's  divisions  of  cavalry,  cleared  the  ad 
vance  for  the  Sixth  Corps,  which  this  time  took  the  lead — 
Hancock  bringing  up  the  rear. 

Some  sharp  fighting  occurred  before  the  Corps  effected  a 
lodgment  on  the  opposite  bank ;  and  on  the  28th,  Sheridan 
had  a  severe  cavalry  engagement  with  Fitz-hugh  Lee — 
driving  him  from  the  field.  The  whole  army  now  rapidly 
crossed  and  advanced  toward  the  Chickahominy.  Grant, 
therefore,  transferred  his  base  from  the  Rappahannock  to 
the  White  House,  which  had  become  a  historic  place  to  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac. 


COLD    HARBOR    OCCUPIED.  387 

In  the  meantime  finding,  as  he  said,  Butler  "hermetically 
sealed,"  at  Bermuda  Hundred,  and  that  the  position  could 
be  held  with  a  less  force  than  the  one  under  him,  he  ordered 
W.  F.  Smith  to  join  him  with  the  Eighteenth  Corps,  by  way 
of  the  White  House.  The  troops  were  placed  on  transports, 
which,  passing  down  the  James,  advanced  up  the  York 
River  to  the  White  House,  from  which  point,  it  was  scarcely 
fifteen  miles  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

On  Monday,  the  30th,  Grant  pushed  energetic  reconnois- 
sances,  which  showed  the  enemy  to  be  in  full  force,  in  front ; 
when  Warren,  on  the  left,  made  an  effort  to  get  possession 
of  the  Mechanicsville  pike,  but  failed.  Grant  now  determ 
ined  to  seize  Cold  Harbor,  for  the  purpose  of  forcing  the 
Chickahominy  at  that  point,  by  carrying,  if  possible,  the  ene- 
my1s  works  between  him  and  it. 

On  Tuesday  night,  Warren's  Corps,  holding  the  extreme 
right,  was  transferred  to  the  left,  where,  the  next  day,  it  was 
joined  by  the  'Eighteenth  Corps  from  the  White  House.  The 
rest  of  the  army  came  up  this  day,  and  a  sharp  conflict 
ensued  for  the  position  of  Cold  Harbor.  We  finally  carried 
it,  though  with  a  loss  of  two  thousand  men.  It  was  an 
important  point  to  hold,  for  nearly  all  the  roads  leading  out 
of  Richmond  converge  here,  as  well  as  those  coining  from 
the  White  House.  Hence,  Lee  made  a  great  mistake  in  not 
securing  it  in  advance,  and  holding  it  all  hazards. 

Grant  now  determined  to  give  battle  the  next  day ;  and 
Hancock's  Corps  which,  after  the  withdrawal  of  Warren's, 
held  the  extreme  right,  was  brought  over  to  the  extreme 
left,  during  the  night.  He  had  to  fight  his  way  into  posi 
tion,  so  that  he  was  not  ready  to  advance  until  afternoon. 
The  attack  was  ordered  to  commence  at  five  o'clock,  but 
just  before  the  hour  arrived,  the  heavens  grew  black  as  night, 
and  a  heavy  thunder  cloud  rapidly  pushed  its  way  across 
the  sky.  Its  dark  bosom  was  incessantly  riven  by  lightning, 


388  A    THUNDER     STORM. 

and  the  thunder  boomed  louder  than  artillery,  above  the 
waiting  armies.  The  wind  swept  by  in  fierce  gusts,  bending 
the  trees  like  wands,  in  its  path,  and  everything  betokened 
a  wild  and  stormy  evening.  Soon  the  burdened  clouds 
opened,  and  the  rain  came  down  in  a  perfect  deluge,  turning 
the  fields  into  standing  pools,  and  swelling  the  Cbickahom- 
iny  into  a  turbid  flood. 

The  order  for  the  attack  had,  therefore,  to  be  counter 
manded,  and  the  drenched  army  went  into  bivouac  for  the 
night.  A  new  order  was  issued,  fixing  the  attack  at  half-past 
four  in  the  morning. 

BATTLE    OF    COLD    HARBOR. 

Hancock's  Corps  was  on  the  extreme  left,  Wright's  next, 
the  Eighteenth,  under  Smith,  next,  then  came  Warren,  and 
last,  Burnside,  holding  the  extreme  right.  The  rebel  army 
was  drawn  up  in  front  of  the  Chickahominy,  two  lines  deep, 
with  a  heavy  skirmish  line  well  advanced.  It  was  irregular, 
in  order  to  conform  to  the  ridges,  woods  and  swamps,  over 
or  across  which  it  extended.  Between  the  two  armies,  lay 
a  low,  swampy  region,  made  "worse  by  the  thunder  storm 
of  the  night  before — and  this  was  to  be  the  battle-field. 

The  morning  was  dark  and  gloomy,  and  a  gentle  rain  was 
falling,  as  the  firm-set  lines  moved  out  from  behind  their 
breastworks,  and  began  to  advance  over  the  field.  The 
skirmish  line  pushing  rapidly  forward,  soon  encountered  that 
of  the  enemy,  and  their  sharp,  irregular  volleys  awoke  the 
morning  echoes.  The  next  minute  the  artillery  opened,  and 
from  right  to  left,  for  miles  along  the  Chickahominy,  the 
deep  reverberations  rolled  like  heaven's  own  thunder  of  the 
night  before. 

The  advance  of  that  mighty  host,  as  the  long  lines  of  glit 
tering  steel  rose  and  fell  along  the  uneven  ground,  was  a 


.BARLOW'S   ADVANCE.  389 

magnificent  spectacle.  Hancock,  on  the  left,  first  came  up  to 
the  enemy's  works.  Barlow,  with  four  brigades,  formed  his 
extreme  left ;  and  this  gallant  Commander  carried  his  troops 
for  half  a  mile,  through  woods  and  over  open  spaces,  under 
a  heavy  fire,  square  up  to  the  rebel  works. 

These  were  the  immortal  brigades  that  made  the  gallant 
dash  into  the  works  at  Spottsylvania,  and  here,  enacting 
over  again  their  heroic  deeds,  they  sprung  with  a  shout  over 
the  enemy's  parapets,  capturing  the  guns,  colors,  and  sev 
eral  hundred  prisoners.  This  was  the  key  to  the  rebel  posi 
tion,  and  could  this  gallant  charge  have  been  properly  sup 
ported,  Lee's  army,  in  all  probability,  would  have  been 
driven  over  the  Chickahominy.  The  latter  was  aware  of 
this,  and  had  guarded  well  against  such  a  catastrophe,  for 
Barlow  had  not  yet  turned  the  captured  guns  upon  him, 
when  a  heavy  force,  under  Hill,  was  seen  advancing  to 
retrieve  the  disaster. 

These  bold  brigades  saw  the  approach  of  these  overwhelm 
ing  numbers  without  fear,  but  the  position  they  had  gained 
was  so  far  in  advance,  that  it  was  exposed  to  a  deadly,  enfila 
ding  fire  from  the  rebel  artillery,  that  now  ploughed  through 
them  with  awful  havoc.  Two  of  their  leaders,  Brooks  and 
Byrnes,  fell  mortally  wounded ;  other  officers  were  fast  disap 
pearing  ;  and  shattered,  rent,  and  bleeding,  they,  at  length, 
fell  back,  bringing  with  them  a  part  of  their  prisoners,  but 
not  the  captured  guns. 

The  whole  of  Hancock's  Corps  advanced  simultaneously 
with  Barlow's  division,  and  came  like  it,  upon  the  rebel 
works,  and  made  desperate  efforts  to  carry  them.  Deafen 
ing  yells,  rising  from  behind  the  hostile  intrenchments,  an 
swered  with  shouts  all  along  our  lines — incessant  explosions 
of  artillery,  and  crashing  volleys  of  musketry — the  long,  low 
sulphurous  cloud  hanging  in  the  damp  air  above  the  com 
batants — the  never-ceasing  stream  of  the  wounded,  borne 


390  GRANT     AND     MEADE. 

back  to  the  rear,  made  that  summer  morning  one  of  gloom 
and  terror  to  the  beholder. 

The  Sixth  Corps,  under  a  desolating  fire,  swept  the  first 
line  of  rifle-pits,  in  its  front,  and  with  five  batteries  played 
furiously  on  the  rebel  position,  but  could  make  no  serious 
impression  on  the  main  works.  Warren  and  Burnside,  on 
the  right,  suffered  less  than  the  rest  of  the  army,  especially 
the  latter,  who  did  little  more  than  keep  up  a  heavy  artillery 
fire.  The  brunt  of  the  battle  was  borne  by  Hancock's 
Corps,  which,  also,  gained  most  of  the  advantage  that  was 
even  temporarily  secured. 

The  Army  of  the  Potomac  had  again  flung  itself  against 
the  rebel  works  in  vain,  and  rent  and  bleeding,  fell  back, 
though  not  to  its  original  position.  A  lull  came  in  the  bat 
tle,  and  the  anxious  question  asked  by  all  was,  "  Will  the 
assault  be  renewed  ?  "  Grant  and  Meade  stood  on  a  naked 
eminence  in  consultation ;  the  latter,  nervous  and  emphatic 
in  his  manner ;  the  former,  cool  and  imperturbable  as  ever, 
looking  gravely,  sternly  on  the  embattled  hosts  and  the  en 
sanguined  field. 

Intervening  woods  hid  much  of  the  country,  and,  appa 
rently,  wishing  to  ascertain  for  himself  the  true  condition  of 
things,  he  called  for  his  horse,  and,  mounting  it,  rode  down 
to  Hancock's  head-quarters,  and  after  consulting  with  him, 
went  over  to  Wright* s.  All  this  time,  occasional  firing  was 
heard  along  the  lines,  for  they  were  still  in  close  prox 
imity,  especially  on  the  left — Barlow  being  on  ene  side  of  a 
ridge,  and  the  enemy  on  the  other,  not  more  than  fifty  yards 
apart. 

The  war  correspondent  of  the  Times,  in  speaking  of  the 
position  of  the  lines,  and  their  nearness  to  each  other,  at 
some  points,  relates  the  following  singular  incident,  which 
we  give  in  his  own  words. 

"  One  portion  of  our  line  retained  all  day  a  position  within 


A     GALLANT    BRIGADE.  391 

fifteen  yards  of  the  rebel  works.  This  heroic  band  was  the 
brigade  of  Colonel  McKean,  a  brigade  of  Gibbon's  division 
of  Hancock's  Corps,  and  numbering  about  eight  hundred  men. 
The  conduct  of  these  eight  hundred,  is  as  splendid  a  stroke  of 
heroism  as  ever  lit  up  the  story  of  4  the  glory  we  call  Greece 
and  the  grandeur  we  call  Rome.'  Through  the  live-long  day, 
these  men  held  their  line,  within  fifteen  yards  of  the  enemy, 
and  all  his  forces  could  not  dislodge  them.  Repeatedly, 
during  the  day,  the  rebels  formed  double  columns  of  attack 
to  come  over  the  work  and  assail  them,  and  the  officers 
could  be  heard  encouraging  their  troops,  saying  to  them 
4  There  are  only  four  or  five  hundred  of  them — come  on/ 
But  the  moment  the  rebels  showed  themselves  above  their 
parapet,  a  line  of  fire  flashed  out  from  behind  the  earthern 
mound,  where  those  eight  hundred  heroes  stood  in  a  new 
Thermopylae,  and  many  a  rebel  threw  up  his  arms  and  fell 
prone,  under  their  swift  avenging  bullets. 

"  The  sequel  of  this  bit  of  history  is  as  curious  as  the  deed 
itself — for  while  the  rebels  dared  not  venture  out  to  assail 
McKean's  men,  neither  could  he,  nor  his  command,  recede 
from  the  perilous  position.  He  could  not  get  back  to  us — 
we  could  not  go  forward  to  him.  In  this  dilemma,  the 
ingenious  device  was  hit  upon  of  running  a  'sap/  or  zig-zag 
trench,  up  from  our  line  to  his.  In  this  way,  a  working 
party  were  able  tc  dig  up  to  where  they  lay,  begrimed 
with  powder  and  worn  down  with  fatigue,  and  a  few 
hours  ago  they  were  brought  safely  away— 'all  t?hat  was 
left  of  them,  left  of  six  hundred ! '  But  McKean,  their 
gallant  leader,  he  came  not  away  alive.  Since  eleven  in  the 
morning,  he  had  lain  behind  the  bulwark  his  valbr  defend 
ed — a  corpse.  While  preparing  to  resist  a  rebel  assault, 
he  fell,  pierced  by  the  bullet  of  a  sharp-shooter,  and,  after 
living  for  an  hour  or  two,  in  an  agonifcingr  death-in-life, 
begging  his  staff -officers  to  put  an  end  to^  his  misery,  his 

55 


392  REBEL     ASSAULT. 

heroic  soul  forsook  the  turmoil  of  this  weary,  warring 
world." 

The  two  armies  remained  in  this  relative  position,  all  day, 
neither  making  any  decided  demonstration.  But,  just  after 
dark,  the  rebels  came  down  on  Hancock's  Corps  in  one  of 
their  tremendous  charges.  Our  brave  troops,  however,  had 
moved  too  often  on  formidable  works,  without  flinching,  to  be 
driven  from  behind  their  own  intrenchments,  by  any  force ; 
and  as  the  dark  mass  became  well  defined  in  the  grey  gloom, 
they  poured  in  volley  after  volley  of  musketry,  with  a  cool 
ness  and  precision,  that  made  the  hostile  lines  melt  away  as 
though  swallowed  up  by  the  night,  while  the  deadly  batteries 
tore  huge  gaps  through  the  dim  formations. 

The  assault,  however,  was  a  most  gallant  one,  and  the 
great  openings  made  in  the  ranks  were  closed  up  with 
steadiness  and  a  noble  devotion ;  and  they  pressed  forward 
until  they  reached  the  breastworks,  and  poured  their  fire 
over  the  very  parapets — some  even  getting  upon  them,  but 
only  to  fall  dead  before  the  terrible  fire  that  met  them.  Their 
shouts  of  defiance  rung  over  the  din  of  battle,  and  the  order 
"Forward,  FORWARD,"  rose  steady  and  strong  through  the 
darkness,  but  all  their  efforts  to  carry  the  intrenchments 
were  vain.  Our  troops  had  been  compelled  again  and  again 
to  attack  the  enemy  behind  their  breastworks,  and  been 
repulsed,  and  now  they  had  their  revenge,  and  hurled  the 
assailants  back  with  terrible  slaughter. 

This  ended  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  or,  as  it  has  been 
sometimes  called,  of  Chickahominy.  Grant  had  failed  here 
as  at  Spottsylvania,  and  it  was  plain  that  he  could  not  force 
the  Chickahominy.  It  then  became  a  serious  question  what 
the  next  move  on  this  mighty  chess-board  would  be. 

The  aspect  of  affairs  here  had  materially  changed  since 
McClellan,  two  years  before,  attempted  to  move  on  Rich 
mond  from  the  same  point.  lie  found  no  trouble  in  crossing 


GKANT^S    PLAN.  393 

the  Chickahominy ;  indeed,  had  but  little  difficulty  in  advan 
cing  two  miles  beyond  it.  But  that  campaign  taught  the 
rebels  wisdom ;  and  now  "strong  works  dotted  the  country 
in  every  direction,  and  for  five  miles  out  of  Richmond,  every 
available  point  was  fortified. 

It  was  very  plain,  therefore,  that  Richmond  could  not  be 
taken  in  this  direction,  and  but  one  of  two  courses  remained 
for  Grant  to  pursue — either  to  retrace  his  steps  far  enough 
to  turn  Lee's  left  flank,  and  so  come  down  on  Richmond 
from  the  north,  or  continue  on  as  far  as  the  James  River,  and 
join  Butler. 

The  former  course  would  cover  Washington  and  save  the 
Government  from  its  former  fears  for  its  safety ;  but,  in  this 
case,  the  Fredericksburg  railroad  would  be  the  line  of  com 
munication,  over  which  his  supplies  must  pass,  while  the 
length  of  it  would  require  an  army  to  protect  it. 

Grant,  therefore,  resolved  to  keep  on  to  the  James.  He, 
however,  remained  for  more  than  a  week  in  front  of  the  rebel 
position,  gradually  working  his  way,  with  the  spade,  toward 
it,  as  though  he  intended  another  assault ;  but  in  the  follow 
ing  paragraph  he  gives  the  true  reason  of  his  delay  : — 

"  I  therefore  determined  to  continue  to  hold  substantially 
the  ground  we  then  occupied,  taking  advantage  of  any 
favorable  circumstances  that  might  present  themselves,  until 
the  cavalry  could  be  sent  to  Charlottesville  and  Gordonsville, 
to  effectually  break  up  the  railroad  connection  between 
Richmond  and  the  Shenandoah  Valley  and  Lynchburg ;  and 
when  the  cavalry  got  well  off,  to  move  the  army  to  the  south 
side  of  the  James  River,  by  the  enemy's  right  flank,  where 
I  felt  I  could  cut  off  all  his  sources  of  supply,  except  by  the 
canal." 

To  withdraw  such  a  vast  army  from  the  immediate  front 
of  the  enemy,  was  a  dangerous  undertaking ;  for  it  was 
hardly  to  be  expected  that  it  could  be  done  unobserved 


394  THE     RETREAT. 

by  him,  and  he  would  not  fail  in  case  of  discovery  to  attack 
both  in  flank  and  rear. 

Hitherto  all  of  Grant's  movements  had  been  by  his  left 
flank,  and  made  in  the  same  way ;  at  night,  the  Corps  hold 
ing  the  extreme  right  would  throw  out  a  strong  picket  line 
in  front,  to  cover  its  movements,  and  then  fall  back,  and 
marching  in  rear  of  the  army,  take  position  on  the  extreme 
left.  The  next  Corps  would  follow  in  the  same  manner, 
until,  by  this  simple  process,  the  army  was  advanced  the  en 
tire  length  of  its  line,  some  eight  or  ten  miles.  But  Grant 
was  now  not  to  advance  his  lines  so  as  to  lap  the  enemy's 
flank  and  threaten  his  rear,  but,  if  possible,  to  swing  loose 
entirely  from  him,  and  make  a  rapid  march  of  fifty  miles, 
with  all  his  trains  and  artillery.  To  secure  himself  in  case 
of  attack,  while  doing  this,  he  gradually  concentrated  his 
lines  until,  in  front,  they  were  scarcely  more  than  four  miles 
long.  This,  consequently,  forced  the  several  Corps  back, 
until  the  army  assumed  the  form  of  a  square,  in  its  main 
outline ;  all  along  the  sides  of  which,  and  beyond,  strong 
earth-works  were  thrown  up  to  protect  the  flanks. 

Having  completed  all  his  preparations,  and  Sheridan,  with 
his  cavalry,  being  off,  he,  on  the  night  of  the  12th,  silently 
withdrew  from  the  enemy's  front.  Wilson's  cavalry  and  the 
Fifth  Corps  crossed  the  Chickahominy,  at  Long  Bridge,  and 
proceeded  to  the  White  Oak  Swamp,  to  cover  the  crossing 
of  the  rest  of  the  troops.  The  Eighteenth  Corps,  in  the 
meantime,  marched  back  to  the  White  House  and  again  em 
barked  in  the  transports  for  Bermuda  Hundred. 

With  such  secrecy  and  dispatch  did  the  Army  of  the  Poto 
mac  move  away,  that  its  departure  was  not  known  by  Lee 
till  next  morning,  when  it  was  miles  away.  It  marched 
below  the  White  Oak  Swamp  instead  of  through  it  as  it  did 
under  McClellan  and  by  different  roads  stretched  forward 
toward  the  James  River.  Meade,  to  whom  was  intrusted 


FIRST  ATTEMPT  ON  PETERSBURG.       395 

the  management  of  the  army,  in. this  delicate  movement, 
evinced  the  highest  skill,  and  everything  went  on  with 
the  precision  and  regularity  of  machinery.  There  was  some 
skirmishing  on  the  way,  but  none  serious  enough  to  check  the 
onward  movement ;  and  the  grand  army  swept  steadily  and 
swiftly  forward  and  crossed  the  James  River  without  mo 
lestation.  This  probably  would  hardly  have  happened,  if 
Lee  had  been  aware  of  Grant's  plan;  but  supposing  his 
design  was  to  advance  on  Richmond  by  the  way  of  Malvern 
Hill,  he  disposed  his  forces  to  meet  this  imaginary  move 
ment. 

Two  days  before  Grant  broke  up  his  camps  at  Cold  Har 
bor,  a  demonstration  was  made  against  Petersburg  by 
Kautz's  cavalry,  and  an  infantry  force  under  Gillmore.  The 
cavalry  penetrated  beyond  the  outer  works,  but  not  being 
supported  by  the  infantry,  was  compelled  to  retire.  Gill- 
more  thought  the  works  too  strong  to  be  carried  by  assault, 
and,  hence,  did  not  make  the  attempt,  for  which  he  was 
much  blamed. 

Grant  having  deceived  Lee,  as  to  his  intentions,  deter 
mined  to  capture  Petersburg  before  the  latter  could  throw 
reinforcements  into  it ;  and  hence,  before  the  army  was  over 
the  river,  planned  an  assault  upon  it.  As  the  failure  of  this 
well-laid  plan,  on  the  success  of  which  everything,  for  the 
time,  depended,  has  been  the  cause  of  much  dispute,  we  let 
General  Grant  give  his  own  account  of  it.  He  says : — 

"  After  the  crossing  had  commenced,  I  proceeded  by  a 
steamer  to  Bermuda  Hundred,  to  give  the  necessary  orders 
for  the  immediate  capture  of  Petersburg. 

uThe  instructions  to  General  Butler  were  verbal,  and 
were  for  him  to  send  General  Smith  immediately,  that  night, 
with  all  the  troops  he  could  give  him  without  sacrificing  the 
position  he  then  held.  I  told  him  that  I  would  return  at 
once  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  hasten  its  crossing,  and 


396  GRANT'S   STATEMENT. 

throw  it  forward  to  Petersburg,  by  divisons,  as  rapidly  as  it 
could  be  done ;  that  we  could  reinforce  our  armies  more 
rapidly  there  than  the  enemy  could  bring  troops  against  us. 
General  Smith  got  off  as  directed,  and  confronted  the  ene 
my's  pickets  near  Petersburg,  before  daylight  next  morning, 
but,  for  some  reason,  that  I  have  never  been  able  to  satis 
factorily  understand,  did  not  get  ready  to  assault  his  main 
lines  until  near  sundown.  Then,  with  a  part  of  his  com 
mand  only,  he  made  the  assault,  and  carried  the  lines  north 
east  of  Petersburg,  from  the  Appomattox  River,  for  a  dis 
tance  of  two  and  a  half  miles,  capturing  fifteen  pieces  of 
artillery,  and  three  hundred  prisoners.  This  was  about  seven 
o'clock,  p.  m.  Between  the  lines  thus  captured  and  Peters 
burg,  there  were  no  other  works,  and  there  was  no  evidence 
that  the  enemy  had  reinforced  Petersburg  with  a  single 
brigade  from  any  source.  The  night  was  clear — the  moon 
shining  brightly — and  favorable  to  further  operations.  Gen 
eral  Hancock,  with  two  divisions  of  the  Second  Corps, 
reached  General  Smith  just  after  dark,  and  offered  the  ser 
vice  of  these  troops  as  he  (Smith)  might  wish,  waiving  rank 
to  the  named  Commander,  who  he  naturally  supposed  knew 
best  the  position  of  affairs,  and  what  to  do  with  the  troops. 
But,  instead  of  taking  these  troops,  and  pushing  at  once 
into  Petersburg,  he  requested  General  Hancock  to  relieve  a 
part  of  his  line  in  the  captured  works,  which  was  done  before 
midnight. 

"  By  the  time  I  arrived  the  next  morning,  the  enemy  was 
in  force.  An  attack  was  ordered  to  be  made  at  six  o'clock 
that  evening,  by  the  troops  under  Smith,  and  the  Second 
and  Ninth  Corps.  It  required  until  that  time  for  the  Ninth 
Corps  to  get  up  and  into  position.  The  attack  was  made 
as  ordered,  and  the  fighting  continued,  with  but  little  inter 
mission,  until  six  o'clock  the  next  morning,  and  resulted  in 
our  carrying  the  advance  and  some  of  the  main  works  of  the 


BUTLER'S   FAILURE.  397 

enemy  to  the  right  (our  left)  of  those  previously  captured 
by  General  Smith,  several  pieces  of  artillery,  and  over  four 
hundred  prisoners." 

It  seems  that  this  sudden  victory  was  gained  by  the  skir 
mish  line  alone,  which,  at  a  single  bound,  captured  thirteen 
redoubts,  sixteen  guns  and  several  colors,  with  three  or  four 
hundred  prisoners.  The  colored  troops  took  three  of  the 
redoubts,  and  six  of  the  guns. 

As  soon  as  Lee  was  made  aware  of  the  danger  threatening 
Petersburg,  he  had  the  garrison  reinforced  with  the  troops 
nearest  it ;  in  doing  which,  he  weakened  the  force  on  the 
railroad  in  front  of  Butler.  The  latter  informed  of  this,  im 
mediately  sent  out  a  few  thousand  men,  under  Terry,  who 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  road,  and  tore  up  the  track  for 
three  or  four  miles,  but  was  in  turn  driven  back  by  Long- 
street's  Corps. 

For  not  holding  this  important  road,  gained  thus  a  second 
time,  Butler  again  receives  the  lash  of  the  Lieutenant-Gen- 
eral.  He  says: — 

"  As  soon  as  I  was  apprised  of  the  advantage  thus  gained, 
to  retain  it  I  ordered  two  divisions  of  the  Sixth  Corps, 
General  Wright  commanding,  that  were  embarking  at  Wil- 
cox's  Landing,  under  orders  for  City  Point,  to  report  to  Gen 
eral  Butler,  at  Bermuda  Hundred,  of  which  General  Butler 
was  notified,  and  the  importance  of  holding  a  position  in 
advance  of  his  present  line,  urged  upon  him. 

"  About  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  General  Butler  was 
forced  back  to  the  line  the  enemy  had  withdrawn  from  in 
the  morning.  General  Wright,  with  his  two  divisions,  joined 
General  Butler  on  the  forenoon  of  the  17th;  the  latter  still 
holding,  with  a  strong  picket  line,  the  enemy's  works.  But 
instead  of  putting  these  divisions  into  the  enemy's  works  to 
hold  them,  he  permitted  them  to  halt  and  rest  some  distance 
in  the  rear  of  his  own  line.  Between  four  and  five  o'clock  in 


398  LAST     ASSAULT. 

the  afternoon,  the  enemy  attacked  and  drove  in  his  pickets, 
and  re-occupied  his  old  line. 

"  On  the  night  of  the  20th,  and  morning  of  the  21st,  a 
lodgment  was  effected  by  General  Butler,  with  one  brigade 
of  infantry,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  James,  at  Deep  Bot 
tom,  and  connected  the  pontoon  bridge  with  Bermuda  Hun 
dred." 

On  Thursday,  the  assault  was  made  on  the  rebel  lines,  and 
no  permanent  success  gained.  The  next  morning,  Friday, 
at  daylight,  Burnside,  with  Miles'  division  of  the  Second 
Corps,  made  an  attack  on  the  right  of  the  enemy's  line,  cap 
turing  three  redoubts,  and  five  hundred  and  fifty  prisoners. 
The  Second  Corps  was  then  thrown  forward,  and  struggled 
nobly  to  gain  the  works,  but  failed. 

On  the  right,  NenTs  division  of  the  Sixth  Corps,  and  Mar- 
tindale's  of  the  Eighteenth,  pushed  the  enemy  handsomely, 
for  some  distance,  but  gained  no  material  advantage.  We 
had  lost,  probably,  six  thousand  men  during  these  two  days, 
which  showed  that  the  fighting  had  been  very  severe. 

This  was  the  condition  of  things  when  Grant  arrived  at 
the  scene  of  action.  The  result  thus  far,  of  his  grand  coup- 
de-main,  was  most  deplorable.  Two  lines,  however,  of  the 
enemy's  works  had  been  captured,  and  so,  on  Saturday,  he 
resolved  to  carry  the  third  and  last,  by  general  assault 
Three  times  during  the  day  did  the  gallant  battalions  move 
steadily  up  in  the  face  of  a  deadly  fire,  and  were  swept 
down  by  thousands,  but  each  time  failed  to  gain  the  coveted 
position. 

Grant  succeeded  in  occupying  and  holding  a  ridge  that 
completely  commanded  Petersburg,  into  which  he  could 
hurl  his  shells,  but  the  "  Cockade  City,"  as  it  was  called,  was 
of  no  consequence  whatever,  so  long  as  the  rebels  held  the 
heights  beyond.  The  city  lay  in  a  hollow,  with  two  ridges 
on  either  side,  frowning  with  hostile  batteries,  and  dark  with 


A     SAD     CAMPAIGN.  399 

earth  works.  Hence,  the  place  was  commanded  by  both 
parties,  and,  therefore,  could  be  occupied  by  neither  till  the 
strong  works  on  one  or  the  other  side  were  carried. 

It  was  now  very  plain  that  the  campaign  had  ended  for 
the  present,  and  a  second  one,  of  siege  operations  chiefly, 
was  to  commence. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  the  sum  total  of  this  frightful 
campaign,  of  a  month  and  a  half,  was  anything  but  satis 
factory.  As  Grant  said,  no  material  advantage  had  been 
gained.  Nearly  a  hundred  thousand  men  had  disappeared  in 
its  progress,  and  now,  at  the  end  of  the  long  marches  and 
bloody  battles,  he  found  himself  twice  as  far  from  Richmond 
as  he  was  when  on  the  Chickahominy.  The  distance,  how 
ever,  was  a  small  matter — the  obstacles  that  intervened  be 
tween  him  and  the  coveted  prize  were  well-nigh  insurmount 
able.  Assault  after  assault,  the  determined  character  of  which 
was  attested  by  the  ghastly  piles  of  dead,  had  been  made  in 
vain,  and  that,  too,  while  the  works  were  incomplete  and, 
comparatively,  weakly  garrisoned.  But  Lee's  army  was  now 
well  up,  and,  as  at  Spottsylvania  and  Cold  Harbor,  lay  be 
hind  the  strong  works. 

The  prospect,  at  this  time,  was  enough  to  discourage  any 
heart  less  resolute  than  Grant's.  He  had  failed,  at  the  out 
set,  in  the  effort  to  get  a  decisive  battle  out  of  Lee.  That 
of  the  Wilderness  was  only  a  drawn  one.  He  had  been 
repulsed  at  Spottsylvania  with  terrible  loss.  The  same  ca 
lamity  had  overtaken  him  at  Cold  Harbor.  Sigel  had  failed 
in  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  Butler  had  twice  lamentably 
failed  in  front  of  Bermuda  Hundred.  Smith  and  Gillmore 
had  both  failed ;  and  to  crown  the  climax,  his  last  grand 
assault  had  failed,  and  the  anxious  inquiry  arose,  "  What  is 
next  to  be  done  ?  "  Besides  all  this,  those  who  had,  at  the 
outset,  condemned  the  campaign  across  the  country,  now 
pointed  to  the  result  as  the  fulfillment  of  their  prophecies 


400  WISDOM    OF     GRANT. 

Some  of  the  English  papers  called  him  the  great  butcher, 
and  the  rebel  press  tauntingly  asked  why  he  did  not  take 
his  army  by  transports  to  the  James,  instead  of  dragging  it 
through  rivers  of  blood  across  the  country.  It  was  said, 
and  truly,  that  he  could  have  put  his  army  where  it  now  was, 
without  the  loss  of  a  man,  had  he  adopted  McClellan's  course. 
It  was  said,  moreover,  and  with  equal  truth,  that  he  had 
lost  two  to  one  of  the  enemy  in  this  long  and  bloody  march, 
and,  sadder  than  all  and  incapable  of  contradiction,  he  had 
not  won  a  single  decisive  battle,  but  on  the  contrary,  from 
the  Wilderness  to  Petersburg,  had  been  repulsed  in  every 
attack. 

This  seemed  a  gloomy  summing  up  of  the  campaign,  and, 
at  first  sight,  conclusive  that  it  was  wrong  throughout. 
There  could  be,  apparently,  no  dispute  that  he  erred  egre- 
giously  in  not  following  McClellan's  plan  of  operations 
against  the  rebel  Capital.  Yet,  after  events  showed  that 
such  a  conclusion  was  entirely  false,  and  fully  vindicated  the 
wonderful  sagacity  and  sound  judgment  of  the  Lieutenant- 
General.  He  was  not  responsible  for  the  condition  in  which 
two  years  of  mismanagement  had  placed  things.  When  Mc- 
Clellan  undertook  the  Peninsula  campaign,  Richmond,  from 
Hanover  to  Petersburg,  was  poorly  fortified,  so~  that  when 
threatened  on  this  long  line,  the  Confederate  Government 
was  compelled  to  call  in  all  its  troops  for  the  defense  of  its 
Capital.  Hence,  McClellan's  declaration  that  Washington 
was  best  defended  at  Richmond,  was  true. 

But  matters  were  now  reversed — the  rebels,  admonished 
of  their  danger  in  this  direction,  had,  for  the  last  two  years, 
been  erecting  elaborate  defenses,  and  guarding  every  point, 
so  that  there  could  be  no  strategy  that  did  not  involve  hard 
fighting  and  terrible  losses.  Besides,  the  strength  of  the 
works  around  Richmond  enabled  a  comparatively  small 
force  to  hold  the  place,  so  that  a  portion  of  the  army  could 


GRANT'S   COURSE   VINDICATED.  401 

operate  against  Washington,  or  threaten  Maryland  and  Penn 
sylvania  by  way  of  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  This  was  actu 
ally  done,  and,  as  we  said,  after  events  abundantly  vindicated 
the  wisdom  of  Grant's  course. 

Granting  that  we  lost  nearly  one  hundred  thousand  men, 
from  May  to  July,  and  Lee  but  fifty  thousand,  yet  Grant 
received  reinforcements  to  the  full  amount  of  his  losses,  and 
sat  down  before  Petersburg  with  an  army  as  large,  in  fact 
larger  than  the  one  with  which  he  crossed  the  Rapidan,  so 
that  he  was  as  strong  as  though,  at  the  outset,  he  had  trans 
ferred  his  army  by  water  to  Petersburg.  Notwithstanding 
this,  Lee  was  able  to  hold  his  works  and  yet  dispatch  twenty 
thousand  men,  under  Early,  to  ravage  the  Shenandoah  Val 
ley,  thunder  at  the  very  gates  of  the  Capital,  and  sever  its 
great  line  of  communication  with  the  North — in  short,  spread 
such  ruin  and  consternation  that,  though  the  Nineteenth 
Corps  opportunely  arrived  from  New  Orleans,  Grant  was 
compelled  to  detach  one  of  his  own  veteran  Corps  to  the 
defense  of  Washington. 

Now,  if  the  fifty  thousand  men  strewing1  the  fields  and 
crowding  the  hospitals,  along  the  track  of  Lee's  army,  from 
the  Wilderness  to  Petersburg,  had  been  alive,  to  have  swel 
led  that  twenty  thousand,  under  Early,  to  seventy  thousand 
men,  what  force  would  Grant  have  been  compelled  to  send 
back  to  the  National  Capital  ?  In  other  words,  if  twenty 
thousand  rebels  required  the  presence  there  of  two  Corps, 
how  many  Corps  would  seventy  thousand  men  have  required  ? 
The  answer  is  very  obvious.  The  whole  army  would  have 
been  recalled — the  siege  of  Richmond  raised,  and  the  cam 
paign  have  proved  a  failure. 

Hence  the  course  which  Grant  took  was  the  only  one  that 
could  bring  success.  True,  it  required  frightful  slaughter, 
but  it  was  a  saving  of  life  in  the  end.  Lee  could  not  re 
plenish  his  army  as  fast  as  we  could  ours. 


402  HIS    SOUND    JUDGMENT. 

Grant's  perseverance  in  the  course  he  marked  out,  was 
not,  as  many  supposed,  the  result  of  obstinacy,  but  of  sound 
judgment,  which  subsequent  events  fully  confirmed.  He 
had  reduced  Lee  so  that  he  could  not  dispatch  sufficient 
troops  up  the  Shenandoah  Valley  to  make  him  loose  his 
death-grip  on  Richmond,  and  had  effected  it  in  the  only  way 
possible. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

DIFFICULTIES    OF    GRANT'S    POSITION HIS    PLAN    TO     SEVER   THE    COMMUNICA 
TIONS    OF    RICHMOND — SHERIDAN'S   EXPEDITION HUNTER'S AVERILL's  AND 

CROOK'S THE    ENEMY  DEFEATED    AT    STAUNTON HUNTER  AT  LYNCHBURG 

HIS  DISASTROUS  RETREAT THE    ENEMY  IN  POSSESSION  OF  THE  SHENANDOAH 

VALLEY WILSON'S  EXPEDITION DEFEAT  OF  THE  SECOND  AND  SIXTH   CORPS 

NEAR    THE    WELDON    RAILROAD A    GLOOMY    PROSPECT OPERATIONS  ALONG 

THE    ATLANTIC  COAST CAPTURE  OF  THE  WATER  WITCH FEDERAL  OFFICERS 

PLACED    UNDER     FIRE     AT     CHARLESTON MR.    LINCOLN     RENOMINATED     FOR 

PRESIDENT OPENING  OF  THE  POLITICAL  CAMPAIGN. 

THE  problem  now  left  for  Grant  to  solve,  was  one  of  the 
most  difficult  ever  presented  to  a  Commander.  As 
before  remarked,  every  part  of  his  great  plan  had  failed, 
except  the  killing  of  a  certain  number  of  the  enemy.  Get 
ting  his  army  on  the  James  was  not  accomplishing  anything 
of  moment,  because  it  could  have  been  placed  there  at  any 
time  by  transports.  Richmond  was  neither  invested,  nor 
even  approached — at  least,  it  was  no  nearer  than  Butler's 
Army  of  the  James,  as  it  was  called,  had  been  to  it  for  a 
long  time.  To  dig  his  way  from  five  to  twelve  miles  to  the 
rebel  Capital,  was  a  process  too  long  to  be  attempted  until 
every  other  measure  had  failed. 

In  carrying  out  his  siege  operations,  therefore,  it  was 
plain  that  the  first  step  to  be  taken  was  to  sever  the  commu 
nications  which  united  Richmond  with  the  other  parts  of  the 
Confederacy. 

The  Peninsula  was  in  our  possession,  but  this  only  shut 
the  rebel  Capital  off  from  the  sea.  There  were  four  channels 
of  communication,  with  the  interior,  which  Grant  did  not 


404          THE  WORK  BEFORE  GRANT. 

control.  First,  the  railroad  to  Fredericksburg,  connected  with 
which  was  the  railroad  to  Gordonsville,  running  south  to  the 
James  River.  Second,  the  James  River  canal,  running  along 
the  James  River,  which,  though  but  little  spoken  of  by  the 
Northern  press,  was  the  great  channel  for  the  transportation 
of  provisions  of  all  kinds  to  Richmond.  Third,  the  railroad 
running  south-west  to  Danville.  Fourth,  the  Weldon  rail 
road  running  directly  south. 

So  long  as  any  one  of  these  channels  of  communication 
was  left  open,  Richmond  could  not  be  regarded  as  invested ; 
hence  it  was  necessary  that  they  all  should  be  severed.  This 
was  the  herculean  task  which  Grant  had  assigned  himself. 
To  have  captured  Petersburg,  and  thus  hold  the  Weldon 
road,  and  be  in  striking  distance  of  the  South-side  road  con 
necting  with  the  Danville  road,  would  have  simplified  it 
much.  But  the  failure  to  do  this,  complicated  matters 
greatly,  and  increased  the  magnitude  of  the  work  before  him. 

If  he  had  succeeded,  as  he  anticipated,  in  getting  posses 
sion  of  the  communications  south  of  Richmond,  and  holding 
them  by  his  army,  the  failure  to  destroy  the  other  lines 
would  not  have  been  so  disastrous — but  he  failed  in  every 
direction.  Sheridan,  whom  he  had  sent  off,  before  he  left  Cold 
Harbor,  failed  to  accomplish  the  object  of  his  expedition ; 
while  Hunter,  in  the  moment  of  victory,  and  just  as  he  seemed 
about  to  seize  Lynchburg,  had  to  flee  over  the  mountains. 
Hence,  new  expeditions  had  to  be  started,  and  other  efforts 
made  to  carry  out  the  great  plan. 

As  before  remarked,  Sheridan  started  off  a  few  days  pre 
vious  to  the  evacution  of  Cold  Harbor,  to  break  up  the  Vir 
ginia  Central  railroad — the  first  of  the  channels  of  communi 
cation  above  mentioned — and,  if  possible,  co-operate  with 
Hunter,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Lynchburg.  He  crossed  the 
Pamunkey  on  the  7th  and  meeting  with  no  resistance,  moved 
rapidly  forward,  and  on  the  10th  crossed  the  North  Anna, 


SHERIDAN'S    RAID.  405 

and  encamped  at  Buck  Child's,  about  three  miles  from  the 
Trevillian  Station. 

His  intention  was,  he  says,  u  To  break  the  railroad  at  this 
station,  march  through  Mechanicsville,  cut  the  Gordonsville 
and  Charlottesville  railroad,  near  Lyndsay's  House,  and 
then  to  march  on  Charlottesville ;  but,  on  our  arrival  at 
Buck  Child's,  I  found  the  enemy's  cavalry  in  my  immediate 
front. 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  llth,  General  Torbert,  with  his 
division,  and  Colonel  Gregg,  of  General  Gregg's  division, 
attacked  the  enemy.  After  an  obstinate  contest  they  drove 
him  from  successive  lines  of  breastworks,  through  an  almost 
impassable  forest,  back  on  Trevillian  Station. 

u  In  the  meantime,  General  Curtis  was  ordered,  with  his 
brigade,  to  proceed  by  a  country  road  so  as  to  reach  the 
station  in  the  rear  of  the  enemy's  cavalry.  On  his  arrival 
at  this  point,  the  enemy  broke  into  a  complete  rout,  leav 
ing  his  dead,  and  nearly  all  his  wounded,  in  our  hands ; 
also,  twenty  officers,  five  hundred  men,  and  three  hundred 
horses." 

That  night  he  encamped  at  Trevillian  Station,  and  on  the 
morning  of  the  12th,  commenced  destroying  the  railroad  up 
to  Louisa  Court-House.  He  was  occupied  in  this  work  until 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  But  the  enemy,  in  the  mean 
time,  had  not  been  idle,  and  Sheridan  suddenly  found  him 
self  confronted  by  a  large  force,  protected  by  rifle-pits.  He 
at  once  advanced  to  give  battle,  but  a  careful  reconnoissance 
showed  that  the  enemy's  works  were  too  strong  to  be  car 
ried  by  assault.  On  the  right,  however,  the  bugles  sounded 
the  charge,  and  a  portion  of  his  troops  entered  the  works 
but  were  quickly  driven  out 

Night,  at  length,  closed  the  contest.  The  next  day  trains 
of  cars,  bearing  rebel  reinforcements,  came  down  to  prevent 
the  capture  of  Gordonsville,  and  Sheridan  was  compelled, 


406  REPEATED     FAILURES. 

reluctantly,  to  wheel  about  and  fall  back  toward  the  White 
House.  Wade  Hampton  followed  him,  though  at  a  respectful 
distance. 

At  the  Pamunkey,  the  rebel  leader  made  a  detour  and 
attacked  Sheridan's  trains  at  the  White  House,  but  Aber- 
crombie,  commanding  there,  maintained  his  ground  until 
Sheridan  came  up,  when  the  enemy  was  driven  off.  Resting 
his  command  here  a  short  time,  he  started  with  all  his  trains 
and  guns,  for  the  James  River,  to  join  Grant. 

Hampton  followed,  and  attacked  him  on  the  Chickahom- 
iny,  but  without  obtaining  any  advantage.  On  the  24th, 
near  Charles  City  Court-House,  he  again  attacked  him,  and 
made  a  desperate  effort  to  capture  his  trains.  A  sharp  con 
test  followed,  and  the  rear-guard  was  badly  cut  up ;  but 
Grant  sending  a  brigade  of  infantry  to  Sheridan's  relief,  he 
was  able  to  get  off  with  all  his  guns  and  trains,  though  he 
lost  some  five  hundred  men.  The  next  day  he  crossed  the 
James,  under  cover  of  the  gun-boats,  and  joined  the  main 
army. 

The  success  of  the  expedition  was  very  much  magnified 
at  the  time,  for,  notwithstanding  Sheridan  beat  the  enemy 
in  every  encounter,  it  was  a  total  failure  as  a  part  of  Grant's 
great  plan.  Gordonsville  was  not  reached,  and  the  few 
miles  of  railroad  destroyed  were  easily  repaired,  so  that  this 
line  of  communication  remained  to  Lee.  Butler's  movement 
against  the  Richmond  and  Petersburg  road,  as  we  have  seen, 
had  failed,  and  Kautz's  raid,  on  the  Danville  road,  inflicted 
no  permanent  injury.  Transient  success,  but  ultimate  fail 
ure,  characterized,  also,  Hunter's  expedition.  When  he  was 
ordere'd  to  supersede  Sigel,  he  hastened  to  Cedar  Creek, 
where  the  demoralized  army  lay,  and  found  two  thousand  of 
the  troops  without  shoes,  and  one  thousand  without  arms, 
they  having  thrown  them  away  in  their  flight. 

Re-organizing  the  command  and  receiving  reinforcements^. 


AVERILL'S   RAID.  407 

he  moved  forward  upon  Staunton,  and  the  day  before  Sher 
idan  started  on  his  raid  with  the  intention  of  co-operating 
with  him,  had  a  severe  battle  with  the  rebels,  under  General 
Jones,  and  defeated  him  utterly,  capturing  fifteen  hundred 
prisoners,  and  several  guns.  The  next  day,  he  was  joined 
by  Averill,  who  had  been  raiding  in  South-western  Virginia, 
on  the  line  of  the  Lynchburg  and  East  Tennessee  railroad. 
This  Commander  started  simultaneously  with  Sheridan  ;  one 
object  of  his  expedition  being  to  make  a  diversion  in  favor 
of  General  Crook,  who  was  operating  on  the  Virginia  and 
East  Tennessee  road,  and  who  succeeded  in  breaking  it  up 
and  destroying  a  vast  amount  of  stores. 

Averill  moving  rapidly,  from  point  to  point,  destroyed 
stores  and  trains,  and  spread  terror  and  consternation  on 
every  side.  He,  at  length,  met  Morgan  with  a  force  esti 
mated  at  five  thousand  men,  at  Cave  Mountain  Gap,  five  miles 
from  Wytheville. 

The  rebels  were  strongly  intrenched,  and  it  was  evident 
that  their  position  could  not  be  forced. 

u  Scarcely  had  the  rebels,  thus  impregnably  ensconced, 
been  revealed  in  front,  ere  two  heavy  lines  of  skirmishers, 
strongly  supported,  were  discovered  rapidly  advancing,  and 
in  splendid  style,  over  a  clearing,  and  upon  our  right  flank. 
The  two  discoveries  were  almost  simultaneous.  General 
Averill  at  once  took  in  the  perilous  situation  ;  to  retreat  was 
ruin,  to  advance  certain  destruction,  to  surrender  was  never 
thought  of.  Nothing  was  to  be  done  but  to  hold  his  ground, 
make  desperate,  stubborn  resistance,  and  during  it  to  await 
the  cover  of  the  night. 

u  The  gallant  Colonel  Schoonmaker,  commanding  the  Sec 
ond  brigade,  was,  with  the  Fourteenth  Pennsylvania  and 
First  Virginia,  (mounted,)  hurriedly  thrown  out  across  to 
the  right  of  the  road  on  a  rise,  there  to  meet  the  apDroach- 
ing  columns,  which  they  nobly  did,  receiving  the  fire  of  the 

56 


408  A    GALLANT     DEFENSE. 

enemy — presenting  a  front  of  twice  their  own — at  close 
range,  and  returning  it  so  rapidly,  and  with  such  deadly 
effect,  that  repeated  attempts  to  charge  upon  them  failed. 
Colonel  Schoonmaker  made  no  attempt  to  advance,  but  held 
his  position  under  a  constant  fire  for  one  hour,  when,  upon 
a  threatened  flank  movement  on  his  right,  by  the  rebel  cav 
alry,  General  Averill  ordered  him  to  fall  back  across  the 
road,  and  on  the  right  of  the  second  column,  which  had 
been  formed  there,  consisting  of  the  Thirty-fourth  Ohio  and 
Second  and  Third  Virginia,  all  dismounted,  under  the  com 
mand  of  Brigadier-General  Duffie.  He  had  suffered  consid 
erably,  and  was  compelled  to  leave  his  dead  and  badly 
wounded  on  the  line  where  they  had  fallen.  The  movement 
was  made  leisurely,  and  in  excellent  order.  It  was  greeted 
with  exultant  shouts  by  the  rebels,  who '  pressed  rapidly  for 
ward  as  far  as  the  abandoned  line,  but  the  now  united  col 
umns,  presenting  a  solid  and  unflinching  front,  delivered 
with  rapidity  and  withering  precision  a  fire  which  prevented 
further  advance,  and  temporarily  staggered  into  confusion 
the  opposing  ranks. 

'"  From  the  outset  of  the  fight,  both  columns,  while  hold 
ing  in  check  the  vastly  superior  force  in  front,  were  sub 
jected,  at  easy  musketry  range,  to  the  cross-fire  of  the  infantry 
and  artillery  at  the  Gap.  The  terrible  position  of  General 
Averill's  command,  no  description  can  convey  the  correct 
idea  of.  They  were  on  a  cleared  section  with  a  force  double 
their  own  to  the  left,  and  another  double  their  own  to  the 
front,  with  no  cover  of  hills  or  woods  to  fall  back  to,  and 
with  but  the  one  filing  to  do— to  maintain  their  position 
under  the  heavy  and  continuous  fire  of  shot  and  shell.  The 
gallantry  of  General  Averill  and  his  Staff  shone  conspicu 
ously  during  the  terrific  ordeal,  as  did  that  of  every  officer 
and  man  in  his  command.  Not  one  was  seen  to  falter.  The 
Second  Virginia,  on  the  Mt  of  the  second  column,  and  in 


AVERILL     WOUNDED.  409 

close  range  of  the  Gap,  constantly  under  murderous  fire, 
extorted  the  admiration  of  the  enemy,  and  won  that  of  its 
own  command  by  its  splendid  conduct  It  was  firm  as  a 
rock;  every  movement  was  executed  with  the  ease  and  pre 
cision  of  a  dress-parade,  and  the  moral  effect  of  its  splendid 
bearing  infused  the  strength  of  another  regiment.  On  the 
field,  as  in  general  orders,  it  received  from  General  Averill 
the  warmest  praise, 

"  General  Averill  was  constantly  at  the  front  of  the  first 
column,  and  on  its  falling  back,  at  the  front  of  the  com 
mand,  encouraging  and  stimulating  it  to  the  noble  heroism 
displayed  by  his  own  fearless  exposure  and  dauntless  cour 
age.  About  midway  of  the  fight,  he  was  struck  in  the  mid 
dle  of  the  forehead  by  a  musket  ball,  which,  glancing,  passed 
off  over  the  left  eye,  inflicting  a  deep  wound ;  with  the 
blood  flowing  profusely,  his  face  undistinguishable  from  gore, 
he  continued  in  his  saddle  until,  by  weakness,  he  was  com 
pelled  to  retire  to  the  rear.  Here  the  blood  was  staunched, 
the  wound  dressed,  and,  after  a  few  moments1  rest,  he  was 
again  in  the  saddle  and  at  the  front,  there  remaining  until 
the  close  of  the  fight." 

When  night  closed  the  contest,  Averill  withdrew,  leaving 
his  dead  and  wounded  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 

"  When  Walker  Mountain  was  reached,  it  was  found  that 
there  was  but  a  bridle-path  over  it,  and  the  wearied  men 
dismounting,  dragged  themselves  and  their  jaded  horses  up 
the  steep  ascent.  The  advance  reached  the  top  at  midnight, 
and  here  the  guide  irrecoverably  lost  his  way.  To  continue 
in  the  pitchy  darkness  was  impossible.  The  order  was  given 
to  halt,  and  the  worn-out  men  and  horses,  stretched  in  single 
file  from  base  to  summit,  on  the  precipitous,  rocky  moun 
tain's  side,  lay  down  to  rest. 

"Singularly  enough,  yet  confirmatory  of  the  terrible  pun 
ishment  the  enemy  had  received,  they  were  not  disturbed, 


410  THE     RETREAT. 

and  at  daylight  were  on  the  march  again.  The  mountain  was 
passed,  and  a  forced  march  made,  during  the  day,  of  thirty- 
two  miles,  to  Dublin.  Here  was  a  sad  disappointment,  for, 
though  the  good  work  of  destruction  which  General  Crook 
had  done,  was  seen,  yet  he  was  not  met.  Remaining  over 
night,  an  early  march  was  made  of  seven  miles  to  New  River ; 
it  was  greatly  swollen,  but  was  crossed  with  the  loss  of  two 
men,  four  horses,  and  destruction  of  all  the  ammunition,  and 
ten  miles  further  on,  the  Virginia  and  Tennessee  railroad 
was  struck  at  Christiansburg.  Some  scattering  rebel  forces 
were  found  here,  but  were  charged  on  and  driven  through 
and  beyond  the  town,  giving  no  after  trouble. 

u  The  depot  here,  stored  with  large  amounts  of  flour, 
bacon  and  forage,  was  burned,  the  telegraph  office  instru 
ment  and  wires  destroyed,  the  railroad  torn  up  and  the  rails 
rendered  useless,  and  the  bridge,  two  miles  below,  burned. 
Two  field-pieces  were  captured  in  the  village.  The  com 
mand  occupied  the  town  over  night,  moving  nineteen  miles 
to  Gap  Mountain  the  next  morning,  where  fifteen  hundred 
rebels,  under  Colonel  (or  General)  W.  E.  Jackson,  were 
found  strongly  posted  in  a  gap,  and  strengthened  by  two 
pieces  of  artillery. 

u  General  Averill's  command  was  now  entirely  without 
ammunition.  What  little  was  left,  after  the  battle  at  Cave 
Mountain,  had  been  destroyed  while  crossing  New  River.  A 
fight,  therefore,  was  hopeless.  So,  by  a  strategic  and  hasty 
movement,  he  turned  the  enemy's  left  flank,  seeking  a  bridle 
path  over  the  mountain,  and  thence  to  Sinking  Creek  Valley, 
twelve  miles  distant ;  Jackson  making  no  pursuit.  On  the 
next  day,  the  14th,  he  pushed  on  twenty-nine  miles  toward 
Union,  and,  within  five  miles  thereof,  fell  in  with  the  rear 
guard  of  General  Crook's  command.  It  was  a  gladdening 
sight  and  hailed  vociferously." 

The  two  commands  now  joined  Hunter.     The  latter,  after 


HUNTER'S    DEFEAT.  411 

the  battle  near  Staunton,  occupied  the  town.  Destroy 
ing  here  a  vast  amount  of  property,  he  advanced  with  his 
force,  now  about  seventeen  thousand  strong,  to  Lexington, 
which  was  held  by  McCausland.  The  latter  finding  himself 
threatened  in  flank  and  rear,  evacuated  the  place,  and  Hun 
ter  marched  in  and  sat  down,  to  wait  the  arrival  of  Sheridan 
from  Gordonsville,  which  point,  we  have  seen,  he  was  unable 
to  reach. 

Receiving  no  tidings  from  him,  he  moved  forward  toward 
Lynchburg,  the  grand  end  of  his  expedition.  If  he  could 
reach  and  hold  this  place,  one  very  important  part  of  Grant's 
plan  would  be  carried  out,  and  the  supplies  for  Richmond 
sadly  interfered  with. 

On  his  arrival  before  the  town,  he  found  it  too  strong  to 
be  carried  by  assault;  but  on  the  18th,  the  very  day  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  was  moving  against  Petersburg,  he 
made  an  attempt  to  capture  it,  but  was  repulsed.  Sheridan 
having  failed  to  destroy  the  Virginia  Central  road,  Lee  was 
able  to  transport  troops  rapidly  from  Richmond  and  its 
vicinity  to  the  point  of  danger,  and  hurried  oif  E well's 
Corps,  with  a  part  of  Hill's  and  Breckenridge's  command. 

Hunter,  at  this  time,  was  fifteen  days'  march  from  his  base 
of  supplies,  and  hence  depended,  for  subsistence,  on  the 
country.  Advised  of  the  approach  of  this  formidable  force, 
he,  on  the  19th,  commenced  to  retreat  down  the  Valley.  He 
had  not  proceeded  far,  however,  when  he  found  himself  so 
closely  pressed  by  the  enemy  that  escape,  in  this  direction, 
was  hopeless.  He,  therefore,  hastily  abandoned  a  great  part 
of  his  trains  and  guns,  and  struck  across  the  mountains  to 
Kanawha  Valley,  from  whence  he  designed  to  return  by  the 
way  of  the  Ohio  River. 

Thus,  of  course,  Grant  lost  the  use  of  these  troops  for  sev 
eral  weeks.  Hunter  not  only  failed  to  accomplish  the  object 
of  his  expedition,  but  being  compelled  to  flee  over  the 


412  WILSON'S  AND   KAUTZ'S  RAID. 

mountains,  tie  left  the  Shenandoah  Valley  as  defenseless  as 
though  his  entire  army  had  been  captured. 

The  enemy,  now  between  twenty  and  thirty  thousand 
strong,  marched  down  it,  unopposed,  sending  consternation 
into  Washington.  The  failure  of  Hunter  was  another  sad 
blow  to  Grant,  whom  fate  seemed  determined  to  try  to  the 
uttermost.  Though  disappointed,  he  did  not  blame  him  as 
he  did  Butler,  yet  says : — 

"  Had  General  Hunter  moved  by  way  of  Charlottesville, 
instead  of  Lexington,  as  his  instructions  contemplated,  he 
would  have  been  in  a  position  to  have  covered  the  Shenan 
doah  Valley  against  the  enemy,  should  the  force  he  met  have 
seemed  to  endanger  it.  If  it  did  not,  he  would  have  been 
within  easy  distance  of  the  James  River  canal,  on  the  main 
line  of  communication  between  Lynchburg  and  the  force 
sent  for  its  defense.  I  have  never  taken  exception  to  the 
operations  of  General  Hunter,  and  I  am  not  now  disposed  to 
find  fault  with  him,  for  I  have  no  doubt  he  acted  within  what 
he  conceived  to  be  the  spirit  of  his  instructions  and  the  inter 
ests  of  the  service.  The  prompitude  of  his  movements  and 
his  gallantry  should  entitle  him  to  the  commendation  of  his 
country." 

The  effort,  by  Sheridan  and  Hunter,  to  destroy,  perma 
nently,  the  enemy's  communications,  north  and  west,  having 
failed,  it  was  hoped  that  success  would  crown  Grant's  meas 
ures  to  sever  those  farther  south.  While  the  latter  was  flee 
ing  over  the  mountains  to  the  Kanawha  Valley,  a  strong 
cavalry  expedition  was  sent  out  against  the  Weldon  and 
Danville  railroad — the  success  and  result  of  which,  Grant 
sums  up  in  a  few  words.  He  says : — 

"  On  the  22nd,  General  Wilson,  with  his  own  division  of 
cavalry  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  General  Kautz's 
division  of  cavalry  of  the  Army  of  the  James,  moved  against 
the  enemy's  railroads  south  of  Richmond.  Striking  the 


WILSON    S    AND    KAUTZ    S    RAID.  413 

Weldon  railroad,  at  Ream's  Station,  destroying  the  depot 
and  several  miles  of  the  road  and  the  South-side  road — about 
fifteen  miles  from  Petersburg,  to  near  Nottoway  Station, 
where  he  met  and  defeated  a  force  of  the  enemy's  cavalry ; 
he  reached  Burks ville  Station,  on  the  afternoon  of  the  23d, 
and  from  there  destroyed  the  Danville  railroad  to  Roanoke 
bridge,  a  distance  of  twenty-five  miles,  where  he  found  the 
enemy  in  force,  and  in  a  position  from  which  he  could  not  dis 
lodge  him.  He  then  commenced  his  return  march,  and  on 
the  28th  met  the  enemy's  cavalry  in  force  at  the  Weldon  rail 
road  crossing  of  Stony  Creek,  where  he  had  a  severe  but  not 
decisive  engagement.  Thence  he  made  a  detour  from  his 
left,  with  a  view  of  reaching  Ream's  Station,  (supposing  it 
to  be  in  our  possession.)  At  this  place  he  was  met  by  the 
enemy's  cavalry  supported  by  infantry,  and  forced  to  retire 
with  the  loss  of  his  artillery  and  trains.  In  this  last  encoun 
ter,  General  Kautz,  with  a  part  of  his  command,  became 
separated,  and  made  his  way  into  our  lines.  General  Wil 
son,  with  the  remainder  of  his  force,  succeeded  in  crossing 
the  Nottoway  River,  and  coming  in  safely  on  our  left  and 
rear.  The  damage  to  the  enemy,  in  this  expedition,  more 
than  compensated  for  the  losses  sustained  by  us.  It  sev 
ered  all  connection  by  railroad,  with  Richmond,  for  several 
weeks." 

It  is  possible  that  the  damage  sustained  by  the  enemy 
would  "compensate"  for  our  loss,  though  we  apprehend  that, 
on  a  careful  estimate,  the  balance  remaining  in  our  favor 
would  be  hardly  worth  mentioning.  The  evil  done  was  soon 
remedied,  and  Grant  learned  what  Sherman  found  out  at 
Atlanta,  that  the  breaking  up  of  railroads,  by  cavalry,  in 
flicted  only  temporary  inconvenience.  They  must  be  held  to 
be  of  permanent  service. 

A  more  serious  movement  was  made  at  this  time  against 
the  Weldon  railroad,  by  the  Second  Corps  and  Griffin's  divis- 


414  A     REPULSE. 

ion  of  the  Fifth,  with  this  latter  Corps  itself  in  reserve.  The 
Second  Corps  moved  to  the  left,  on  Monday  night,  and  the 
next  day,  the  22nd,  marched  rapidly  southward  until  it  came 
upon  the  enemy  at  the  Jerusalem  plank  road.  An  engage 
ment  followed,  when  the  Corps  fell  back  into  position  for 
the  night.  The  Sixth  Corps  now  came  up  and  formed  on  its 
left,  when  a  consultation  was  held  between  the  Commanders, 
and  it  was  resolved  to  attack  the  enemy  at  day-break  next 
morning.  There  being  some  misunderstanding  with  regard 
to  orders,  the  two  Corps  did  not  move  forward  in  unison,  but 
independent  of  each  other. 

Barlow,  with  his  immortal  brigades,  dashed  into  the 
woods,  in  his  front,  and  pressing  on,  soon  opened  a  gap  be 
tween  his  left  and  the  right  of  the  Sixth  Corps.  Having 
advanced  far  enough,  he  was  about  to  intrench  himself  when 
he  was  startled  by  a  heavy  firing  on  his  flank  and  rear.  Hill 
moving  up  his  Corps  to  check  our  advance  perceived  the  fatal 
gap  in  our  lines,  and  quick  as  thought,  clashed  into  it — 
a  whole  division  driving  like  a  storm  through  it.  Struck  in 
flank,  Barlow's  division  was  rolled  up  like  a  piece  of  paper, 
and  several  hundred  men  taken  prisoners.  Mott's  flank  being 
now  uncovered,  he,  also,  was  compelled  to  fall  back  with 
heavy  loss.  Gibbon's  turn  came  next,  and  his  whole  line  of 
intrenchments  was  carried,  and  the  army  seemed  about  to 
break  in  utter  rout. 

But  Miles'  reserve  division  coming  up  opportunely,  Gibbon 
rallied  his  division  on  it,  and  the  enemy  being  apparently 
exhausted  by  his  own  efforts,  the  two  Corps  were  enabled  to 
form  a  new  line  of  battle.  The  order  for  the  whole  line  to 
advance  was  then  given,  when  the  enemy  slowly  retreated. 
The  army  proceeded,  however,  but  a  short  distance,  when 
it  halted  and  passed  the  night  in  intrenching,  while  the  reb 
els  intrenched  on  the  other  side  of  the  railroad. 

Our  loss  in  this  engagement  was  probably  two  thousand. 


FAILURE    ALL    AROUND.  415 

while  four  guns  and  several  stand  of  colors  were  left  in  the 
enemy's  hands. 

On  Thursday,  Wright,  having  ascertained  that  the  enemy 
was  weak  on  the  extreme  left,  sent  three  Vermont  regiments 
to  occupy  the  railroad  there.  Before  they  reached  their 
destination,  however,  they  were  furiously  attacked  and  driven 
in  confusion  back  to  the  main  body,  losing  many  prisoners. 
Flushed  with  success,  the  rebels  now  came  down  with  loud 
yells  on  our  whole  line,  and  compelled  it  to  withdraw  to  the 
cover  of  breastworks. 

For  the  balance  of  the  month,  nothing  more  was  done  at 
this  point,  and  the  two  armies  seemed  once  more  at  a  dead 
lock. 

Grant  had  now  felt  his  way  all  around  Richmond,  but 
could  find  no  entrance  to  the  rebel  Capital.  Every  expedi 
tion  to  sever  its  communications  had  succeeded  in  inflicting 
only  temporary  damage,  and,  to  an  ordinary  observer,  noth 
ing  more  could  be  done.  Not  a  gleam  of  success  lightened 
the  dismal  prospect ;  and  added  to  all,  came  the  news  that 
the  enemy  was  thundering  down  the  Shenandoah  Valley. 
Nothing,  however,  could  shake  the  iron  resolution  of  Grant, 
and  he  cast  about  for  some  new  mode  of  reaching  the  en 
emy,  while  his  artillery  kept  pounding  away  on  the  rebel 
intrenchments. 

While  the  month  of  June  was  thus  closing  without  wit 
nessing  any  material  success  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
Sherman  had  met  his  first  repulse  at  Kenesaw  and  was  bury 
ing  his  dead  in  the  mountains  of  Georgia.  In  other  parts 
of  the  West,  the  enemy  was  active,  and  the  country  was 
infested  with  guerilla  parties.  Marmaduke  was  operating 
along  the  Mississippi,  and  Shelby  on  the  Arkansas. 

The  defeat  of  Sturgis  in  Mississippi,  with  the  loss  of 
twelve  guns — the  surrender  of  Hobson  at  Cynthiana,  with 
fifteen  hundred  men,  and  the  raid  of  Morgan  through  Ken- 


416  CAPTURE     OF    THE    WATEK     WITCH. 

tucky,  had  no  effect  on  Sherman's  grand  movement.  The 
defeat  of  the  latter  at  Mount  Sterling,  by  Burbridge,  reflected 
great  credit  on  the  latter. 

Nothing,  of  especial  interest,  occurred  along  the  Atlantic 
coast,  during  the  month,  except  the  capture  of  the  Water 
Witch,  by  the  rebels,  and  the  placing  of  Federal  officers  un 
der  our  own  fire  at  Charleston. 

The  Water  Witch,  attached  to  the  Fernandina,  in  Ossabaw 
Sound,  was  captured  early  on  the  morning  of  the  3rd  of 
June.  The  night  had  been  dark  and  squally,  so  that  an 
object  could  not  be  seen  twice  the  ship's  length,  except  by 
the  flashes  of  lightning.  A'bout  two  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
the  officer  of  the  deck  saw,  by  the  uncertain  light,  a  boat 
ahead,  filled  with  men,  and  hailed  it.  The  reply  was,  u  Who 
the  h-11  are  you  hailing  ? "  followed  by  a  volley  of  mus 
ketry.  He  immediately  sprung  his  rattle,  when  from  six 
other  launches,  which  now  swept  out  of  the  gloom,  arose 
loud  yells  of  defiance.  The  next  moment,  wrathful  visages 
were  seen,  by  the  vivid  flashes  of  lightning,  peering  over 
the  railing,  as  the  enemy  climbed  swiftly  on  board.  Pende- 
grast,  the  Commander,  was  by  this  time  on  deck,  and  to  his 
inquiry,  u  What  is  the  matter,"  received  the  reply,  "  Rebels, 
rebels,"  from  the  rebels  themselves.  Instantly  shouting, 
"  Call  all  hands  to  repel  boarders,"  "  slip  the  chain  and  start 
the  engine,"  he  sprang  to  his  state-room  for  his  arms.  When 
he  reached  the  deck  again,  a  motley  crowd  was  struggling 
upon  it,  cursing  and  firing — the  flashes  of  fire-arms  and 
flashes  of  lightning  mixing  strangely  in  the  turbulent  scene. 

Making  his  way  to  the  hurricane-deck,  he  was  struck  by  a 
cutlass  and  fell,  for  a  moment,  insensible.  Recovering  him 
self,  he  leaped  upon  the  hurricane-deck,  and  rang  the  bell  for 
the  engineer  to  go  ahead,  hoping  to  swamp  the  boats  along 
side  ;  but  the  engine  made  only  a  single  revolution,  and  then 
stopped. 


A    BARBAROUS     ACT.  417 

t 

In  the  darkness  and  suddenness  of  the  attack,  no  time  was 
given  to  organize  any  resistance,  and  it  was  a  short  hand-to- 
hand  fight.  Most  of  the  crew  seemed  paralyzed  with  fear, 
and  made  but  feeble  defense,  and  the  rebels  soon  had  entire 
possession  of  the  vessel. 

That  a  vessel,  occupying  the  position  she  did,  should  be 
taken  by  surprise,  argued,  in  the  eyes  of  the  Department, 
great  criminality  on  the  part  of  the  Commander,  and  he  had 
to  bear  the  weight  of  its  indignation. 

The  rebel  Commander,  in  Charleston,  indignant  at  our 
bombardment  of  the  place,  thought  he  would  put  a  stop  to 
it  by  placing  fifty  of  our  officers,  some  of  them  Major-Gen 
erals,  in  confinement,  at  a  point  reached  by  our  fire.  The 
following  correspondence  explains  this  diabolical  act : — 


:i 


"  HEAD-QUARTERS,  DEPARTMENT  OF  SOUTH  CAROLINA, 
GEORGIA  AND  FLORIDA. 

CHARLESTON,  June  13,  1864. 

GENERAL: — Five  Generals  and  forty-five  Field  Officers,  of  the  United 
States  Army,  all  of  them  prisoners  of  war,  have  been  sent  to  the  city  for  safe 
keeping.  They  have  been  turned  over  to  Brigadier-General  Ripley,  com 
manding  the  First  Military  District  of  this  department,  who  will  see  that  they 
are  provided  with  commodious  quarters  in  a  part  of  the  city  occupied  by  non- 
combatants,  the  majority  of  whom  are  women  and  children. 

It  is  proper,  however,  that  I  should  inform  you  that  it  is  a  part  of  the 
city  which  has  been  for  many  months  exposed,  day  and  night,  to  the  fire  of 
your  guns. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

(Signed,)  SAMUEL  JONES,  Major-General  Commanding* 

Major-General  J.  G.  FOSTER,  Commanding  United  States  Forces  on  coast 
of  S.  C.,  C.  S." 


"  HEAD-QUARTERS,  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  SOUTH.  ) 
HILTON  HEAD,  S.  C.,  June  16,  1864.  J 

Major-General  SAMUEL  JONES,  Commanding  Confederate  Forces,  Department 
'  of  South  Carolina,  Georgia  and  Florida : — 

GENERAL  :— *I  have  to  acknowledge  the  receipt,  this  day,  of  your  commu 
nication,  of  the  13th  instant,  informing  me  that  five  Generals  and  forty-five 
Field  Officers,  of  the  United  States  Army,  prisoners  of  war,  have  been  sent 
to  Charleston  for  safe  keeping ;  that  they  have  been  turned  over  to  Brigadier- 


418  RETALIATION. 

Genera]  Ripley,  with  instructions  to  see  that  they  are  provided  with  quarters 
in  a  part  of  the  city  occupied  by  non-combatants,  the  majority  of  which  lat 
ter,  you  state,  are  women  and  children.  You  add  that  you  deem  it  proper 
to  inform  me  that  it  is  a  part  of  the  city  which  has  been,  for  many  months, 
exposed  to  the  tire  of  our  guns. 

Many  months  since,  Major-General  Q.  A.  Gillmore,  United  States  Army, 
notified  General  Beauregard,  then  commanding  at  Charleston,  that  the  city 
would  be  bombarded.  This  notice  was  given  that  non-combatants  might  be 
removed,  and  thus  women  and  children  spared  from  harm.  General  Beau- 
regard,  in  a  communication  to  General  Gillmore,  dated  August  22,  1863, 
informed  him  that  the  non-combatant  population  of  Charleston  would  be 
removed  with  all  possible  celerity.  That  women  and  children  have  been  since 
retained  by  you,  in  a  part  of  the  city  which  has  been  for  many  months  expo* 
sed  to  fire,  is  a  matter  decided  by  your  own  sense  of  humanity. 

I  must,  however,  protest  against  your  action,  in  thus  placing  defenseless 
prisoners  of  war  in  a  position  exposed  to  constant  bombardment.  It  is  an 
indefensible  act  of  cruelty,  and  can  be  designed  only  to  prevent  a  continu 
ance  of  our  fire  upon  Charleston.  That  city  is  a  depot  for  military  supplies. 
It  contains  not  merely  arsenals,  but  also  foundries  and  factories  for  the  man 
ufacture  of  munitions  of  war.  In  its  ship-yards,  several  armed  iron-clads 
have  already  been  completed,  while  others  are  still  upon  the  stocks  in  course 
of  construction.  Its  wharves  and  the  banks  of  the  rivers,  on  both  sides  of 
the  city,  are  lined  with  batteries.  To  destroy  these  means  of  continuing  the 
war  is,  therefore,  our  object  and  duty.  You  seek  to  defeat  this  effort,  not  by 
means  known  to  honorable  warfare,  but  by  placing  unarmed  and  defenseless 
prisoners  under  fire. 

I  have  forwarded  your  communication  to  the  President,  with  the  request 
that  he  will  place  in  my  custody  an  equal  number  of  prisoners,  of  the  like 
grades,  to  be  kept  by  me  in  positions  exposed  to  the  fire  of  your  guns,  so  long 
as  you  continue  the  course  stated  in  your  communication. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 
(Signed,)  J.  G.  FOSTER,  Major-General  Commanding." 

%  Foster's  request  was  complied  with,  and  the  rebels  were 
soon  glad  to  abandon  this  barbarous  mode  of  carrying  on 
war,  and  to  propose  an  exchange  of  prisoners. 

Outside  of  military  operations,  nothing  caused  so  much 
excitement,  this  month,  as  the  re-nomination  of  Mr.  Lincoln 
by  the  Republican  party,  as  the  candidate  for  the  Presidency, 
in  the  election  to  come  off  in  the  ensuing  Fall. 

The  two  great  political  parties  were  organizing  for  a  polit 
ical  campaign  which  was  to  be  almost  as  bitter  and  deadly 
as  that  which  was  carried  on  in  the  field. 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

BUILDING  AND  FITTING  OUT  OF  THE  ALABAMA  IN  AN  ENGLISH  PORT — COM 
PLAINT  BY  OUR  GOVERNMENT THE,  TWO  YEARS'  CRUISE RETURNS  TO  CHER 
BOURG,  FRANCE BLOCKADED  BY  WINSLOW — SEMMES  CHALLENGES  WINS- 
LOW MORNING  OF  THE  COMBAT SPECTATORS  COMING  DOWN  FROM  PARIS 

TO  WITNESS  IT THE  ALABAMA  STEAMS  OUT  OF  THE  HARBOR THE  COMBAT 

LUDICROUS    BY-PLAY    ON     THE    KEARSARGE SUPERIOR    FIRING    OF    THE    FED 
ERAL    SHIP SURRENDER    OF   THE    ALABAMA    IN    A    SINKING    STATE PICKING 

UP    OF    THE    CREW  AND    CAPTAIN    BY    THE   ENGLISH  YACHT  DEERHOUND THE 

DEERHOUND    SAILS    OFF   WITH    THE    PRISONERS    TO    SOUTHAMPTON SEMMES* 

REPORT    OF    THE    FIGHT — HIS     SLANDERS    AND    FALSEHOODS THE    TWO    VES 
SELS    COMPARED DEFENSE  OF  THE    COMMANDER    OF    THE  ENGLISH    YACHT 

EXCITEMENT    IN    EUROPE    OVER    THE    ENGAGEMENT WINSLOW  AND  THE  SEC 
RETARY    OF    THE    NAVY. 

THE  KEARSARGE  AND  ALABAMA. 

BUT  while  the  month  of  June  was  pregnant  with  such 
great  events  in  our  own  borders,  there  occurred  a  sea- 
fight  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  that  will  ever  occupy 
a  prominent  place  in  our  naval  history.  On  Sunday,  the 
19th  of  June,,  the  same  Sabbath  that  followed  the  last  grand 
assault  on  Petersburg,  and  while  we  were  gathering  up  our 
wounded,  and  burying  our  dead,,  that  fell  in  front  of  the 
rebel  works,  and  while  Sherman  was  lying  at  the  base  of 
Kenesaw  Mountain,  preparing  to  storm  its  impregnable  de 
fenses,  the  Kearsarge  and  Alabama  were  engaged  in  mortal 
combat,  off  the  quiet  port  of  Cherbourg,  in  France.  The 
Alabama,  with  other  vessels,  had  been  built  by  private  en 
terprise,,  in  England,  ostensibly  for  neutral  powers,  or  com 
mercial  purposes^.  butr  after  clearing  the  English  coast,  took 


420  THE     ALABAMA, 

in  their  armaments  and  crews,  and  hoisting  the  Confederate 
flag,  preyed  upon  our  commerce. 

The  Alabama  was  a  powerful  steamer,  a  swift  sailer,  and 
carrying  guns  of  the  heaviest  kind.  She  had  been  a  bold, 
successful  cruiser  for  two  years,  though  she  had  carefully 
avoided  a  contest  with  our  war  vessels,  except  in  the  single 
instance,  when  she  attacked  and  sunk  the  Hatteras,  which  was 
no  match  for  her,  off  Galveston  harbor.  Standing  fearlessly 
along  the  track  of  our  commerce,  on  the  Atlantic,  she  had 
made  the  ocean  lurid  with  the  flames  of  burning  merchant 
men.  Our  fastest  vessels  had  been  sent  in  search  of  her,  and 
the  Vanderbilt  had  steamed  half-way  round  the  globe  in  the 
vain  effort  to  capture  her. 

Down  the  coast  of  the  Eastern  Continent,  around  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  into  the  Indian  Ocean,  she  had  proudly 
flaunted  her  hated  flag,  and  destroyed  our  merchantmen. 
She  with  others,  had  well-nigh  driven  our  ships  from  the 
ocean,  so  that  our  commerce  was  carried  on  almost  entirely 
in  foreign  bottoms. 

Her  launch  from  an  English  dock-yard,  had  caused  the 
most  serious  complaints  to  be  made,  by  our  Government, 
against  Great  Britain ;  such  conduct  being  denounced  as  a 
breach  of  neutrality.  The  discussion  of  the  question  is  not 
ended  yet,  and  though  the  steamer  lies  at  the  bottom  of  the 
sea,  she  may,  in  the  end,  be  the  cause  of  the  gravest  difficul 
ties  between  the  two  nations. 

Unable  to  carry  her  prizes  into  any  port,  she  plundered 
them  of  what  she  needed,  sparing  some,  on  the  captains'  giv 
ing  bonds  to  pay  a  certain  sum  of  money  after  the  estab 
lishment  of  Southern  independence,  and  burning  the  rest  on 
the  high  seas.  She  had  been  the  terror  of  our  commerce,  as 
far  as  the  Indian  Ocean,  from  which  she  had  just  returned  and 
entered  the  port  of  Cherbourg  for  repairs.  Captain  Winslow, 
commanding  the  Kearsarge,  had  long  been  in  search  of  her, 


CHALLENGE    OF    SEMMES.  421 

and  the  moment  he  heard  of  her  arrival,  set  sail,  and  lay  off 
the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  for  the  purpose  of  following  her  to 
sea  when  she  again  left  port,  and  forcing  her  to  a  combat. 

On  the  14th,  Semmes  sent  Captain  Winslow  the  following 
challenge: — 

"  CONFEDERATE  STATES'  STEAMER  ALABAMA,  ) 
CHERBOURG,  June  14,  1864.  j 

gIR — I  tear  that  you  were  informed  by  the  United  States  Consul  that  the 
Kearsarge  was  to  come  to  this  port  solely  for  the  prisoners  landed  by  me, 
and  that  she  was  to  depart  in  twenty-four  hours.  I  desire  you  to  say  to  the 
United  States  Consul  that  my  intention  is  to  fight  the  Kearsarge  as  soon  as 
I  can  make  the  necessary  arrangements.  I  hope  these  will  not  detain  me 
more  than  till  to-morrow  evening,  or  after  to-morrow  morning,  at  the  far 
thest.  I  beg  she  will  not  depart  before  I  am  ready  to  go. out. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  Servant, 

B.  SEMMES,  Captain. 

He  very  much  mistook  the  Commander  of  the  Kearsarge, 
if  he  supposed  it  was  necessary  to  send  a  challenge  to  get  a 
fight  out  of  him.  He  had  come  to  Cherbourg  for  no  other 
purpose,  and  intended,  by  no  means,  to  leave  till  he  could 
follow  the  bold  corsair  out  on  the  deep,  and  there  sink  him, 
or  be  sunk  himself. 

The  Sabbath  morning,  of  the  19th  of  June,  broke  in  all  the 
loveliness  of  early  Summer  over  the  rippling  sea.  A  gentle 
breeze  drifted  lazily  in  from  the  ocean,  and  the  sun,  half 
shorn  of  his  brightness,  looked  down  through  a  hazy  atmo 
sphere,  on  the  town  and  port,  and  revealed  the  Kearsarge 
gently  swaying  to  the  easy  swell,  as  she  lay  three  miles  off  the 
entrance,  watching  the  movements  of  her  antagonist  News 
of  the  expected  fight  had  spread  to  Paris,  and,  in  the  morn 
ing,  an  excursion  train  came  down  from  the  French  Cap 
ital  loaded  with  passengers,  eager  to  witness  the  combat. 
The  boatmen  of  the  port  swarmed  like  hackmen  around 
the  terminus  of  the  railway,  offering  the  services  of  their 
boats  to  those  who  wished  "to  see  a  genuine  naval  battle, 


422  BEFORE    THE    COMBAT. 

that  was  to  come  off  during  the  day."  A  photographer, 
with  all  his  apparatus  and  materials,  perched  himself  on  a 
church  tower,  to  take  an  impression  of  the  contest.  Specta 
tors  swarmed  upon  every  spot,  commanding  a  view  of  the 
harbor  and  sea  beyond,  while  boats  flew  about  in  every  di 
rection  as  on  a  great  holiday. 

The  bells  of  the  churches  of  Cherbourg  had  not  yet  done 
pealing,  when  the  rebel  steamer  cast  off  her  fastenings  and 
began  to  steam  slowly  out  of  port.  Semmes  had  taken  the 
precaution  to  send  ashore  sixty  chronometers  that  he  had 
taken  from  his  prizes,  his  money,  and  bills  of  ransomed  ves 
sels  ;  thus  showing  that  he  was  fully  aware  of  the  desperate 
character  of  the  conflict  that  awaited  him.  As  the  steamer 
slowly  drifted  past  the  end  of  the  mole,  crowded  with  human 
beings,  a  great  shout  rent  the  air,  and  "  God  speed  you," 
rolled  over  the  waters.  The  next  moment  the  drums  were 
heard  beating  to  quarters. 

The  iron-plated  frigate,  Couronner  accompanied  her  to 
the  limit  of  the  French  waters,  while  the  English  yacht, 
Deerhound,  followed  in  her  wake  out  to  sea.  This  was  about 
half-past  ten,  and  Winslow,  as  soon  as  he  descried  his  adver 
sary  approaching,  turned  his  ship's  head  seaward,  to  avoid 
the  question  of  jurisdiction,  and  to  draw  the  Alabama  so  far 
off  that,  in  case  of  being  disabled,  she  could  not  get  back 
into  port,  and  thus  escape  capture.  The  Alabama  followed 
after,  till  the  former  was  about  seven  miles  from  shore>  when 
Winslow  turned  short  aboutr  and  steered  straight  for  the 
privateer,  intending  to  run  her  down.  The  latter  immedi 
ately  sheered  off  and  slowed  her  engines,  presenting  her 
starboard  battery  to  her  enemy.  While  the  Kearsarge  was 
still  a  mile  off,  there  suddenly  came  sharp  puffs  of  smoke 
from  the  side  of  the  Alabama,  followed  by  the  heavy,  dull 
reports  of  the  guns  that  rolled  heavily  away  over  the  shud 
dering  water? 


THE     COMBAT.  423 

The  ponderous  shell  and  shot  flew  over  the  Kearsarge 
and  cut  up  her  rigging,  but  did  no  serious  damage.  Wins- 
low  made  no  reply,  but  ordered  the  engineer  to  put  on  more 
speed,  and  the  gallant  steamer  rolled  the  foam  away  from 
her  bows  as  she  dashed  silently  forward  to  a  close  death- 
grapple  with  her  antagonist.  In  two  minutes  came  another 
broadside — and  then  another ;  yet  not  a  gun  of  the  Kear 
sarge  replied.  Coming  head  on  to  the  rebel  steamer  as  she 
lay  with  her  broadside  to,  she  was  in  great  danger  of  being 
raked,  and  so  when  about  a  half  a  mile  distant,  Winslow 
sheered  in  order  to  bring  his  own  broadside  to  bear — and 
the  battle  commenced. 

The  firing  now  was  rapid  and  incessant,  and  the  two 
guns  of  the  Kearsarge,  carrying  eleven-inch  shell,  sent  their 
ponderous  missiles  with  terrible  accuracy  into  the  hull  of 
the  Alabama.  Winslow,  fearing  that  his  antagonist  might 
after  a  while  make  again  for  the  shore,  ordered  a  full  head 
of  steam  on,  with  directions  to  run  under  the  stern  of  the 
Alabama  and  rake  her.  Semmes,  however,  discovered  his 
design  and  sheered  off  so  as  to  keep  his  broadside  bearing 
on  his  antagonist.  Hence  the  two  vessels  kept  moving  in 
independent  circles  round  a  common,  yet  ever  changing 
centre.  Sailing  at  the  rate  of  nearly  eight  miles  an  hour, 
they  thus  swung  steadily  around  each  other,  wrapped  in 
the  smoke  of  their  own  guns — the  Alabama  getting  deadly 
blows  from  the  calm  and  accurate  firing  of  the  Kearsarge, 
while  the  latter  received  no  material  injury  for  nearly 
twenty  minutes.  At  length  a  sixty-eight  pound  Blakely 
shell  passed  through  the  starboard  bulwarks,  below  the' 
main  rigging,  and  exploded  on  the  quarter-deck,  wounding 
three  of  the  crew  of  the  pivot  gun,  and  among  them  a  sear 
man  named  William  Go  win,  who,  though  suffering  acutely,, 
wore  a  smile  on  his  face  as  he  was  brought  to  the  surgeon.. 
tllt  is  all  right,"  said  he;  "I  am  satisfied,  for  we  are  whip- 
67 


424  A    NOBLE     SAILOR. 

ping  the  Alabama;"  adding  "I  willingly  will  lose  my  leg 
or  life,  if  necessary." 

In  the  meantime  the  fight  went  on,  and  as  the  heavy 
broadsides  shook  the  deck,  he  would  comfort  his  two 
wounded  comrades  by  telling  them  that  "  victory  was  cer 
tain  ;"  and  as  ever  and  anon  the  cheers  of  the  guns'  crews 
on  deck  were  borne  to  his  ears,  as  they  saw  a  shot  planted 
in  a  vital  part  of  the  Alabama,  he  would  wave  his  hand 
over  his  head,  and  with  a  smile  lighting  his  pallid  fea 
tures,  give  a  faint,  answering  cheer.  His  heroic  spirit  kept 
in  this  buoyant  state  till  long  after  the  victory,  and  he 
passed  away,  reiterating  again  and  again  as  the  sands  of  life 
ran  low,  "  I  am  willing  to  die,  for  we  have  won  a  glorious 
victory." 

Winslow  fought  his  ship  as  coolly  as  though  engaged  in  a 
simple  manoeuvre,  telling  the  officers  not  to  let  the  men  fire 
too  rapidly,  but  take  deliberate  aim.  "Point,"  said  he, 
uthe  heavy  guns  below  rather  than  above  the  water  line, 
and  sweep  the  decks  with  the  lighter  ones." 

In  addition  to  her  regular  and  effective  armament,  the 
Kearsarge  had  a  twelve-pounder  boat-howitzer,  which  was 
totally  useless  in  the  fight.  This  was  put  in  charge  of  two  old 
quartermasters,  uthe  two  Dromios"  of  the  ship,  with  orders 
not  to  fire  until  directed  to  do  so.  But  those  rollicking  old 
salts  had  no  idea  of  remaining  idle  while  their  messmates 
were  stripped  to  such  deadly  work,  and  having,  as  they  said, 
all  the  fun.  So  without  waiting  for  orders,  when  the  heavy 
guns  began  to  thunder  over  the  sea,  they  loaded  and  fired 
their  solitary  howitzer  as  though  the  fate  of  the  combat 
depended  on  their  activity.  Though  perfectly  aware  of  the 
harmlessness  of  their  shots,  they  peppered  away  with  all 
the  gravity  of  men  in  dead-earnest,  pausing  between  each 
discharge  to  curse  and  swear  at  each  other  in  the  most 
approved  man-of-war  style.  Standing  thus  apart  and  firing 


A    SERIOUS    FARCE.  425 

their  pop-gun  in  any  direction  with  the  most  perfect  gravity, 
and  then  pausing  to  abuse  each  other  roundly,  while  the 
enemy's  heavy  shells  were  screaming  and  bursting  above 
and  around  them,  they  made  such  an  exceedingly  ludicrous 
by-play,  that  the  crew  burst  into  peals  of  laughter.  The 
officers,  seeing  in  what  excellent  humor  for  cool  fighting 
this  farce  kept  the  men,  and  amused  at  the  mock  earnest 
ness  and  droll  abusive  language  of  these  old  weather-beaten 
favorites  of  the  ship,  did  not  interfere  with  them,  and  they 
kept  on  firing  till  they  had  exhausted  the  entire  box  of 
ammunition. 

In  the  meantime  the  vessels,  moving  steadily  in  their  re 
spective  circles,  kept  pouring  in  their  heavy  broadsides ;  the 
Alabama  firing  twice  to  the  Kearsarge  once;  yet,  so  bad 
was  her  gunnery  that  out  of  over  three  hundred  shots  only 
twenty  hit  her  antagonist,  and  only  some  fourteen  of  these 
pierced  her  hull — not  killing  a  single  man,  and  wounding 
but  three.  On  the  other  hand,  the  slow  and  accurate  firing 
of  the  Kearsarge  told  with  terrible  effect  on  the  enemy. 
One  shot  alone  killed  and  wounded  eighteen  men.  Her  two 
hundred  pound  shells,  pierced  the  rebel  ship  at  the  water 
line,  and  bursting  within,  opened  huge  gaps,  through  which 
the  water  poured  in  torrents.  The  rudder  of  the  latter  was 
soon  rendered  useless,  and  by  the  time  the  vessels  had  made 
seven  complete  circles,  report  was  made  to  Captain  Semmes 
that  his  ship  was  sinking.  He  immediately  hoisted  sail,  and 
ordered  all  stearn  on,  hoping  to  be  able  to  reach  the  French 
coast ;  but,  finding  the  steamer  fast  settling  in  the  water,  he 
hauled  down  his  colors  and  dispatched  a  boat  to  the  Kear 
sarge  to  state  that  he  had  surrendered.  In  the  meantime, 
he  lowered  the  boats  that  had  not  been  shot  away,  to  receive 
the  sick  and  wounded ;  but  before  all  could  be  got  off,  the 
stern  of  the  steamer  sunk  deep  in  the  sea,  lifting  her  bow 
into  the  air  as  though  making  a  last  effort  to  escape  destruc- 


426  SINKING    OF    THE    ALABAMA. 

tion, — ner  mainmast  breaking  short  off  in  the  struggle — and 
then  with  one  heavy  lurch  she  went  to  the  bottom.  The 
parted  waves  closed  with  a  loud  splash  above  her  form,  as 
with  all  her  guns,  and  some  of  her  brave  defenders  she  disap 
peared  from  sight  forever.  Thus  perished  this  terror  of  the 
seas,  after  a  fight  of  only  an  hour  and  two  minutes.  Amid  the 
foam  that  tossed  above  the  spot  where  she  went  down,  ap 
peared  a  mass  of  human  heads  struggling  for  life,  and  among 
the  strong  swimmers  was  Captain  Semmes  himself.  The 
Yacht  Deerhound  having  now  approached  within  hailing 
distance  of  the  Kearsarge,  Winslow  begged  the  Commander 
to  go  to  the  assistance  of  the  drowning  men,  as  he  had  but 
two  boats.  The  latter  did  so,  picking  up  Semmes  and  many 
of  the  crew,  and  carried  them,  together  with  the  officer  who 
had  surrendered  the  ship,  to  Southampton. 

Semmes  in  his  report,  by  implication,  charges  Capt. 
Winslow  with  inhumanity.  He  not  only  declares  that  he 
fired  on  him  after  he  struck  his  flag,  but  says :  "  There  was 
no  appearance  of  any  boat  coming  to  me  from  the  enemy 
after  my  ship  went  down.  Ultimately,  the  steam  yacht 
Deerhound,  owned  by  a  gentleman  of  Lancashire,  England, 
Mr.  John  Lancaster,  who  was  himself  on  board,  steamed  up 
in  the  midst  of  my  drowning  men  and  rescued  a  number  of 
both  officers  and  men  from  the  water.  About  this  time  the 
Kearsarge  sent  one,  and  then  tardily  another." 

Now  Mr.  Lancaster,  who  was  evidently  hand  and  glove 
with  the  rebel  Commander,  contradicts  this  statement.  His 
log  book  says,  "  At  half  past  twelve,  we  observed  the 
Alabama  to  be  disabled,  and  in  a  sinking  state.  We  imme 
diately  made  toward  her,  and  in  passing  the  Kearsarge 
were  requested  to  assist  in  saving  the  Alabama's  crew."  And 
again,  in  a  published  letter,  he  says,  uwhen  we  passed  the 
Kearsarge,  the  captain  cried  out,  l  For  God's  sake  do  what 
you  can  to  save  them.' '  It  was  unquestionably  very  morti- 


ALABAMA    AND    KEARSARGE.  427 

fying  to  Semmes  to  lose  his  ship ;  but  that  is  no  reason 
why  he  should  endeavor  to  slander  a  gallant  opponent. 
Again  he  says,  "  the  enemy  was  heavier  than  myself,  both 
in  ship,  and  battery,  and  crew ;  but  I  did  not  know  till  the 
action  was  over  that  she  was  also  iron-clad."  This  assertion 
is  not  borne  out  by  the  following  figures : 

Alabama.  Kearsarge. 

Length  over  all,  220  feet,  214  1-4 

Length  on  water  line,  210     "  198  1-2 

Beam,  32     "  33 

Depth,  17     "  16 

Horse  power — two  engines,  300  each,  400  h.  p. 

Tonnage,  1,150  1,031 

Thus  much  as  to  the  size  and  tonnage  of  the  two  ships. 

The  armament  of  the  Alabama  was  one  seven-inch  rifle- 
gun  ;  one  eight-inch  smooth  bore  sixty-eight  pounder ;  six 
thirty-two  pounders. 

That  of  the  Kearsarge  was  two  eleven-inch  smooth  bores; 
one  thirty  pounder  rifle ;  four  thirty-two  pounders. 

It  will  be  seen  by  these  figures,  that  the  Alabama  was  the 
larger  ship,  and  had  one  more  gun  than  the  Kearsarge, 
although  the  weight  of  the  latter's  broadside  Was  the  great 
er.  The  simple  truth  is,  two  more  equally  matched  ships 
could  not  well  be  found.  The  "iron  plating,"  which  Captain 
Semmes  makes  so  much  of  was  simply  some  spare  chain 
cable  hung  over  the  sides  of  the  vessel  midships,  and  boxed 
over  with  planking.  This  had  been  done  a  year  before, 
and  was  well  known  in  every  port  where  she  had  since 
touched.  Semmes  was  also  aware  of  it,  for  he  spoke  about 
it  some  days  previous  to  the  fight,  saying,  "  that  the  chains 
were  only  attached  together  with  rope-yarn,  and  would 
drop  into  the  water  when  struck  with  the  first  shot."  If 


428  YACHT    DEERHOUND. 

Capt.  Semmes  wishes  his  character  as  a  fighter  to  be  judged 
by  his  reputation  as  a  man  of  veracity,  we  fear  his  capture 
and  firing  of  helpless  merchantmen  will  furnish  his  greatest 
laurels. 

In  speaking  of  the  conduct  of  the  Deerhound,  Captain 
Winslow  says :  "  I  could  not  believe  that  the  commander  of 
that  vessel  could  be  guilty  of  so  disgraceful  an  act  as  taking 
our  prisoners  off,  and,  therefore,  took  no  means  to  prevent 
it."  The  act  of  Mr.  Lancaster  was  so  generally  condemned 
on  both  sides  of  the  water,  that  this  gentleman  deemed  it 
incumbent  on  him  to  make  a  public  defense. 

He  says,  "  I  had  the  earnest  request  of  Captain  Winslow 
to  rescue  as  many  of  the  men  as  were  in  the  water,  as  I 
could  lay  hold  of,  but  that  request  was  not  coupled  with  any 
stipulation  to  the  effect  that  I  should  deliver  up  the  rescued 
men  to  him  as  his  prisoners.  If  it  had  been,  I  should  have 
declined  the  task,  because  I  should  have  deemed  it  dishon 
orable — that  is,  inconsistent  with  my  notions  of  honor — to 
lend  my  yacht  and  crew  for  the  purpose  of  rescuing  those 
brave  men  from  drowning,  only  to  hand  them  over  to  their 
enemies  for  imprisonment,  ill-treatment,  and,  perhaps,  exe 
cution." 

Now,  there  are  several  things  to  be  noticed  in  this  curious 
portion  of  his  defense.  First,  a  falsehood  in  the  expression 
of  fear  that  they  might  be  delivered  over  "  to  execution." 
The  war  had  been  going  on  for  over  two  years,  and  our  Gov 
ernment  had,  at  the  very  outset,  in  the  first  capture  of  a 
privateer,  decided  that  the  crews  of  such  vessels  should  be 
treated  as  prisoners  of  war.  In  the  second  place,  we  are  called 
upon  to  admire  this  gentleman's  peculiar  "  notions  of  honor," 
which  would  have  prevented  him  from  "rescuing  those 
brave  men  "  from  death,  to  hand  them  over  as  u  prisoners," 
to  a  nation,  distinguished  for  its  humane  treatment  of  the 
captured. 


LANCASTER'S  ENGLISH  LOGIC.  429 

One  would  think  that  a  proper  sense  of  u honor"  would 
prompt  a  man  to  give  the  poor  fellows,  at  least,  the  choice 
of  being  rescued,  or  of  drowning.  We  are  quite  sure  the 
spent  swimmers  did  not  take  his  view  of  the  case,  as  they 
cried  for  help,  and  struck  out  toward  the  boats.  His  logic, 
however,  is  more  peculiar  than  his  "  notions  of  honor,"  or  his 
veracity.  He  says  that  Captain  Winslow  accompanied  his 
request  to  help  save  the  sinking  crew,  "with  no  stipulation  to 
the  effect  that  I  should  deliver  up  the  rescued  men  to  him  as 
prisoners."  That  is  to  say,  because  Captain  Winslow  did  not 
wait  to  draw  up  a  contract  that  he  should  deliver  into  his 
hands  men  that  had  already  given  themselves  up  as  prisoners 
of  war,  there  was  no  obligation  resting  on  him  to  do  so.  To 
see  the  full  beauty  of  this  logic,  let  us  suppose  it  had  been 
property,  not  prisoners  of  war,  floating  on  the  sea;  and  Cap 
tain  Winslow  had  requested  the  Commander  of  the  yacht  to 
assist  him  in  saving  it.  By  Mr.  Lancaster's  code  of  morals, 
after  he  had  loaded  his  vessel  down  with  a  choice  assort 
ment,  he  would  have  steered  away  for  Southampton  with 
his  spoils,  and  when  called  to  account  for  them,  have  replied 
that  Captain  Winslow  made  "  no  stipulation  with  me  to  deliver 
up  his  goods."  His  high  notions  of  honor  would  have  com 
pelled  him  to  keep  them — in  other  words,  turn  thief  because 
uno  stipulation"  was  made  that  he  should  not  be  one. 

After  clearing  himself,  as  he  supposes,  from  all  blame,  bj 
this  extraordinary  defense,  he  says,  that  "  the  hero's  (Cap 
tain  Winslow's)  forbearance,"  for  not  bringing  him  to,  with 
a  shot,  when  making  off  with  the  prisoners,  may  be  "imagi 
ned  in  the  reflection  that  such  a  performance  as  that  of  Cap 
tain  Wilkes,  who  dragged  two  4  enemies/  or  4  rebels,'  from 
an  English  ship,  would  not  bear  repetition."  Our  fear,  on 
the  contrary,  is,  that  such  conduct,  on  the  part  of  a  mem 
ber  of  "The  Royal  Yacht  Squadron,"  will  not  ubear  repe 
tition." 


430  EXCITEMENT    IN    EUROPE. 

This  novel  engagement,  in  which  such  heavy  metal  was 
thrown,  caused  much  excitement  in  Europe.  That  the  Kear 
sarge,  without  ever  coming  nearer  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
of  her  antagonist — a  vessel  of  war  heavier,  even,  than  her 
self — should  sink  her  in  one  hour,  was  a  warning  to  the 
English  Admiralty  which,  it  was  urged,  they  had  better  not 
disregard.  There  was  not  an  eleven-inch  gun  in  the  English 
navy,  yet  the  Kearsarge  had  two  of  these,  throwing  metal 
of  two  hundred  pounds  weight.  Said  one  writer  in  the 
English  press: — 

u  When  the  Kearsarge  was  recently  at  Cork,  the  Com 
mander  of  her  Majesty's  ship,  Hawke,  was  instructed  by  the 
Admiralty  to  report  as  to  the  construction  and  fitting  up  of 
the  American  cruiser,  and  more  particularly  as  to  her  arma 
ment.  He  replied  that  the  Kearsarge  had  no  more  effective 
guns  than  the  ordinary  sixty-eight  pounder  of  the  British 
navy.  The  Kearsarge  is  fitted  up  with  a  special  contri 
vance  for  raising  and  lowering  her  great  guns,  so  that  they 
may  be  mounted  on  deck,  or  kept  snugly  below,  as  occasion 
requires. 

u  It  is  a  curious  speculation  whether,  when  the  Comman 
der  of  the  Hawke  visited  the  vessel,  a  smart  '  Yankee  trick ' 
was  played  upon  him  by  this  contrivance,  or  whether  he 
made  an  actual  blunder  as  to  the  armament." 

Captain  Winslow  paroled  his  prisoners,  which  brought  on 
him  the  condemnation  of  the  Navy  Department.  In  one 
letter  to  him,  Mr.  Welles  says  that  it  is  reported,  in  the  Eng 
lish  papers,  that  he  "has  paroled  the  foreign  pirates  cap 
tured  in  the  Alabama,"  and  adds,  UI  trust  you  have  not 
committed  this  error  of  judgment."  In  another,  he  says, 
11  in  paroling  the  prisoners,  however,  you  have  committed  a 
grave  error." 

This  is  a  fair  specimen  of  the  wise  blunders  constantly 
committed  by  our  Navy  Department ;  the  head  of  which 


LETTER    OF    CAPTAIN    WINSLOW.  431 

changes  with  every  Administration,  and  who  receives  his 
appointment  without  reference  to  his  knowledge  of  naval 
matters,  but  solely  on  political  grounds.  A  serious  war  with 
one  of  the  great  maritime  nations  of  Europe,  will  work  a 
change,  we  apprehend,  in  this  respect,  and  give  us,  at  least, 
something  in  the  Navy  to  correspond  with  Lieutenant-Gen- 
eral  in  the  Army. 

The  following  reply  of  Captain  Winslow,  exhibits  the  vast 
difference  between  theoretical  and  practical  knowledge :  — 

"  I  beg  the  Department  will  consider  the  circumstances  in 
which  this  vessel  was  placed  at  the  termination  of  the  action 
with  the  Alabama.  The  berth-deck,  contracted  as  it  is,  with 
insufficient  storage  for  our  own  men,  was  covered  with  bed 
ding  of  the  wounded,  the  quarter-deck  was  similarly  crowded, 
and  the  forward  part  of  the  ship,  on  the  spar-deck,  was  filled 
with  prisoners  under  guard. 

"  The  ship  was  damaged  both  in  rigging  and  hull.  A 
shot  had  entered  the  stern-post,  raising  the  transom-frame, 
and  binding  the  rudder  so  hard  as  to  require  four  men  at 
the  helm.  It  was,  therefore,  important  that  an  examination 
should  be  made  of  the  damages  sustained.  On  our  arrival 
at  Cherbourg,  I  received  information  from  our  Consul  at 
London,  that  the  Florida  was  in  the  Channel,  on  the  French 
coast,  and,  at  the  same  time,  information  came  that  the 
Yeddo  was  out,  and  the  Rappahannock  was  expected  to  fol 
low  ;  and,  in  addition  to  this,  that  the  St.  Louis  had  sailed 
for  Madeira. 

"The  Kearsarge  had  been  acting  alone  and  independ 
ently  for  the  last  nine  months,  and  I  was  not  aware  that  any 
of  our  cruisers  had  been  ordered  in  the  Channel.  It  became, 
therefore,  in  my  mind,  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the 
Kearsarge  should  at  once  be  put  in  a  state  to  meet  these 
vessels,  and  protect  our  commerce.  This  could  not  be  done 
with  prisoners  on  board  equaling  the  half  of  our  crew,  and 


432  A     GOOD     REASON. 

the  room  occupied  by  the  wounded  taken  to  the  exclusion 
of  our  own  men ;  to  have  kept  them  would  have  required  a 
quarter-watch  as  guards,  and  the  ship  would  have  been 
wholly  ineffective,  as  a  man-of-war,  to  meet  this  emergency 
which  threatened. 

u  Under  these  circumstances,  and  without  an  American 
vessel  in  port  by  which  any  arrangement  could  be  made  for 
transhipping  the  prisoners  outside,  I  felt  it  my  duty  to 
parole  them." 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 

MB.  CHASE'S  RESIGNATION — WANT  OF  A  FINANCIAL  SYSTEM — LOW  STATE  OF 
PUBLIC  CREDIT  WHEN  HE  ENTERED  ON  THE  DUTIES  OF  HIS  OFFICE ESTI 
MATE  OF  EXPENDITURES  FOR  1862 ISSUES  OF  FIVE-TWENTY  BONDS  AND 

TREASURY  NOTES FIRST  LOAN  MADE  IN  NEW  YORK LOAN  TAKEN  BY  THB 

BANKS  OF  PHILADELPHIA,  NEW  YORK  AND  BOSTON — SALE  OF  BONDS,  <tC. 

CUSTOMS  TO  BE  PAID  IN  GOLD SUSPENSION  OF  THE  BANKS STATEMENT  OF 

REVENUE  AND  EXPENDITURES PUBLIC  DEBT  AT  THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  YEAR 

OPBNING  OF  THE  YEAR  1863 AN  EXCISE  LAW  RESOLVED  UPON RAISING 

OF  MONEY  IN  THE  MEANTIME ISSUE  OF  PAPER  MONEY NATIONAL  BANKING 

LAW ITS  EFFECT  IN  NEW  YORK GOLD  BILL STATEMENT  OF  REVENUE  AND 

EXPENDITURE  FOR  THE  YEAR PUBLIC  DEBT MR.  FESSENDEN  SUCCEEDS  MR. 

CHASE CONDITION  OF  THE  TREASURY  AND  MEANS  AT  ITS  DISPOSAL PUBLIC 

DBBT  WHEN  HE  RESIGNED  IN  MARCH,  1865. 

OUTLINE  OF  OUR  FINANCIAL  HISTORY  DURING  THE  WAR. 

THE  first  day  of  the  month  of  July,  1864,  was  signalized 
by  an  event  in  the  political  field,  that  caused  almost  as 
much  sensation  as  the  news  of  the  proposed  invasion  of  the 
rebels.    This  was  the  announcement  of  the  resignation  of  Mr. 
Chase,  as  Secretary  of  the  Treasury 

In  a  war  of  the  magnitude  of  the  one  in  which  we  were 
engaged,  the  question  of  finance  was  really  the  vital  one ; 
for  all  knew  that  money  would  give  out  before  men  would. 
Mr.  Chase  had  never  perfected  and  carried  out  any  financial 
system  whatever ;  his  system  had  been  one  of  expedients, 
based  on  the  assumption  that  the  war  was  always  just  on  the 
eve  of  closing,  and  that  it  was  only  necessary  to  raise  money 
on  the  public  credit  to  meet  a  present  emergency.  In  short, 
the  Government  appeared,  in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  very 


434  RESIGNATION    OF    MR.    CHASE. 

much  like  a  shaky  railroad  company,  willing  to  mortgage 
its  present  property  and  future  prospects,  to  get  over  pres 
ent  difficulties ;  or  that  of  a  heavy  operator,  who  is  willing 
to  make  any  sacrifices,  if  he  can  only  be  tided  over  a  dan 
gerous  crisis. 

Still,  in  the  new  and  unexpected  condition  of  things,  in 
which  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  found  himself — the  sud 
den  and  frightful  call  on  the  Government  for  money,  and  in 
our  want  of  credit  in  the  foreign  market,  it  was  hard  to  see 
what  other  course  could  be  pursued.  Fabulous  sums  were 
needed  to  carry  on  the  gigantic  war  into  which  we  had 
been  forced,  and  there  seemed  no  way  to  raise  them  except 
by  the  system  of  expedients  which  was  adopted.  The  resig 
nation  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  therefore,  in  the 
very  crisis  of  our  affairs,  created  a  profound  sensation,  and 
various  causes  were  assigned  for  it — some  asserting  that  des 
pair  of  meeting  the  enormous  demands  of  the  Government, 
was  the  motive — others,  that  personal  disagreement  with 
the  President,  in  the  matter  of  appointments ;  others,  still, 
that  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency,  and  could  not 
support  his  successful  rival;  and  still,  others,  that  it  was 
in  consequence  of  the  repeal  of  the  "  Gold  Bill,"  as  it  was 
called. 

Although  the  present  work  was  designed  to  be  only  a  his 
tory  of  the  more  important  military  events  of  the  war,  yet 
a  brief  account  of  the  financial  measures,  by  which  it  was 
carried  on,  seems  necessary  to  its  completeness. 

As  the  financial  policy  was  not  changed,  on  the  resig 
nation  of  Mr.  Chase,  and  Mr.  Fessenden,  who  succeeded 
him,  simply  completed  what  was  already  begun,  a  history  of 
our  finances,  under  the  former,  is  the  history  of  them  during 
the  war. 

Some  faint  idea  of  the  difficulties  that  beset  Mr.  Chase's 
path,  at  the  outset,  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact,  that  in 


PUBLIC     LOANS.  435 

the  December  previous  to  his  inauguration  into  office,  How- 
ell  Cobb,  Mr.  Buchanan's  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  put  into 
the  market  five  million  dollars  of  treasury  notes,  payable 
in  one  year,  and  received  bids  for  only  a  half  a  million,  at 
twelve  per  cent. 

If  such  was  the  credit  of  the  Government,  and  such  the 
difficulty  in  raising  a  small  sum  of  money  when  war  was 
threatened,  one  can  imagine  the  prospect  before  the  new 
Secretary,  when  war,  the  end  of  which  no  one  could  see,  had 
actually  commenced,  and  when,  according  to  his  own  esti 
mate,  not  five  millions  of  dollars,  but  three  hundred  and  nine 
teen  millions,  would  be  needed  the  first  yeai  to  meet  the 
wants  of  the  Government. 

Congress,  which  adjourned  the  first  week  in  August,  1861, 
passed  an  act  authorizing  him  to  borrow  two  hundred  and 
fifty  million  dollars  by  the  issue  of  bonds  not  to  be  redeemed 
for  twenty  years,  and  bearing  a  no  greater  interest  than 
seven  per  cent. ;  also  to  issue  fifty  million  dollars  in  seven 
and  three-tenths  per  cent,  treasury  notes,  payable  in  three 
years,  and  of  United  States  notes  without  interest,  and  paya 
ble  on  demand.  A  direct  tax  of  twenty  million  dollars  was 
also  ordered  to  be  levied — while  the  customs  were  increaed 
Of  this,  one  hundred  and  eighty  million  dollars  were  appro 
priated  to  the  Army,  thirty  millions  to  the  Navy,  and  three 
millions  to  purchase  and  hire  vessels. 

It  was  an  easy  matter  to  authorize  the  Secretary  to  bor 
row  money  by  the  issue  of  interest-bearing  bonds,  and 
treasury  demand  notes,  but  it  was  another  thing  to  find 
lenders.  If  it  had  been  a  foreign  war  in  which  we  were 
engaged,  we  could  have  borrowed  an  unlimited  amount  of 
money  abroad ;  but,  in  a  war,  which,  in  the  eyes  of  other 
nations  would  end  in  the  total  disruption  of  the  Govern 
ment,  not  a  dollar  could  be  obtained.  It  must  be  raised  at 
home  or  not  at  all,  and  obviously,  to  obtain  the  enormous 


436  FIRST     LOAN     TAKEN. 

sums  that  would  be  needed,  the  only  course  to  be  pursued 
was  the  one  adopted  by  the  Emperor  of  France, — viz.: 
make  it  a  people's  loan,  by  distributing  it  in  small  sums  over 
the  entire  country.  This  could  be  done  only  through  agen 
cies  established  at  every  important  point,  to  receive  subscrip 
tions.  But  it  would  take  some  time  to  get  the  machinery 
in  complete  working  order  and  prepare  the  Seven  and  three- 
tenths  treasury  notes.  In  the  meantime  money  was  needed, 
and  the  Secretary  therefore  resorted  to  a  temporary  loan  of 
five  million  dollars  for  sixty  days,  giving  the  Twenty-years' 
bonds  as  collateral  security.  This  was  taken  up  in  a  few 
hours  in  New  York.  He  then  visited  the  three  great  com 
mercial  cities  on  our  Northern  sea-board — Philadelphia,  New 
York  and  Boston — and  after  a  frank  interview  with  the 
heavy  capitalists,  succeeded  in  getting  the  Banks  to  take  fifty 
million  dollars  of  the  Seven-thirties  at  par ;  of  which  New 
York  alone  took  more  than  two-thirds.  It  was  left  optional 
with  the  Banks  to  take  two  more  issues  to  the  same  amount. 

The  various  agencies  established  were  very  successful,  so 
that  thirty- eight  millions  of  the  fifty  millions  of  dollars  were 
taken  up.  The  Banks  then  took  the  second  issue  of  fifty 
million  dollars,  bearing  date  October  1st,  1861.  In  the 
meantime  the  demand  notes,  as  they  were  called,  were  put 
in  circulation,  and  a  vast  amount  of  State  loans  thrown  upon 
the  market,  which  so  diverted  the  investment  by  the  people 
in  the  treasury  notes  that  the  Banks  refused  to  take  the 
third  issue  of  fifty  million  dollars,  preferring  the  Twenty- 
years'  six  per  cent,  stock  at  a  discount,  that  made  it  equiva 
lent  to  a  seven  per  cent,  stock  at  par. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1862,  only  a  little  over  fifty  mil 
lion  dollars  of  the  treasury  notes  had  been  subscribed  for, 
outside  of  the  Banks,  while  twenty-four  million  dollars  of 
demand  notes  had  been  issued,  and  fifty  millions  of  Twenty- 
years'  stock — though  this  sum  had  not  been  realized.  Two 


SUSPENSION    OF    THE    BANKS.  437 

years'  six  per  cent,  notes  to  the  amount  of  fourteen  million, 
nineteen  thousand,  three  hundred  and  forty  dollars  and  sixty- 
six  cents  had  also  been  issued,  and  nearly  thirteen  million 
dollars  had  been  borrowed  on  sixty  days  six  per  cent,  notes — 
making  ia  all  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven  million,  two 
hundred  and  forty-two  thousand,  five  hundred  and  eighty- 
eight  dollars  and  fourteen  cents. 

The  tax  of  twenty  million  dollars  gave  us  no  revenue. 
It  was  apportioned  to  the  several  States,  but  of  course  was 
collectable  only  in  the  loyal  ones ;  and  in  most  cases  as  the 
amount  they  had  already  furnished  in  equipping  the  national 
troops  equaled  the  amount  of  the  tax,  they  were  given  credit 
for  it,  so  that  the  only  effect  of  the  tax  was  to  pay  a  debt 
which  might  have  been  deferred.  In  the  firm  belief  that 
the  war  would  be  a  short  one,  the  Government  had  ex 
pended  its  wealth  with  an  extravagance  never  before  wit 
nessed  in  any  nation,  and  which,  if  persisted  in  for  any 
length  of  time,  whatever  other  national  resources  we  might 
possess,  threatened  to  end  the  war  by  national  bankruptcy. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  year  1862,  fifty  million  dollars 
of  paper  money  had  been  set  afloat,  redeemable  in  coin, 
and  receivable  for  customs.  Government  stocks  were  at 
a  discount,  and  in  the  general  panic  and  upheaving,  the 
Banks,  utterly  indifferent  to  the  laws  under  which  they  had 
been  organized,  suspended  specie  payment,  and  yet  went  on 
doing  business  as  before.  The  increase  of  the  army,  and  the 
lavish  expenditures  had  raised  the  expenses  of  the  Govern 
ment  to  about  two  million  dollars  per  day  ;  and  yet  the  first 
step  had  not  yet  been  struck  toward  putting  down  the  re 
bellion.  The  Army  of  the  Potomac  lay  in  front  of  Washing 
ton — the  Mississippi  was  closed  nearly  up  to  the  Ohio,  and  the 
lines  of  the  enemy,  with  scarcely  a  break,  extended  along  the 
southern  border  of  the  Northern  States  from  Missouri  to  the 
Atlantic. 


438  INTERNAL    TAXATION. 

The  financial  prospect  under  these  circumstances  was 
appalling,  and  the  question,  u  Where  is  all  the  money  needed, 
to  come  from  ?  "  was  one  which  might  well  stagger  any  Sec 
retary  of  the  Treasury.  Congress  might  authorize  loans,  but 
who  would  take  them,  unless  they  could  see  some  certain 
method  adopted  by  which  the  interest  would  be  paid.  Direct 
taxation  to  the  amount  needed  was  not  to  be  thought  of,  for 
the  Constitution  required  that  a  direct  tax  should  be  laid 
according  to  population,  which,  as  between  the  Eastern  and 
Western  States  would  be  grossly  unjust.  It  was  very  plain 
to  men  familiar  with  the  financial  history  of  Governments, 
that  we  must  fall  back  on  some  system  of  internal  taxation. 
But  the  excise  laws  of  England  were  odious  to  our  people, 
and  regarded  as  fit  only  for  an  oppressive  Government,  and 
hence  the  party  in  power  feared  to  enact  them,  lest  it  should 
be  overthrown  in  the  next  election.  Besides,  the  perfec 
tion  of  a  system  of  internal  revenue  required  time,  while 
the  Government  was  in  pressing  need  of  money,  for  it  was 
heavily  in  arrears,  both  to  the  army  and  to  contractors. 

Still  hugging  the  miserable  delusion  that  the  war  would 
be  over  in  a  few  months,  Congress  cast  about  for  some  way 
to  raise  enough  for  immediate  wants,  thinking  that  if  these 
were  once  met,  the  danger  would  be  over,  and  then  the  Gov 
ernment  could  gather  up  the  raveled  ends  of  its  financial 
schemes,  and  once  more  bring  order  out  of  chaos. 

The  only  method  of  immediate  relief,  therefore,  seemed 
to  be  the  issue  of  paper  money — the  last  desperate  resort  of 
Governments  on  the  verge  of  bankruptcy.  So  in  the  last  of 
February  the  Secretary  was  authorized  to  issue  one  hundred 
and  fifty  millions  of  dollars  in  notes,  in  such  denominations 
as  he  chose,  down  to  five  dollars,  But  knowing  that  paper 
money  depreciated  just  in  proportion  to  the  amount  issued, 
Congress  saw  that  the  public  loan  would  not  be  taken  if  the 
interest  was  payable  in  paper,  for  a  seven  per  cent,  stock 


DUTIES    PAID    IN    COIN.  439 

might  actually  turn  out  by  this  depreciation  to  be  worth  no 
more  than  an  ordinary  two  or  three  per  cent,  stock,  and  it 
therefore  enacted  that  the  interest  on  the  public  debt  should 
be  paid  in  coin.  This,  of  course  furnished  a  strong  inducement 
to  invest  in  public  securities,  for  the  more  paper  depreciated 
the  higher  coin  would  go,  and  hence  the  higher  the  rate  of 
interest  would  be.  But  the  next  question  was,  u  Where  shall 
the  Government  get  this  coin  ?  "  To  go  into  the  market  and 
buy  it,  would  stimulate  speculation  so  that  it  could  be  ob 
tained  only  at  ruinous  rates.  It  was  therefore  decreed  that  all 
customs  should  be  paid  in  coin.  This  was  in  effect  enacting 
over  again  the  old  protective  tariff;  for  importers  being 
compelled  to  go  into  market  and  buy  their  gold,  its  rise 
would  be  inevitable.  Practically,  therefore,  the  duties 
would  be  increased  indefinitely,  causing  a  corresponding 
rise  in  the  price  of  goods.  This  of  course  would  stimulate 
home  manufacture.  As  from  the  embargo  of  1812,  and  the 
protective  tariff  afterward,  New  England  was  made  a  manu 
facturing  country,  so  now,  by  this  practically  high  tariff  all 
her  machinery  was  set  in  full  motion. 

Another  ingenious  device  was  adopted  for  obtaining 
money  for  present  use.  The  war  had  locked  up  a  vast 
amount  of  wealth  ordinarily  invested  in  trade.  But  the 
holders,  like  every  body  else,  believed  the  war  was  to  be  a 
short  one,  and  therefore  preferred  that  their  capital  should 
lie  idle  for  a  while,  so  that  with  peace  it  could  be  employed 
again  in  the  more  remunerative  way  of  trade  and  commerce, 
than  by  being  invested  in  Government  securities  at  a  fixed 
rate  of  interest.  To  get  hold  of  this,  the  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  was  authorized  to  receive  twenty-five  million  dollars 
on  deposit  to  be  paid  on  ten  days'  notice,  and  to  bear  interest 
at  the  rate  of  five  per  cent,  per  annum,  payable  in.  gold. 
The  bait  took,  and  the  whole  amount  was  so  quickly  taken, 
that  Congress  authorized  the  reception  of  one  hundred  mil- 

58 


440  PUBLIC     DEBT. 

lion  dollars,  interest  payable  in  paper.  Fruitful  in  all  kinds 
of  shifts,  it  also  authorized  the  Secretary  to  issue  certificates 
of  indebtedness  to  the  public  creditors,  bearing  interest  of 
six  per  cent. — at  first  payable  in  gold,  but  afterward  in 
paper. 

The  Department  had  had  for  use  during  the  year,  two  hun 
dred  and  thirty-five  million  dollars — all  but  ten  millions 
granted  by  the  tariff  law — being  in  seven  and  three-tenths 
three  years'  bonds,  legal  tender,  and  certificates  of  deposit. 
It  had  besides,  one  year  six  per  cent,  certificates  to  issue  to 
any  amount  it  chose. 

The  debt  at  the  close  of  the  fiscal  year,  as  ascertained, 
was  five  hundred  and  fourteen  million,  two  hundred  and 
eleven  thousand,  three  hundred  and  seventy-one  dollars, 
while  gold  was  at  ten  per  cent,  premium.  There  should  be 
added  to  this,  however,  probably  over  a  million  dollars  of 
arrears  not  yet  audited.  On  this  debt,  twenty-two  million  dol 
lars  of  interest  in  gold  was  to  be  paid.  It  had  now  become 
very  evident  that  the  war  was  not  to  be  terminated  speed 
ily,  and  hence  that  these  various  expedients  to  raise  money 
for  present  emergencies  would  not  answer.  No  matter  how 
unpopular  a  system  of  internal  taxation  might  be  for  the 
party  in  power,  it  must  be  resorted  to  or  the  war  be  aban 
doned  for  want  of  means  to  carry  it  on.  Congress  therefore 
resolved  to  pass  an  excise  law  that  should  tax  the  entire 
industry  of  the  country,  and  levy  a  tax  on  all  incomes  over 
six  hundred  dollars.  We  had  taunted  England  with  her 
oppressive  taxation,  saying  that  the  poor  man  was  taxed 
even  for  the  light  of  heaven,  and  after  his  eyes  had  closed 
on  that  light  forever,  the  very  nails  in  his  coffin  were  taxed, 
little  dreaming  that  our  boasted  Republic  would  so  soon  fol 
low  her  example. 

But  there  was  no  help  for  it.     Under  this  law  stamp-da- 


EXCISE     LAW.  441 

ties  were  to  be  paid  on  all  transactions  and  legal  demands. 
and  a  three  per  cent,  tax  on  all  manufactures. 

Snch  a  law  was  something  entirely  new  to  our  legislators, 
and  it  required  time  to  perfect  it — besides,  the  income  tax 
was  not  to  be  collected  till  June  of  1863.  In  the  meantime, 
money  must  be  had,  for  the  Secretary  had  estimated  that 
the  expenditures,  for  the  fiscal  year  of  1863,  would  be  six 
hundred  and  ninety-three  million,  three  hundred  and  for 
ty-six  thousand,  three  hundred  and  twenty-one  dollars, 
independent  of  the  public  debt  of  ninety-five  million,  two 
hundred  and  twelve  thousand,  four  hundred  and  fifty-six 
dollars. 

This,  however,  was  an  under-estimate,  for  the  military 
necessity,  which  soon  after  required  the  calling  out  of  six 
hundred  thousand  men,  swelled  these  expenditures  so  that 
Congress,  instead  of  making  an  appropriation  to  meet  the 
Secretary's  estimate  of  nearly  seven  hundred  million  dollars, 
made  one  of  eight  hundred  and  eighty:two  million,  two 
hundred  and  thirty-eight  thousand,  and  eight  hundred  dol 
lars.  To  raise  this  amount,  it  authorized  the  issue  of  five 
hundred  million  dollars  of  six  per  cent,  stock,  redeemable  in 
five  to  twenty  years,  and  also  an  issue  of  notes  for  one  hun 
dred  million  dollars,  which  could  be  exchanged  at  par  for 
the  stock,  making  in  all  seven  hundred  million  dollars.  To 
make  up  the  balance,  the  Secretary  was  empowered  to  issue 
fractional  notes,  under  a  dollar,  to  any  amount. 

This,  apparently,  reckless  issue  of  Government  paper,  cre 
ated  general  distrust,  and  gold,  which  only  reached,  the  year 
before  at  any  one  time,  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  and  one- 
half  per  cent,  touched,  this  year,  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
two  and  one-half  per  cent.  To  keep  up  the  public  credit,  it 
was  ordered  that  the  Five-twenty  bonds  should  not  be  sold 
at  less  than  market  value,  while  the  holders  of  Government 
notes  were  allowed  to  exchange  them  for  the  bonds  at  par. 


442  NEW     ISSUES. 

When  Congress  again  met,  the  debt  was  stated  to  amount 
to  fourteen  hundred  million  dollars,  without  computing  the 
enormous  arrears  that  could  only  be  guessed  at,  and  which 
somehow  must  be  met.  In  the  beginning  of  the  actual 
year  the  Secretary  was  authorized  to  issue  one  hundred  mil 
lion  dollars  of  paper  money,  in  order  to  meet  the  present 
obligations  of  the  Government.  He  now  asked  Congress  to 
amend  the  law  respecting  the  sale  of  the  Five-twenty  bonds, 
fixing  July  as  the  limit,  beyond  which  Government  notes 
could  not  be  converted  into  them  at  par.  A  law  was  also 
passed  authorizing  five  hundred  million  dollars  six  per  cent, 
stock  to  be  issued,  redeemable  within  forty  years,  but  not 
till  after  ten — also,  the  issue  of  four  hundred  million  dollars 
of  notes,  as  low  as  ten  dollars,  to  be  legal  tenders,  bearing 
six  per  cent,  interest  in  paper,  and  redeemable  in  three  years. 
To  these  were  added  one  hundred  and  fifty  million  dollars 
more,  into  which  the  smaller  interest-bearing  notes  could  be 
converted. 

The  unbounded  license  given  to  the  Secretary  to  issue 
fractional  paper  currency  was  now  taken  away,  and  the 
amount  fixed  at  fifty  million  dollars. 

This  enormous  issue  of  paper  bewildered  the  public,  and 
it  seemed  as  though  nothing  short  of  a  miracle  could  save 
the  nation  from  hopeless  bankruptcy.  Abroad,  there  was- 
not  the  slightest  doubt  that  we  were  rushing  headlong  inta 
financial  ruin. 

Another  law  was  passed  which  caused  great  excitement, 
completely  revolutionizing  the  whole  banking  system  of  the 
country.  This  was  the  NATIONAL  BANKING  LAW,  authorizing 
Banks,  in  all  the  States,  secured  in  Government  stocks,  to 
circulate  notes  redeemable  in  Government  paper.  This  cir 
culation  was  limited  to  three  hundred  millions  of  dollars, 
based  on  the  same  amount  of  Government  securities.  But 
there  were  already  more  Banks  in  the  country  than  the  wants- 


NATIONAL     BANKS.  443 

of  the  community  required,  and  it  was  plain  that  these  must 
be  converted  into  National  Banks,  or  be  killed,  or  the  sys 
tem  would  fail  of  success.  The  change  could  be  easily  made, 
for  it  was  only  necessary  to  change  the  securities  which  they 
held  into  Government  securities. 

But  many  of  the  States  preferred  their  own  banking  sys 
tem,  especially  the  great  State  of  New  York,  which  compel 
led  its  Banks,  in  the  main,  to  be  secured  by  the  State  stocks. 
It  had  so  perfected  its  banking  system,  that  should  every 
Bank  in  the  State  fail,  its  notes  would  be  redeemed  dollar 
for  dollar.  Besides,  by  making  its  own  stock  the  basis  of 
banking,  it  enhanced  the  value  of  it,  so  that  whenever  it 
wished  to  make  a  loan,  the  Banks  not  only  took  all  the  stock 
with  avidity,  but  the  competition  was  so  great  to  secure  it, 
that  it  was  always  at  a  large  premium — its  six  per  cent, 
stock,  having  a  long  time  to  run,  going,  in  some  instances, 
as  high  as  seventeen  per  cent,  above  par.  Thus  its  bank 
ing  system  not  only  made  loans  easy,  but  caused  them  to 
be  taken  at  a  premium  that  materially  lessened  the  inter 
est.  To  change  it,  therefore,  was  to  depreciate  at  once 
the  value  of  its  own  securities.  This  depreciation  would, 
also,  cause  a  great  loss  to  the  Banks,  for  the  stocks  held  by 
them  could  not  bring,  in  the  market,  the  prices  they  had 
paid  for  them.  Hence,  in  every  way  the  law  was  distasteful 
to  the  State. 

To  force  the  State  Banks  to  change  into  National  Banks, 
Congress  passed  a  law  taxing  their  notes  ten  per  cent.  As 
it  had  long  ago  been  decided  that  Government  securities 
were  not  taxable,  the  States  could  not  retaliate  by  tax 
ing  the  National  Banks — at  least,  it  was  very  questionable 
whether  any  State  legislation  could  offset  this  discrimination 
against  the  State  Banks,  and  so  (lie  latter  gradually  con 
verted  themselves  into  National  Banks.  This,  of  course, 


444         EIGHTEEN    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FOUR. 

required  the  absorption  of  a  large  amount  of  Government 
securities. 

But,  independent  of  its  being  a  present  benefit,  this  sys 
tem,  if  let  alone  by  new  administrations,  will  be  a  lasting 
one,  by  giving  us  a  uniform  currency  throughout  the  coun 
try  ;  a  desideratum  acknowledged  by  every  business  man. 

Under  the  agencies  and  commissions  authorized  by  the 
Treasury  Department,  the  sale  of  the  Five-twenties  went 
briskly  on,  and  the  Secretary  extended  the  limit  in  order  to 
dispose  of  the  whole.  The  deposits  on  five  per  cent,  cer 
tificates  filled  up  the  limit  of  one  hundred  millions  of  dollars, 
so  that  for  the  last  three  months  of  the  fiscal  year,  ending 
with  June,  the  Treasury  was  well  supplied. 

Gold  fell  nearly  a  half,  goods  went  down,  and  in  the  very 
midst  of  our  troubles,  everything  seemed  about  to  revive. 
At  its  close  the  debt  was  one  thousand  and  ninety-eight 
million,  seven  hundred  and  ninety-three  thousand,  one 
hundred  and  eighty-one  dollars,  without  reckoning  in  the 
arrears,  amounting  probably  to  two  hundred  millions  more. 
The  interest  on  the  funded  debt  was  forty-two  million,  two 
hundred  and  seventy-eight  thousand  and  two  dollars,  and 
seventy-three  cents.  Unfunded,  .one  hundred  and  eighty 
millions  of  dollars. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  fiscal  year  of  1864,  there  were 
over  four  hundred  and  eleven  million  dollars  of  outstanding 
legal  tender  money.  The  constant  forcing  of  paper  issues  on 
the  market  depreciated  necessarily  its  value,  and  again  raised 
the  price  of  gold.  Still  the  financial  resources  of  the  country 
had  been  developed  in  a  manner  that  astonished  the  most 
hopeful,  showing  an  amount  of  available  wealth  never 
dreamed  of  before.  Our  unparalleled  prosperity  for  so 
many  years  had  induced  an  extravagant,  expensive  mode  of 
living,  so  that  the  extraction  of  these  vast  sums  from  the 


EXPENDITURES.  445 

people  produced  comparatively  little  suffering — it  demanded 
only  the  practice  of  a  wholesome  economy. 

The  total  revenue  from  all  sources  this  fiscal  year  was 
one  hundred  and  eleven  million,  three  hundred  and  ninety- 
nine  thousand,  seven  hundred  and  sixty-six  dollars.  Added 
to  this,  we  borrowed  seven  hundred  and  seventy-six  million, 
six  hundred  and  eighty-two  thousand,  three  hundred  and 
sixty-one  dollars ;  making  in  all  eight  hundred  and  eighty- 
eight  million,  eighty-two  thousand,  one  hundred  and 
twenty-eight  dollars  with  which  to  meet  an  expenditure  of 
eight  hundred  and  ninety-five  million,  seven  hundred  and 
ninety-six  thousand,  six  hundred  and  thirty  dollars.  It 
was  impossible  to  estimate  very  closely  the  expenditures  of 
the  year  1864,  for  the  constant  depreciation  of  paper  brought 
up  the  price  of  every  thing  the  Government  would  have  to 
buy.  It  was  plain  that  the  taxes  would  not  meet  it,  and 
therefore  the  Government  must  go  on  borrowing.  The  Sec 
retary  stopped  in  January  the  sale  of  the  Five-twenty  bonds. 
Having  previously  issued  fifteen  million  dollars  more  of  legal 
tender  notes,  he  now,  with  the  stoppage  of  the  sale  of  these 
bonds  issued  one  hundred  and  fifty  million  dollars  more  of 
these  notes,  bearing  interest. 

In  the  meantime,  the  amount  of  customs  largely  exceeded 
the  estimate,  so  that  after  paying  the  interest  on  the  public 
debt  a  surplus  of  gold  was  left,  which  by  law  was  to  be  ap 
plied  to  the  purchase  of  one  per  cent,  of  the  public  debt  as 
a  sinking  fund. 

This  whole  surplus  was  eventually  sold  in  the  market,  and 
the  premium  obtained  credited  to  the  Government.  It  seem 
ed  a  very  discreditable  thing  for  the  Government  to  go  into 
the  market  to  speculate  on  its  own  depreciated  paper,  but 
the  object  was  to  bring  down  the  price  of  gold,  which  spec 
ulators  were  forcing  up  to  a  ruinous  rate.  But  the  most 
remarkable  effort  to  bring  down  the  price  of  gold  this  year, 


446  THE     GOLD    BILL. 

remarkable  from  the  enormous  advance  it  produced,  was 
what  was  called  the  "  Gold  Bill."  Congress  having  passed  a 
resolution  increasing  the  duties  on  imported  goods  fifty  per 
cent.,  for  sixty  days,  to  take  effect  on  the  28th  of  April, 
large  entries  of  goods  were  made,  which  increased  the 
demand  for  gold,  and  hence  caused  it  to  advance  in  price. 
To  stop  its  farther  advance,  the  "  Gold  Bill  "  was  concocted, 
which  forbade  any  one  to  sell  exchange  for  specie  at  more 
than  ten  days  time,  and  no  where  except  over  the  counter 
of  the  individual  banker.  This  law  was  odious  not  only  as 
infringing  on  personal  rights,  but  it  crippled  bankers,  by 
making  them  afraid  to  act  as  their  business  relations  re 
quired.  It  besides,  exposed  them  to  informers,  who  were 
ready  to  make  complaints  on  any  pretense,  as  half  the  fine 
would  go  to  them.  Moreover,  the  short  term  fixed  by  the 
law  for  which  a  contract  for  exchange  might  run,  interfered 
sadly  with  the  ordinary  shipping  business  done  in  New  York 
for  the  West.  Fifteen  or  sixteen  days  were  required  to 
complete  arrangements  between  even  Chicago  and  New 
York,  hence  foreign  exchanges  were  at  a  dead  stand-still. 
If,  for  instance,  certified  checks  could  not  be  used,  it  was 
difficult  to  see  how  ordinary  business  could  be  carried  on. 
It  is  true  that  the  Solicitor  of  the  Treasury  finally  gave  it  as 
his  opinion  that  the  Act  did  not  require  the  "formal  deliv 
ery  of  the  notes  in  currency  by  the  buyer  to  the  seller,"  for 
the  amount  of  gold  or  bullion  purchased  on  the  day  in  which 
the  contract  was  made,  but  that  a  bona-fide  check  for  the 
amount  in  United  States  notes  or  currency  was  valid  pay 
ment,  and  also,  that  although  the  law  "  prohibits  contracts  for 
the  purchase  or  sale  and  delivery  of  foreign  exchange, 
except  on  conditions  of  immediate  payment  in  full  of  the 
agreed  price  thereof  on  the  day  of  delivery  in  United  States 
notes,  or  national  currency,"  yet,  "that  a  payment  for  ex 
change  in  gold  coin  of  the  United  States  was  a  legal  and 


MR.     FESSENDEN.  447 

valid  payment;"  thus  relieving  bankers  from  their  greatest 
fears.  Still  gold  went  steadily  up,  till  at  the  close  of  the 
fiscal  year  it  stood  at  tivo  hundred  and  ninety.  On  the  last 
day  of  the  fiscal  year  this  absurd  bill  was  repealed,  and  the 
same  day  Mr.  Chase  resigned  and  Mr.  Fessenden  took  his 
place. 

The  total  receipts  of  this  year,  from  receipts  of  customs, 
loans,  taxes  and  every  source,  were  two  hundred  and  sixty 
million,  six  hundred  and  thirty-two  thousand,  seven  hundred 
and  fifty-seven  dollars,  while  the  expenses,  and  interest  on 
this  debt,  amounted  to  eight  hundred  and  sixty-five  million, 
two  hundred  and  thirty-four  thousand  and  eighty-seven  dol 
lars.  The  revenue,  therefore,  fell  short  six  hundred  and 
four  million,  six  hundred  and  one  thousand,  three  hundred 
and'  seventy  dollars  of  meeting  the  expenditures.  This 
enormous  balance  was  borrowed  as  we  have  seen,  on  bonds  of 
various  kinds,  notes,  certificates  of  indebtedness,  fractional 
currency,  &a,  the  whole  amount  so  borrowed  being  seven  hun 
dred  and  thirty  million,  six  hundred  and  forty  two  thousand, 
four  hundred  and  ten  dollars  and  ninety-seven  cents;  of 
which,  one  hundred  and  twelve  million,  five  hundred  and 
twenty-seven  thousand,  five  hundred  and  twenty-six  dollars 
and  five  cents  were  expended  in  repayment  of  the  public 
debt,  leaving  over  six  hundred  and  eighteen  millions  to  be 
applied  to  the  expenditures.  The  receipts  from  customs 
this  year,  reached  the  large  sum  of  one  hundred  and  two 
million,  three  hundred  and  sixteen  thousand,  one  hundred 
and  fifty-three  dollars,  while  the  interest  to  be  paid  in  coin 
was  only  fifty-three  million,  six  hundred  and  eighty-five 
thousand,  four  hundred  and  twenty-one  dollars,  leaving  over 
forty-eight  and  a  half  millions  in  gold  in  the  public  treasury, 
which,  as  we  previously  stated,  was  sold,  and  a  premium  of 
over  nineteen  million  dollars  obtained,  and  put  down  as 
miscellaneous  receipts. 


448  PUBLIC    DEBT. 

When,  in  1864  Mr.  Fessenden  came  into  office,  he  found 
as  we  have  seen,  the  Government  paper  worth  only  thirty- 
five  cents  on  the  dollar,  with  customs  falling  off.  But  the  tax 
law  had  been  revised  and  now  promised  to  furnish  a  larger 
amount  of  money  than  before,  while  a  five  per  cent,  extra 
income  tax  was  levied  on  the  incomes  of  the  year  before, 
which  of  course  would  increase  the  amount  of  revenues. 
There  were  nearly  nineteen  million  dollars  in  the  Treasury, 
when  he  accepted  the  office  of  Secretary,  while  under  laws 
previously  passed,  he  had  a  right  to  borrow,  first,  thirty-two 
million,  four  hundred  and  fifty-nine  thousand,  seven  hundred 
dollars — that  portion  of  the  seventy-five  million  dollars 
advertised  before  the  close  of  the  former  fiscal  year,  and 
which  had  not  been  awarded  to  bidders — and  also  one  hun 
dred  and  twenty-seven  million,  six  hundred  and  three 
thousand,  five  hundred  and  twenty  dollars,  the  amount 
which  had  not  been  subscribed  for,  and  paid  under  the  Act 
of  March  3d,  1864,  besides  four  hundred  million  dollars 
under  an  Act  passed  the  last  day  of  the  fiscal  year.  A  little 
over  sixty-two  million  dollars  of  treasury  notes  had  been  re 
deemed  and  canceled,  which  he  had  authority  to  replace, 
so  that  altogether  the  available  resources  in  the  hands  of 
the  new  Secretary  amounted  to  six  hundred  and  forty-one 
million,  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  thousand,  two  hun 
dred  and  thirteen  dollars  and  seventy-one  cents.  Of  course 
he  could  not  do  otherwise  than  follow  on  in  the  track  of  his 
predecessor. 

Our  bonds  now  began  to  sell  abroad,  which  obviated  very 
much  the  issue  of  legal  tender  notes. 

Mr.  Fessenden  continued  in  office  until  March,  1865,  when 
the  war  was  drawing  to  a  close,  at  which  time  the  public 
debt  was  twenty-four  hundred  and  twenty-three  million, 
four  hundred  and  thirty-seven  thousand  and  one  dollars. 


THE     PUBLIC     DEBT.  449 

It  had  increased  at  the  rate  of  two  and  a  half  million  dollars 
a  day  since  he  took  charge  of  the  Treasury  Department. 

From  what  revenues  we  are  to  establish  a  sinking  fund  to 
payoff  this  enormous  debt,  it  does  not  yet  appear.  Of  course 
when  the  tax  for  paying  the  interest,  now  levied  on  the 
North,  shall  be  distributed  in  proper  proportion  over  the 
South,  the  burden  will  be  lightened ;  but  this  generation, 
we  fear,  will  look  in  vain  for  any  material  diminution  of  the 
debt.  Still,  returning  prosperity  may  develop  resources  of 
which  we  are  now  ignorant. 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 

ALARM    PRODUCED    BY    EARLY's    INVASION SIGEL's    RETREAT WEBER    ABAN 
DONS  HARPER'S  FERRY — THE  PIRATE  FLORIDA  ox  OUR  COAST — THE  REBELS 

CROSS  THE  POTOMAC  AND  OCCUPY  HAGERSTOWN HEGIRA  OF  THE  PEOPLE 

MILITIA    CALLED    OUT GENERAL    WALLACE    GIVES    BATTLE    AT  MONOCACY 

RETREATS ALARM  IN  BALTIMORE RAILROAD  CUT  BETWEEN  BALTIMORE  AND 

PHILADELPHIA GENERAL  FRANKLIN  TAKEN  PRISONER GOVERNOR  BRAD 
FORD^  HOUSE  BURNED THE  MAIN  ARMY  MOVES  ON  WASHINGTON SKIR 
MISHING  IN  FRONT  OF  FORT  STEVENS ARRIVAL  OF  THE  NINETEENTH  AND 

SIXTH  CORPS — THE  REBELS  RETREAT PURSUIT  BY  WRIGHT ESCAPE  OF  THE 

INVADERS AVER1LL    AND    CROOK    AND  DUFFIE    ENGAGE    A    PORTION    OF  THE 

ENEMY COMPELLED    TO    RETREAT    ACROSS    THE    POTOMAC THE    REBEL    MC- 

CAUSLAND  ADVANCES  TO    CHAMBERSBURG    AND    BURNS    IT ATTACKED  IN  HIS 

RETREAT  AND  HIS  FORCES  SCATTERED  AMONG  THE  MOUNTAINS EARLY  PRE 
PARES  TO  REMAIN  IN  THE  SHENANDOAH  VALLEY GRANT  VISITS  HUNTER 

HIS    LETTER    OF     INSTRUCTIONS — SHERIDAN    PUT    IN    HIS    PLACE POLITICAL 

EVENTS FIVE  HUNDRED  THOUSAND  TROOPS  CALLED  FOR PEACE  NEGOTIA 
TIONS JACQUES  AND  KIRK GREELY,  JEWETT,  SANDERS  AND  OTHERS "  TO 

WHOM  IT  MAY  CONCERN  " ABSURDITY  OF  THE  PEACE  NEGOTIATIONS. 

A  LTHOUGH  the  months  of  May  and  June,  both  West 
_LJL  and  East,  had  been  crowded  with  events  of  a  magni 
tude  and  national  interest,  hitherto  unknown  in  our  history, 
yet  the  month  of  July  saw  Washington  in  a  state  of  excite 
ment  scarcely  equaled  since  the  disastrous  battle  of  Bull 
Run  in  July,  1861 ;  while  in  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania, 
the  alarm  and  consternation  of  the  year  before,  on  the  inva 
sion  of  Lee,  were  repeated  over  again. 

The  disappearance  of  Hunter  from  the  Valley  of  the  Shen- 
andoah,  as  before  remarked,  was  the  signal  for  a  new  inva 
sion  of  Maryland.  On  the  2nd,  it  was  announced  that  the 


E  A  ELY'S   INVASION.  451 

enemy  was  approaching  Martinsburg,  on  his  way  to  the  Po 
tomac.  On  the  3rd,  Sigel,  in  command  there,  retreated 
across  the  river,  at  Shepardstown,  with  his  immense  trains, 
and  Weber,  in  command  of  Harper's  Ferry,  also  crossed  over 
and  occupied  Maryland  Heights.  Frederick  City  was  thrown 
into  consternation,  the  public  stores  were  removed,  and  the 
streets  thronged  with  people  bearing  their  goods  with  them, 
fleeing  to  a  place  of  safety.  On  the  6th,  Hagerstown  was 
occupied  by  the  enemy,  who  was  found  not  to  be  on  a  mere 
raid,  for  his  force  was  altogether  too  large  for  such  a  pur 
pose.  The  roads  were  now  thronged  with  refugees,  some 
with  vehicles  of  every  kind  pressed  into  service,  to  carry 
their  little  possessions  toward  Baltimore;  others,  on  footT 
driving  their  cattle  before  them — all  filled  with  terror,  and 
circulating  the  most  extravagant  reports  of  the  number  and 
blood-thirstiness  of  the  enemy.  The  region  around  Hagers 
town  became  depopulated,  and  a  universal  hegira  of  the 
inhabitants  seemed  about  to  take  place. 

There  were  no  troops,  or  scarcely  none,  to  oppose  this  sud 
den  invasion.  The  enormous  losses  of  Grant  had  caused  him 
to  call  forward  the  troops  in  the  neighborhood  of  Washing 
ton  and  Baltimore,  even  in  the  garrisons  over  the  Potomac ; 
and  Early,  for  the  time  being,  had  a  clear  field.  On  the  6th,, 
he  moved  a  strong  column  toward  Frederick  City.  General 
Wallace,  with  Rickett's  division,  and  such  troops  as  he  could 
gather,  most  of  them  new  and  undisciplined,  moved  out 
from  Baltimore  to  arrest  his  progress,  and  met  him  in  force, 
on  the  Monocacy,  near  where  the  railroad  bridge  crosses  it, 
and  gave  him  battle.  After  a  severe  loss,  Wallace  was  com 
pelled  to  retreat. 

In  the  meantime,  the  President  had  called  on  New  York, 
Massachusetts,  and  Pennsylvania,  for  their  quotas  of  militia, 
and  the  scenes  of  the  Summer  previous  were  enacted  over 
again.  Railroads  and  steamboats  groaned  under  the  weight 


452  WASHINGTON     THREATENED. 

of  troops  hurrying  on  toward  Washington,  and  it  was  feared 
by  many  that  the  consternation  there  would  compel  the  Presi 
dent  to  demand  the  presence  of  Grant's  army  around  the 
National  Capital,  and  the  war  once  more  be  transferred  to 
the  neighborhood  of  the  Potomac. 

The  Mayor  of  Baltimore  called  on  the  citizens  to  man  the 
fortifications,  as  the  enemy  was  marching  on  the  city.  "  Come 
as  leagues,  or  come  in  military  companies,  only  come  in 
crowds,  and  come  quickly,"  he  said,  and  the  drum  and  fife 
rang  through  the  streets,  to  call  out  volunteers  to  meet  the 
pressing  danger.  Fortunately,  immediately  after  the  failure 
of  the  Red  River  expedition,  Grant  had  ordered  home  the 
Nineteenth  Army  Corps,  which  now  began  to  arrive  at 
Hampton  Roads,  and  was  immediately  hurried  on  to  Wash 
ington,  Hunter,  the  Commander  of  the  Shenaadoah  Depart 
ment,  with  his  army,  being  unavailable  at  present,  Grant  also 
dispatched  the  Sixth  Army  Corps,  under  Wright,  to  assist  in 
repelling  the  invasion,  and  two  divisions  followed  fast  on  the 
heels  of  the  Nineteenth  Corps. 

Early  having  swept  Wallace  from  his  path,  moved  rapidly 
down  on  Washington,  by  the  Washington  and  Frederick 
turnpike.  In  the  meantime,  a  body  of  rebel  cavalry,  under 
Gillmore,  pushed  on  toward  Baltimore,  and  striking  the  rail 
road  between  that  city  and  Philadelphia,  captured  a  train,  and 
setting  it  on  fire,  run  it  upon  Gunpowder  bridge,  destroying 
for  a  time,  direct  communication  between  Washington  and 
the  North,  Major-General  Franklin,  just  from  New  Orleans, 
was  on  board,  and  being  pointed  out  by  a  rebel  sympathizer, 
was  taken  prisoner.  He,  however,  afterward  managed  to 
escape  while  his  guard  were  asleep.  A  rebel  squad  boldly 
pushed  to  the  suburbs  of  Baltimore,  and  burned  the  house  of 
Governor  Bradford,  in  retaliation,  they  said,  for  the  burning, 
by  our  forces,  of  the  dwelling  of  Governor  Letcher.  of  Vir 
ginia.  Other  detachments  wandered  hither  and  thither  unmo- 


RETREAT     OF     THE     REBELS.  453 

lested,  collecting  forage  and  supplies  for  the  army,  and  levy 
ing  contributions  on  the  inhabitants.  The  main  army,  how 
ever,  which  had  grown,  by  popular  rumor,  from  four  or  five 
thousand  to  forty  thousand,  pressed  rapidly  toward  Wash 
ington,  hoping  to  take  it  by  surprise  before  the  weakened 
garrisons  could  be  reinforced.  Five  miles  from  the  city  and 
two  miles  from  the  fortifications,  it  drove  in,  on  Sunday 
night,  our  pickets,  and,  next  morning,  the  skirmishers  were 
in  rifle-shot  of  Fort  Stevens,  three  miles  from  Georgetown. 
Firing  continued  here  all  the  forenoon,  and,  by  two  o'clock, 
the  sharp-shooters,  under  cover  of  the  houses,  had  advanced 
to  within  thirty  or  forty  rods  of  the  fort.  During  the  after 
noon,  the  main  column  arrived  and  showed  a  strong  line  in 
front  of  it.  From  appearances,  it  was  conjectured  that  a 
general  assault  would  take  place  next  morning.  The  skir 
mishing  had  been  heavy  the  latter  part  of  the  day,  our 
loss  reaching  nearly  three  hundred.  The  Sixth  happily 
arrived  just  in  time  to  save  the  fort.  The  rebels,  doubtless, 
learned  of  the  sudden  reinforcement  of  the  garrison,  by  this 
veteran  Corps,  and  that  night  retreated — their  chief  conquest 
being  some  papers  taken  from  the  residence  of  Francis  P. 
Blair  in  the  vicinity. 

Grant  understanding  the  exact  condition  of  things,  tele 
graphed  to  Washington  to  have  General  Wright  placed  in 
command  of  all  the  troops  in  the  field,  operating  against  the 
enemy,  and  directed  him  to  move  at  once  outside  of  his 
trenches,  and  upush  Early  to  the  last  moment." 

With  the  retreat  of  the  rebel  army,  the  cavalry  that  had 
threatened  Baltimore,  and  carried  consternation  even  to  An 
napolis,  began  to  fall  back  to  the  main  body. 

Although  Wright  pushed  on  after  Early,  the  latter  was 
able  to  cross  the  Potomac,  near  Poolesville,  with  his  immense 
plunder — vast  herds  of  cattle  being  not  the  least  conspicu 
ous  figure  in  the  moving  caravan. 


454  CAVALRY     ATTACK. 

In  the  midst  of  these  exciting  events,  came  the  startling 
news  that  the  rebel  privateer  Florida  was  on  our  coast,  and 
had  captured  five  vessels.  War  vessels  were  immediately 
sent  in  pursuit  of  this  daring  cruiser,  which  seemed  to  vie 
in  the  boldness  of  his  movements  with  the  presumptuous 
invaders  that  were  pressing  up  to  the  very  gates  of  the 
Capital. 

General  Wright,  in  pursuing  Early,  whose  force  it  was 
pretty  well  understood  was  about  twenty  thousand  men, 
crossed  the  Potomac  at  Edward's  Ferry  and  advanced 
toward  Leesburg,  where  Rickett's  division,  which  had 
parted  from  the  corps,  to  aid  Wallace,  joined  it.  Four  days 
after,  a  portion  of  Crook's  cavalry,  under  Duffie,  captured  a 
part  of  the  rebel  trains  near  Snicker's  Gap,  Crook,  with  the 
main  body,  coming  up,  was  repulsed,  and  the  following  day 
Duffie  was-  roughly  handled  by  Breckenridge,  at  Island 
Ford,  on  the  Shenandoah,  losing  three  hundred  men.  As 
the  enemy  moved  on  toward  Winchester,  Averill  near  this 
place  had  an  engagement  with  a  rebel  division,,  defeating  it 
with  heavy  loss  and  capturing  four  guns.  Crook  and  Averill 
now  joined  their  forces,  and  Early,  finding  himself  closely 
pressed  by  this  large  body  of  cavalry,  rapidly  concentrated 
a  large  force,  which  on  the  24th  fell  with  such  fury  on  the 
Union  cavalry,  that  it  was  compelled  with  severe  loss  to 
retreat,  and  recrossed  the  Potomac,  leaving  the  southern 
shore  in  possession  of  the  rebels,  from  Williamsport  to 
Shepardstown_  The  latter  occupied  Martinsburg,  and  again 
commenced  to  tear  up  the  Baltimore  and  Ol^io  railroad  track, 
which  had  suffered  so  severely  in  every  advance  of  the  reb 
els  to  the  Potomac. 

Hunter  had  now  got  back  with  his  shattered  army,  and 
once  more  confronted  his  old  enemy  that  chased  him  over 
the  mountains  from  Lynchburg.  On  the  30th  McCausland 
with  a  body  of  cavalry  recrossed  the  Potomac,  and,  moving 


GRANT'S  INSTRUCTIONS   TO   HUNTER.         455 

rapidly  upon  Chambersburg,  demanded  a  ransom  of  half  a 
million  of  dollars  from  the  inhabitants,  which  they  refusing 
to  pay,  he  fired  the  town,  destroying  a  vast  amount  of 
property.  Retreating  toward  Cumberland,  the  force  was 
met  and  defeated  by  General  Kelley,  and  scattered  among 
the  mountains  of  Western  Virginia.  The  rebels  now  held 
the  Shenandoah  Valley,  and  evidently  meant  to  hold  it  till 
the  crops  were  harvested,  for  Early  had  made  a  requisition 
on  the  inhabitants  for  a  large  amount  of  grain. 

Communications  between  Hunter,  whose  forces  were  con 
centrated  on  the  Monocacy,  and  Grant  at  City  Point,  were 
very  uncertain,  and  movements  would  often  take  place  in 
the  interim  materially  changing  the  aspect  of  affairs,  so  that 
orders  given  to  day,  might  by  the  time  they  reached  Hunter 
be  such  as  Grant  would  not  give.  He,  therefore,  left  City 
Point  on  the  4th  to  visit  him,  and  see  for  himself  what  was 
best  to  be  done.  On  reaching  Hunter's  head-quarters,  and 
consulting  with  him,  he  gave  him  the  following  instruc 
tions  : — 

"  MONOCACY  BRIDGE,  Md.,  August  5,  1864 — 8  p.  M. 

GENERAL  : — Concentrate  all  your  available  force  without  delay  in  the  vi 
cinity  of  Harper's  Ferry,  leaving  only  such  railroad  guards  and  garrisons 
for  public  property  as  may  be  necessary.  Use,  in  this  concentrating,  the 
railroads,  if  by  doing  so  time  can  be  saved.  From  Harper's  Ferry,  if  it  is 
found  that  the  enemy  has  moved  north  of  the  Potomac  in  large  force,  push 
north,  following  him  and  attacking  him  wherever  found;  follow  him  if 
driven  south  of  the  Potomac,  as  long  as  it  is  safe  to  do  so.  If  it  is  ascer 
tained  that  the  enemy  has  but  a  small  force  north  of  the  Potomac,  then  push 
south  with  the  main  force,  detaching  under  a  competent  commander  a  suffi 
cient  force  to  look  after  the  raiders,  and  drive  them  to  their  homes.  In  de 
taching  such  a  force,  the  brigade  of  cavalry  now  en  route  from  Washington 
via  Rockvllle  may  be  taken  into  account. 

There  are  now  on  their  way  to  join  you  three  other  brigades  of  the  best 
cavalry,  numbering  at  least  five  thousand  men  and  horses.  "These  will  be  in 
structed,  in  the  absence  of  further  orders,  to  join  you  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Potomac.  One  brigade  will  probably  start  to-morrow.  In  pushing  up  the 
Shenandoah  Valley,  where  it  is  expected  you  will  have  to  go  first  or  last,  it  is 
desirable  that  nothing  should  be  left  to  invite  the  enemy  to  return.  Take  all; 
provisions,  forage,  and  stock  wanted  for  the  use  of  your  command  :  such  as 
cannot  be  consumed  destroy.  It  is  not  desirable  that  the  buildings  should 
be  destroyed— they  should  rather  be  protected— but  the  people  should  be 
59 


456  SHERIDAN     RELIEVES     HUNTER. 

informed  that  so  long  as  an  army  can  subsist  among  them,  recurrences  of 
these  raids  must  be  expected,  and  we  are  determined  to  stop  them  at  all  haz 
ards. 

Bear  in  mind  the  object  is  to  drive  the  enemy  south,  and  to  do  this  you 
want  to  keep  him  always  in  sight.  Be  guided  in  your  course  by  the  course 
he  takes. 

Make  your  own  arrangements  for  supplies  of  all  kinds,  giving  regular 
vouchers  for  such  as  may  be  taken  from  loyal  citizens  in  the  country  through 
which  you  march. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant-General. 

Major  General  D.  HUNTER." 

The  troops  were  immediately  put  in  motion,  and  the 
advance  reached  Halltown  that  night.  Grant,  however,  had 
no  intention  of  leaving  Hunter  in  command  of  the  Depart 
ment.  He  felt  that  he  needed  a  different  kind  of  a  man — 
one  who  would  require  no  instructions,  and  no  watching ; 
and,  though  he  speaks  in  as  delicate  a  manner  as  possible  of 
Hunter's  removal,  saying,  that  in  "his  conversation  with  him 
the  latter  expressed  his  willingness  to  be  relieved  from  com 
mand,"  yet  that  conversation  was  evidently  of  a  character 
to  leave  no  room  for  choice,  for  two  days  before  Grant  left 
City  Point,  he  sent  on  Sheridan  to  report  to  Halleck,  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  taking  Hunter's  place.  Carrying  out  this 
purpose,  he  immediately  telegraphed  to  Washington  to  have 
Sheridan  come  on  by  the  morning  train,  to  assume  command 
of  all  the  forces  designed  to  operate  against  Early.  He 
arrived  on  the  morning  of  the  8th,  and  had  a  consultation 
with  the  Lieutenant-General  in  relation  to  military  matters 
in  that  section,  after  which  the  latter  returned  to  City  Point. 

On  the  llth,  the  Middle  Department,  the  Departments  of 
West  Virginia,  Washington,  and  Susquehanna  were  consti 
tuted  into  the  "Middle  Military  Division,"  and  Major  Gen 
eral  Sheridan  was  assigned  to  temporary  command  of  the 
same,  and  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  the  scene  of  so  many  dis 
asters  was  to  enter  on  a  new  history. 

The  army  around  Petersburg  this  month,  parched  with  heat, 
and  suffering  for  want  of  water,  lay  comparatively  quiet. 


THE     MINE.  457 

The  month  closed,  however,  with  another  desperate  at 
tempt  to  carry  Petersburg  by  assault.  A  part  of  Butler's 
army  had  been  thrown  across  the  James  River,  on  the  north 
side,  so  that  Grant's  lines  extended  at  this  time  over  twenty 
miles.  A  strong  fort  crowned  an  eminence  in  front  of  Burn- 
side's  Corps,  (the  Ninth,)  which  it  was  thought,  if  once  car 
ried,  would  let  the  assaulting  columns  into  the  very  heart  of 
the  enemy's  works.  It  was,  therefore,  determined  to  under 
mine  this  and  blow  it  up,  and  in  the  terror  and  confusion 
of  the  explosion,  to  charge  through,  and  take  the  rebel 
works  in  flank  and  rear. 

The  mine  that  was  to  lift  it,  like  an  earthquake,  from  its 
firm  foundations,  was  commenced  at  the  distance  of  five 
hundred  feet,  in  the  sides  of  a  ravine.  It  was  said  that  the 
plan  originated  with  Lieutenant-Colonel  Pleasants,  of  the 
Forty-eighth  Pennsylvania  regiment,  which  was  composed 
chiefly  of  miners. 

A  gallery  like  one  leading  to  a  coal  mine,  was  constructed 
about  four  and  a  half  feet  high,  and  four  feet  wide,  ending 
at  a  point  directly  under  the  fort,  and  twenty  feet  below  it. 
When,  as  ascertained  by  actna'i  scientific  measurement,  this 
subterranean  arch-way  got  directly  beneath  the  fort,  two 
wings  were  sent  out,  to  the  right  and  left,  extending  under 
the  entire  structure.  It  was  a  work  of  great  labor,  but,  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  month,  was  finished,  and  eight  tons  of 
powder  placed  in  the  subterranean  gallery  to  which  was 
attached  a  fuse  that  led  outside. 

The  plan  was  to  have  assaulting  columns,  which  in  the  con 
fusion  of  the  explosion  and  under  cover  of  a  horrible  fire  of 
nearly  a  hundred  pieces  of  artillery  ?  would  open  simultane 
ous  with  the  explosion,  rush  in  and  occupy  a  crest  beyond, 
that  completely  commanded  the  enemy's  defenses. 

The  30th  was  fixed  for  the  explosion  of  the  mine.  To 
give  however  a  greater  chance  of  success,  Grant  determined 


458  A     FEINT. 

to  make  a  strong  demonstration  against  the  enemy,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  James,  as  though  he  contemplated  an 
advance  on  Richmond  in  that  direction,  and  thus  draw  off' 
the  rebel  force  from  the  real  point  of  attack.  In  carrying  out 
this  plan,  Grant  says,  "that  on  the  night  of  the  26th  of  July, 
the  Second  Corps,  and  two  divisions  of  the  Cavalry  Corps,  and 
Kautz's  cavalry,  were  crossed  to  the  north  bank  of  the  James 
River,  and  joined  the  force  General  Butler  had  there.  On 
the  27th,  the  enemy  was  driven  from  his  intrenched  posi 
tion,  with  the  loss  of  four  pieces  of  artillery.  On  the  28th, 
our  lines  were  extended  from  Deep  Bottom  to  New  Market 
road,  but  in  getting  this  position  were  attacked  by  the 
enemy  in  heavy  force.  The  fighting  lasted  for  several 
hours,  resulting  in  considerable  loss  to  both  sides.  The  first 
object  of  this  move  having  failed,  by  reason  of  the  very 
large  force  thrown  there  by  the  enemy,  I  determined  to 
take  advantage  of  the  diversion  made,  by  assaulting  Peters 
burg  before  he  could  get  his  force  back  there.  One  divis 
ion  of  the  Second  Corps  was  withdrawn  on  the  night  of  the 
28th,  and  moved  during  the  night  to  the  rear  of  the  Eight- 
teenth  Corps,  to  relieve  that  Corps  in  the  line,  that  it  might 
be  foot-loose  in  the  assault  to  be  made.  The  other  two 
divisions  of  the  Second  Corps  and  Sheridan's  cavalry  were 
crossed  over  on  the  night  of  the  29th,  and  moved  in  front 
of  Petersburg." 

The  30th  being,  as  before  stated,  fixed  upon  for  the  ex 
plosion  of  the  mine,  a  little  after  midnight,  on  the  29th,  the 
Ninth  Corps,  which  was  to  make  the  assault,  was  drawn  up 
and  closely  massed  in  front  of  it,  to  rush  in  the  moment  it 
took  place.  Half-past  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  was  the 
hour  fixed  upon  for  lighting  the  train,  and  as  it  approached, 
the  troops  were  greatly  excited.  But  three  o'clock  passed, 
and  all  remained  quiet  as  before.  The  waiting  troops  looked 
on  each  other  in  mute  inquiry,  and  the  gunners  standing 


THE     EXPLOSION.  459 

beside  their  loaded  pieces,  wondered  at  the  delay.  The 
fuse  had  gone  out  in  the  gallery,  and  for  an  hour  the  mighty 
host  watched  and  waited  in  vain.  Daylight  in  the  meantime 
had  broadened  in  the  East,  revealing  every  object  distinctly, 
and  the  rebel  flag  was  seen  waving  listlessly  above  the  unsus 
pecting  garrison. 

The  fuse  was  now  again  lighted,  and  just  as  the  sun  burst 
in  blazing  splendor  above  the  horizon,  the  explosion  took 
place ;  but  it  being  so  deep  underground,  the  heaving  and 
trembling  of  the  earth  was  felt  before  any  sound  was  heard. 
The  next  moment,  the  fort  rose  into  the  air  in  fragments, 
and  mingled  with  great  clods  of  earth,  guns,  caissons  and 
limbers,  was  seen  a  cloud  of  human  forms  tossing  in  the  air. 
The  mighty  mass  rose  like  the  jet  from  some  huge  fountain, 
and  when  it  reached  its  highest  elevation,  balanced  a  mo 
ment  in  space,  and  then  fell  back  with  a  dull,  heavy,  thun 
der  sound,  in  wreck  to  the  earth. 

A  crater,  a  hundred  feet  long,  and  fifty  feet  wide,  and 
twenty  feet  deep,  appeared  where  the  six-gun  fort  had  been, 
over  which  hung  a  cloud  of  mingled  dust  and  smoke  like  a 
great  pall.  The  next  moment,  came  the  roar  of  a  gun,  and 
then  another  and  another,  till  a  hundred  cannon  along  our  line 
were  playing  upon  the  rebel  batteries.  The  bugles  rang  out, 
the  drums  beat,  and  in  dashed  Ledlie's  division — Marshall's 
brigade  leading  the  advance.  Though  taken  wholly  by  sur 
prise,  the  rebels  rallied  with  wonderful  quickness,  and  in  a 
short  time,  from  right  and  left,  their  artillery  was  in  full 
play  on  the  storming  party,  that,  with  loud  cheers,  charged 
on  a  run  over  the  intervening  space.  The  Fourteenth  New 
York  heavy  artillery  first  entered  the  gap,  followed  by  Mar 
shall's  second  brigade,  which  went  pellmell  into  the  smok 
ing  crater,  from  the  bottom  of  which  protruded  half  buried 
limbs  and  mangled  bodies  of  men. 

To  the  right  and  left,  Hartranft's  and  Griffin's  brigades 


460  THE     REPULSE. 

spread  out,  enveloping  the  flanking  rifle-pits,  and,  for  a  mo 
ment,  success  seemed  certain.  But  instead  of  pushing  on,  the 
troops  began  to  dig  out  the  wounded  and  the  captured  gunsT 
and  throw  up  breastworks  to  protect  themselves  from  the 
enemy's  shells.  This  gave  the  rebel  gunners  time  to  train 
their  guns  with  fearful  accuracy  on  the  spot,  and  by-  the 
time  the  troops  were  re-formed  and  ready  to  push  on,  a  fire 
awaited  them,  before  which  nothing  human  could  stand. 
Still  undaunted,  the  Corps  in  three  divisions — Ledlie  in  the 
centre,  Potter  on  the  right,  and  Wilcox  on  the  left — moved 
swiftly  forward ;  Marshall  again  leading,  followed  close  by 
the  gallant  Bartlett.  They  breasted  the  horrible  fire  until 
they  reached  the  side  of  the  coveted  crest,  when  they  halted. 
From  every  redoubt,  salient,  and  earthwork,  shot  and  shell 
and  canister  came  in  one  ceaseless  stream,  and  the  shattered 
Corps,  after  swaying  a  moment  in  the  vain  effort  to  breast 
it,  recoiled  bleeding,  to  the  crater  they  had  just  left.  Fer- 
rero's  colored  division  was  now  sent  in  to  do  what  white 
troops  had  failed  to  accomplish,  but  though  they  charged 
gallantly,  it  was  madness  to  expect  them  to  succeed  where 
veteran  soldiers,  under  such  leaders  as  Griffin,  Marshall, 
and  Bartlett,  failed.  Recoiling,  they  only  helped  to  swell 
the  confusion,  as  they  plunged  headlong  amid  the  ruins  for 
shelter. 

The  enemy  now  concentrated  his  fire  on  this  single  spot, 
and  swept  the  space  in  rear  of  it,  so  frightfully,  that  an 
orderly  retreat  over  it  was  out  of  the  question.  Unable  to 
advance,  cooped  up  in  the  crater,  over  which  swept  an  inces 
sant  storm  of  shot  and  shell,  the  position  of  the  troops  was 
most  distressing.  But  little  order  could  be  maintained,  and 
the  men  in  squads  began  to  flee  back  to  our  lines.  About 
noon,  a  general  retreat  was  ordered,  but  a  portion  preferred 
to  remain  in  the  fort,  and  left  alone  were  soon  after  charged 


BURNSIDE     RELIEVED.  461 

upon  and  captured.    Among  the  prisoners  was  General  Bart- 
lett,  with  most  of  his  Staff. 

Our  loss  in  this  fruitless  assault,  was  about  four  thousand, 
while  that  of  the  enemy  was  not  over  fourteen  hundred, 
two  hundred  of  whom  were  supposed  to  have  perished  in  the 
blowing  up  of  the  fort.  The  next  day  was  a  gloomy  Sab 
bath,  and  we  sent  in  a  flag  of  truce  to  obtain  permission  to 
bury  our  dead,  but,  through  some  informality,  it  was  not 
granted  until  next  day. 

The  Army  of  the  Potomac  seemed  doomed  to  useless 
butcheries,  and  this  one,  like  others  that  preceded  it,  caused 
intense  excitement  throughout  the  country.  The  blame  fell 
now  on  this  Commander,  and  now  on  that,  but  Burnside  had 
to  bear  the  brunt  of  it,  and  in  the  end  was  relieved  from 
his  command  to  await  an  investigation.  This  ended  his 
military  career.  It  is  not  so  easy  to  fix  the  blame  on  one 
person. 

The  great  error,  however,  seems  to  have  been  the  neglect 
to  have  the  storming  force  consist  of  picked  regiments  and 
brigades  from  the  whole  army. 

Along  the  coast  but  little  was  done.  Farragut  was  get 
ting  ready  for  his  grand  attack  on  Mobile,  while  our  bat 
teries  kept  playing  on  Charleston.  An  attempt  was  made 
by  our  land  forces  and  iron-clads  to  get  possession  of  James 
Island,  but  failed. 

In  the  political  world,  the  chief  events  were  the  adjourn 
ment  of  Congress,  after  perfecting  the  income-tax  bill,  and 
the  organization  of  the  two  great  parties  for  the  coming 
political  campaign.  Perhaps  the  most  important  event  out 
side  of  operations  in  the  field,  was  the  proclamation  of  the 
President,  calling  for  five  hundred  thousand  additional 
troops.  This  requisition  for  half  a  million  of  men,  right  on 
the  top  of  Grant's  campaign,  looked  as  if  the  war  had  only 
just  begun,  and  filled  the  timid  with  alarm. 


462  PRESIDENT'S  PROCLAMATION. 

This  call  for  troops,  which  we  give  below,  shows  no 
timidity  on  the  part  of  the  President,  but  if  possible,  a  more 
fixed  determination  than  ever  to  put  down,  at  all  cost,  the 
wicked  rebellion. 

"WASHINGTON,  July  18,  1864. 
By  the  President  of  the  United  States  of  America  : 
A  PROCLAMATION. 

WHEREAS,  by  the  Act,  approved  July  4,  1864,  entitled  'An  Act  further 
to  regulate  and  provide  for  the  enrolling  and  calling  out  the  National  forces, 
and  for  other  purposes,'  it  is  provided  that  the  President  of  the  United 
States  may,  at  his  discretion,  at  any  time  hereafter,  call  for  any  number  of 
men  as  volunteers,  for  the  respective  terms  of  one,  two,  and  three  years,  for 
military  service,  and  *  that  in  case  the  quota,  or  any  part  thereof,  of  any 
town,  township,  ward  of  a  city,  precinct,  or  election  district,  or  of  a  county, 
not  so  subdivided,  shall  not  be  filled  within  the  space  of  fifty  days  after  such 
call,  then  the  President  shall  immediately  order  a  draft,'  for  one  year,  to  fill 
such  quota,  or  any  part  thereof,  which  may  be  unfilled.' 

AND  WHEREAS,  the  new  enrollment  heretofore  ordered  is  so  far  completed 
as  that  the  afore-mentioned  Act  of  Congress  may  now  be  put  in  operation  for 
recruiting  and  keeping  up  the  strength  of  the  armies  in  the  field,  for  garri 
sons  and  such  military  operations  as  may  be  required  for  the  purpose  of  sup 
pressing  the  rebellion  and  restoring  the  authority  of  the  United  States  Gov 
ernment  in  the  insurgent  States ; 

Now,  therefore,  I,  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN,  President  of  the  United  States,  do 
issue  this,  my  call  for  five  hundred  thousand  volunteers  for  the  military  ser 
vice,  provided,  nevertheless,  that  all  credits  which  may  be  established  under 
section  eight,  of  the  aforesaid  Act,  on  account  of  persons  who  have  entered 
the  naval  service  during  the  present  rebellion,  and  by  credits  for  men  fur 
nished  to  the  military  service  in  excess  of  calls  heretofore  made  for  volun 
teers,  will  be  accepted  under  the  call  for  one,  two  or  three  years,  as  they  may 
elect,  and  will  be  entitled  to  the  bounty  provided  by  law  for  the  period  of 
service  for  which  they  enlist. 

And  I  hereby  proclaim,  order  and  direct,  that  immediately  after  the  fifth 
day  of  September,  1864,  being  fifty  days  from  the  date  of  this  call,  a  draft 
for  troops,  to  serve  for  one  year,  shall  be  held  in  every  town,  township,  ward 
of  a  city,  precinct,  election  district,  or  a  county,  not  so  subdivided,  to  fill 
the  quota  which  shall  be  assigned  to  it  under  this  scale,  or  any  part  thereof, 
which  may  be  unfilled  by  volunteers  on  the  said  fifth  day  of  September, 
1864. 

Done  at  the  City  of  Washington,  this  18th  day  of  July,  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord,  1864,  and  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States, 
the  eighty-ninth. 

[L.  S.]  In  testimony  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  caused 
the  seal  of  the"United  States  to  be  affixed. 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 
By  the  President, 

WILLIAM  H.  SEWARD,  Secretary  of  State." 


BOUNTIES    FOR    RECRUITS.  463 

The  promptness  with  which  the  country  responded  to  the 
call,  would  have  reflected  the  highest  credit  on  its  patriot 
ism,  but  for  the  manner  in  which  that  response  was  made. 
Instead  of  the  bone  and  sinew  of  the  land  stepping  forward 
to  sustain  the  Government  in  its  last  great  effort,  every  man 
seemed  desirous  to  shirk  personal  responsibility,  and  non 
tax-payers,  or  men  of  small  means,  in  the  various  towns, 
voted  away  fabulous  sums  for  bounties  to  get  recruits  from 
any-where  and  every-where,  and  of  all  conditions,  to  fill  up 
their  quotas — often  forcing  on  the  Government  the  halt,  the 
lame,  and  the  blind,  and  at  the  best,  mere  mercenaries,  who 
would  enlist  for  the  enormous  bounties,  but  without  any  inten 
tion  of  risking  their  lives  in  battle. 

Getting  such  men  away,  after  they  had  enlisted,  became 
a  regular  business,  so  that,  of  the  five  hundred  thousand 
called  for,  not  more  than  half  ever  reached  the  field,  and 
probably  not  half  of  those,  the  front.  At  all  events,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  strong-bodied,  patriotic,  willing 
men,  would  have  been  worth  more  than  the  whole  half-mil 
lion  proved  to  be.  Nor  was  this  the  worst  of  it.  The  coun 
try  got  saddled  with  a  debt,  in  the  shape  of  bounties,  that 
bore  heavily  on  its  industry.  Had  the  war  been  prolonged 
another  year,  the  North  would,  unquestionably,  have  broken 
down  under  this  false  and  ruinous  system. 

The  month,  moreover,  was  distinguished  for  peace  negotia 
tions — ludicrous,  except  from  the  importance  of  the  per 
sonages,  on  one  side  or  the  other,  engaged  in  them.  Colonel 
Jacques,  of  Illinois,  a  Methodist  clergyman  who  had  en 
listed  in  the  army,  and  a  Mr.  Kirke,  by  some  extraordinary 
process,  appointed  themselves  peace  ambassadors  to  Rich 
mond,  and  though  clothed  with  no  authority,  were  permit 
ted  to  pass  through  our  lines  to  the  rebel  Capital,  where 
they  actually  had  an  interview  with  the  rebel  President  and 
Members  of  his  Cabinet,  and  talked  over,  with  the  gravity 


464  PEACE    NEGOTIATIONS. 

of  two  potentates,  the  momentous  question  of  peace,  and 
the  duties  of  the  two  Governments. 

What  motive  Davis  could  have  had  for  seriously  entering 
into  such  a  discussion  with  these  unauthorized,  unknown  and 
uninfluential  men,  unless  that  he  wished  to  give  utterance  to 
views  that  might  help  the  peace-party  North,  it  is  difficult 
to  conjecture.  That  a  fighting  parson,  ranking  no  higher 
than  a  colonel,  and  an  obscure  individual  spoken  lightly 
of  among  business  men  at  home,  should  by  any  management, 
have  got  into  this  position,  will  remain  one  of  the  curious 
things  of  the  war. 

The  other  attempt  was  equally  absurd,  though  dignified 
by  the  employment  of  a  little  more  political  machinery. 

Early  in  July,  Horace  Greeley,  of  The  Neiv  York  Tribune, 
received  a  letter  from  W.  Cornell  Jewett — a  political  adven 
turer,  who  had  acquired  at  home  and  abroad  a  certain 
doubtful  notoriety — stating  that  some  prominent  rebels  then 
residing  in  Canada,  desired  to  have  an  interview  with  him  at 
Niagara  Falls,  respecting  terms  of  peace.  It  was  flattering 
to  Mr.  Greeley,  to  be  thus  selected  out  among  all  the  dis 
tinguished  men  of  the  country  as  the  proper  person  to 
influence  the  President,  and  stand  in  the  great  gap  that 
divided  the  North  and  South.  Fully  impressed  with  the 
responsibility  thus  laid  upon  him,  he  addressed  a  letter  to 
the  President,  and  vouchsafed  to  state  conditions  of  peace, 
which  he  thought  the  President  might  safely  adopt. 

A  few  days  after,  the  notorious  rebel  agent,  George 
N.  Saunders,  informed  Mr.  Greeley  that  Clement  C.  Clay, 
of  Alabama,  Professor  Holcomb,  of  Virginia,  and  himself 
were  ready,  the  moment  they  could  be  assured  of  their 
personal  safety,  to  proceed  at  once  to  Washington  and  enter 
on  their  momentous  mission. 

To  this  Mr.  Greeley  replied,  that  if  they  were  "  duly  accred 
ited  from  Richmond,  as  the  bearer  of  propositions  looking  to 


TO    WHOM    IT    MAY     CONCERN.  465 

the  establishment  of  peace,"  &c.,  that  he  was  "authorized 
by  the  President  of  the  United  States  to  tender  them  his 
safe-conduct  on  the  journey  proposed,"  and  that  he  would 
accompany  them  "at  the  earliest  time  convenient"  to  them. 

That  accredited  ambassadors  for  .peace  should  fear  to  come 
to  the  head  of  a  Christian  Nation,  in  this  enlightened  age, 
without  having  a  promise  that  their  heads  should  not  be  cut 
off,  was  certainly  very  extraordinary,  and  not  very  compli 
mentary  to  Mr.  Lincoln's  civilization. 

To  this  offer,  these  gentleman  replied  that  there  had  been 
some  misapprehension,  as  they  were  not  accredited  from 
Richmond  as  the  bearers  of  dispatches,  but,  being  in  the 
confidential  employment  of  the  Confederate  Government, 
familiar  with  its  wishes,  views,  &c.,  they  had  no  doubt  if  the 
rebel  President  was  aware  of  what  they  had  done,  that  they 
would  be  at  once  accredited,  &c.  On  the  reception  of  this 
statement,  Mr.  Greeley  telegraphed  to  Washington  for  fur 
ther  information,  and  received  the  following  extraordinary 
document : — 

"EXECUTIVE  MANSION,  July  18th,  1864. 
To  whom  it  may  Concern: — 

Any  proposition  which  embraces  the  restoration  of  peace,  the  integ 
rity  of  the  whole  Union,  and  the  abandonment  of  Slavery,  and  comes  by 
and  with  an  authority  that  can  control  the  armies  now  at  war  against  the 
United  States,  will  be  received  and  considered  by  the  Executive  Government 
of  the  United  States,  and  will  be  met  by  liberal  terms,  on  substantial  and 
collateral  points,  and  the  bearer  or  bearers  thereof,  shall  have  safe-conduct 
both  ways. 

Signed,  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN." 

This  was  certainly  a  very  safe  circular,  but  not  one  that 
should  have  proceeded  from  the  Executive  Mansion,  for  it 
cannot  be  regarded  as  a  serious  act — it  must  have  been 
either  a  political  move  to  disarm  the  peace-party,  or  a 
somewhat  grave  joke,  which  would  put  an  end  to  Mr.  Gree- 
ley's  importunity,  and,  at  the  same  time,  throw  a  shell  into 
this  self-constituted  embassy.  Viewed  in  this  light,  it  was, 


466  FAILURE     OF    A    POOR    SCHEME. 

perhaps,  a  good  stroke  of  policy.  Though  correspondence 
and  lengthy  statements  followed  this  denouement,  the  whole 
thing  collapsed,  and  was  heard  of  no  more.  -  ;; 

It  was  very  plain  to  the  President,  and  to  every  man  of 
common  sense,  that  if  Jefferson  Davis  wanted  peace  on  the 
only  terms  the  North  would  accept  it,  he  would  not  have  to 
go  around  by  way  of  Canada,  to  commence  negotiations. 
The  two  Capitals  were  close  to  each  other,  and  no  such  farce 
as  this  was  needed  to  bring  the  conflicting  powers  face  to 
face,  if  both  were  desirous  of  peace. 

Personal  notoriety  and  political  effect  were,  doubtless,  the 
motives  that  prompted  these  gentlemen  to  undertake  this 
self-imposed  task. 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

FORTS  MORGAN  AND  GAINES — DEFENSES  OF  MOBILE  BAY A  LAND  FORCE 

UNDER  GENERAL  GRANGER  SENT  TO  CO-OPERATE  WITH  FARRAGUT ARRI 
VAL  OF  THE  TECUMSEH FARRAGUT  READY  TO  RUN  THE  REBEL  BATTERIES 

MORNING  OF  THE  BATTLE THE  SHIPS  LASHED  TWO  TOGETHER THE  BROOK 
LYN  TO  LEAD  THE  FLEET  AGAINST  FARRAGUl's  WISHES THE  FIRST  GUN 

THE  BROOKLYN  FEARING  TORPEDOES BACKS  AND  AWAITS  THE  FLEET 

FARRAGUT  LASHED  IN  THE  MAIN-TOP,  SEEING  THE  DELAY,  TAKES  THE  LEAD 
JUST  AS  THE  TECUMSEH  GOES  DOWN HE  SENDS  A  BOAT  TO  SAVE  THE  SUR 
VIVORS STEAMS  AHEAD ENTERS  THE  BAY ATTACKED  BY  REBEL  GUN 
BOATS THE  SELMA  CAPTURED  BY  THE  METACOMET THE  REBEL  RAM  TEN 
NESSEE  ATTACKS  THE  FLEET THE  COMBAT SURRENDER  OF  THE  RAM THE 

TECUMSEH A  BRAVE  ENSIGN GALLANT  DEEDS  AND  GALLANT  MEN SUR 
RENDER  OF  FORTS  POWELL  AND  GAINES — SIEGE  AND  BOMBARDMENT  OF 
FORT  MORGAN ITS  SURRENDER DISGRACEFUL  CONDUCT  OF  ITS  COM 
MANDER  AND  OFFICERS — MOBILE  NOT  TAKEN — CAPTURE  OF  THE  PRIVATEER 
GEORGIA. 

FARRAGUT   ENTERS   MOBILE   BAY. 

THE  beginning  of  August  was  made  memorable  by  one 
of  the  most  gallant  naval  achievements  on  record. 
Farragut,  who  had  been  lying  for  a  long  time,  outside  of 
Mobile  harbor,  the  entrance  to  which  was  defended  by  two 
forts — Morgan  and  Gaines — determined,  the  moment  that 
the  iron-clads  which  he  had  asked  for  arrived,  to  force  his 
way  inside,  when  he  knew  they  must  surrender.  The  for 
mer  fort,  located  on  a  long  spur  of  land,  commanded  the 
two  channels  to  the  east,  while  the  latter  commanded  the 
western  one.  Beyond  these,  toward  the  city,  the  channel 
was  obstructed  by  piles  driven  deep  into  the  mud.  Several 
rebel  steamers  were  also  in  the  bay,  and  a  formidable  iron- 


468  MORNING    OF    THE    BATTLE. 

clad  ram,  named  the  Tennessee.  In  July,  a  land  force, 
under  General  Granger,  was  sent  from  New  Orleans  to  assist 
Farragut  in  taking  the  forts.  On  the  first  of  August,  Gen 
eral  Granger  visited  him  on  the  Hartford,  and  after  a  consul 
tation,  it  was  decided  that  a  combined  movement  of  the 
fleet  and  army  should  be  made  on  the  4th. 

The  Tecumseh  had  arrived  at  Pensacola  on  the  1st,  and 
Captain  Craven,  the  Commander,  had  informed  the  Admi 
ral  that  he  would  be  ready  in  four  days  for  any  service.  He 
was  delayed,  however,  in  getting  aboard  coal,  so  that  Far 
ragut,  to  his  mortification,  could  not  keep  his  engagement 
with  Granger.  The  latter,  however,  as  he  said,  "  was  up  to 
time,"  and  landed  his  troops  (some  four  or  five  thousand  in 
number)  on  Dauphin  Island,  in  rear  of  Fort  Gaines.  That 
evening,  the  Tecumseh  came  steaming  up  from  Pensacola, 
and  Farragut  at  once  prepared  to  force  the  entrance  to  the 
harbor. 

The  morning  of  the  5th  dawned  warm  and  hazy — a  light 
south-west  breeze  came  drifting  across  the  Gulf,  raising  a 
gentle  swell,  on  which  the  fleet  rocked  lazily,  and  all  was 
peaceful  as  though  no  preparations  were  afoot  to  change  the 
quiet  scene  into  one  of  tumult,  terror  and  death.  But  just 
as  the  half-veiled  sun  was  sending  his  dim  beams  aslant  the 
sea,  the  drum  on  the  flag-ship  was  heard  beating  to  quarters, 
and  soon  every  ship  was  cleared  for  action. 

At  a  quarter  before  six,  the  whole  fleet  was  moving  stead 
ily  forward  toward  the  entrance  to  the  bay,  where,  every  Com 
mander  knew,  slumbered  a  volcano  whose  earthquake  throes 
would  make  land  and  sea  tremble.  There  were  twelve  wooden 
vessels  in  all,  and  four  iron-clads.  The  latter  already  inside 
the  bar,  were  ordered  to  take  up  a  position  between  the 
wooden  vessels  and  Fort  Morgan,  to  keep  down  the  fire  of 
the  water-battery  and  the  parapet  guns  of  the  fort,  as  well 


ARRANGEMENT  OF  THE  FLEET.         469 

as  to  engage  the  rebel  ram,  Tennessee,  waiting  to  pounce 
down  on  the  fleet. 

The  wooden  vessels  were  lashed  two  abreast.  The  Brook 
lyn,  Captain  James  Alden,  led  the  fleet,  with  the  Octorara, 
Lieutenant-Commander  C.  H.  Greene,  on  the  port  side — 
next  came  the  flag-ship  Hartford,  Captain  Percival  Drayton, 
with  the  Metacomet,  Lieutenant-Commander  J.  E.  Jouett; 
followed  by  the  Richmond,  Captain  T.  A.  Jenkins,  with  the 
Port  Royal,  Lieutenant-Commander,  B.  Gherardi ;  Lacka- 
wanna,  Captain  J.  B.  Marchand,  with  the  Seminole,  Comman 
der  E.  Donaldson ;  Monongahela,  Commander  J.  H.  Strong, 
with  the  Kennebec,  Lieutenant-Commander  W.  P.  McCann ; 
Ossipee,  Commander  W.  E.  LeRoy,  with  the  Itasca,  Lieu 
tenant-Commander  George  Brown ;  Oneida,  Commander  J. 
R.  M.  Mullany,  with  the  Galena,  Lieutenant-Commander  C. 
H.  Welles. 

The  Brooklyn,  with  her  consort,  took  the  lead,  much 
against  Farragut's  wishes.  He  yielded,  however,  to  this 
arrangement  at  the  earnest  request  of  the  Commanders,  who 
represented  that  the  Brooklyn  had  four  chase  guns  to  the 
Hartford's  one ;  and  also  an  ingenious  machine  for  picking  up 
torpedoes  with  which  they  believed  the  channel  to  be  lined. 
They  stated,  moreover,  that  in  their  judgment,  the  flag-ship, 
on  whose  movements  and  signals,  everything  depended, 
ought  not  to  be  so  much  exposed  as  she  would  be  at  the 
head  of  the  fleet. 

Although  Farragut  yielded  to  their  united  petitions,  he 
demurred,  saying  that  "  exposure  was  one  of  the  penalties 
of  rank  in  the  navy,"  and,  moreover,  that  it  made  but  little 
difference  where  the  flag-ship  was,  as  it  would  always  be  the 
main  target  of  the  enemy's  fire. 

The  fleet  steamed  slowly  on,  and  at  a  quarter  to  seven, 
the  Tecumseh  fired  the  first  gun.  Twenty  minutes  later,  the 
fort  opened  her  fire,  to  which  the  Brooklyn  replied  with  her 


470  THE     BATTLE. 

two  one  hundred-pounder  Parrott  rifles,  on  the  bow — and 
the  battle  commenced.  The  rebel  ram  and  iron-clads  lying 
under  the  protection  of  the  fort,  added  their  fire  to  the  guns 
of  the  latter,  all  playing,  almost  exclusively,  on  the  wooden 
vessels.  Farragut  stood  lashed  in  the  main-top,  so  that  he 
could  overlook  the  fleet,  and  have  a  clear  view  of  the  whole 
field  of  action. 

The  Brooklyn,  for  a  while,  gallantly  led  the  fleet,  but  as 
she  entered  the  narrow  channel,  some  suspicious  looking 
buoys  ahead,  indicating  torpedoes,  caused  her  to  stop,  which 
of  course,  at  once  brought  to  a  halt,  the  vessels  that  were 
crowding  after.  Farragut,  from  his  high  perch,  saw  with 
alarm  this  unexpected  arrest  of  the  onward  movement  right 
under  the  terrible  fire  that  was  raining  on  the  advance  ves 
sels,  and  looking  anxiously  around,  saw,  with  amazement, 
the  turrets  of  the  Tecumseh  disappearing  under  the  water, 
as  she  went  down  with  her  gallant  crew.  In  an  instant,  his 
determination  was  taken,  and  regretting  that  he  had  not 
originally  followed  his  own  judgment  and  led  the  fleet,  he 
steamed  rapidly  ahead,  and  his  glorious  signal  flew  where 
he  wanted  it,  in  advance.  Ordering  the  Metacomet  to  send 
a  boat  to  save  any  of  the  survivors  of  the  ill-fated  Tecum 
seh,  who  might  be  struggling  in  the  water,  he  swept  fear 
lessly  onward. 

Wrapped  in  the  smoke  of  his  own  guns,  he  pressed  on 
into  the  fire,  followed  by  the  ships,  "  their  officers,"  he  hero 
ically  says,  "  believing  they  were  going  to  a  noble  death, 
with  their  Commander-in-Chief."  Shot  and  shell  crashed 
through  the  wooden  sides  of  his  vessel  yet  his  flag  still  flew, 
and  those  astern  ever  and  anon  caught  glimpses  of  his  sig 
nal  through  the  rifts  of  smoke,  still  beckoning  them  on. 
He  too  saw  the  buoys  that  had  caused  the  Brooklyn  to  hes 
itate  and  back  water,  and  knew  that  torpedoes  were  lining 


PASSAGE    OF     THE     FORTS.  471 

the  bottom  of  the  channel  beneath  him,  but  this  was  no  time 
to  hesitate. 

He  "determined,77  he  says,  uto  take  the  chances  of  their 
explosion,77  and  still  kept  on,  his  gallant  crew  expecting 
every  moment  to  feel  the  vessel  lift  beneath  them,  yet  work 
ing  their  guns  as  coolly  as  though  standing  on  solid  ground, 
and,  meanwhile,  pouring  in  such  terrific  broadsides  that  the 
rebel  batteries  fired  wildly,  or  were  silent.  At  ten  minutes 
before  eight,  he  was  past  the  fort,  when  suddenly  the  rebel 
ram  dashed  out  to  run  his  vessel  down,  firing  as  it  came  on. 
Taking  no  notice  of  the  monster,  except  to  return  the  fire, 
he  steamed  ahead  toward  the  rebel  gun-boats,  Morgan, 
Gaines  and  Selma,  which  poured  a  raking  fire  into  him. 
The  latter  especially  cut  down  his  crew  fearfully,  and  spread 
ruin  and  destruction  over  his  deck. 

Not  being  able  to  return  the  fire,  he  cast  off  the  Meta- 
comet,  with  orders  to  go  after  these  boats.  Seeing  the  vessel 
approaching,  the  latter  retreated  up  the  bay,  firing  as  they 
fled.  The  Gaines  soon  took  refuge  under  the  guns  of  the 
fort,  but  was  so  injured  that  she  had  to  be  run  ashore  and 
burned — the  Morgan  hauled  off  and  left  the  Selma  to  her 
fate,  which  soon  after  struck  her  flag. 

The  other  vessels  gallantly  following  in  the  wake  of  their 
noble  Commander,  one  after  another  swept  past  the  hostile 
batteries  and  passed  up  the  bay,  their  crews  loudly  cheer 
ing,  and  were  signaled  by  Farragut  to  come  to  anchor.  But 
the  officers  had  hardly  commenced  clearing  their  decks,  and 
caring  for  the  wounded,  when  the  rebel  ram  was  seen  boldly 
standing  out  from  under  the  guns  of  the  fort,  and  bearing 
down,  with  the  evident  intention  of  engaging  the  whole 
fleet.  If  she  had  waited  till  dark  this  would  not  have  been 
such  an  act  of  temerity,  for  with  her  perfect  knowledge  of 
the  bay,  and  in  the  confusion  that  would  have  prevailed  in 
the  fleet  in  a  nocturnal  fight,  she  might  have  run  down 

60 


472  THE    RAM    TENNESSEE. 

many  vessels — at  least,  made  sad  havoc  before  her  progress 
could  have  been  arrested. 

The  moment  it  was  reported  to  Farragut  that  the  ram 
was  standing  toward  the  fleet,  he  signaled  the  vessels  to 
run  her  down,  and  ordered  up  the  anchor  of  his  own 
ship,  and  directed  the  pilot,  with  a  full  head  of  steam  on,  to 
carry  the  Hartford  straight  against  the  iron-clad  structure, 
hoping,  by  the  concussion,  though  his  own  bows  should  be 
crushed  in  the  shock,  to  stave  in  its  mailed  sides.  The  Mo- 
nongahela,  Commander  Strong,  first  struck  the  ram,  carry 
ing  away  her  iron  prow  and  cut-water.  The  Lackawanna 
came  next  and  struck  with  such  force  that  her  stern  was  cut 
and  crushed  for  the  distance  of  three  feet  above  the  water's 
edge,  to  five  feet  below.  The  only  effect  on  the  ram,  how 
ever,  of  this  tremendous  blow,  was  to  give  her  a  heavy  list. 
As  the  Hartford  came  down,  the  ram  sheered  so  that  it  was 
a  glancing  blow. 

Deadened  in  her  headway,  as  she  rasped  along  the  iron- 
plating,  the  flag-ship  fell  along  side,  and  at  once  poured  in, 
at  a  distance  of  not  more  than  eight  or  ten  feet,  her  broad 
side  of  nine-inch  solid  balls,  sent  with  a  charge  of  thirteen 
pounds  of  powder.  The  heavy  shot,  hurled  with  this  awful 
force,  and  in  such  close  proximity,  fell  on  the  mailed  sides 
of  the  ram  with  a  power  that  seemed  irresistible,  and  yet, 
apparently,  had  no  more  eifect  than  if  they  had  been  mere 
India-rubber  balls. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  shot  and  shell  from  the  Tennessee 
pierced  the  Hartford  as  though  her  sides  were  mere  paste 
board — one  one-hundred-and-fifty  pound  shell,  fired  with  the 
muzzle  of  the  monster  gun  almost  touching  the  sides  of  the 
ship,  exploded  inside,  killing  and  wounding  several  men — 
the  fragments  going  through  the  spar  and  berth-decks,  "  even 
going  through  the  launch  and  into  the  hold  where  were  the 
wounded." 


CAPTURE    OF     THE    RAM.  473 

The  Hartford  now  stood  off,  and  though  her  bow  was 
badly  crushed,  began  to  make  a  circuit,  in  order  to  come 
down  again  on  the  ram,  when  the  Lacka wanna,  which  was 
driving,  with  a  full  head  of  steam,  straight  on  the  monster, 
struck  the  flag-ship  instead,  a  little  forward  of  the  mizzen- 
mast,  and  cut  her  down  to  within  two  feet  of  the  water. 

The  monitors,  in  the  meantime,  poured  in  their  fire — the 
Chickasaw  got  under  the  monster's  stern,  while  the  Manhat 
tan  sent  a  fifteen-inch  shell  through  the  iron  plating. 

u  At  this  time,"  says  Farragut,  ushe  was  sore  beset — the 
Chickasaw  was  pounding  away  at  her  stern,  the  Ossipee 
was  approaching  her  at  full  speed,  and  the  Monongahela  and 
Lackawanna,  and  this  ship,  were  bearing  down  on  her,  deter 
mined  on  her  destruction.  Her  smoke-stack  had  been  shot 
away,  her  steering  chains  were  gone,  compelling  a  resort  to 
her  relieving  tackles,  and  several  of  her  port  shutters  were 
jammed.  Indeed,  from  the  time  the  Hartford  struck  her, 
until  her  surrender,  she  never  fired  a  gun.  As  the  Ossipee, 
Commander  LeRoy,  was  about  to  strike  her,  she  hoisted  the 
white  flag,  and  that  vessel  immediately  stopped  her  engine, 
though  not  in  time  to  avoid  a  glancing  blow," 

This  ended  the  fight,  and  at  ten  minutes  past  ten  Farragut 
again  brought  his  shattered  vessels  to  anchor,  within  four 
miles  of  Fort  Morgan.  Admiral  Buchanan,  the  Commander 
of  the  ram,  was  wounded  in  the  leg,  which  afterward  had 
to  be  amputated ;  and  some  eight  or  ten  of  his  crew  were 
killed  or  wounded. 

The  killed  and  wounded  on  board  the  fleet,  amounted  to 
two  hundred  and  twenty-two.  Only  fifty-two  were  killed, 
of  which  number  twenty-five,  or  nearly  half,  were  killed  on 
board  the  flag-ship — showing  that  the  enemy's  fire  was  con 
centrated  on  this  vessel,  and  that  she  bore  the  brunt  of 
the  conflict. 

The  loss  of  the  Tecumseh,  with  her  gallant  Commander 


474  A   GALLANT     ENSIGN. 

and  crew,  nearly  all  of  whom  went  to  the  bottom  with  her, 
chastened  somewhat  the  joy  of  this  great  victory.  Craven 
was  in  the  turret  when  the  torpedo  exploded  beneath  his 
ship.  He  saw  the  buoys  that  marked  the  line  along  which 
the  torpedoes  lay,  and  endeavored  to  carry  the  vessel  be 
tween  two,  but  just  as  it  got  in  range,  the  explosion  took 
place,  almost  lifting  the  iron-clad  from  the  water,  and  blow 
ing  a  great  opening  in  the  bottom,  through  which  the  water 
rushed  in  such  a  deluge  that  she  went  down  before  those 
below  had  time  to  get  on  deck. 

Acting-Ensign  Henry  C.  Nields  had  charge  of  the  boat, 
sent  by  Farragut  to  rescue  any  survivors  that  might  be 
struggling  in  the  water,  and  right  gallantly  did  this  noble, 
young  officer  perform  the  perilous  duty,  with  which  he  was 
intrusted.  Sitting  in  the  stern  of  the  open  boat,  he  gave 
his  orders  as  coolly  as  liis  great  Commander  could  have 
done,  and  the  rowers  bent  steadily  to  their  oars,  while  shot 
were  striking  and  shells  bursting  momentarily,  on  every  side 
of  them. 

A  boat  was  never  carried  through  a  more  terrible  fire, 
and  it  rained  an  iron  tempest  on  the  spot  where  the  ill-fated 
monitor  had  gone  down  ;  but  the  fearless  ensign  rowed 
calmly  through  it,  picking  up  the  few  swimmers  that  were 
struggling  in  the  water,  and  succeeded  in  rescuing  ten  within 
six  hundred  yards  of  the  fort.  Farragut,  from  the  main-top, 
saw  with  pride  how  steadily  he  entered  the  horrible  fire,  and 
afterward  asked  that  he  might  be  promoted. 

The  only  other  vessel  lost  was  the  steamer  Philippi,  which 
followed  the  fleet  in  against  orders,  and  being  struck  by  a 
shot,  was  run  ashore  by  her  Commander  and  deserted,  when 
the  rebels  burnt  her. 

There  were  many  cases  of  individual  heroism — indeed,  all 
were  heroes — there  was  no  flinching  any  where,  although 
every  captain  knew  that  the  probabilities  were  against  his 


A     NOBLE     PILOT.  475 

being  able  to  save  his  ship.  Of  his  Flag-Lieutenant,  J.  Grit- 
tenden  Watson,  who  stood  on  the  poop  during  the  entire 
action,  attending  to  the  signals,  Farragut  says,  "He  is  a 
scion  worthy  the  noble  stock  he  sprung  from." 

"The  last  of  my  Staff,"  he  says,  uto  whom  I  would  call 
the  attention  of  the  Department,  is  not  the  least  in  import 
ance.  I  mean  Pilot  Martin  Freeman.  He  has  been  my 
great  reliance  in  all  difficulties,  in  his  line  of  duty.  During 
the  action,  he  was  in  the  maintop,  piloting  the  ships  into 
the  bay.  He  was  cool  and  brave  throughout,  never  losing 
his  self-possession.  This  man  was  captured  early  in  the  war, 
in  a  fine  fishing  smack,  which  he  owned,  and  though  he  pro 
tested  that  he  had  no  interest  in  the  war,  and  only  asked 
for  the  privilege  of  fishing  for  the  fleet,  yet  his  services 
were  too  valuable  to  the  captors,  as  a  pilot,  not  to  be  secu 
red.  He  was  appointed  a  first-class  pilot,  and  has  served 
us  with  zeal  and  fidelity,  and  has  lost  his  vessel,  which  went 
to  pieces  on  Ship  Island.  I  commend  him  to  the  Depart 
ment." 

Indeed,  every  man  on  the  flag-ship  was  worthy  of  his 
Commander.  Drayton,  the  Flag-Captain,  says : — 

"  Of  the  crew,  I  can  hardly  say  too  much.  They  were, 
most  of  them,  persons  who  had  never  been  in  action,  and 
yet  I  cannot  hear  of  a  case  where  any  one  attempted  to 
leave  his  quarters,  or  showed  anything  but  the  sternest  de 
termination  to  fight  it  out.  There  might,  perhaps,  have 
been  a  little  excuse,  had  such  a  disposition  been  exhibited, 
when  it  is  considered  that  a  great  part  of  four  guns'  crews 
were,  at  different  times,  swept  away  almost  entirely  by  as 
many  shells.  In  every  case  however  the  killed  and  wounded 
were  quietly  removed ;  the  injury  at  the  guns  made  good, 
and  in  a  few  moments,  except  from  the  traces  of  blood,  noth 
ing  could  lead  one  to  suppose  that  any  thing  out  of  the  ordi 
nary  routine  had  happened," 


476  HEROIC     SAILORS. 

Kimberly,  the  executive  officer  of  the  ship,  said,  "  noth 
ing  could  be  more  noble  than  the  spirit  displayed  by  our 
wounded  and  dying,  who  cheered  and  smiled,  in  their 
agony,  seemingly  contented  at  the  sacrifice  of  their  lives  for 
the  victory  vouchsafed  to  their  country.  Such  men  are 
heroes." 

No  higher  commendation  could  be  passed  on  a  ship's  crew, 
and  yet  all  the  Commanders  spoke  in  the  same  strain  of  their 
own  crews. 

In  one  case,  a  rifle-shell  burst  between  two  guns  on  the 
Hartford,  killing  and  wounding  fifteen  men.  They  pre 
sented  a  terrific  sight,  as  they  lay  scattered,  mangled  and 
bleeding  on  deck.  One  of  them,  Charles  Melville,  was  taken 
down  to  the  surgeon,  but  almost  immediately  appeared  on 
deck  again,  and  though  scarcely  able  to  stand,  refused  to 
go  below,  and  bravely  worked  at  his  gun  till  the  close  of 
the  action. 

u  Thomas  Fitzpatrick,  Captain  of  Number  One  gun,  was 
struck  several  times  in  the  face  by  splinters,  and  had  his  gun 
disabled  by  a  shell.  In  a  few  minutes  he  had  his  gun  in 
working  order  again,  with  new  truck  breeching,  side-tackle, 
&c.,  his  wounded  below,  the  deck  clear,  and  was  fighting 
his  gun  as  before,  setting  a  splendid  example  to  the  remain 
der  of  the  crew." 

James  R.  Garrison,  coal-heaver,  had  his  great  toe  shot  off, 
but  dressing  the  wound  himself,  returned  to  his  station,  and 
remained  there  till  struck  in  the  breast,  when  he  was  carried 
below.  Thomas  O'Connel,  though  sick,  and  scarcely  able  to 
stand,  took  his  station  and  kept  it  till  his  right  hand  was 
shot  away.  James  E.  Sterling,  coal-heaver  on  board  the 
Brooklyn,  continued  to  pass  shell  after  he  was  wounded,  and 
until  hit  a  second  time  and  completely  disabled.  Alexan 
der  Mack,  Captain  of  top,  was  wounded  and  sent  below,  but 
immediately  returned  and  took  charge  of  his  gun,  working 


SURRENDER    OF    FORT    GAINES.  477 

it  until  he  received  two  more  wounds.  Others  left  a  sick 
bed  to  fight,  and  each  seemed  to  vie  with  the  other  to  set  an 
example  of  gallant  daring. 

The  Hartford  was  struck  twenty  times,  and  fired  nearly 
two  hundred  and  fifty  shot  and  shell.  The  Brooklyn  picked 
out  eleven  hundred  pounds  of  iron  from  her  wood-work 
after  the  battle  was  over. 

Farragut  exhibited  great  foresight  in  the  plan  he  adopted 
in  passing  the  fort.  By  lashing  two  ships  together,  he  saw  if 
one  got  disabled,  she  would  not  drift  about  and  disorder  the 
line,  for  her  consort  could  take  her  along — neither  would 
any  vessel  be  left  helpless  under  the  fire  of  the  batteries. 

The  night  after  the  battle  Fort  Powell  was  evacuated,  the 
rebels  blowing  it  up,  but  all  the  guns  fell  into  our  hands. 
The  next  afternoon,  the  Chickasaw  went  down  and  shelled 
Fort  Gaines,  and  the  following  morning,  Colonel  Anderson, 
the  Commander,  sent  a  note  to  Farragut,  stating  that  he 
knew  he  could  not  hold  the  fort,  if  the  fleet  opened  upon  it, 
and  offered  to  surrender  it — asking  for  terms.  Farragut, 
after  communicating  with  General  Granger,  on  Dauphin 
Island,  replied, 

"  First,  The  unconditional  surrender  of  yourself  and  the 
garrison  of  Fort  Gaines,  with  all  of  the  public  property  within 
its  limits. 

"  Second,  The  treatment  which  is  in  conformity  with  the 
custom  of  the  most  civilized  nations  toward  prisoners  of  war. 

u  Third,  Private  property,  with  the  exception  of  arms,  will 
be  respected." 

These  terms  were  accepted,  and  at  a  quarter  to  ten,  the 
rebel  flag  came  down  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  went  up, 
amid  the  prolonged  and  vociferous  cheering  of  the  fleet. 

Fort  Morgan,  however,  still  held  out,  and  Granger  at  once 
commenced  his  siege  operations  against  it  landward,  and  on 
Sunday  evening,  the  21st,  announced  to  Farragut  that  he 


478  A    FIERCE    BOMBARDMENT. 

was  ready  to  open  with  his  batteries  upon  it.  The  latter 
immediately  ordered  the  monitors  and  vessels  to  move  up, 
and  be  ready  next  morning  at  daylight,  to  commence  the 
bombardment,  in  conjunction  with  the  land  batteries,  and 
at  the  same  time,  landed  four  nine-inch  guns,  and  placed 
them  in  battery  under  the  Commanding-Lieutenant,  H.  B. 
Tyson. 

Everything  being  ready  at  daylight  the  signal  was  given, 
and  from  land  and  water,  the  bombardment  commenced. 
As  the  sun  rose  in  the  East,  his  beams  fell  on  a  scene  as  ter 
rific  as  that  which  they  lighted  up  on  the  morning  of  the 
8th,  when  Farragut  steamed  boldly  into  Mobile  Bay.  Gun 
answered  gun,  and  shell  crossed  shell  in  their  fiery  tracks, 
mingling  their  explosions  with  the  roar  of  cannon,  and  com 
bining  to  make  that  summer  morning  one  long  to  be  re 
membered. 

As  Farragut  said,  "a  more  magnificent  fire  has  rarely 
been  kept  up."  All  day  long  it  rained  a  steady,  horrible 
tempest  of  iron,  on  that  solitary  fort.  As  the  beams  of  the 
rising  sun  fell  on  a  tossing,  sulphurous  cloud — covering  land 
and  water — so  now  his  departing  rays  cast  a  lurid  light  on 
the  heaving  masses  of  vapor,  that  shut  out  half  the  terrors 
of  the  scene. 

Just  as  twilight  began  to  creep  over  the  deep,  the  citadel 
of  the  fort  took  fire,  and  Granger  seeing  the  flames  burst 
forth,  ordered  all  the  batteries  to  re-double  their  fire  to  pre 
vent  their  extinguishment.  The  enemy  finding  that  the  fire 
had  got  under  uncontrollable  headway,  flooded  the  magazine, 
and  threw  large  quantities  of  powder  into  the  wells  to  pre 
vent  an  explosion. 

A  fierce  bombardment  was  kept  up  all  night,  ribbing  the 
darkness  with  ghastly  seams  of  light,  as  shell  after  shell, 
with  scarcely  a  moment's  intermission,  dropped  inside  the 
rebel  works.  At  six  in  the  morning,  a  dull,  heavy  explo- 


DISGRACEFUL    CONDUCT.  479 

sion  was  heard  in  the  fort,  and  half  an  hour  afterward,  a 
white  flag  was  seen  to  emerge  from  it.  General  Page,  the 
Commander,  offered  to  surrender  the  fort,  and  asked  the 
terms  of  capitulation.  Unconditional  surrender  at  two 
o'clock  that  day,  was  the  reply,  which  the  rebel  General  was 
forced  to  accept. 

In  his  indignation  and  mortification,  however,  he  deter 
mined  to  lessen  as  much  as  possible  the  value  of  the  victory, 
for  after  the  surrender,  Farragut  says,  "  It  was  discovered, 
on  an  examination  of  the  interior,  that  most  of  the  guns  were 
spiked,  and  many  of  the  gun-carriages  wantonly  injured,  and 
arms,  ammunition,  provisions,  &c.,  destroyed;  and  that  there 
was  every  reason  to  believe  that  this  had  been  done  after 
the  white  flag  had  been  raised.  It  was  also  discovered  that 
General  Page,  and  several  of  his  officers,  had  no  swords  to 
deliver  up,  and  further,  that  some  of  those  which  were  sur 
rendered,  had  been  broken." 

He  contrasts  this  conduct  with  that  of  Colonel  Anderson, 
of  Fort  Gaines,  who  "  from  the  moment  he  raised  the  white 
flag,  scrupulously  kept  every  thing  intact,  and  in  that  condi 
tion  delivered  it  over  ;  whilst  General  Page  and  his  officers, 
with  a  childish  spitefulness,  destroyed  the  guns  which  they 
said  they  would  defend  to  the  last,  but  which  they  never 
defended  at  all,  or  threw  away,  or  broke  those  weapons 
which  they  had  not  the  manliness  to  use  against  their  ene 
mies  ;  for  Fort  Morgan  never  fire'd  a  gun  after  the  com 
mencement  of  the  bombardment,  and  the  advanced  pickets 
were  repeatedly  on  the  glacis." 

There  never  was  a  more  striking  illustration  of  the  ease 
with  which  a  mean  and  dishonorable  Commander  may  increase 
his  disgrace,  by  the  attempt  to  lessen  it,  than  this.  These  few 
sarcastic  words  of  Farragut,  who  knew  how  to  admire  a  brave 
and  honorable  foe,  will  stick  to  General  Page  as  long  as  the 
history  of  the  country  endures. 


480  CAPTURE     OF    THE    GEORGIA. 

Though  the  outer  defenses  of  Mobile  were  now  all  taken, 
the  city  was  as  far  as  ever  from  falling  into  our  hands.  The 
water  was  too  shallow  to  allow  the  approach  of  our  vessels 
to  within  shelling  distance,  and  though  Farragut  used  every 
device  to  reach  the  place,  it  soon  became  evident  that  it 
could  be  taken  only  by  a  land  force. 

In  the  latter  part  of  this  month,  the  Niagara  captured  off 
the  coast  of  Europe,  the  Japan,  or  Georgia,  a  noted  rebel 
privateer,  though  at  the  time  of  her  seizure,  she  was  sailing 
under  English  colors,  and  chartered  to  the  Portuguese  Gov 
ernment. 


CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

GRANT'S  CEASELESS  ACTIVITY — BLOWING  UP  OF  AN  ORDNANCE  BOAT — DUTCH 
GAP  CANAL — WARREN'S  FIGHT  FOR  THE  WELDON  RAILROAD — BATTLE  AT 
REAM'S  STATION — DEFEAT  OF  HANCOCK'S  CORPS — MEADE'S  DISPATCHES — 
SHERIDAN'S  OPERATIONS  IN  THE  SHENANDOAH  VALLEY — PURSUIT  OF  EARLY — 

CAPTURE  OF  OUR  TRAINS  BY  MOSBY RETREAT  OF  SHERIDAN HIS  POSITION 

AT  BOLIVAR  HEIGHTS A  SECOND  ADVANCE TAKES  POSITION  AT  BERRYS- 

VILLE UNSATISFACTORY  CAMPAIGN DISAPPOINTMENT  OF  THE  COUNTRY 

GRANT'S  EXPLANATION  OF  THE  WHOLE  MATTER — THE  PERMISSION  TO  "  GO 

IN" SHERIDAN  MOVES  IN  EARNEST BATTLES  OF   OPEQUAN   CREEK   AND 

FISHER'S  HILL — TOTAL  ROUT  OF  THE  ENEMY — EARLY  TAKES  A  NEW  POSI 
TION  AT  BROWN'S  GAP — SHERIDAN  FALLS  BACK. 

THE  month  of  August,  which  gave  such  laurels  to  the 
navy  under  Farragut,  at  Mobile,  and  saw  Sherman's 
gallant  army  virtually  in  possession  of  Atlanta,  witnessed  no 
triumphs  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  It  brought  instead 
what  seemed  to  be  the  heritage  of  this  sadly  tried,  but  noble 
army — terrible  fighting,  heavy  losses,  but  no  success.  Grant, 
though  apparently  at  a  dead-lock  with  the  enemy  in  front 
of  Petersburg,  did  not  sit  down  in  idleness.  He  kept  the 
heavens,  around  Lee,  constantly  muttering  thunder-notes  of 
alarm,  and  almost  every  day  the  bolt  threatened  to  fall  in 
one  direction  or  another.  Indefatigable,  untiring,  and  ex- 
haustless  in  resources,  no  sooner  did  one  thing  or  measure 
fail,  than  he  tried  another.  He  was  the  most  unsleeping, 
merciless  antagonist  that  an  enemy  ever  had  to  deal  with, 
and  Lee  soon  discovered  that  he  never  could  calculate  on  a 
moment's  repose.  At  the  very  time  when  he  thought  his 
enemy  exhausted,  and  would  naturally  seek  rest,  the  great 
est  energy  would  be  put  forth. 


482  BUTCH     GAP     CANAL. 

The  rebels,  taught  wisdom  by  the  mine  that  destroyed 
one  of  their  forts,  began  to  countermine,  and  on  the  5th, 
sprung  a  mine  in  front  of  the  Eighteenth  Corps,  where  they 
supposed  we  were  running  one  of  our  own,  but  it  produced 
no  effect.  One  of  our  own  ordnance  boats,  however,  blew 
up  five  days  after,  at  City  Point,  killing  and  wounding  two 
hundred  men. 

Butler  now  commenced  the  famous  Dutch  Gap  canal, 
which,  like  the  one  he  dug  around  Yicksburg,  was  expected 
to  work  wonders.  The  James  River,  just  below  Fort  Dar 
ling,  makes  an  immense  bend,  inclosing  a  peninsula,  called 
Farrar  Island,  the  neck  of  whi'ch,  where  it  joins  the  main 
land,  is  only  a  half  a  mile  across,  while  it  is  six  miles  around 
it  by  the  stream.  It  was  prosecuted  under  the  constant  fire 
of  the  enemy,  but,  like  the  Yicksburg  canal,  was  useless 
labor. 

At  this  time,  Grant  says,  "  reports  from  various  sources 
led  me  to  believe  that  the  enemy  had  detached  three  divis 
ions  from  Petersburg  to  reinforce  Early  in  the  Shenandoah 
Valley.  I  therefore  sent  the  Second  Corps,  and  Gregg's 
division  of  cavalry,  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  a  force 
of  General  Butler's  army,  on  the  night  of  the  13th  of 
August,  to  threaten  Richmond  from  the  north  side  of  the 
James,  to  prevent  him  from  sending  troops  away,  and,  if 
possible,  to  draw  back  those  sent.  In  this  move  we  captured 
six  pieces  of  artillery  and  several  hundred  prisoners,  detained 
troops  that  were  under  marching  orders,  and  ascertained 
that  but  one  disvision,  (Kershaw's,)  of  the  three  reputed 
detached,  had  gone. 

uThe  enemy  having  withdrawn  heavily  from  Petersburg 
to  resist  this  movement,  the  Fifth  Corps,  General  Warren 
commanding,  was  moved  out  on  the  18th,  and  took  posses 
sion  of  the  Weldon  railroad.11 

Here  he  was  attacked  furiously,  the  next  day,  by  Hill, 


ATTACK     ON     HANCOCK.  483 

with  two  divisions,  and  a  portion  of  our  army  was  over 
whelmed  ;  and  for  a  time,  a  second  disaster  at  this  point, 
seemed  inevitable.  But  the  gallant  Fifth  Corps  succeeded 
in  rallying,  and,  by  a  desperate  charge,  retrieved  its  ground, 
driving  the  rebels  in  confusion,  and  capturing  many  prison 
ers.  Night,  at  length,  closed  the  conflict.  Our  loss,  this  day, 
was  between  three  and  four  thousand — that  of  the  enemyr 
in  killed  and  wounded,  probably  about  the  same  as  ours, 
though  he  took  many  more  prisoners  than  we. 

A  few  days  after,  the  rebels  again  attacked  Warren's  posi 
tion,  but  this  time  they  were  handsomely  repulsed,  with 
heavy  loss — Generals  Saunders  and  Lamar  being  among  the 
killed.  Warren  now  pushed  his  lines  toward  Petersburg, 
while  the  Second  Corps,  which  had  in  the  meantime  arrived, 
began  to  tear  up  the  railroad  in  rear  of  him. 

At  Ream's  Station,  this  gallant  Corps  of  Hancock,  on  the 
25thr  suffered  a  severe  repulse.  The  rebels,  under  Hill,  at 
about  half-past  three  in  the  afternoon,  suddenly  emerged 
from  the  woods,  in  front  of  Miles  and  Gibbon,  and  with 
fixed  bayonets  and  loud  cheers,  swept  swiftly  over  the  inter 
vening  space.  Four  batteries  at  once  concentrated  their 
fire  on  the  column,  and  shot  and  shell  and  canister  tore 
through  it  with  awful  destruction.  Yet,  through  it,  and 
through  the  steady  fire  of  musketry,  that  swept  without  ces 
sation  the  close  formations,  they  kept  on  till  within  twenty 
paces  of  our  line,  when,  unable  to  breast  the  fiery  sleet  any 
longer,  they  recoiled.  Undismayed,  they  not  long  after 
repeated  the  desperate  charge,  but  with  similar  results. 
They  then  brought  up  their  batteries,  and  played  furiously 
on  our  lines  for  nearly  a  half  an  hour,  when  the  firing  sud 
denly  ceased,  and  with  loud  yells,  and  without  firing  a  shot, 
they  again  sprang  forward — crossed  the  interval  that  sepa 
rated  them  from  our  lines,  reached  the  breastworks^  mounted 


484  HANCOCK'S   DEFEAT. 

them  with  deafening  shouts,  and  forced  Miles  back,  captur* 
ing  several  guns. 

A  part  of  Gibbon's  men,  a  half  a  mile  distant,  were  hur 
ried  over,  to  check  the  disaster,  when  his  own  line  was 
attacked  in  turn  by  the  dismounted  rebel  cavalry,  under 
Wade  Hampton,  and  his  works  carried.  The  enemy  now 
pressed  his  advantage  on  all  sides.  Our  troops  fought  des 
perately — some  regiments  being  almost  annihilated — but 
could  not  arrest  the  onset ;  and  as  night  came  on,  Hancock 
withdrew  his  Corps,  and  left  Ream's  Station  in  possession 
of  the  enemy.  In  this  disastrous  conflict,  we  lost  thirty -five 
hundred  men,  seven  colors,  and  five  guns. 

The  loss,  however,  had  not  been  all  on  one  side,  as  is  evi 
dent  from  the  two  dispatches  sent  from  Meade  to  Grant. 
In  the  first  he  says  that  a  safeguard  left  on  the  battle  field 
until  after  daylight  next  morning  reported  that  "  at  that  time 
the  enemy  had  all  disappeared,  leaving  their  dead  on  the 
field  unburied.  This  shows  how  severely  they  were  pun 
ished,  and  doubtless  hearing  of  the  arrival  of  reinforce 
ments,  they  feared  the  results  of  to-day  if  they  remained." 
In  the  second  he  says,  u  since  sending  my  last  dispatch,  I 
have  conversed  with  the  safeguard  referred  to.  He  did 
not  leave  the  field  until  after  sunrise.  At  that  time  nearly 
all  the  enemy  had  left,  moving  toward  Petersburg.  He 
says  they  abandoned  not  only  their  dead,  but  wounded  also. 
He  conversed  with  an  officer,  who  said  that  their  losses 
were  greater  than  ever  before  during  the  war.  The  safe 
guard  says  that  he  was  over  the  field,  and  it  was  covered 
with  the  enemy's  dead  and  wounded.  He  has  seen  a  great 
many  battle  fields,  but  never  such  a  sight.  Nearly  all  the 
enemy's  and  all  our  wounded  were  brought  off,  but  our 
dead  were  unburied.  I  have  instructed  General  Gregg  to 
make  an  effort  to  send  a  party  to  the  field  to  bury  our  dead." 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  enemy  in  their  desperate 


THE    BATTLE     FIELD.  485 

charges  through  the  concentrated  fire  of  our  batteries,  and 
into  the  very  faces  of  such  veterans  as  composed  Hancock's 
Corps,  must  have  suffered  terribly.  Still  General  Meade's 
dispatches  bear  the  marks  of  an  effort  to  put  the  best  pos 
sible  face  on  a  very  bad  business.  When  the  results  of  a 
desperate  battle  are  made  to  depend  on  the  statements  of  a 
single  individual,  who  has  been  over  the  field,  they  should 
be  received  with  many  grains  of  allowance.  One  would  in 
fer  from  these  dispatches  that  the  battle  field  was  so  entirely 
ours  that  a  single  safeguard  could  roam  over  it  unmolested, 
making  such  observations  as  he  liked.  But  if  this  were  the 
fact,  it  seems  rather  strange  that  the  Chief  of  cavalry  should 
be  "instructed  to  make  an  effort  to  send  a  party  to  the  field 
and  bury  our  dead."  The  fact  is  the  battle  put  the  rebels 
in  possession  of  the  Weldon  railroad  at  Ream's  Station — 
which  was  only  ten  miles  from  Petersburg — up  to  Yellow  Tav 
ern,  while  Warren  held  some  four  miles  of  it  further  north. 

This  ended  all  active  operations  on  the  part  of  Grant  for 
several  weeks.  In  the  meantime  the  country  was  expecting 
great  things  from  Sheridan  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  He 
had  under  him  the  Sixth,  Eighth  and  part  of  the  Nineteenth 
Corps  of  infantry,  and  the  troops  that  composed  the  old 
Army  of  the  Kanawha  under  Crook,  and  Torbett's  and 
AverilFs  divisions  of  cavalry,  with  Kelley's  command,  and 
Lowell's  brigade,  to  which  in  a  few  days  was  added  the 
second  cavalry  division  of  Wilson,  from  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  To  meet  this  force  Early  had  about  twenty  thous 
and  men,  who,  previous  to  Sheridan's  assumption  of  com 
mand,  seemed  to  be  principally  engaged  in  thrashing  out 
grain. 

On  the  10th  of  August,  Sheridan  moved  his  forces  up  the 
Valley,  when  the  enemy  retired  toward  Strasburg.  Oc 
casional  skirmishing,  and  once  a  partial  engagement  took 
place,  but  without  any  decisive  result  except  to  delay  our 


486  SHERIDAN'S   OPERATIONS. 

progress,  and  inflict  on  us  more  or  less  loss.  At  New- 
town,  Early  made  another  stand  in  order  to  cover  the  pas 
sage  of  his  trains,  and  repulsed  a  charge  of  our  cavalry. 
Still  falling  back,  he  evacuated  Winchester,  and  on  the  13th 
encamped  at  Cedar  Creek,  three  miles  north  of  Strasburg. 
Two  days  after,  he  withdrew  his  skirmishers  from  the  place 
and  took  position  on  Fisher's  Hill,  which  completely  com 
manded  the  town.  Sheridan  in  pushing  on,  had  passed 
several  gaps  in  the  Blue  Ridge,  which  he  had  not  sufficient 
force  to  guard.  Through  one  of  these, — Snicker's  Gap — 
Mosby  suddenly  rushed,  pouncing  on  the  supply  train  at 
Berrysville,  seized  and  burned  seventy-five  wagons,  cap 
tured  two  hundred  prisoners,  two  hundred  beef  cattle,  and 
nearly  six  hundred  horses  and  mules,  besides  a  large  quan 
tity  of  stores. 

This  of  course,  compelled  Sheridan  to  retreat  in  turn.  In 
doing  this,  he  with  his  flanking  cavalry  destroyed  every 
thing  that  could  feed  the  enemy,  except  the  live  stock 
which  he  drove  before  him  as  he  fell  back  toward  the  Poto 
mac.  Houses  of  suspected  persons  were  burned,  in  retalia 
tion  of  Mosby's  murderous  conduct,  by  some  cavalry-men 
who  in  turn  were  attacked  by  the  rebels  and  deliberately 
murdered.  Again  retaliation  was  resorted  to  by  Sheridan, 
and  the  heavens  were  darkened  by  the  smoking,  burning 
buildings. 

Falling  back  through  Winchester,  which  had  been  so  often 
successively  occupied  by  rebel  and  Union  troops,  Sheridan 
took  position  near  Chaiiestown  where  he  was  attacked  by 
Early,  who  inflicted  severe  punishment  on  Wilson's  cavalry. 
The  Sixth  Corps  bore  the  brunt  of  the  conflict,  which  lasted 
from  two  hours  before  noon  till  dark.  The  Corps  then  fell  back 
to  Bolivar  Heights,  where  Sheridan  posted  his  army,  with 
his  right  on  the  Potomac,  and  his  left  on  the  Shenandoah, 
near  Harper's  Ferry,  his  head-quarters  being  at  Halltown. 


is  H  3 


UNSATISFACTORY    CAMPAIGN.  487 

The  two  armies  lay  confronting  each  other  here  for  sev 
eral  days,  when  Early  once  more  fell  back  up  the  Valley. 
As  .soon  as  Sheridan  was  informed  of  this  he  again  started  in 
pursuit.  On  the  morning  of  the  28th  he  advanced  in  line 
of  battle  toward  Charlestown,  the  cavalry  leading  the  ad 
vance.  Passing  through  this  place,  the  army  moved  for 
ward  to  its  old  battle  ground  of  the  week  before,  and 
halted.  The  next  morning  Merritt  made  a  vigorous  attack 
on  the  rebel  cavalry,  driving  it  through  the  town  of  Smith- 
field,  and  beyond  Opequan  Creek,  where  he  was  brought 
to  a  halt  by  the  rebel  infantry.  Some  skirmishing  followed, 
when  Sheridan  fell  back  upon  Charlestown.  But  on  the  3d 
of  September  he  again  put  his  army  in  motion,  and  near 
Berrysville  was  attacked  by  the  rebels,  whom  he  repulsed. 
He  then  commenced  throwing  up  breastworks,  and,  having 
secured  his  position,  remained  quietly  in  it  for  two  weeks, 
doing  nothing  except  to  make  reconnoissances  with  his 
cavalry. 

After  nearly  a  month's  operations,  to  leave  off  where  he 
begun,  was  a  sorry  summing  up  of  the  campaign  for  Sheri 
dan,  and  a  sad  disappointment  to  the  country,  which  had 
expected  so  much  from  the  well-known  enterprise  and  dar 
ing  of  the  man.  It  seemed  very  evident,  either  that  Sheri 
dan  was  incompetent  to  fill  the  place  he  occupied,  or  that 
Grant  refused  to  give  him  the  men  he  needed  to  carry  out 
his  orders.  This  indecision  and  apparent  fear  of  risking  a 
battle  were  wholly  unaccountable  to  the  public,  and  much  to 
the  chagrin  of  those  who  were  tired  of  seeing  Early  roam 
ing  up  and  down  the  Shenandoah  Valley  at  his  leisure.  It 
turns  out,  however,  that-  Grant,  not  Sheridan  was  in  fault 
for  this  state  of  things,  and  the  former  in  his  report  gives 
the  reasons  that  governed  him.  He  says : 

"  His  operations  during  the  month  of  August  and  the 
fore  part  of  September  were  both  of  an  offensive  and  de- 

61 


488  A     SHORT    ORDER. 

•^ 

fensive  character,  resulting  in  many  severe  skirmishes,  prin 
cipally  by  the  cavalry,  in  which  we  were  generally  success 
ful  ;  but  no  general  engagement  took  place.  The  two 
armies  lay  in  such  a  position — the  enemy  on  the  west  bank 
of  the  Opequan  Creek,  covering  Winchester,  and  our  forces 
in  front  of  Berry sville — that  either  could  bring  on  a  battle 
at  any  time.  Defeat  to  us  would  lay  open  to  the  enemy  the 
States  of  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  for  long  distances,  be 
fore  another  army  could  be  interposed  to  check  him.  Un 
der  these  circumstances,  I  hesitated  about  allowing  the  ini 
tiative  to  be  taken.  Finally  the  use  of  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  railroad  and  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  canal,  which 
were  both  obstructed  by  the  enemy,  became  so  indispensa 
bly  necessary  to  us,  and  the  importance  of  relieving  Penn 
sylvania  and  Maryland  from  continuously-threatened  inva 
sion  so  great,  that  I  determined  the  risk  should  be  taken. 
But  fearing  to  telegraph  the  order  for  an  attack  without 
knowing  more  than  I  did  of  General  Sheridan's  feelings  as 
to  what  would  be  the  probable  result,  I  left  City  Point  on 
the  15th  of  September  to  visit  him  at  his  head-quarters,  to 
decide,  after  conference  with  him,  what  should  be  done.  I 
met  him  at  Charlestown,  and  he  pointed  out  so  distinctly 
how  each  army  lay ;  what  he  could  do  the  moment  he  was 
authorized,  and  expressed  such  confidence  of  success,  that  I 
saw  there  were  but  two  words  of  instructions  necessary — 
Go  in !  " 

This  permission  was  all  that  Sheridan  wanted.  The  Fa 
bian  policy  under  which  he  had  been  compelled  to  act  irri 
tated  him,  and  he  constantly  felt  like  a  caged  lion.  Now  he 
was  a  free  man  once  more,  and  it  needed  no  spirit  of  proph 
ecy  in  one  who  knew  him,  to  foretell  that  bloody  work  was 
at  hand. 

Grant  after  hearing  Sheridan's  plans  and  approving  them, 
asked  if  he  could  get  ready  to  move  by  the  following  Tues- 


A     GREAT     VICTORY.  489 

day.  "Yes,"  replied  the  latter,  uby  Monday;"  and  before 
daylight  that  morning  the  army  was  in  motion.  By  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  it  was  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle  in 
front  of  the  rebel  position,  at  Opequan  Creek,  and  as  soon  as 
the  cavalry,  under  Torbert,  arrived  at  the  desired  point  on 
the  extreme  rebel  right,  Sheridan  ordered  a  general  ad 
vance.  The  artillery  opened  along  the  whole  line — the  col 
umns  moved  steadily  forward,  and  Early  soon  discovered 
that  Sheridan  was  at  last  in  earnest.  His  position,  however, 
was  a  strong  one,  and  he  stubbornly  held  it  until  Averill's 
and  Merritt's  bugles  were  heard  on  his  right,  as  the  firm-set 
squadrons  bore  fiercely  down.  Rolled  up  before  the  impet 
uous  charge,  the  rebel  line  at  length  crumbled  into  frag 
ments,  and  the  whole  army  broke  in  utter  confusion,  and 
streamed  on  toward  Winchester  and  through  it,  halting  only 
when  it  reached  Fisher's  Hill  thirty  miles  beyond. 

Early  left  his  wounded  and  dead  in  our  hands,  and  nearly 
three  thousand  prisoners,  together  with  five  pieces  of  artil 
lery,  and  nine  battle  flags.  Several  rebel  Generals  were 
killed,  while  on  our  side,  we  had  to  lament  the  death  of 
the  gallant  Russell,  commanding  a  division  of  the  Sixth 
Corps.  The  dispatch  announcing  this  glorious  victory,  closed 
thus :  "  We  have  just  sent  them  whirling  through  Winches 
ter,  and  we  are  after  them  to-morrow.  This  army  behaved 
splendidly.  I  am  sending  forward  all  the  medical  supplies, 
subsistence  stores,  and  ambulances." 

Following  up  Early  vigorously,  Sheridan,  on  the  21st, 
found  himself  in  front  of  his  strong  position,  at  Fisher's 
Hill.  Skillfully  disposing  his  forces,  he  closed  so  suddenly, 
and  with  such  fury  on  the  enemy,  that  they  broke,  and  fled 
in  disorder  toward  Woodstock.  Eleven  hundred  prisoners 
and  sixteen  pieces  of  artillery  fell  into  our  hands  here,  while 
the  road,  for  miles,  was  strewed  with  abandoned  Wagons,, 
knapsacks,  muskets,  and  everything  that  impeded  the  head- 


490  THE     PURSUIT. 

long  flight.  Sheridan  pushed  on  to  Woodstock,  where  he 
halted  to  get  his  supplies  up. 

Averill,  however,  kept  up  the  pursuit  to  Mount  Jackson, 
twenty-five  miles  south  of  Strasburg.  Here  Early  rallied  his 
disordered  battalions,  and  once  more  turned  at  bay.  But, 
on  Sheridan's  arrival,  he  again  retreated,  though  stubbornly 
contesting  every  inch  of  ground,  and,  at  last,  made  a  deter 
mined  stand  in  Brown's  Gap,  on  the  Blue  Ridge,  eight  miles 
south-east  of  Port  Republic.  Sheridan  pursued  as  far  as 
this  place  and  halted.  In  the  meantime,  Torbert,  with  his 
cavalry,  moved  on  Staunton  and  Waynesboro',  destroying 
bridges,  Government  property,  and  everything  that  could 
be  of  benefit  to  the  enemy. 

Early's  position,  at  Brown's  Gap,  was  too  strong  to  be 
carried  by  assault,  while  it  seriously  threatened  Sheridan's 
flank,  should  he  attempt  to  march  on  Lynchburg — the  goal 
of  all  the  expeditions  up  the  Shenandoah  Yalley.  It  was 
hard  to  abandon  this  coveted  prize ;  but  he  saw  that,  unless 
Early  could  be  driven  from  Brown's  Gap,  it  would  be  mad 
ness  to  advance  farther.  Besides,  his  supplies  in  the  rear 
were  in  danger  of  being  cut  off  by  Mosby,  and  he,  therefore, 
resolved  to  fall  back. 

In  killed,  wounded,  prisoners,  and  missing,  Early  must 
have  lost,  in  those  two  battles  and  the  retreat,  nearly  half  of 
his  army. 

While  Sheridan  was  thus  sweeping  the  enemy  from  his 
path  in  the  Valley  of  the  Shenandoah,  Grant,  who,  under 
the  most  adrerse  circumstances,  still  always  found  some 
means  of  assailing  the  enemy,  made  a  sudden  movement 
north  of  the  James — the  object  and  result  of  which  he  thus 
sums  up : — 

"By  the  12th  of  September,  a  branch  railroad  was  com 
pleted  from  the  City  Point  and  Petersburg  railroad  to  the 


A    SUDDEN    MOVEMENT.  491 

Weldon  railroad,  enabling  us  to  supply,  without  difficulty, 
in  all  weather,  the  army  in  front  of  Petersburg. 

"  The  extension  of  our  lines  across  the  Weldon  railroad, 
compelled  the  enemy  to  so  extend  his  that  it  seemed  he 
could  have  but  few  troops  north  of  the  James  for  the  de 
fense  of  Richmond.  On  the  night  of  the  28th,  the  Tenth 
Corps,  Major- General  Birney,  and  the  Eighteenth  Corps, 
Major-General  Ord  commanding,  of  General  Butler's  army, 
were  crossed  to  the  north  side  of  the  James,  and  advanced 
on  the  morning  of  the  29th,  carrying  the  very  strong  forti 
fications  and  intrenchments  below  Chapin's  Farm,  known  as 
Fort  Harrison,  capturing  fifteen  pieces  of  artillery,  and  the 
New  Market  road  and  intrenchments.  This  success  was  fol 
lowed  up  by  a  gallant  assault  upon  Fort  Gillmore,  immedi 
ately  in  front  of  the  Chapin  Farm  fortifications,  in  which  we 
were  repulsed  with  heavy  loss.  Kautz's  cavalry  was  pushed 
forward  on  the  road  to  the  right  of  this,  supported  by 
infantry,  and  reached  the  enemy's  inner  line,  but  was  unable 
to  get  further.  The  position  captured  from  the  enemy,  was 
so  threatening  to  Richmond  that  I  determined  to  hold  it. 
The  enemy  made  several  desperate  attempts  to  dislodge  us, 
all  of  which  were  unsuccessful,  and  for  which  he  paid  dearly. 
On  the  morning  of  the  30th,  General  Meade  sent  out  a 
reconnoissance,  with  a  view  to  attacking  the  enemy's  line, 
if  it  was  found  sufficiently  weakened  by  withdrawal  of  troops 
to  the  north  side.  In  this  reconnoissance  we  captured  and 
held  the  enemy's  works,  near  Poplar  Spring  Church.  In 
the  afternoon,  troops  moving  to  get  to  the  left  of  the  point 
gained,  were  attacked  by  the  enemy  in  heavy  force,  and 
compelled  to  fall  back  until  supported  by  the  forces  holding 
the  captured  works.  Our  cavalry  under  Gregg  was  also 
attacked,  but  repulsed  the  enemy  with  great  loss." 

The  enemy  made  a  raid  during  this  month,  (on  the  19th,) 
which,  from  its  daring  and  success,  caused  some  mortifica- 


492  A     DARING     RAID. 

tion  and  excitement.  Two  thousand  cattle,  which  had  been 
brought  on  for  the  use  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  were 
feeding  near  Coggin's  Point,  on  the  James  River,  guarded 
by  two  regiments  of  cavalry,  on  which  Wade  Hampton,  with 
W.  F.  H.  Lee's  cavalry  division  and  two  other  brigades, 
suddenly  pounced  and  carried  off  the  whole,  together  with 
several  prisoners. 

Starting  from  Ream's  Station,  this  force  had  passed  around 
our  extreme  left,  and  got  in  the  rear  of  the  army,  and  yet 
with  such  secrecy  and  celerity  did  it  move,  that  though  hotly 
pursued,  it  succeeded  in  reaching  the  rebel  lines  again  with 
all  its  booty. 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

RAVAGING    OF    THE    SHENANDOAH    VALLEY — SHERIDAN'S     DISPATCH HIS    NEW 

POSITION LEAVES     THE     ARMY     FOR     WASHINGTON EARLY     RESOLVES     TO 

MAKE    A    NIGHT     ATTACK — SECRECY    OF    HIS     MARCH ROUT     OF    THE    ARMY 

OF    WESTERN    VIRGINIA    AND    OF   THE    NINETEENTH    CORPS RETREAT  OF  THE 

WHOLE    ARMY SHERIDAN    AT    WINCHESTER HIS    APPROACH    TO    THE    FIELD 

— HIS    SUDDEN    ARRIVAL    AND    STIRRING    APPEALS FORMS    A    NEW    LINE    OF 

BATTLE REPULSE    OF  THE    ENEMY ADVANCE    OF    HIS    LINE — THE    EN£MY*S 

POSITION     CARRIED COMPLETE     OVERTHROW     OF    THE    REBEL     ARMY THE 

PURSUIT A     SUPPERLESS     ARMY ENTHUSIASM     OF     OFFICERS     AND    MEN 

THE      GENERALSHIP     AND     PERSONAL     POWER     OF     SHERIDAN THE    REBELS 

ABANDON  THE  VALLEY HATCHER'S   RUN GRANT  FAILS  TO  TURN   THE   REBEL 

RIGHT — BUTLER'S  DEMONSTRATION  NORTH  OF  THE  JAMES — DESTRUCTION  OF 

THE  RAM  ALBEMARLE  BY  LIEUTENANT    GUSHING THE    REBELS   IN    CANADA 

RAID  ON  ST.  ALBANS,  VERMONT. 

QHEEIDAN  when  he  fell  back  from  the  pursuit  of  Early 
O  took  position  on  the  north  side  of  Cedar  Creek,  near 
Strasburg.  But  in  his  advance  and  retreat  he  had  ravaged 
the  country  with  a  ruthlessness  that  reminds  one  of  the  old, 
barbaric  wars.  How  much  of  this  destruction  of  private 
property  is  chargeable  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  from  whom 
he  received  his  orders,  and  how  much  to  himself,  we  are  un 
able  to  say,  but  it  is  a  lasting  disgrace  to  its  authors  who 
ever  they  were.  The  following  is  his  own  account  of  what  he 
did,  and  the  reasons  which  actuated  him : 

"WOODSTOCK,  VIRGINIA,  October  7,  1864 — 9  P.  M. 
Lieutenant-General  U.  S.  GRANT  : 

I  have  the  honor  to  report  my  command  at  this  point  to-night.  I  com- 
menced  moving  back  from  Port  Republic,  Mount  Crawford,  Bridgewater, 
and  Harrisonburg  yesterday  morning.  The  grain  and  forage  in  advance  of 
these  points  had  previously  been  destroyed.  In  moving  back  to  this  poinf 


494  WHOLESALE     DESTRUCTION. 

the  whole  country  from  the  Blue  Ridge  to  the  North  Mountain  has  been 
made  entirely  untenable  for  a  rebel  army.  I  have  destroyed  over  two  thou 
sand  barns  filled  with  wheat,  and  hay,  and  farming  implements,  over  seventy 
mills  filled  with  flour  and  wheat;  have  driven  in  front  of  the  army  over  four 
thousand  head  of  stock,  and  have  killed  and  issued  to  the  troops  not  less 
than  three  thousand  sheep.  This  destruction  embraces  the  Luray  Valley 
and  Little  Fort  Valley,  as  well  as  the  main  Valley.  A  large  number  of 
horses  have  been  obtained,  a  proper  estimate  of  which  I  cannot  now  make. 
Lieutenant  John  R.  Meigs,  my  engineer  officer,  was  murdered  beyond  Har- 
risonburg,  near  Dayton.  For  this  atrocious  act  all  the  houses  within  an 
area  of  five  miles  were  burned.  Since  I  came  into  the  Valley  from  Harper's 
Ferry,  every  train,  every  small  party,  and  every  straggler  has  been  bush 
whacked  by  the  people,  many  of  whom  have  protection-passes  from  com 
manders  who. have  been  hitherto  in  that  Valley.  The  people  here  are  get 
ting  sick  of  the  war.  Heretofore  they  have  had  no  reason  to  complain,  be 
cause  they  have  been  living  in  great  abundance.  I  have  not  been  followed 
by  the  enemy  to  this  point,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  force  of  the  rebel 
cavalry  that  showed  themselves  some  distance  behind  my  rear-guard  to-day. 
A  party  of  one  hundred  of  the  Eighth  Ohio  cavalry,  which  I  had  stationed 
at  the  bridge  over  the  North  Shenandoah,  near  Mount  Jackson,  was  attacked 
by  McNeil  with  seventeen  men,  while  they  were  asleep,  and  the  whole  party 
dispersed  or  captured.  I  think  they  will  all  turn  up.  I  learn  that  fifty-six 
of  them  had  reached  Winchester.  McNeil  was  mortally  wounded,  and  fell 
into  our  hands.  This  was  fortunate,  as  he  was  the  most  daring  and  danger 
ous  of  all  the  bushwhackers  in  this  section  of  the  country. 

(Signed)  P.  H.  SHERIDAN,  Major  General." 

This  is  a  sad  record  for  one  to  make  of  himself,  in  this 
age  of  civilized  warfare.  The  burning  by  wholesale,  of 
barns  and  mills,  because  the  hay  and  grain  in  them  might 
be  seized  by  the  rebels,  would  by  the  same  logic  justify  an 
invading  army  at  all  times  for  "razing  every  house,  and 
burning  every  blade  of  grass"  on  the  line  of  its  march. 
"War,"  Sherman  said,  "is  necessarily  cruel;"  but  to  miti 
gate  its  severity  as  much  as  possible,  it  has  been  established 
as  a  rule  of  civilized  warfare,  that  private  property  shall 
be  respected,  except  when  it  is  needed  for  the  sustenance 
of  the  army,  or  where  the  owners  are  convicted  of  open 
hostility.  For  a  General  to  justify  such  wholesale  destruc 
tion  of  property,  and  thereby  inflict  suffering  and  want  on 
women  and  children,  on  the  ground  that  the  enemy  would 
rob  them  if  he  did  not,  is  not  only  a  violation  of  the  rulea 
of  civilized  warfare,  but  very  miserable  logic. 


BARBARIC    LOGIC.  495 

This  mode  of  reasoning  was  far  better  carried  out  by  the 
ancient  barbarians,  who  killed  the  children  of  their  enemies, 
lest  they  should  grow  up  to  be  warriors,  and  the  mothers, 
lest  they  should  give  birth  to  heroes.  The  ravages  of  war 
have  their  limit  without  reference  to  consequences,  and  civ 
ilized  nations  have  fixed  that  limit.  "  To  make  a  solitude  and 
call  it  peace/1  was  in  the  old  dark,  rude  times  the  motto,  but 
it  does  not  belong  to  this  age.  The  massacre  of  all  the 
young  men  just  entering  the  age  that  would  render  them 
subject  to  military  duty,  would  injure  an  enemy  far  more 
than  the  burning  of  barns,  and  mills,  and  houses,  but  we 
suspect  that  but  few  would  justify  it.  Because  some  wretch 
murdered  a  man,  to  burn  all  the  houses — many  of  them  con 
taining  helpless  widows,  u  within  an  area  of  five  miles  "  is  a 
wilder  sort  of  justice  than  any  man  of  sound  judgment,  or 
an  educated  conscience  will  approve.  That  punishment  was 
deserved  and  severity  needed  in  many  cases,  no  one  will 
doubt,  but  if  they  could  not  be  meted  out  with  some  dis 
crimination,  they  had  better  have  been  let  alone.  England 
did  nothing  half  SQ  bad  as  this  in  our  Revolution. 

During  his  retreat,  Sheridan  was  attacked  on  the  9th  of 
October,  by  the  rebel  General  Rosser  with  a  large  body  of 
cavalry,  but  defeated  him,  taking  three  hundred  and  fifty 
prisoners,  and  eleven  pieces  of  artillery — keeping  him,  as 
the  former  said,  "on  the  jump"  for  twenty-six  miles. 

Sheridan,  now  thinking  that  the  enemy  was  too  severely 
punished  to  molest  him  for  the  present,  left  the  army  for  a 
short  visit  to  Washington. 

BATTLE    OF    CEDAR   CREEK,  OR  MIDDLETOWN. 

The  army  at  this  time  was  posted  on  three  moderate  hills, 
extending  for  three  miles  across  the  country,  each  one  a 
little  back  of  the  other. 

The  first  and  foremost  one,  some  four  or  five  miles  north 


496  A    NIGHT    MARCH. 

of  Fisher's  Hill,  was  held  by  the  army  of  West  Virginia 
under  Crook ;  the  second,  half  a  mile  to  the  rear  of  this,  by 
the  Nineteenth  Corps,  under  Emory,  the  turnpike  running 
between  them.  The  third  and  last,  still  farther  back  was 
occupied  by  the  Sixth  Corps,  with  Torbert's  superb  cavalry 
covering  its  right  flank.  Early,  who  had  been  reinforced 
by  twelve  thousand  men,  heard  that  Sheridan  was  in  Wash 
ington,  and  at  once  resolved  to  attack  the  army  before  his 
return.  On  the  night  of  the  18th,  he  crossed  the  mountains 
which  separate  the  branches  of  the  Shenandoah,  and  forded 
the  north  fork,  marching  in  five  columns.  There  was  a 
dense  fog  at  the  time,  wrapping  everything  in  impenetrable 
darkness ;  but  Early  knew  the  ground  thoroughly,  and  with 
trusty  guides  was  in  no  danger  of  being  misled.  He  or 
dered  all  the  men  to  leave  their  canteens  behind,  lest  their 
clanking  against  the  shanks  of  the  bayonets  should  be  heard 
by  our  pickets  and  give  the  alarm.  His  march  was  to  be 
noiseless,  and  he  directed  that  all  the  orders  should  be  given 
in  a  low  tone,  for  although  the  movement  was  to  be  made 
with  an  army  of  between  twenty  and  thirty  thousand  men, 
it  must  be  with  the  utmost  secrecy.  Discovery  would  be 
fatal. 

The  whole  enterprise  was  hazardous  beyond  expression. 
He,  however,  moved  off  toward  our  left,  unperceived, 
though  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  some  of  the  pick 
ets  on  duty  reported  that  they  heard  a  heavy,  muffled  tramp 
and  rustling  through  the  underbrush,  as  though  a  multitude 
was  marching  along  the  front.  This  information  caused 
some  precautions  to  be  taken,  but  no  reconnoissance  was 
sent  out.  The  truth  is,  a  serious  attack  by  Early  was  not 
dreamed  of,  and  the  main  army  slumbered  on  wholly  unsus 
picious  of  danger. 

All  this  time,  the  steady  columns  were  sweeping  on 
through  the  gloom,  now  pushing  through  the  dripping  trees, 


A     SURPRISE.  497 

and  now  fording  a  stream — skirting  our  position  for  miles — 
till  at  length,  an  hour  before  day-break,  the  rebel  troops, 
shivering  with  cold,  stood  within  six  hundred  yards  of  our 
camps. 

Crook  had  ordered  a  reconnoissance  to  be  made  on  this 
morning,  and  the  force  was  preparing  to  march,  when  there 
suddenly  burst  through  the  fog,  a  deafening  yell  from  ten 
thousand  throats,  and  then  came  the  blaze  and  crash  of 
musketry.  The  surprise  was  complete  and  the  panic  fright 
ful.  The  roll  of  drums,  bugle  calls,  and  shouts  of  officers, 
arose  on  every  side,  and  the  troops  rushed  frantically  to 
arms,  but  before  any  line  of  battle  could  be  formed,  the 
shouting,  clamorous  rebels  were  upon  them.  Without  a  mo 
ment's  check  or  hindrance,  they  swept  like  a  billow,  up  and 
over  the  hill,  and  over  the  breastworks.  A  brief  struggle 
of  five  minutes  at  the  latter,  and  then  the  Army  of  Western 
Virginia  became  a  herd  of  fugitives,  fleeing  in  wild  disorder 
back  toward  the  second  hill,  a  half  a  mile  in  the  rear,  where 
lay  the  Nineteenth  Corps. 

A  few  regiments  wheeled  and  tried  to  make  a  stand,  but 
were  borne  swiftly  back  before  the  impetuous  flood.  The 
Nineteenth  Corps,  having  a  little  time  to  prepare  for  the 
shock,  attempted  to  arrest  the  progress  of  the  enemy,  but 
the  latter  sweeping  down  the  road,  got  in  its  rear,  and  it 
soon  broke  and  fled  toward  the  hill,  on  which  the  Sixth 
Corps  lay.  The  batteries  which  had  been  captured,  were 
now  turned  upon  us,  and  enfiladed  our  entire  line.  Wright 
at  once  formed  a  new  line  of  battle,  and  attempted  to  check 
the  frightful  rush  of  the  fugitives. 

The  force  of  the  onset  seemed  now  very  much  spent,  for 
the  rebels  began  to  advance  with  more  caution,  and  bring 
forward  their  artillery.  Besides,  the  rich  plunder  of  two 
camps  was  too  tempting  a  prize  for  the  half-starved  troops 


498  THE     RETREAT. 

of  Early,  and  they  left  their  ranks  in  crowds,  and  began  to 
pillage. 

Had  Wright  known  this,  it  is  possible  that  he  might  have 
made  a  successful  stand  where  he  was,  but  the  rebels  having 
possession  of  the  turnpike  that  led  toward  Winchester,  he 
feared  that  his  communications  would  be  severed,  and  there 
fore  fell  back  toward  Middletowu.  He  had  repulsed,  in  the 
meantime,  a  tremendous  charge  of  the  enemy,  which  gave 
him  breathing  space,  and  enabled  him  to  cover  the  immense 
crowd  of  fugitives  that  darkened  all  the  fields  and  the  high 
way  in  the  rear.  Amid  the  roar  of  artillery,  incessant  vol 
leys  of  musketry,  and  shouts  and  yells  of  the  pursuers,  were 
heard  the  cries  and  screams  of  teamsters  as  they  endeavored 
to  get  off  with  the  heavy  trains. 

The  rebels  still  assailing  our  left  flank,  kept  up  a  murder 
ous  fire,  shaking  it  terribly,  so  that  Merritt  and  Ouster,  with 
two  divisions  of  cavalry,  were  sent  over  to  check  them, 
when  a  severe  contest  followed  in  the  wooded  fields,  near 
Middletown.  Strengthened  by  our  captured  artillery,  they 
brought  their  overwhelming  batteries  to  bear  on  our  ex 
hausted  columns,  and  so  shattered  the  hard-pressed  left, 
that  only  a  short  stand  could  be  made  at  Middletown,  and 
the  army  passed  through  it  toward  Newtown,  five  miles 
in  the  rear.  On  the  heights  around  the  former  place,  Early 
planted  his  batteries,  which  poured  in  a  terrible  fire  on  the 
uncovered  army,  as  it  slowly  fell  back  along  the  highway, 
and  across  the  fields. 

Sheridan,  on  his  way  back  to  the  army,  had  slept  at  Win 
chester,  twenty  miles  distant,  the  night  before.  In  the  morn 
ing,  little  dreaming  of  the  terror  reigning  in  his  camp  in 
front,  he  sat  down  to  his  breakfast,  and  after  it  was  finished, 
he  mounted  his  horse  and  with  his  escort  rode  leisurely  for 
ward.  His  noble  army  had  then  been  struggling  on  the  brink 
of  destruction,  for  four  long  hours.  As  it  fell  back,  and  he. 


SHERIDAN     AROUSED.  499 

rode  forward,  and  the  enemy  began  to  open  with  his  nume 
rous  artillery,  the  deep  vibrations  that  made  the  earth  trem 
ble,  caused  him  to  look  up  in  surprise.  Still,  he  felt  no 
uneasiness,  for  he  was  confident  that  if  Early  had  attacked 
his  strong  position  at  Cedar  Creek,  he  would  be  terribly 
beaten. 

But  as  the  thunder  of  the  guns  grew  louder  and  more 
continuous,  and  was  evidently  rolling  back  toward  him,  his 
practised  ear  told  him  too  well  that  a  heavy  battle  was  rag 
ing  in  front,  and  that  his  army  was  retreating.  Startled 
from  his  composure,  as  the  terrible  truth  flashed  over  him, 
he  dashed  the  spurs  into  his  horse,  and  was  soon  far  ahead 
of  his  escort,  tearing  madly  along  the  road.  Soon  he  met 
camp-followers  and  fugitives  from  the  field,  who  declared 
that  all  was  lost. 

What !  his  noble  army,  that  only  a  few  weeks  before  he 
had  led  twice  to  victory,  broken,  shattered,  gone  !  In  a 
moment,  the  lion  in  his  nature  was  roused,  and  instead  of 
being  overwhelmed  at  the  disaster,  he  rose  above  it — it 
shall  not  be  so,  he  mentally  exclaimed.  As  the  cloud  of 
fugitives  deepened,  he  shouted — as  he  drove  on  and  swung 
his  cap  over  his  head — u  Face  the  other  way,  boys,  face  the 
other  way ;  we  are  going  back  to  our  camps ;  we  are  going 
to  lick  them  out  of  their  boots." 

The  frightened  stragglers  paused  and  shouted,  as  they  saw 
their  gallant  Chieftain  fly  past,  and  even  the  wounded,  lying 
along  the  road-side,  cheered  him.  With  his  face  blazing 
with  excitement,  and  his  horse  covered  with  foam,  he  sud 
denly  appeared  in  front  of  his  astonished  army,  and  at  once 
ordered  the  retreat  to  stop.  The  enemy  had  paused  in  his 
pursuit,  so  that  our  army  was,  at  this  time,  out  of  the  range 
of  his  guns,  which  enabled  Sheridan  to  take  measures  to 
arrest  the  fugitives  and  bring  them  back,  and  in  a  short  time 
he  had  a  new  line  of  battle  formed. 


500  FIRST     REPULSE    OF    THE    ENEMY. 

Then,  for  two  hours,  he  rode  backward  and  forward 
along  the  front,  now  looking  over  the  ground,  and  now  en 
couraging  the  men.  "Boys,"  said  he,  "if  I  had  been  here, 
this  never  should  have  happened.  I  tell  you  it  never  should 
have  happened.  And  now  we  are  going  back  to  our  camps. 
We  are  going  to  get  a  twist  on  them.  We  are  going  to  lick 
them  out  of  their  boots." 

Shouts  and  cheers  followed  him,  and  though  they  had 
eaten  nothing  since  the  night  before,  and  been  fighting  for 
five  hours,  the  excited  soldiers  felt  a  new  strength  infused 
into  them  by  the  confident  bearing  and  language  of  their 
heroic  Commander. 

At  length  the  rebel  army  was  seen  advancing  across  the 
autumnal  fields,  moving  straight  on  the  position  held  by  the 
Nineteenth  Corps.  Sheridan  sent  word  to  Emory  to  stop 
them  at  all  hazards.  He  did  so,  after  a  severe  but  short 
contest,  in  which  General  Bidwell  was  killed,  and  Grover 
wounded. 

Emory  immediately  dispatched  an  aid  to  Sheridan  with 
the  news  that  the  enemy  was  repulsed.  "  That's  good,  that's 
good,"  laughed  Sheridan.  "Thank  God  for  that.  Now, 
then,  tell  General  Emory  if  they  attack  him  again  to  go  after 
them,  and  follow  them  up,  and  to  sock  it  into  them,  and  to 
give  them  the  devil."  And,  with  almost  every  word,  bring 
ing  his  right  hand  down  into  the  palm  of  his  left  with  a 
sharp  blow,  he  added,  "  We'll  get  the  tightest  twist  on 
them  yet  you  ever  saw — we'll  have  all  those  camps  and  can 
non  back  again." 

Whether  aware  of  Sheridan's  arrival,  or  astounded  at  the 
new  and  formidable  line  of  battle  that  appeared  before  him, 
while  a  large  part  of  his  own  army  was  rioting  amid  the 
the  camps,  at  all  events,  Early  at  once  abandoned  the  offen 
sive  and  fell  back,  and  began  to  throw  up  breastworks — 
evidently  designing  to  hold  the  position  till  next  day,  which 


THE     ADVANCE.  501 

by  all  ordinary  rules,  should  be  the  earliest  moment  that  our 
hungry,  exhausted,  and  discomfited  army  could  be  ready  to 
make*any  movement.  But  Sheridan  had  no  intention  of 
waiting  till  his  army  was  thoroughly  re-organized  and  re 
cruited.  Right  then  and  there,  he  was  determined  to  wipe 
out  the  stigma  of  this  disgraceful  defeat,  and  make  the  same 
dispatch  that  carried  the  news  of  the  overthrow  of  his  army, 
carry  also  the  thrilling  tidings  of  its  glorious  victory. 

At  half  past  three,  the  orders  were  given  for  a  general 
advance — the  drums  rolled  along  the  line,  the  bugles  pealed 
out,  and,  heralded  by  the  deep-mouthed  cannon,  the  steady 
battalions  moved  forward.  It  was  a  magnificent  sight — the 
solid  advance  of  that,  but  just  now,  fugitive  host.  Emerg 
ing  from  the  woods  that  had  concealed  it,  the  army  swung 
boldly  out  into  the  open  field,  and  moved  swiftly  forward 
toward  the  enemy's  position.  In  an  instant,  the  rebel  bat 
teries  opened,  followed  by  a  tremendous  volley  of  mus 
ketry.  The  steady  lines  were  rent  before  it,  and  fell  sud 
denly  back. 

The  sight  roused  Sheridan  almost  to  frenzy,  and  galloping 
amid  the  broken  ranks,  he,  by  his  thrilling  appeals,  and 
almost  superhuman  efforts,  restored  order,  and  although  his 
few  remaining  cannon  could  make  but  a  feeble  response  to 
the  overwhelming  batteries  of  the  enemy,  he  ordered  the 
advance  to  be  resumed. 

"The  next  moment,  came  a  prolonged  roar  of  musketry, 
mingled  with  the  long-drawn  yell  of  our  charge — then  the 
artillery  ceased — the  musketry  died  into  spattering  bursts, 
and  over  all  the  yell  triumphant.  Every  thing  on  the  first 
line,  the  stone  walls,  the  advanced  crest,  the  tangled  wood, 
and  the  half-finished  breastworks,  had  been  carried."  But 
the  rebels,  from  a  new  position,  opened  with  their  artillery, 
and  shot  and  shell  crashed  through  our  ranks.  Sheridan, 
heedless  of  the  storm,  dashed  along  the  front — giving  all  his 


502  THE     VICTORY. 

orders  to  division  and  corps  commanders  in  person ;  for  in 
this  fearful  crisis,  he  would  trust  no  subordinates.  His  eyes 
flashed  fire,  and  his  countenance  wore  a  confident  e^pres- 
sion,  while  his  short,  emphatic  appeals  rung  like  a  bugle- 
call  to  his  excited  troops,  who  responded  with  a  shout,  as 
through  the  thickets,  over  the  stone-walls  and  ridges,  they 
went  with  a  thrilling  cheer.  The  astonished  enemy  turned 
and  fled  in  confusion  over  the  fields. 

As  they  streamed  down  into  the  Middletown  meadows, 
Sheridan  saw  that  the  time  for  the  cavalry  had  come,  and 
ordered  a  charge.  The  bugles  pealed  forth  their  stirring 
notes,  and  the  dashing  squadrons  of  Ouster  and  Merritt  came 
down  like  a  clattering  tempest  on  the  right  and  left,  dou 
bling  up  the  rebel  flanks,  and  cleaving  a  terrible  path 
through  the  broken  ranks.  Back  to,  and  through  our 
camps,  which  they  had  swept  like  a  whirlwind  in  the  morn 
ing,  the  panic-stricken  rebels  went,  pellmell,  leaving  all  the 
artillery  they  had  captured,  and  much  of  their  own,  and 
strewing  the  way  with  muskets,  clothing,  knapsacks,  and 
every  thing  that  could  impede  their  flight.  The  infantry 
were  too  tired  to  continue  the  pursuit,  but  the  cavalry  kept 
it  up,  driving  them  through  Strasburg  to  Fisher's  Hill,  and 
beyond,  to  Woodstock,  sixteen  miles  distant 

The  wearied  troops  stacked  their  arms  in  their  pillaged 
camps,  "and  slept  that  night  as  they  had  fought  that  day, 
without  food;11  yet  ever  and  anon,  as  reports  would  come  in 
from  the  pursuing  cavalry,  announcing  the  capture  of  guns 
and  prisoners,  loud  cheers  would  be  sent  up.  Notwithstand 
ing  the  dead  and  wounded  lay  every  where,  and  the  field 
presented  a  ghastly  spectacle,  nothing  could  check  the  wild 
excitement  and  enthusiasm  of  officers  and  men  at  their  great, 
unexpected  victory. 

This,  in  some  respects,  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
battles  in  history.  Other  lost  fields  have  been  won,  but 


SHERIDAN'S    POWER.  503 

rarely  by  the  presence  of  a  single  man.  Marengo  was  lost 
to  Napoleon,  but  won  again  by  the  arrival  of  the  gallant 
Desaix,  with  his  fresh  column.  Shiloh  was  lost  to  Grant, 
but  won  again  by  the  opportune  arrival  of  Buell,  with  his 
trained  battalions ;  but  here  a  lost  battle  was  won  by  the 
arrival  of  Sheridan  alone.  By  the  power  of  his  single 
presence  as  he  dashed  along  the  shattered  lines,  and  the 
magic  of  his  voice,  as,  now  gay  and  confident,  and  now 
stern  and  terrible,  he  strengthened  the  discouraged,  or  awed 
the  timid,  and  recalled  the  fugitives,  he  was  able  to  reorgan 
ize  the  broken  ranks  almost  under  the  guns  of  the  enemy. 
He  not  only  dissipated  despair,  and  restored  confidence,  but 
breathed  into  the  army  enthusiasm,  and  daring,  and  positive 
strength,  so  that  after  hours  of  defeat  and  terrible  losses  in 
men  and  artillery,  it  not  merely  made  a  successful  stand, 
but  broke  into  a  furious  offensive,  and  charging  the  victo 
rious  enemy  behind  his  intrenchments,  drove  him  in  utter 
rout  from  the  field.  This  single  battle,  if  he  had  fought 
no  other,  would  stamp  Sheridan  as  a  great  Commander. 

It  could  be  truly  said  of  him  as  Carlyle  said  of  Cromwell : 
"  He  was  a  strong  man  in  the  high  places  of  the  field,  and 
hope  shone  in  him  like  a  pillar  of  fire,  when  it  had  gone  out 
in  all  other  men." 

Our  loss  in  this  battle  amounted  to  over  six  thousand 
men,  while  that  of  the  enemy  was  not  probably  much  over 
a  third  as  great — thus  showing  under  what  immense  disad 
vantage  Sheridan  snatched  victory  from  the  very  jaws  of 
defeat.  After  this  there  was  some  skirmishing  and  cavalry 

O  J 

engagements  in  the  Valley  of  the  Shenandoah,  but  it  was 
finally  abandoned  by  the  enemy,  and  in  six  weeks  the  Sixth 
Corps  returned  to  the  army  before  Richmond. 

Soon  after  this  great  victory,  Grant  made  another  attempt 
to  get  nearer  Richmond,  by  operating  heavily  on  the  enemy's 
right  flank  as  he  had  done  before.  The  movement  was 

62 


504  HATCHER'S    RUN. 

kept  a  profound  secret,  and  several  days  were  spent  in  pre 
paration  for  it.  The  sick,  together  with  the  baggage  and 
commissary  stores,  were  sent  to  City  Point,  where  the  gun 
boats  could  protect  them,  and  three  days'  rations  and  forage 
were  issued  to  the  cavalry,  and  four  days'  rations  to  the  in 
fantry.  The  long  line  of  intrenchments  were  almost  denuded 
of  men,  and  it  looked  as  though  the  army  did  not  intend  to> 
return.  The  point  of  attack  was  Hatcher's  Run — the  ter 
mination  of  the  enemy's  works  on  his  right — and  to  render  it 
more  successful,  Butler  at  the  same  time  was  to  make  a  de 
monstration  on  the  north  side  of  the  James,  in  order  to  draw 
off  the  rebel  force  in  that  direction.  But,  like  all  the  other 
movements  hitherto  made  around  Richmond  and  Peters 
burg,  this  also  proved  a  sad  failure.  We  will  not  give  a 
detailed  account  of  the  causes  that  prevented  success.  The 
whole  movement,  and  its  results  are  thus  summed  up  by 
General  Grant. 

u  On  the  27th  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  leaving  only  suf 
ficient  to  hold  its  fortified  line,  moved  by  the  enemy's  right 
flank.  The  Second  Corps,  followed  by  two  divisions  of  the 
Fifth  Corps,  with  the  cavalry  in  advance  and  covering  our 
left  flank,  forced  a  passage  of  Hatcher's  Run,  and  moved  up 
the  south  side  of  it  toward  the  South-side  railroad,  until 
the  Second  Corps  and  part  of  the  cavalry  reached  the  Boyd- 
ton  plank  road,  where  it  crosses  Hatcher's  Run.  At  this 
point  we  were  six  miles  distant  from  the  South-side  railroad, 
which  I  had  hoped  by  this  movement  to  reach  and  hold. 
But  finding  that  we  had  not  reached  the  end  of  the  enemy's 
fortifications,  and  no  place  presenting  itself  for  a  successful 
assault  by  which  he  might  be  doubled  up  and  shortened,  I 
determined  to  withdraw  to  within  our  fortified  line.  Orders 
were  given  accordingly.  Immediately  upon  receiving  a  re 
port  that  General  Warren  had  connected  with  General  Han 
cock,  I  returned  to  my  head-quarters.  Soon  after  I  left,  the 


ANOTHER    FAILURE.  505 

enemy  moved  out  across  Hatcher's  Run,  in  the  gap  between 
Generals  Hancock  and  Warren,  which  was  not  closed  as  re 
ported,  and  made  a  desperate  attack  on  General  Hancock's 
right  and  rear.  General  Hancock  immediately  faced  his 
corps  to  meet  it,  and  after  a  bloody  combat,  drove  the  ene 
my  within  his  works,  and  withdrew  that  night  to  his  old  po 
sition. 

u  In  support  of  this  movement  General  Butler  made  a  dem 
onstration  on  the  north  side  of  the  James,  and  attacked  the 
enemy  on  the  Williamsburg  road,  and  also  on  the  York 
River  railroad.  In  the  former  he  was  unsuccessful ;  in  the 
latter  he  succeeded  in  carrying  a  work  which  was  after 
ward  abandoned,  and  his  forces  withdrawn  to  their  former 
positions. 

"From  this  time  forward  the  operations  in  front  of  Pe 
tersburg  and  Richmond  until  the  spring  campaign  of  1865, 
were  confined  to  the  defense  and  extension  of  our  lines,  and 
to  offensive  movements  for  crippling  the  enemy's  lines  of 
communication,  and  to  prevent  his  detaching  any  consider 
able  force  to  send  south." 

The  night  before  this  grand  movement  took  place,  a 
most  daring  expedition  was  successfully  carried  out  by  a 
young  lieutenant  in  the  navy,  on  the  Roanoke  River.  The 
Ram  Albemarle,  since  its  fight  with  our  fleet,  had  lain  at 
Plymouth,  carefully  guarded  and  protected.  The  Navy  De 
partment,  wishing  to  get  rid  of  this  monster,  had  sent,  the 
Summer  previous,  Lieutenant  W.  B.  Gushing  to  New  York 
with  full  powers  to  make  all  necessary  preparations  for  the 
perilous  undertaking  of  effecting  her  destruction.  Having 
at  length  constructed  a  torpedo  boat,  he  returned  with  it  to 
the  Sound,  and  on  the  night  of  the  27th  of  October  pro 
ceeded  with  it,  in  his  steam  launch  up  the  river.  Thirteen 
officers  and  men  composed  the  entire  crew,  all  of  whom  felt 
that  the  chance  of  their  return  was  more  than  doubtfuL  It 


506  LIEUTENANT     GUSHING. 

was  eight  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  to  where 
the  ram  lay,  while  the  stream,  which  would  not  average 
over  two  hundred  yards  in  width,  was  lined  the  whole  way 
with  pickets.  About  a  mile  below  the  ram,  lay  the  wreck 
of  the  Southfield,  which  the  former  had  destroyed,  sur 
rounded  by  schooners.  The  night  was  dark,  and  so  cau 
tiously  did  Gushing  move  that  he  was  undiscovered  by  the 
pickets  on  shore,  and  passed  within  twenty  yards  of  the 
Southfield,  unnoticed  by  those  on  guard  there.  Having 
now  got  close  to  the  ram,  which  by  a  light  on  shore 
could  be  seen,  made  fast  to  the  wharf,  he  ordered  on  a  full 
head  of  steam  and  pressed  forward.  As  he  steamed  past 
the  vessel  he  saw  she  was  surrounded  by  a  pen  of  logs 
thirty  feet  wide,  placed  there  to  prevent  any  such  attack  as 
the  one  he  was  now  making.  Performing  a  complete  circle 
so  as  to  come  squarely  down,  he  sent  the  launch's  bows 
full  against  the  pen  of  logs.  The  rebels  had  however  dis 
covered  his  approach,  and  opened  on  him  with  a  terrible 
fire.  Many  were  struck.  "The  bullets,"  says  Gushing, 
"struck  my  clothing  three  times,  and  the  air  seemed  full  of 
them.  Tn  a  moment  we  had  struck  the  logs,  just  abreast  of 
the  quarter  port,  breasting  them  in  some  feet,  and  our  bows 
resting  on  them.  The  torpedo  boom  was  then  lowered,  and 
by  a  vigorous  pull  I  succeeded  in  driving  the  torpedo  under 
the  overhang  and  exploded  it,  at  the  same  time  that  the  Al- 
bemarle's  gun  was  fired.  A  shot  seemed  to  go  crashing 
through  my  boat  and  a  dense  mass  of  water  rushed  in  from 
the  torpedo,  filling  the  launch  and  completely  disabling 
her."  He  was  now  within  fifteen  feet  of  the  ram,  from  the 
deck  of  which  an  incessant  stream  of  fire  fell  into  his  gallant 
little  band.  Seeing  his  hopeless  condition,  the  enemy  hailed 
him  and  ordered  him  to  surrender.  The  young  hero  sent 
back  his  stern  refusal,  and  took  unflinchingly  the  desola 
ting  fire. 


THE    ALBEMARLE     SUNK.  507 

Seeing,  by  the  light  of  their  own  fire,  that  he  was  fast 
going  to  the  bottom,  they  again  hailed  him,  demanding  his 
surrender.  Again  he  refused,  and  coolly  taking  off  his  coat 
and  shoes,  he  told  the  men  to  save  themselves  as  they  best 
could,  and  sprang  into  the  river,  and  struck  out  for  the  mid 
dle  of  the  stream.  He  then  swam  with  the  current,  and 
when  a  half  a  mile  below  the, ram,  came  upon  Acting-Mas- 
ter's-mate  Woodman,  very  much  exhausted,  and  nobly  tried 
to  get  him  ashore  but  was  unable  to  do  so,  and  had  to  see 
him  sink  by  his  side,  when  he  again  turned  for  the  shore. 
He  had  barely  strength  to  reach  it,  but  not  enough  to  crawl 
up  the  bank,  and  so  lay  until  near  daylight,  when  he  crept 
into  a  swamp  close  to  the  fort. 

After  he  had  rested  awhile,  he  arose  and  traveled  for 
several  hours  through  the  swamp,  until  he  came  to  its  ter 
mination,  when  he  plunged  into  another,  and,  at  length, 
reached  a  creek,  in  which  he  found  a  skiff  belonging  to  the 
picket  of  the  enemy.  Capturing  this,  he  pulled  out  into  the 
stream,  and  by  eleven  o'clock,  was  once  more  safe  among 
his  friends.  A  more  daring,  gallant  deed  is  scarcely  to  be 
found  in  the  records  of  our  glorious  navy. 

Secretary  Welles  sent  him  a  complimentary  letter,  and 
the  country  rung  with  his  praises.  He  had  done  his  work 
well,  for  this  much-dreaded  ram,  blown  up  by  the  torpedo, 
sunk  at  her  moorings.  Only  one,  besides  himself,  escaped, 
of  all  this  gallant  crew — the  rest  being  killed,  captured,  or 
drowned. 

During  this  month,  also,  an  event  occur ed  on  our  North 
ern  frontier,  which  caused  the  most  intense  excitement 
throughout  the  country.  The  Canadian  Provinces  from  the 
commencement  of  the  war,  had  been  the  resort  of  rebel 
refugees,  who  were  constantly  organizing  plots  against  the 
Federal  Government.  One  was  set  on  foot  the  year  before, 
to  release  twenty-five  hundred  rebel  prisoners  on  Johnson's 


508  RAID     INTO     VERMONT. 

I 

Isfend,  in  Lake  Erie,  who,  with  rebels  in  Canada,  were  to 
burn  Buffalo  and  other  Lake  cities,  but  it  was  discovered  in 
time,  and  hence  abandoned.  So  also  in  September,  of  this 
year,  John  Y.  Beall,  a  rebel  officer,  captured  and  destroyed 
two  steamboats  on  the  lakes. 

On  the  19th  of  this  month,  forty  armed  men,  headed  by 
one  Young,  suddenly  rode  into  the  village  of  St.  Albans, 
Vermont,  fifteen  miles  from  the  Canadian  frontier,  and  rob 
bing  the  Bank  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  escaped 
in  safety.  They  fired  upon  the  panic-stricken  inhabitants,  . 
mortally  wounding  one. 

They  were  afterward  seized  and  tried  in  Canada,  but 
were  all  finally  discharged.  The  Bank  recovered  a  part  of  its 
money,  but  no  concessions  were  made  to  our  Government 
for  this  violation  of  its  territory,  which  caused  it  to  adopt 
measures  that  interrupted,  for  a  time,  the  usual  communica 
tions  between  the  Provinces  and  the  States. 


CHAPTER    XXXVI. 

OPERATIONS  WEST  DURING  THE  AUTUMN IN  ARKANSAS,  KANSAS,  AND  MIS- 
SOUR! PRICE,  STEELE,  AND  ROSECRANS CAPTURE  ,OF  ATHENS  BY  FOR 
REST HIS  FARTHER  OPERATIONS GENERAL  BURBRIDGE  SENT  TO  DESTROY 

THE  SALT-WORKS  AT  SALTVILLE,  VIRGINIA — SHERMAN  AT  ATLANTA — DAVIS 
IN  GEORGIA HOOD  AGAIN  TAKES  THE  FIELD FALLS  ON  SHERMAN'S  COM 
MUNICATIONS GALLANT  DEFENSE  BY  CORSE,  OF  ALLATOONA PURSUIT  OF 

HOOD THOMAS     AT    NASHVILLE SHERMAN     PREPARES     FOR    HIS     GEORGIA 

CAMPAIGN ROME  BURNED DESTRUCTION  OF  PROPERTY BURNING  OF  AT 
LANTA. 

A  LTHOUGH  during  the  Spring,  Summer,  and  Autumn 
jfJL  of  1864,  the  two  great  campaigns  of  Sherman  and 
Grant  occupied  almost  the  undivided  attention  of  the  coun 
try,  still,  as  we  have  seen,  in  Missouri,  Arkansas,  Ken 
tucky,  Tennessee,  and  the  Carolinas,  hostilities  were  kept 
up,  though  they  apparently  had  no  direct  bearing  on  the 
final  result. 

Those  minor  events  of  the  East  we  have  already  traced 
till  nearly  the  close  of  Autumn.  The  military  operations 
outside  of  Sherman's  army,  during  the  months  of  September 
and  October,  West,  are  thus  summed  up  by  Grant : — 

"About  the  last  of  August,  it  being  reported  that  the 
rebel  General  Price,  with  a  force  of  about  ten  thousand 
men,  had  reached  Jacksonport,  on  his  way  to  invade  Mis 
souri,  General  A.  J.  Smith's  command,  then  en  route  from 
Memphis  to  join  Sherman,  was  ordered  to  Missouri.  A  cav 
alry  force  was  also,  at  the  same  time,  sent  from  Memphis, 
under  command  of  Colonel  Winslow.  This  made  General 
Rosecrans'  forces  superior  to  those  of  Price,  and  no  doubt 


510   .  FORREST    IN     TENNESSEE. 

was  entertained  he  would  be  able  to  check  Price  and  drive 
him  back,  while  the  forces  of  General  Steele,  in  Arkansas, 
would  cut  off  his  retreat.  On  the  26th  day  of  September, 
Price  attacked  Pilot  Knob  and  forced  the  garrison  to  re 
treat,  and  thence  moved  north  to  the  Missouri  River,  and 
continued  up  that  river  toward  Kansas.  General  Curtis, 
commanding  the  Department  of  Kansas,  immediately  col 
lected  such  forces  as  he  could  to  repel  the  invasion  of  Kan 
sas,  while  General  Rosecrans'  cavalry  was  operating  in 
his  rear. 

"The  enemy  was  brought  to  battle  on  the  Big  Blue  and 
defeated,  with  the  loss  of  nearly  all  his  artillery  and  trains, 
and  a  large  number  of  prisoners.  He  made  a  precipitate 
retreat  to  Northern  Arkansas.  The  impunity  with  which 
Price  was  enabled  to  roam  over  the  State  of  Missouri,  for  a 
long  time,  and  the  incalculable  mischief  done  by  him,  shows 
to  how  little  purpose  a  superior  force  may  be  used.  There 
is  no  reason  why  General  Rosecrans  should  not  have  concen 
trated  his  forces,  and  beaten  and  driven  Price  before  the  lat 
ter  reached  Pilot  Knob. 

"  September  20th,  the  enemy's  cavalry,  under  Forrest, 
crossed  the  Tennessee,  near  Waterloo,  Alabama,  and  on  the 
23rd  attacked  the  garrison  at  Athens,  consisting  of  six  hun 
dred  men,  which  capitulated  on  the  24th.  Soon  after  the 
surrender,  two  regiments  of  reinforcements  arrived,  and 
after  a  severe  fight  were  compelled  to  surrender.  Forrest 
destroyed  the  railroad  westward,  captured  the  garrison  at 
Sulphur  Branch  trestle,  skirmished  with  the  garrison  at  Pu- 
laski  on  the  27th,  and  on  the  same  day  cut  the  Nashville  and 
Chattanooga  railroad,  near  Tullahoma  and  Dechard.  On 
the  morning  of  the  30th,  one  column  of  Forrest's  command, 
under  Buford,  appeared  before  Huntsville  and  summoned 
the  surrender  of  the  garrison.  Receiving  an  answer  in  the 
negative,  he  remained  in  the  vicinity  of  the  place  until 


DAVIS     IN     GEORGIA.  511 

next  morning,  when  he  again-  summoned  its  surrender  and 
received  the  same  reply  as  on  the  night  before.  He  with 
drew  in  the  direction  of  Athens,  which  place  had  been  re- 
garrisoned,  and  attacked  it  on  the  afternoon  of  the  1st  of 
October,  but  without  success.  On  the  morning  of  the  2nd, 
he  renewed  his  attack,  but  was  handsomely  repulsed. 

"  Another  column  under  Forrest,  appeared  before  Colum 
bia,  on  the  morning  of  the  1st,  but  did  not  make  an  attack. 
On  the  morning  of  the  3rd,  he  moved  toward  Mount  Pleas 
ant.  While  these  operations  were  going  on,  every  exertion 
was  made  by  General  Thomas  to  destroy  the  forces  under 
Forrest,  before  he  could  recross  the  Tennessee,  but  he  was 
unable  to  prevent  his  escape  to  Corinth,  Mississippi. 

"In  September,  an  expedition,  under  General  Burbridge, 
was  sent  to  destroy  the  salt-works  at  Saltville,  Virginia.  He 
met  the  enemy  on  the  2nd  of  October,  about  three  miles  and 
a  half  from  Saltville,  and  drove  him  into  his  strongly  in 
trenched  position  around  the  salt-works,  from  which  he  was 
unable  to  dislodge  him.  During  the  night  he  withdrew  his 
command  and  returned  to  Kentucky."  ,f  » rj 

The  interest,  however,  in  these  various  expeditions  and 
movements  was  more  local  than  general.  East,  as  has  been 
stated,  with  the  failure  at  Hatcher's  Run,  in  October,  closed, 
for  the  Autumn,  all  movements  of  importance  with  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac.  It  was  evidently  at  a  dead-lock  with  the 
enemy. 

It  was  not  so,  however,  with  the  other  great  army  en 
camped  at  Atlanta.  The  fall  of  this  place  which  threatened 
to  bisect  again  the  Southern  Confederacy,  caused  the  most 
intense  feeling  South,  and  Davis  hastened  from  his  Capital 
to  Georgia  to  still  the  clamors  of  the  disaffected,  and  raise 
the  courage  of  the  desponding.  He  made  violent  speeches, 
in  which  he  seemed  to  lose  both  his  reason  and  temper, 
using  language  that  can  hardly  be  accounted  for,  except  on 


512  HOOD     IN     MOTION. 

the  ground  of  temporary  insanity,  arising  from  some  cause 
or  other.  Still  with  his  aid,  Hood  was  reinforced  with  forty 
thousand  militia,  and  by  the  last  of  September,  declared 
himself  ready  to  move.  Unable  to  cope  with  Sherman  in 
the  open  field,  he  resolved  to  throw  himself  on  his  long  line 
of  communications,  and  compel  him  to  fall  back  to  Chat 
tanooga. 

Moving  rapidly,  he  broke  up  the  railroad  in  various 
places.  Beyond  Allatoona,  nearly  to  Dallas,  he  had  it  pretty 
much  all  his  own  way,  so  that  during  the  entire  month  of 
October,  Sherman  was  cut  off  from  Chattanooga.  The  fore 
sight  of  the  latter,  in  making  Allatoona  a  secondary  base, 
was  now  apparent.  If  it  could  be  taken,  his  army  would 
be  in  a  perilous  position.  This  Hood%new,  and  dispatched  a 
whole  rebel  division,  under  French,  to  capture  it.  Sherman, 
aware  of  his  designs,  sent  a  signal  from  the  distant  Kenesaw 
Mountains  to  General  Corse,  who  was  in  command  of  Rome, 
to  take  his  brigade,  and  move  with  the  utmost  speed  to 
Allatoona,  and  hold  it  against  all  opposition,  until  he  him 
self  could  arrive  with  help. 

Pushing  forward  by  railroad,  this  gallant  officer  reached 
the  place  with  about  two  thousand  men  before  French  did, 
and  at  once  made  his  dispositions  to  defend  it  to  the  last. 
As  soon  as  the  rebel  General,  with  his  overwhelming  force, 
arrived,  he  sent  the  following  message  to  Corse : — 

"AROUND  ALLATOONA,  October  5,  1864. 
Commanding  Officer  U.  S.  Forces,  Allatoona: 

SIR, — I  have  placed  the  forces  under  my  command  in  such  positions, 
that  you  are  surrounded,  and  to  avoid  a  needless  effusion  of  blood,  I  call  on 
you  to  surrender  your  forces  at  once,  and  unconditionally.  Five  minutes 
will  be  allowed  you  to  decide.  Should  you  accede  to  this,  you  will  be 
treated  in  the  most  honorable  manner  as  prisoners  of  war. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully  yours, 

S.  G.  FRENCH, 
Major-General  Commanding  Forces  C.  S." 


A     CURT     MESSAGE.  513 

To  this  peremptory  order,  backed  by  an  entire  division, 
the  gallant  Corse  replied  in  the  following  droll,  yet  curt 
language : — 

"  HEAD-QUARTERS  FOURTH  DIVISION,  FIFTEENTH  ARMY  CORPS,  ) 
ALLATOONA,  GA.,  8.30  A.  M.,  October  5,  1864.  j" 

Major- General  S.  G.  French,  C.  S.  Army,  etc.: 

Your  communication  demanding  surrender  of  my  command,  I  ac 
knowledge  the  receipt  of,  and  respectfully  reply  that  we  are  prepared  for  the 
"  needless  effusion  of  blood,"  whenever  it  is  agreeable  to  you. 

I  am,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

JOHN  M.  CORSE, 
Brigadier-General  Commanding  Forces  U.  S." 

Corse  had  but  little  time  to  arrange  his  defense,  as  he 
reached  the  place  that  very  morning,  a  little  after  midnight. 
Sherman,  in  his  dispatch,  says  of  Corse,  in  the  desperate 
engagement  that  followed — "  his  description  of  the  defense 
is  so  graphic  that  it  leaves  nothing  for  me  to  add."  We 
agree  with  him,  and  therefore  let  him  tell  his  own  story. 

"  I  had  hardly  issued  the  incipient  orders,  when  the  storm 
broke  in  all  its  fury  on  the  Thirty-ninth  Iowa  and  Seventh 
Illinois.  Young's  brigade  of  Texans,  one  thousand  nine 
hundred  strong,  had  gained  the  west  end  of  the  ridge,  and 
moved  with  great  impetuosity  along  its  crest,  till  they 
struck  Rowett's  command,  where  they  received  a  severe 
check;  but  undaunted,  they  came  again  and  again.  How- 
eta,  reinforced  by  the  Ninety-third  Illinois,  and  aided  by 
the  *gallant  Redfield,  encouraged  me  to  hope  we  were  safe 
here,  when  I  observed  a  brigade  of  the  enemy,  under  Gen 
eral  Sears,  moving  from  the  north,  its  left  extending  across 
the  railroad.  I  rushed  to  the  two  companies  of  the  Ninety- 
third  Illinois,  which  were  on  the  brink  of  the  cut  running 
north  from  the  redoubt  and  parallel  with  the  railroad — they 
having  been  reinforced  by  the  retreating  pickets — and  urged 
them  to  hold  on  to  the  spur ;  but  it  was  of  no  avail.  The 


514  A    DESPERATE     BATTLE. 

enemy's  line  of  battle  swept  us  like  so  much  chaff,  and 
struck  the  Thirty-ninth  Iowa  in  flank,  threatening  to  engulf 
our  little  band  without  further  ado.  Fortunately  for  us, 
Colonel  Tourtellotte's  fire  caught  Sears  in  flank,  and  broke 
him  so  badly  as  to  enable  me  to  get  a  staff-officer  over  the 
cut,  with  orders  to  bring  the  Fiftieth  Illinois  over  to  rein 
force  Rowett,  who  had  lost  very  heavily.  However,  before 
the  regiment  sent  for  could  arrive,  Sears  and  Young  both 
rallied,  and  made  their  assaults  in  front  and  on  the  flank 
with  so  much  vigor  and  in  such  force,  as  to  break  Rowett's 
line,  and  had  not  the  Thirty-ninth  Iowa  fought  with  the  des 
peration  it  did,  I  never  would  have  been  able  to  get  a  man 
back  into  the  redoubt.  As  it  was,  their  hand-to-hand  con 
flict  and  stubborn  stand  broke  the  enemy  to  that  extent,  he 
must  stop  and  re-form,  before  undertaking  the  assault  on  the 
fort.  Under  cover  of  the  blow  they  gave  the  enemy,  the 
Seventh  and  Ninety-third  Illinois,  and  what  remained  of  the 
Thirty-ninth  Iowa,  fell  back  into  the  fort. 

The  fighting  up  to  this  time  (about  eleven  A.  M.)  was  of  a 
most  extraordinary  character.  Attacked  from  the  north, 
from  the  west,  and  from  the  south,  these  three  regiments, 
Thirty-ninth  Iowa,  Seventh  and  Ninety-third  Illinois,  held 
Young's  and  a  portion  of  Sears's  and  Cockeral's  brigades  at 
bay  for  nearly  two  hours  and  a  half.  The  gallant  Colonel 
Redfield,  of  the  Thirty -ninth  Iowa,  fell  shot  in  four  places, 
and  the  extraordinary  valor  of  the  men  and  officers  of  this 
regiment,  and  of  the  Seventh  Illinois,  saved  to  us  Allatoona, 
So  completely  disorganized  was  the  enemy,  that  no  regular 
assault  could  be  made  on  the  fort,  till  I  had  the  trenches  all 
filled,  and  the  parapets  lined  with  men. 

The  Twelfth  Illinois,  and  Fiftieth  Illinois  arriving  from 
the  east  hill,  enabled  us  to  occupy  every  foot  of  trench  and 
keep  up  a  line  of  fire  that,  as  long  as  our  ammunition  lasted, 
would  render  our  little  fort  impregnable." 


THE     VICTORY.  515 

But  the  ammunition  gave  out,  and  a  brave  fellow,  whose 
name  he  forgot,  crossed  over  to  another  fort  under  the 
enemy's  fire,  and  brought  back  an  armful  and  the  fight 
went  on. 

Sherman,  anxious  about  Allatoona,  hastened  forward,  and 
about  ten  o'clock  reached  the  top  of  the  Kenesaw,  eighteen 
miles  distant  He  says,  "  I  could  see  the  smoke  of  battle, 
and  hear  the  faint  sound  of  artillery."  He  immediately 
pushed  forward  a  brigade,  and  flew  his  signal  telling  Corse 
that  help  was  coming.  But  this  heroic  Commander  had  too 
much  on  his  hands  to  be  looking  out  for  signals.  He  knew, 
without  them,  that  Sherman  was  hurrying  forward  troops  to 
his  relief  as  fast  as  they  could  march. 

The  fight  was  kept  up,  and  the  smoke  of  battle  wrapped 
the  combatants,  while  far  away  on  the  serene  heights  of 
Kenesaw  stood  Sherman  flying  his  signals  and  watching 
through  his  glass  to  see  if  they  were  answered.  For  a  long 
time  they  waved  unheeded,  but  at  last  an  answer  came,  and 
he  knew  then  that  while  Corse  lived,  the  rebel  force  would 
never  have  Allatoona.  At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
the  rebel  General  gave  it  up — for,  repulsed  in  every  attack, 
he  saw  he  was  only  increasing  his  piles  of  dead,  and  ordered 
his  bugles  to  sound  retreat. 

Sherman,  hurrying  forward  his  army,  passed  through  Al 
latoona  to  Kingston,  which  he  reached  on  the  6th,  and  at 
once  reinforced  Resaca — before  which  Hood  had  appeared 
and  demanded  its  surrender — and  pushed  forward  toward 
the  same  point  with  the  main  army.  The  succeeding  move 
ments,  until  the  pursuit  was  abandoned,  and  Hood  left  to 
move  north,  while  he  prepared  his  Georgia  campaign,  are 
best  described  in  his  own  language.  He  says : 

"  Arriving  at  Resaca  on  the  evening  of  the  fourteenth,  I 
determined  to  strike  Hood  in  flank,  or  force  him  to  battle, 
and  directed  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  General  Howard, 


516        SHERMAN'S  MOVEMENTS. 

to  move  to  Snake  Creek  Gap,  which  was  held  by  the  enemy, 
Whilst  General  Stanley,  with  the  Fourth  and  Fourteenth 
Corps,  moved  by  Tilton  across  the  mountains  to  the  rear  of 
Snake  Creek  Gap,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Villanow. 

"  The  Army  of  the  Tennessee  found  the  enemy  occupying 
our  old  lines  in  the  Snake  Creek  Gap,  and  on  the  15th  skir 
mished  for  the  purpose  of  holding  him  there  until  Stanley 
could  get  to  his  rear.  But  the  enemy  gave  way  about 
noon,  and  was  followed  through  the  Gap,  escaping  before 
General  Stanley  had  reached  the  further  end  of  the  Pass. 
The  next  day,  the  sixteenth,  the  armies  moved  direetly  to 
ward  Lafayette,  with  a  view  to  cut  off  Hood's  retreat. 
We  found  him  intrenched  in  Ship's  Gap,  but  the  leading 
division  (Wood's)  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps  rapidly  carried  the 
advanced  posts  held  by  two  companies  of  a  South  Carolina 
regiment,  making  them  prisoners.  The  remaining  eight 
companies  escaped  to  the  main  body  near  Lafayette.  The 
next  morning  we  passed  over  into  the  Valley  of  the  Chat- 
tooga,  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  moving  in  pursuit  by  La 
fayette  and  Alpine,  toward  Blue  Pond;  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  by  Sumrnerville  and  Mellville  Post-Office  to 
Gaylesville ;  and  the  Army  of  the  Ohio  and  Garrard's  eav- 
alry  from  Villanow,  Dirttown  Valley,  and  Goover's  Gap  to 
Gaylesville.  HoodT  however,  was  little  encumbered  with 
trains,  and  marched  with  great  rapidity,  and  had  succeeded 
in  getting  into  the  narrow  gorge  formed  by  the  Lookout 
Range  abutting  against  the  Coosa  River,  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  Gadsden.  He  evidently  wanted  to  avoid  a  fight. 

u  On  the  nineteenthr  all  the  armies  were  grouped  about 
Gaylesville,  in  the  rich  Valley  of  the  Chattooga,  abounding 
in  corn  and  meat,  and  I  determined  t&  pause  in  my  pursuit 
of  the  enemy,  to  watch  his  movements  and  live  on  the 
country.  I  hoped  that  Hood  would  turn  toward  Gunters- 
ville  and  Bridgeport.  The  Army  of  the  Tennessee  was 


A    BOLD    DETERMINATION.  517 

posted  near  Little  River,  with  instructions  to  feel  forward 
in  support  of  the  cavalry,  which  was  ordered  to  watch  Hood 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Will's  Valley,  and  to  give  me  the 
earliest  notice  possible  of  his  turning  northward.  The  Array 
of  the  Ohio  was  posted  at  Cedar  Bluff,,  with  orders  to  lay  a 
pontoon  across  the  Coosa,  and  to  feel  forward  to  centre,  and 
down  in  the  direction  of  Blue  Mountain.  The  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  was  held  in  reserve  at  Gaylesville ;  and  all  the 
troops  were  instructed  to  draw  heavily  for  supplies  from  the 
surrounding  country.  In  the  meantime  communications 
were  opened  to  Rome,  and  a  heavy  force  set  to  work  in  re 
pairing  the  damages  done  to  our  railroads.  Atlanta  was 
abundantly  supplied  with  provisions,  but  forage  was  scarce; 
and  General  Slocum  was  instructed  to  send  strong  foraging 
parties  out  in  the  direction  of  South  River,  and  collect  all 
the  corn  and  fodder  possible,  and  to  p&t  his  own  trains  in 
good  condition  for  further  service. 

"Hood's  movements  and  strategy  had  demonstrated  that  he 
had  an  army  capable  of  endangering  at  all  times  my  com 
munications,  but  unable  to  meet  me  in  open  fight.  To  fol 
low  him  would  simply  amount  to  being  decoyed  away  from 
Georgia,  with  little  prospect  of  overtaking  and  overwhelm 
ing  him.  To  remain  on  the  defensive,  would  have  been  bad 
policy  for  an  army  of  so  great  value  as  the  one  I  then  com 
manded  ;  and  I  wa&  forced  to  adopt  a  course  more  fruitful 
in  results  than  the  naked  one  of  following  him  to  the  South 
west.  I  had  previously  submitted  to-  the  Commander-in- 
Chief  a  general  plan,  which  amounted  substantially  to  the 
destruction  of  Atlanta  and  the  railroad  back  to  Chattanooga, 
and  sallying  forth  from  Atlanta  through  the  heart  of  Geor 
gia,  to.  capture  one  or  more  of  the  great  Atlantic  seaports. 
This  I  renewed  from  Gaylesville,  modified  somewhat  by  the 
change  of  events, 

u  On  the  twenty-sb:th  of  October,  satisfied  that  Hood  bad 


518  THOMAS    AT     NASHVILLE. 

moved  westward  from  Gadsden  across  Sand  Mountain,  I  de 
tached  the  Fourth  Corps,  Major-General  Stanley,  and  or 
dered  him  to  proceed  to  Chattanooga  and  report  to  Major- 
General  Thomas  at  Nashville." 

Thomas  had  been  sent  on  from  Atlanta  to  take  charge  of 
all  the  troops  in  the  State,  and  those  en  route  to  reinforce 
the  army,  and  Sherman  says : — 

"  Subsequently,  on  the  30th  of  October,  I  also  detached 
the  Twenty-third  Corps,  Major-General  Schofield,  with  the 
same  destination ;  and  delegated  to  Major-General  Thomas 
full  power  over  all  the-  troops  subject  to  my  command,  ex 
cept  the  four  Corps  with  which  I  designed  to  move  into 
Georgia.  This  gave  him  the  two  divisions  under  A.  J.  Smith, 
then  in  Missouri,  but  en  route  for  Tennessee,. the  two  Corps 
named,  and  all  the  garrisons  in  Tennessee,  as  also  all  the  cav 
alry  of  my  Military  Division,  except  one  division  under  Brig 
adier-General  Kilpatrick,  which  was  ordered  to  rendezvous 
at  Marietta.'1 

General  Wilson  had  been  sent  from  the  Army  of  the  Po 
tomac  to  take  charge  of  his  cavalry,  and  he  ordered  him 
also  to  report  to  Nashville  with  all  the  dismounted  detach 
ments,  and  collect,  equip,  and  organize  all  the  cavalry  in 
Tennessee  and  Kentucky  and  report  to  Thomas. 

"  These  forces  I  judged  would  enable  General  Thomas  to 
defend  the  railroad  from  Chattanooga  back,  including  Nash 
ville  and  Decatur,  and  give  him  an  army  with  which  he  could 
successfully  cope  with  Hood,  should  the  latter  cross  the  Ten 
nessee  northward. 

^  By  the  1st  of  November,  Hood's  army  had  moved  from 
Gadsden,  and  made  its  appearance  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Decatur,  where  a  feint  was  made ;  he  then  passed  on  to 
Tuscumbia,  arid  laid  a  pontoon-bridge  opposite  Florence.  I 
then  began  my  preparations  for  the  march  through  Georgia, 
having  received  the  sanction  of  the  Commander-inChief  for 


BURNING     OF     ROME.  519 

carrying  into  effect  my  plan,  the  details  of  which  were  ex 
plained  to  all  my  corps  commanders  and  heads  of  staff 
departments,  with  strict  injunctions  of  secrecy.  I  had  also 
communicated  full  details  to  General  Thomas,  and  had  in 
formed  him,  I  would  not  leave  the  neighborhood  of  Kings 
ton  until  he  felt  perfectly  confident  that  he  was  entirely  pre 
pared  to  cope  with  Hood,  should  he  carry  into  effect  his 
threatened  invasion  of  Tennessee  and  Kentucky.  I  estima 
ted  Hood's  force  at  thirty-five  thousand  infantry,  and  ten 
thousand  cavalry.'1 

Sherman  then  moved  his  army  by  easy  marches  back  to 
the  neighborhood  of  Smyrna  camping  ground,  sent  all  sur 
plus  artillery  and  baggage  to  Chattanooga,  put  Kilpat- 
rick's  cavalry  force  in  the  best  possible  condition,  ordered 
Corse,  at  Rome,  to  burn  every  thing  there  that  could  be  of 
service  to  the  enemy,  and,  at  the  same  time,  destroyed  all 
the  railroads  in  and  around  Atlanta,  and  finally  ordered  all 
the  garrisons  north  of  Kingston  to  fall  back  to  Chattanooga, 
taking  with  them  the  public  property  and  railroad  stock, 
and  the  rails  from  Resaca,  saving  the  latter  for  future  use. 
He  thus  rapidly  and  effectually  cut  himself  clear  from  the 
outer  world,  and  stripped  himself  for  the  race. 

Rome  was  first  burned ;  and  a  thousand  bales  of  cotton, 
two  flour  mills,  two  tanneries,  a  foundery,  machine  shops, 
store-houses,  and  bridges,  were  set  on  fire,  making  a  fearful 
conflagration.  The  soldiers  seeing  the  work  of  destruction 
commenced,  applied  the  torch  to  the  private  dwellings,  and 
soon  the  flames  leaped  and  roared  through  the  murky  atmo 
sphere,  lighting  up  the  nightly  heavens  with  a  lurid  glare, 
and  flooding  field  and  mountain  in  flame. 

A  few  days  after,  Atlanta  shared  the  same  fate.  The 
Michigan  engineers  were  detailed  to  effect  its  destruction. 
A  foundery,  worth  a  half  a  million  of  dollars,  was  first  in  a 
blaze,  then  an  oil  refinery,  followed  by  a  freight  ware-house, 

63 


520  BURNING     OF    ATLANTA. 

in  which  were  stored  several  bales  of  cotton.  The  depot, 
turning-tables,  freight  sheds,  and  stores  around,  were  soon  a 
fiery  mass.  'The  heart  was  burning  out  of  beautiful  Atlanta, 

"The  few  people  that  had  remained  in  the  city,  fled, 
scared  by  the  conflagration  and  the  dread  of  violence. 

u  The  Atlanta  Hotel,  Washington  Hall,  and  all  the  square 
around  the  railroad  depot,  were  soon  in  one  sheet  of  flame. 
Drug  stores,  dry  goods'  stores,  hotels,  negro  marts,  theatres, 
and  grog-shops,  were  all  now  feeding  the  fiery  element. 
Worn-out  wagons  and  camp  equipage  were  piled  up  in  the 
depot,  and  added  to  the  fury  of  the  flames. 

u  A  stone  ware-house  was  blown  up  by  a  mine.  Quarter 
masters  ran  away,  leaving  large  stores  behind.  The  men 
plunged  into  the  houses,  broke  windows  and  doors  with  their 
muskets,  dragging  out  armfuls  of  clothes,  tobacco,  and  whis 
key  which  was  more  welcome  than  all  the  rest.  The  men 
dressed  themselves  in  new  clothes,  and  then  flung  the  rest 
into  the  fire. 

"  The  streets  were  now  in  one  fierce  sheet  of  flame;  houses 
were  falling  on  all  sides,  and  fiery  flakes  of  cinders  were 
whirled  about.  Occasionally  shells  exploded,  and  excited 
men  rushed  through  the  choking  atmosphere,  and  hurried 
away  from  the  city  of  ruins. 

u  At  a  distance  the  city  seemed  overshadowed  by  a  cloud 
of  black  smoke,  through  which,  now  and  then,  darted  a 
gushing  flame  of  fire,  or  projectiles  hurled  from  the  burn 


ing  rum. 


"  The  sun  looked,  through  the  hazy  cloud,  like  a  blood-red 
ball  of  fire ;  and  the  air,  for  miles  around,  felt  oppressive 
and  intolerable.  The  Tyre  of  the  South  was  laid  in  ashes, 
and  the  'Gate  City'  was  a  thing  of  the  past."* 

On  the  12th  of  November,  Sherman  stood  detached  from 

*  Captain  Conyngham. 


SHERMAN    READY     TO    START.  521 

all  its  communications  ready  to  move.  His  army  "was  com 
posed  of  four  Corps :  the  Fifteenth  and  Seventeenth,  con 
stituting  the  right  wing,  under  Major-General  0.  0.  How 
ard  ;  the  Fourteenth  and  Twentieth  Corps,  constituting  the 
left  wing,  under  Major-General  H.  W.  Slocuni,  making  an 
aggregate  strength  of  sixty  thousand  infantry,  with  one 
cavalry  division  of  five  thousand  and  five  hundred  men, 
under  Brigadier-General  Judson  Kilpatrick,  and  the  artil 
lery  reduced  to  the  minimum,  one  gun  per  one  thousand 
men. 

"  The  whole  force  was  moved  rapidly,  and  grouped  about 
Atlanta  on  the  14th  of  November." 


CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

SHERMAN    PREPARES    TO    MARCH — ORDERS    RESPECTING   FORAGING    PARTIES — 

DIVISION    OF  THE    ARMY SLOCUM's   WING HOWARD'S  WING KILPATRICK's 

CAVALRY MARCH  OF  THE  FORMER PILLAGE  OF  MADISON — SLOCUM  EN 
TERS  MILLEDGEVILLE MARCH  OF  THE  RIGHT  WING THE  ENEMY  AT  LOVE- 

JOY'S — KILPATRICK'S  CAVALRY — MACON  LEFT  IN  THE  REAR — SHERMAN  EN 
TERS  MILLEDGEVILLE  AND  OCCUPIES  THE  GOVERNOR'S  HOUSE— THE  SOL 
DIERS  ORGANIZE  A  LEGISLATURE REBELS  REPULSED  AT  GRISWOLDVILLE 

KILPATRICK    DRIVES  WHEELER  BEFORE    HIM    AND  THREATENS  AUGUSTA THE 

ARMY    AT    MILLEN MARCH    TO    SAVANNAH CAPTURE    OF  FORT  MC  ALLISTER 

BY    HAZEN SAVANNAH    INVESTED HARDEE    SUMMONED     TO     SURRENDER 

SHERMAN  STARTS  FOR  PORT  ROYAL THE  CITY  EVACUATED SHERMAN'S  DIS 
PATCH  TO  THE  PRESIDENT REVIEW  OF  THE  CAMPAIGN. 

IN  preparing  for  his  march  across  the  State  of  Georgia, 
Sherman  gave  stringent  rules  for  the  conduct  of  his 
troops.  Of  necessity,  they  must  live  off  the  country.  He. 
therefore,  issued  the  following  order : — 

u  The  army  will  forage  liberally  on  the  country  during 
the  march.  To  this  end,  each  brigade  Commander  will 
organize  a  good  and  efficient  foraging  party,  under  com 
mand  of  one  or  more  discreet  officers.  To  regular  foraging 
parties  must  be  intrusted  the  gathering  of  provisions  and 
forage  at  any  distance  from  the  roads  traveled. 

"  As  for  horses,  mules,  wagons,  &c.,  the  cavalry  and  artil 
lery  may  appropriate  freely  and  without  limit.  Foraging 
parties  may  also  take  mules  or  horses  to  replace  the  jaded 
animals  of  their  trains,  or  to  serve  as  pack-mules  for  the  regi 
ments  or  brigades." 

This  order  shows  that  Sherman  possessed  the  right  spirit, 
and  desired  that  his  army  should  not  behave  like  banditti. 


FORAGING     PARTIES.  523 

Every  brigade  and  regiment  had  its  organized  foraging 
party,  which  was  to  forage  under  established  rules,  and  be 
under  the  command  of  one  or  more  discreet  officers.  It  was 
also  ordered, — 

"  Soldiers  shall  not  enter  the  dwellings  of  the  inhabitants 
or  commit  any  trespass ;  but,  during  the  halt  or  camp,  they 
may  be  permitted  to  gather  turnips,  potatoes  and  other  veg 
etables,  and  drive  in  stock  in  front  of  their  camps." 

Officers  were  also  directed  "  to  leave  with  each  family  a 
reasonable  portion  for  their  maintenance." 

These  were  humane  regulations,  and  shed  as  much  lustre 
on  Sherman's  character,  as  his  great  victories.  But  who, 
familiar  with  the  history  of  invading  armies,  does  not  know 
what  foraging  in  the  enemy's  country  means.  Foraging 
parties  are  usually  joined  by  every  servant  and  idler  about 
the  camps,  who,  in  the  various  expeditions,  scatter  over  the 
country,  enter  houses  and  strip  the  inmates  of  jewelry,  and 
every  thing  valuable  that  they  possess,  and  often  commit 
violence  of  the  grossest  kind.  Sherman's  army  formed  no 
exception  to  this  rule. 

Says  an  officer,  who  commanded  in  the  expedition,  in 
speaking  of  these  lawless  hangers-on  : — u  In  most  instances, 
they  burned  down  houses  to  cover  their  depredations,  and 
in  some  cases,  took  the  lives  of  their  victims,  as  they  would 
not  reveal  concealed  treasures.  These  gangs  spread  like 
locusts  over  the  country.  In  all  cases  where  the  foraging 
parties  were  under  the  command  of  a  respectable  officer, 
they  acted  with  propriety,  simply  taking  what  provisions 
and  necessaries  they  needed.  They  might  as  well  have 
stripped  the  place,  though,  for  soon  came  the  bummers,  and 
commenced  a  scene  of  ruin  and  pillage.  Boxes  were  burst 
open ;  clothes  dragged  about";  the  finest  silks,  belonging  to 
the  planters'  ladies,  carried  off  to  adorn  some  negro  wenches 
around  camp ;  pictures,  books-,  furniture,  all  tossed  about 


524  SHERMAN'S  START   FOR  THE   SEA. 

and  torn  in  pieces.  Though  these  wretches  were  acting 
against  military  orders,  there  was  no  one  to  complain.  The 
planter  and  his  family  were  thankful  if  they  escaped  with 
their  lives," 

When  about  to  start,  Sherman  wrote  to  Admiral  Porter, 
on  the  Atlantic  coast,  that  he  might  be  "looking  out  for  him 
about  Christmas,  from  Hilton  Head  to  Savannah,"  and  to 
his  wife,  "  this  is  my  last  letter  from  here;  you  will  only  hear 
of  me  hereafter  through  rebel  sources." 

The  four  Corps,  as  before  stated,  were  divided  into  two 
wings — the  right,  consisting  of  the  Fifteenth  and  Seven 
teenth,  was  commanded  by  Howard ;  and  the  left,  composed 
of  the  Fourteenth  and  Twentieth,  by  Slocum.  There  was 
no  general  train  of  supplies  for  the  army,  but  each  Corps 
had  its  own,  distributed  among  the  brigades  and  regiments, 
the  whole  amounting  to  about  two  thousand  wagons. 

The  march,  when  practicable,  was  to  be  by  four  parallel 
roads,  to  commence  every  morning  at  seven  o'clock,  and  to 
average  fifteen  miles  a  day.  Howard,  with  the  right  wing, 
was  to  follow  the  Georgia  Central  railroad,  running  in  a 
south-westerly  direction,  through  Macon  and  Milledgeville, 
to  Savannah ;  while  Slocum,  with  the  left  wing,  would 
march  along  the  railroad  running  due  east  to  Augusta — both 
roads  to  be  destroyed  as  the  armies  advanced.  Two  divi 
sions  of  cavalry,  under  Kilpatrick,  covered  the  flanks  of  the 
columns.  It  was  a  hundred  and  seventy  miles  to  Augusta, 
by  the  railroad  along  which  Slocum  marched,  and  two 
hundred  and  ninety-one  to  Savannah,  by  that  which  How 
ard  took. 

Slocum,  moving  out  on  different  roads,  and  destroying  the 
rail  track  as  he  advanced,  pushed  on  through  Decatur,  Stone 
Mountain,  Social  Circle,  Rutledge,  and  Madison — filling  the 
inhabitants  with  consternation,  especially  at  the  latter  place. 
While  the  depot  and  railroad  track  were  being  destroyed 


MADISON     PILLAGED.  525 

here,  together  with  two  hundred  bales  of  cotton,  the  strag 
glers  entered  the  place  and  pillaged  unchecked.  Stores 
were  burst  open — houses  entered,  and  plates  and  valuables 
carried  off,  while  mirrors  and  pianos  were  ruthlessly  smashed. 
Wine-cellars  were  broken  into,  and  the  liquors  drank  till 
soldiers  were  seen  reeling  along  the  streets.  All  the  stores 
were  gutted  and  the  contents  scattered  around ;  even  a  mil 
liner's  shop  was  entered  and  sacked,  and  the  ribbons  and 
flowers  put  in  the  caps  of  the  soldiers. 

This  disgraceful  scene  continued  until  the  head  of  Slo- 
cum's  column  entered  the  place,  when  it  was  quickly  brought 
to  a  close,  and  a  guard  placed  over  what  was  left  of  the 
town. 

From  Madison,  the  division  of  Geary  marched  on  the  Oco- 
nee  River,  while  a  body  of  cavalry  crossed  it  and  advanced 
to  Greenboro',  sixty-four  miles  from  Augusta.  From  this 
place,  however,  it  turned  directly  south  toward  Milledge- 
ville.  The  Fourteenth  Corps  wheeled  in  the  same  direction 
before  it  reached  the  town,  marching  toward  the  same  point, 
and  last,  Geary,  farther  to  the  east,  took  the  same  direction, 
moving  down  the  west  bank  of  the  Oconee. 

On  the  21st,  Slocum  entered  Milledgeville,  the  State  Cap 
ital,  one  day  ahead  of  Howard.  The  latter  moved  directly 
on  Macon,  covered  by  Kilpatrick's  cavalry.  Some  three 
thousand  militia  were  found  at  Lovejoy's,  but  a  single  charge 
of  Kilpatrick  served  to  scatter  them.  At  Bear  Creek,  he 
encountered  Wheeler's  cavalry  and  forced  it  back  to  Macon. 
Howard  followed  leisurely,  destroying  the  railroad  behind 
him,  until  he  arrived  within  a  few  miles  of  the  place.  A 
large  army  was  concentrated  here,  defended  by  breast 
works,  well  mounted  with  artillery,  for  the  enemy  never 
doubted  that  Sherman  intended  to  lay  siege  to  this  place. 
He  however  had  no  such  intention.  He  had  apparently  for 
gotten  the  old,  well-established  military  maxim,  "  never  to 


526  THE     ARMF     AT     M  I  LL  E  D  G  E  VILLE  . 

leave  a  fortified  place  of  the  enemy  in  your  rear,"  and  de 
signed  to  pass  it  without  halting. 

Wishing  to  get  across  the  Ocmulgee  without  opposition, 
and  strike  the  railroad  again  beyond  the  town,  he  sent  Kil- 
patrick  over  the  river  with  a  large  force  of  cavalry,  who 
came  down  on  the  place  from  the  east — driving  in  the  rebel 
pickets,  and  charging  up  to  the  very  earthworks  of  the  ene 
my.  His  daring  and  vigorous  movements  kept  the  garrison 
in  a  state  of  constant  alarm,  and  while  the  rebel  army  was 
listening  to  the  sound  of  his  bugles,  Howard  quietly  slipped 
across  the  river  to  Griswoldville,  ten  miles  beyond.  Leav 
ing  here  a  part  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps  to  protect  his  rear, 
the  latter  pushed  on  to  Milledgeville,  which,  as  we  have  said, 
he  reached  the  next  day  after  Howard  entered  it.  Sherman 
took  up  his  head-quarters  in  the  Governor's  house,  but  found 
it  completely  stripped  of  furniture.  This,  however,  was  of 
little  consequence  to  one  who  had  often  made  the  earth  his 
couch,  and  spreading  a  couple  of  blankets  on  the  floor, 
slept  in  State. 

The  Georgia  Legislature  was  in  session  when  the  news 
of  the  approach  of  our  army  was  received,  and  at  once 
adjourned  in  great  terror.  The  soldiers  took  possession 
of  the  State  House,  and  organized  a  Legislature  of  their 
own — winding  up  their  hilarious  proceedings  by  having  a 
soldier  appear  at  the  door,  shouting  u  the  Yankees  are  com 
ing,"  when  the  uproarious,  laughing  crowd  rushed  at  once 
for  the  door. 

In  the  meantime  the  rebel  leaders  at  Macon,  enraged  at 
finding  themselves  so  .completely  outwitted,  made  a  furious 
attack  with  three  brigades  of  militia,  on  the  force  left  at 
Griswoldville,  but  were  repulsed  with  a  loss  of  a  thou 
sand  men. 

Having  rested  his  now  united  army  at  Milledgeville,  and 
stored  forty  days'  rations  in  his  wagons,  Sherman  once  more 


SHERMAN     AT    MILLEN.  527 

turned  the  head  of  his  columns  toward  the  sea.  At  San- 
dersville,  Wheeler  made  a  stand,  but  after  a  brief  action  fell 
back  to  Waynesboro,  only  thirty  miles  south  of  Augusta, 
whither  Kilpatrick  followed  him.  Wheeler  now  attacked 
in  turn,  but  was  repulsed  with  a  loss  of  two  hundred  men. 
The  inhabitants  of  Augusta  were  alarmed  at  the  near  ap 
proach  of  Kilpatrick  to  the  city,  and  entertained  no  doubt, 
that  it  was  the  point  aimed  at  by  Sherman.  But  while 
the  cavalry  swarmed  the  country  in  its  vicinity,  conceal 
ing  the  movements  of  the  army,  the  latter  was  marching 
rapidly  on  Millen,  located  on  the  railroad  that  connects  Au 
gusta  and  Savannah.  Here  Sherman  again  halted  for  several 
days,  while  the  cavalry  scoured  the  country  in  every  direc 
tion.  Whether  he  intended  to  march  north  on  Augusta,  or 
south  on  Savannah,  the  rebel  commanders  could  not  tell, 
and  hence  the  forces  at  these  places  remained  separate. 

From  this  position  Sherman  looked  back  in  his  track,  and 
saw  the  Georgia  railroad  destroyed  for  a  hundred  miles,  and 
the  Georgia  road  for  more  than  sixty. 

He  had  hitherto  completely  deceived  the  enemy  as  to  the 
point  he  was  aiming  at,  but  concealment  was  now  no  longer 
possible.  Sherman,  however,  felt  no  vacillation  as  to  his 
course,  and  when  his  columns  were  well  closed  up,  and  suffi 
cient  provisions  stored  in  his  wagons,  he  on  the  2nd  of  Decem 
ber,  swung  his  noble  army  on  Millen  as  on  a  pivot,  and  in  six 
grand  columns  by  as  many  different  roads,  swept  down  on  Sa 
vannah,  leaving  Augusta  as  he  had  Macon,  far  in  his  rear. 

The  face  of  the  country,  through  which  his  line  of  march 
now  lay,  was  totally  different  from  the  one  he  had  hitherto 
traversed.  Through  richly  cultivated  fields  and  plantations, 
and  past  thriving  towns,  and  peaceful  country  villages, 
where  every  luxury  abounded,  the  army  had  for  weeks  been 
inarching,  but  now  it  entered  on  long  stretches  of  pine  for 
ests,  whose  dark  green  branches  swayed  with  a  ceaseless 


528  SAVANNAH     REACHED. 

murmur  over  the  soldiers'  heads.  A  river  on  either  side 
rolled  its  flood  toward  the  Atlantic,  whither  the  heads  of 
his  columns  were  pressing,  protecting  both  his  flanks — thus 
performing  the  duty  which  had  hitherto  devolved  on  Kil- 
patrick's  cavalry.  This  force  now  marched  in  front  and 
rear,  awakening  the  echoes  of  the  pine  forest  with  their 
bugle  calls,  and  lighting  up  its  green  arcades  with  the  flashing 
weapons  of  the  bold  riders.  It  was  a  strange,  yet  magnifi 
cent  spectacle,  this  mighty  army  moving  unmolested  through 
a  hostile  country,  its  bands  making  the  woods  resonant  with 
their  thrilling  strains,  and  the  gay  battalions  streaking  them 
with  the  long  lines  of  light  from  their  camp-fires  by  night. 

Thus,  day  after  day,  the  army  swept  on  for  more  than 
eighty  miles  to  Savannah.  About  ten  miles  from  the  city, 
the  left  wing  struck  the  Charleston  railroad,  when  it  came 
upon  the  skirmishers  of  Hardee,  who  was  in  command  of 
the  troops  that  held  the  place.  As  the  right  wing  ap 
proached  the  outer  line  of  the  enemy's  works,  Sherman 
heard  the  deep,  heavy  thunder  of  cannon  booming  over  the 
swamps  and  forests  from  Ossabaw  Sound,  where  our  fleet  lay ; 
and  knew  them  to  be  signal  guns  for  him,  should  he  be  ap 
proaching  the  coast.  On  the  9th  he  answered  them  by 
sending  Colonel  Duncan  down  the  Ogeechee,  who,  three  days 
after,  stepped  on  board  one  of  Dahlgren's  vessels,  and  thus 
put  the  army  once  more  in  communication  with  the  outer 
world. 

Sherman  now  began  to  close  gradually  but  steadily  in 
upon  the  city.  But  he  had  no  siege  guns,  for  only  field 
artillery  could  be  taken  in  the  long  and  difficult  march 
across  the  State  of  Georgia.  The  former  he  must  get  up  from 
the  fleet  in  Ossabaw  Sound,  or  the  city  could  not  be  taken. 
But  Fort  McAllister,  that  had  twice  repulsed  an  attack  by  our 
iron-clads,  commanded  the  entrance  of  the  Ogeechee  River, 
effectually  preventing  the  ascent  of  our  vessels.  Its  cap- 


FORT    MCALLISTER.  529 

ture,  therefore  was  indispensable  to  success.  It  is  singular 
that  the  enemy  did  not  see  this  and  strengthen  its  garrison 
and  defenses  landward.  But  thinking  the  great  danger  was 
from  the  fleet,  they  left  a  garrison  of  less  than  three  hun 
dred  men  to  hold  it. 

Sherman,  aware  of  this,  resolved  by  one  bold  stroke  to 
seize  it,  and  the  gallant  Hazen  was  selected  with  his  tried 
division  to  carry  it  by  assault.  This  division,  the  second, 
was  Sherman's  old  division  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps,  which 
was  the  corps  he  spoke  so  proudly  of  after  the  battle  of 
Missionary  Ridge.  When  he  sent  word  to  this  old  favorite 
division  that  he  expected  them  to  take  Fort  McAllister, 
they  were  as  delighted,  says  an  officer,  as  though  "  he  had 
sent  them  a  .wagon  load  of  brandy." 

On  the  12th  Sherman  sent  for  Hazen,  and  told  him  what 
he  wanted  him  to  do.  In  a  half-hour  this  gallant  officer 
was  off  with  his  division,  and  by  night  reached  King's  bridge, 
ten  miles  from  the  fort.  The  next  morning  he  kept  on  till 
within  a  mile  of  it,  when  he  halted.  Selecting  nine  regi 
ments  with  which  to  make  the  assault,  he  moved  them  for 
ward  to  within  six  hundred  yards  of  the  works.  The  fort 
stood  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Ogeechee,  just  where  the 
firm  land  and  sea-marsh  join.  Between  him  and  it,  stretched 
an  open  space  more  than  a  third  of  a  mile  wide,  planted 
thick  with  torpedoes,  and  swept  by  artillery,  across  which 
in  broad  daylight,  the  storming  force  must  march  before 
they  could  reach  the  ramparts.  These  were  surrounded 
by  a  heavy  abattis,  and  beyond  it  was  a  deep  ditch,  along 
which  were  driven  high,  strong  palisades.  Sherman  was  well 
aware  of  the  desperate  nature  of  the  undertaking,  and  designed 
to  have  the  fleet  co-operate  in  the  attack,  so  as  to  draw  off  a 
part  of  the  hostile  force  from  Hazen.  He  had  gone  down  the 
river  with  Howard,  and  was  at  this  time  standing  on  the  top  of 
a  rice-mill,  three  miles  off,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream, 


530  PREPARING    FOR    THE    ASSAULT. 

anxiously  watching  for  the  appearance  of  the  expected  gun 
boat,  for  he  had  not  heard  from  the  fleet  since  Colonel  Dun 
can  set  off  to  communicate  with  it.  At  length  he  saw  the 
smoke  of  a  steamer  seaward  and  exclaimed,  "  See,  Howard, 
there  is  the  gunboat."  In  a  short  time  its  signal  waved,  "Is 
fort  McAllister  ours  ?"  u  No,"  was  the  answering  signal  from 
the  rice-mill.  "Can  you  assist?"  "Yes,"  was  the  reply, 
"what  shall  we  do?"  The  thunder  of  guns  from  the  fort 
announcing  that  the  struggle  had  commenced,  rendered  a 
reply  unnecessary. 

Hazen  had  sent  forward  some  sharp-shooters  to  within 
two  hundred  yards  of  the  fort  to  clear  the  parapets,  while 
he  got  his  lines  in  position.  This  was  attended  with  a  good 
deal  of  difficulty  on  the  right,  where  the  marsh  was  soft, 
and  crossed  by  a  lagoon,  and  caused  Hazen  much  solicitude. 
He  saw  this  signal  flying  from  the  top  of  the  rice-mill,  three 
miles  away,  "  The  fort  must  be  taken  at  all  hazards,  to-night !  " 
and  yet  the  sun  was  then  almost  touching  the  rim  of  the 
western  horizon.  He  knew  that  Sherman  and  Howard 
were  both  watching  him  through  their  glasses,  that  Savan 
nah  was  the  stake  at  issue,  and  hence  could  not  but  feel  the 
fearful  responsibility  under  which  he  was  to  fight  the  com 
ing  battle.  His  anxiety  was  depicted  on  his  grave  counte 
nance,  yet  every  lineament  was  fixed- and  stern  as  fate  itself. 
At  length  he  saw  his  line  in  position,  when  he  called  the 
nearest  bugler  to  him,  and  ordered  him  to  sound  the  "At 
tention."  The  prolonged  warning  notes  swept  along  the 
waiting  line,  and  died  in  faint  echoes  over  the  sea.  "  Sound 
it  again,"  he  exclaimed,  and  again  the  well  known  strain 
stirred  every  heart,  and  called  the  foe  to  the  ramparts. 
"  Sound  it  again,"  cried  Hazen  in  sterner  accents,  and  for 
the  third  time  the  appealing  notes  swept  in  soft  cadences 
over  the  plain,  making  each  soldier  clutch  his  musket  with 


THE     ASSAULT.  531 

a  firmer  grasp.  Now,  shouted  Hazen,  in  tones  that  made 
the  bugler  start,  u  Sound  the  forward." 

The  shrill,  rapid  notes  shook  the  excited  line  as  a  sud 
den  wind-gust  the  tree-tops,  and  the  next  moment,  with  a 
loud  and  ringing  cheer,  it  bounded  forward.  In  an  instant, 
the  guns  of  the  fort  opened,  sweeping  all  the  level  space  the 
brave  fellows  must  traverse,  with  a  horrible  fire.  Breasting 
this  without  flinching,  they  came  upon  torpedoes,  buried  in 
the  sand,  that  exploded  to  their  tread,  sending  men,  man 
gled  and  torn,  into  the  air.  Heedless  of  these,  as  of  the  fire 
in  front,  they  kept  unhesitatingly  on  their  terrible  way, 
moving  on  the  double-quick,  until,  at  length,  they  reached 
the  abattis.  Pulling  this  apart  by  main  strength,  they 
stormed  through  it  and  reached  the  ditch.  Seizing  the 
strong  palisades  here,  they  wrenched  them  fiercely  out,  and 
making  a  gap,  poured  through  it  with  loud  shouts,  and 
mounted  the  parapets. 

Sherman  stood  on  the  rice-mill  watching  all  this,  through 
his  glass,  with  emotions  that  can  but  faintly  be  imagined. 
As  the  blue  line  swept  steadily  onward,  he  exclaimed  "How 
grandly  they  advance !  not  a  waver !  "  With  his  eye  still 
glued  to  that  unwavering  line,  he,  in  a  few  seconds,  again 
exclaimed,  "Look,  Howard!  see  that  flag  in  the  advance; 
how  steadily  it  moves !  not  a  man  falters.  Grand,  grand!" 
After  a  short  pause,  he  cried,  "  The  flag  still  goes  forward; 
there  is  no  flinching  there."  But  in  a  few  seconds,  he  said, 
in  an  altered  tone,  "  Look,  it  has  halted !  They  waver." 
But  as  the  smoke  lifted  a  moment,  he  almost  shouted,  "No, 
it's  the  parapet.  There  they  go,  again,  right  over  it !  See, 
there  is  a  flag  on  the  works !  another !  another !  It's  ours ! 
The  fort  is  ours." 

The  firing  ceased ;  the  rebel  flag  came  down ;  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  went  up  ;  the  glass  dropped,  and  a  smile  lighted 
up  his  features,  for  he  well  knew  what  a  shout  was  going 


532  THE     VICTORY. 

up  from  those  smoking,  bloody  ramparts — and  exclaiming, 
"  Savannah  is  ours,"  he  seized  a  slip  of  paper,  and  wrote  a 
dispatch  to  the  Government,  closing  with,  "  I  regard  Savan 
nah  as  already  gained."  Calling  one  of  his  aids,  he  said, 
"  Captain,  have  a  boat  ready,  I  must  go  over  there."  Swift 
rowers  were  soon  pulling  him  across  the  river,  and,  just  at 
dark,  he  walked  into  the  fort — his  face  aglow  with  enthusi 
asm — and  seizing  Hazen  by  the  hand,  overwhelmed  him 
with  praises,  as  well  he  might,  for  Hazen  had  captured 
Savannah  for  him,  and  thus  made  his  Georgia  campaign  the 
decisive  movement  of  the  war. 

Sherman  now  communicated  with  the  fleet,  and  going  on 
board  the  Admiral's  flag-ship — the  Harvest  Moon — arranged 
with  General  Foster  to  send  some  siege  ordnance  from  Hil 
ton  Head.  After  consulting  with  Dahlgren  he  returned  to 
his  lines  at  Savannah. 

The  reports  of  the  division  Commanders  on  the  condition 
of  things,  made  him  determine,  the  moment  the  siege  guns 
arrived  from  Port  Royal,  to  assault  the  enemy's  works.  A 
number  of  thirty-pounder  Parrott  guns  having  reached 
King's  bridge,  he,  on  the  17th,  sent  in  a  formal  demand 
for  the  surrender  of  the  city,  which  Hardee  rejected.  He 
now  made  further  reconnoissances,  and  ordered  Slocum  to 
get  in  position  siege  guns,  and  make  every  thing  ready  for 
the  final  assault  at  the  earliest  moment.  He  also  established 
a  division  of  troops,  under  Foster,  on  the  neck  between  the 
Coosawhatchie  and  Tullifinney  Rivers,  where  his  artillery 
could  reach  the  railroad,  and  then  started  for  Port  Royal, 
in  person,  to  get  reinforcements  for  him,  so  that  he  could 
assault  and  carry  the  railroad,  and  thus  obtain  possession 
of  the  Union  Causeway,  from  the  direction  of  Port  Royal. 
This  was  the  plank  road  on  the  South  Carolina  shore,  which 
once  occupied,  would  complete  the  "investment  of  Sa 
vannah." 


SURRENDER    OF    SAVANNAH.  533 

He  put  to  sea  on  the  night  of  the  20th,  but  a  gale  of  wind 
arising,  it  was  deemed  impossible  to  get  over  the  Ossabaw 
Bar,  and  the  vessel  (the  Harvest  Moon)  ran  into  the  Tybee 
to  make  the  passage  through  the  inland  channel  into  Warsaw 
Sound,  and  thence  through  Romney  Marsh.  But  the  ship, 
caught  in  the  ebb-tide,  could  not  make  the  passage,  and 
Dahlgren  took  him  in  his  tug  toward  Yernon  River.  To 
his  surprise,  Sherman  received,  on  the  way,  a  message  from 
his  Adjutant,  Captain  Dayton,  stating  that  Savannah  was 
evacuated,  and  our  troops  already  in  possession  of  the 
enemy's  lines.  He  immediately  hurried  back,  and  on  the 
morning  of  the  22nd,  rode  into  the  City  of  Savannah. 

The  surrender  of  the  place  was  made  to  Geary,  who  was 
placed  in  command  of  the  city.  Sherman  sent  the  following 
terse  dispatch  to  the  President : — UI  beg  to  present  you,  as 
a  Christmas  gift,  the  City  of  Savannah,  with  one  hundred 
and  fifty  guns,  and  plenty  of  ammunition,  and  about  twenty- 
five  thousand  bales  of  cotton."  There  proved  to  be  thirty- 
eight  thousand  bales.  Three  steamers  were  also  cap 
tured,  besides  locomotives,  cars,  &c.,  and  eight  hundred 
prisoners. 

Thus  ended  this  wonderful  campaign,  the  success  of 
which  very  few  believed  in.  With  an  army  of  sixty  or  sev 
enty  thousand  men,  to  swing  entirely  loose  from  his  base, 
and  move,  for  weeks,  through  a  hostile  country,  depending 
solely  on  forage  for  supplies,  was  one  of  the  boldest  move 
ments  in  military  history. 

The  Southern  press  said,  scornfully,  that  he  was  marching 
to  the  u  paradise  of  fools,"  and  the  European  journals,  almost 
without  exception,  predicted  a  total  failure. 

At  the  North,  his  success  was  considered  very  doubtful. 
Even  Grant,  in  reply  to  Sherman's  request  to  be  allowed  to 
undertake  the  enterprise,  said,  u  If  you  were  to  cut  loose,  I 
do  not  believe  you  would  meet  Hood's  army,  but  would  be 


534          WEAKNESS  OF  THE  SOUTH. 

bushwhacked  by  all  the  old  men,  little  boys,  and  such  rail 
road  guards  as  are  still  left  at  home." 

That  march  could  not  have  been  made  through  one  of  the 
Northern  States,  but  slavery,  which  the  South  boasted  was 
an  element  of  strength  in  war,  because  it  allowed  all  the 
whites  to  enter  the  army  and  yet  secured  the  cultivation  of 
the  soil,  was  found,  in  an  invasion,  to  be  an  element  of  fatal 
weakness.  The  working  population,  in  a  free  State,  would 
have  hung  around  the  flanks  of  such  an  invading  army  "like 
lightning  around  the  edge  of  a  thunder-cloud,"  but  in  the 
South,  that  population  was  all  on  the  side  of  the  invaders — 
in  short,  an  element  of  strength  to  us. 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII. 

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER,  1864. 

EXPEDITION    FROM    VICKSBURG — GRIERSON^S     EXPEDITION BRECKENRIDGE     IN 

EAST    TENNESSEE STONEMAN    SENT    AGAINST    HIM ROUT  OF  THE    ENEMY 

DESTRUCTION  OF  WYTIIEVILLE  AND    THE    SALT    WORKS    AT    SALTVILLE HOOD 

ADVANCES     AGAINST     NASHVILLE SCHOFIELD    FALLS     BACK    BEFORE    HIM 

BATTLE    OF     FRANKLIN SIEGE     OF     NASHVILLE IMPATIENCE     OF     GRANT 

BATTLE    OF     NASHVILLE RETREAT     OF     HOOD OPERATIONS     AROUND     MUR- 

FREESBORO' CLOSE  OF  THE  CAMPAIGN EVENTS  EAST — PLOT  TO   BURN   THE 

CITY    OF    NEW    YORK — ARREST    AND   EXECUTION    OF  REBEL    OFFICERS WAR- 

REN'S    EXPEDITION — FIRST    ATTEMPT    TO    CAPTURE    FORT  FISHER CO-OPERA 
TIVE  MOVEMENT  FROM  PLYMOUTH LOSS  OF  THE  OTSEGO. 

BUT  while,  during  the  months  of  November  and  Decem 
ber,  Sherman's  army  was  leisurely  making  its  way 
toward  Savannah,  "two  expeditions,  one  from  Baton  Rouge, 
Louisiana,  and  one  from  Vicksburg,  Mississippi,  were  started 
by  General  Canby  to  cut  the  enemy's  line  of  communication 
with  Mobile  and  detain  troops  in  that  field.  General  Fos 
ter,  commanding  Department  of  the  South,  also  sent  an  ex 
pedition,  via  Broad  River,  to  destroy  the  railroad  between 
Charleston  and  Savannah.  The  expedition  from  Yicksburg, 
under  command  of  Brevet  Brigadier-General  E.  D.  Osband, 
(Colonel  of  Third  United  States  colored  cavalry,)  captured, 
on  the  27th  of  November,  and  destroyed  the  Mississippi 
Central  railroad  bridge  and  trestle-work  over  the  Big  Black 
River,  near  Canton,  thirty  miles  of  the  road,  and  two  loco 
motives,  besides  large  amounts  of  stores.  The  expedition 
from  Baton  Rouge  was  without  favorable  results. 

"A  cavalry  expedition,  under  Brevet  Major-General  Gri- 

erson,  started  from  Memphis  on  the  21st  of  December.     On 
64 


536  EAST     TENNESSEE. 

the  25th,  he  surprised  and  captured  Forrest's  dismounted 
camp  at  Verona,  Mississippi,  on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  rail 
road  ;  destroyed  the  railroad,  sixteen  cars  loaded  with 
wagons  and  pontoons  for  Hood's  army,  four  thousand  new 
English  carbines,  and  large  amounts  of  public  stores.  On 
the  morning  of  the  28th,  he  attacked  and  captured  a  force 
of  the  enemy  at  Egypt,  and  destroyed  a  train  of  fourteen 
cars ;  thence  turning  to  the  south-west,  he  struck  the  Missis 
sippi  Central  railroad  at  Winona,  destroyed  the  factories  and 
large  amounts  of  stores  at  Bankston,  and  the  machine-shops 
and  public  property  at  Grenada,  arriving  at  Yicksburg  Jan 
uary  5th. 

"  During  these  operations  in  Middle  Tennessee,  the  enemy 
with  a  force  under  General  Breckenridge,  entered  East  Ten 
nessee.  On  the  13th  of  November,  he  attacked  General 
Gillem,  near  Morristown,  capturing  his  artillery  and  several 
hundred  prisoners.  Gillem,  with  what  was  left  of  his  com 
mand,  retreated  to  Knoxville.  Following  up  his  success, 
Breckenridge  moved  to  near  Knoxville,  but  withdrew  on 
the  18th,  followed  by  General  Ammen.  Under  the  direc 
tions  of  General  Thomas,  General  Stoneman  concentrated 
the  commands  of  Generals  Burbridge  and  Gillem  near  Bean's 
Station,  to  operate  against  Breckenridge  and  destroy  or 
drive  him  into  Virginia,  destroy  the  salt  works  at  Saltville, 
and  the  railroad  into  Virginia,  as  far  as  he  could  go  without 
endangering  his  command. 

u  On  the  12th  of  December  he  commenced  his  movement, 
capturing  and  dispersing  the  enemy's  forces  wherever  he 
met  them.  On  the  16th  he  struck  the  enemy,  under  Vaughn, 
at  Marion,  completely  routing  and  pursuing  him  to  Wythe- 
ville,  capturing  all  his  artillery,  trains,  and  one  hundred  and 
ninety-eight  prisoners ;  and  destroyed  Wytheville,  with  its^ 
stores  and  supplies,  and  the  extensive  lead  works  near  there. 
Returning  to  Marion,  he  met  a  force,  under  Breckenridge, 


SCHOFIELD     AND     HOOD.  537 

consisting,  among  other  troops,  of  the  garrison  of  Saltville, 
that  had  star-ted  in  pursuit.  He  at  once  made  arrangements 
to  attack  it  the  next  morning ;  but  morning  found  Brecken- 
ridge  gone.  He  then  moved  directly  to  Saltville,  and  de 
stroyed  the  extensive  salt  works  at  that  place,  a  large  amount 
of  stores,  and  captured  eight  pieces  of  artillery.  Having 
thus  successfully  executed  his  instructions,  he  returned  Gen 
eral  Burbridge  to  Lexington,  and  General  Gillern  to  Knox- 
ville." 

These,  however,  were  minor  movements — the  great  inter 
est  centered  around  Hood's  army,  which  Sherman  had  left 
behind  him.  When  the  former  found  himself  north  of  the 
Tennessee,  and  his  pursuer  back  to  Atlanta,  his  surprise  was 
complete.  He  knew  that  it  would  be  useless  to  turn  about 
and  attempt  to  overtake  him,  and  so  he  determined  to  advance 
north  and  attack  Nashville. 

Schofield,  with  the  Fourth  and  Twenty-third  Corps,  was 
directed  to  keep  the  field  and  check,  as  much  as  possible, 
his  advance,  so  as  to  give  Thomas  time  to  concentrate  his 
troops.  Steedman,  at  this  time,  held  Chattanooga,  Bridge 
port,  and  that  line  of  railroad. 

After  Hood  crossed  the  Tennessee  River,  Schofield  fell 
back  across  Duck  River,  where  he  made  a  stand,  but  the 
form'er  pressed  him  so  severely  that  he  had  to  retreat.  Set 
ting  fire  to  his  own.  pontoon  bridge,  he  marched  swiftly  for 
Franklin,  eighteen  miles  from  Nashville,  for  he  knew  if  he  did 
not  cross  Harpeth  River  first,  his  army  would  be  hopelessly 
cut  off.  Hood  was  aware  of  this,  and  strained  every  nerve 
to  reach  the  river  before  him. 

Schofield's  immense  train  crippled  him  sadly,  and  at  one 
time  it  was  doubtful  if  he  could  save  it.  It  was  a  life  and 
death  race,  but  he  won  it  nobly.  Once  over  the  river, 
where,  if  defeated,  he  could  fall  back  on  Nashville,  he 
resolved  to  deal  his  powerful  adversary  one  blow  before 


538  BATTLE    OF    FRANKLIN. 

retreating  farther ;  and  hastily  throwing  up  breastworks,  he 
calmly  awaited  his  approach.  Hood,  confident  of  success, 
boldly  advanced  to  the  attack,  on  the  last  day  of  Novem 
ber,  and  the  battle  of  Franklin  commenced.  Throwing 
himself,  with  his  accustomed  impetuosity,  on  the  centre 
of  Schofield's  position,  he  carried  it,  and  Wagner,  who  com 
manded  here,  was  forced  back,  losing  two  guns.  He,  how 
ever,  rallied  his  men,  and  charging  back,  re-took  his  guns, 
and  captured  a  whole  brigade. 

In  spite  of  Cox,  Wagner,  Opdyke,  and  Stanley,  Hood,  at 
last,  got  possession  of  the  first  line  of  works,  though  at  a  ter 
rible  sacrifice  of  life.  But  just  at  sunset,  when  Cox  and 
Stanley,  with  their  re-formed  lines,  advanced  to  drive  back 
the  enemy,  the  struggle  became  terrible,  and  assumed  a  sav 
age  ferocity.  The  rebels,  though  -the  canister  and  grape  of 
the  close  batteries  cut  frightful  lanes  through  their  ranks, 
refused  to  yield  an  inch  of  the  ground  they  had  so  gallantly 
won,  and  a  gladiatorial  contest  followed,  in  which  the  com 
batants  stood  face  to  face,  thrusting  their  bayonets  into  each 
other's  bosoms — and  with  clubbed  muskets,  and  demoniacal 
yells,  fought  in  the  deepening  twilight,  more  like  savages 
than  civilized  men. 

Darkness,  at  length,  closed  on  this  strange  battle,  and 
Hood  was  at  last  compelled  to  give  it  up  and  retire  from 
the  captured  works — to  mourn  over  the  loss  of  over  six 
thousand  men,  and  six  general  officers  killed,  six  wounded, 
and  one  captured.  Our  loss  Wits  only  twenty-three  hundred, 
yet  Schofield  having  done  all  that  he  intended  to  do — dealt 
his  adversary  a  blow  that  severely  crippled  him — fell  back 
that  night  to  Nashville,  leaving  him  in  possession  of  the  bat 
tle  field. 

On  the  same  day  that  Schofield  reached  Nashville,  A.  J. 
Smith,  with  his  command,  arrived  in  transports  from  St. 
Louis,  together  with  Steedman,  with  five  thousand  men  and 


POSITIONS     OF     THE     ARMIES.  539 

a  brigade  of  colored  troops  from  Chattanooga.  The  latter 
barely  got  through,  for  after  the  battle  of  Franklin,  Hood  at 
once  advanced  his  lines  around  the  city,  and  effectually  cut 
off  all  communications  south. 

The  rebel  army  occupied  a  series  of  hills,  some  four  or 
five  miles  out  of  Nashville,  while  Thomas  lay  behind  defen 
sive  works,  erected  on  a  similar  range  of  hills  near  the  city. 
Hood's  only  chance  of  success  was  in  a  sudden  assault ;  but 
the  moment  he  sat  down  before  the  place,  in  a  regular  siege, 
his  doom  was  sealed. 

The  people  were  at  once  set  to  work  on  the  fortifications, 
and  two  lines  of  works,  exterior  and  interior,  were  con 
structed  at  a  distance  from  the  city,  varying  from  one  to  two 
miles,  with  forts,  redoubts,  and  rifle-pits,  at  every  available 
point,  until  the  range  of  hills,  occupied  by  our  forces,  was  a 
perfect  net-work  of  fortifications. 

Early  in  December,  Thomas  opened  on  the  enemy  with 
artillery,  but  designed  to  act  only  on  the  defensive  until  his 
preparations  were  complete.  In  the  meantime,  eight  gun 
boats,  with  the  iron-clad  Neosho,  came  up  the  Cumberland, 
and  were  quite  able  to  take  care  of  the  rebel  batteries  in 
that  direction.  Hood  evidently  designed  to  isolate  Nash 
ville  as  Sherman  did  Atlanta,  by  cutting  its  communications, 
yet  it  was  not  so  clear  how  this  was  to  be  done  with  our  gun 
boats  patrolling  the  river. 

Thomas  was  at  length  ready  to  take  the  field,  but  expect 
ing  to  defeat  his  adversary,  he  wanted  a  cavalry  force  with 
which  to  follow  up  his  victory,  and  make  an  utter  end  of 
him,  and  so  telegraphed  to  the  Secretary  of  War.  The  lat 
ter  immediately  directed  Wilson,  the  chief  of  cavalry,  to 
seize  and  impress  all  serviceable  horses  that  could  be  found 
in  Tennessee  and  Kentucky. 

In  the  meantime,  Grant  became  nervous  over  Thomas' 
delay,  and  telegraphed  to  him  to  move  at  once.  The  latter 


540  GRANT'S   IMPATIENCE. 

replied  that  lie  was  not  ready,  and  requested  Grant,  if  lie 
was  dissatisfied  with  his  course,  to  appoint  a  Commander  in 
his  place,  and  he  would  cheerfully  serve  under  him.  Grant 
sent  back  word  that  he  had  more  confidence  in  him  than  in 
any  other  man,  and  that  he  might  take  his  own  time — still, 
he  wanted  to  know  the  reasons  of  his  delay. 

Thomas  not  thinking  it  prudent  to  give  them,  lest  they 
should  leak  out  on  the  way,  kept  silent.  This  did  not  tend 
to  lessen  Grant's  solicitude,  and  he  says, — 

UI  grew  very  impatient  over,  as  it  appeared  to  me,  the 
unnecessary  delay.  This  impatience  was  increased,  upon 
learning  that  the  enemy  had  sent  a  force  of  cavalry  across 
the  Cumberland  into  Kentucky.  I  feared  Hood  would  cross 
his  whole  army,  and  give  us  great  trouble  there.  After 
urging  upon  General  Thomas  the  necessity  of  immediately 
assuming  the  offensive,  I  started  West  to  superintend  mat 
ters  there  in  person.  Reaching  Washington  City,  I  received 
General  Thomas'  dispatch,  announcing  his  attack  upon  the 
enemy,  and  the  result,  as  far  as  the  battle  had  progressed. 
I  was  delighted.  All  fears  and  apprehensions  were  dis 
pelled.'7 

It  was  strange  that  Grant  did  riot  feel  that  it  was  perfectly 
safe  to  let  Thomas  have  his  own  way,  as  Sherman  did  when 
he  placed  his  reputation  in  his  keeping,  and  turned  his  back 
on  Atlanta. 

Near  the  middle  of  December,  Thomas  finding  that  he 
had  all  the  cavalry  that  he  could  expect,  though  not  all  he 
wanted,  resolved  to  attack  Hood  behind  his  works.  But 
just  then  came  a  cold  snap,  glazing  the  hills  with  ice,  so  that 
neither  men  nor  animals  could  keep  upon  their  feet,  and  the 
advance  was  delayed  until  there  should  come  a  thaw.  In  a 
day  or  two  the  weather  changed,  and  on  the  night  of  the 
14th,  Thomas  gave  orders  to  be  ready  to  attack  at  daylight 
next  morning.  His  plan  was  to  make  a  feint  on  Hood's 


FIRST     DAY'S     BATTLE.  541 

right  flank,  and  then  fall  with  sudden,  overwhelming  power 
on  his  left,  and  roll  it  back  on  the  centre.  A.  J.  Smith  was 
stationed  on  the  right,  with  the  Sixteenth  Corps,  and  at 
day-break  moved  forward — Wilson's  cavalry  keeping  on  his 
right  along  the  river  shore,  while  Wood,  with  the  Fourth 
Corps,  closed  in  on  his  left.  Schofield,  with  the  Twenty- 
third  Corps,  came  in  on  Wood's  left  as  a  reserve.  Three 
Corps  were  thus  concentrated  on  the  rebel  left. 

Far  away,  on  our  left,  Steedman,  commanding  a  mixed 
body  of  troops,  was  directed  to  push  out  a  heavy  force  of 
skirmishers  before  daylight,  and  threaten  the  rebel  right. 
He  did  so,  and  driving  in  the  enemy's  pickets,  followed 
close  on  their  heels,  until  he  came  upon  a  battery,  planted 
behind  a  deep  railroad  cut,  which  the  troops  could  not  get 
over,  and  hence  were  forced  to  retire.  Hood,  aroused 
at  early  dawn  by  the  heavy  firing  on  his  extreme  right, 
called  to  horse,  but  before  he  had  time  to  ascertain  the  true 
state  of  things  there,  down  on  his  left  came  the  two  Corps 
of  Smith  and  Wood. 

So  sudden  and  awful  was  the  onset,  that  only  a  feeble 
resistance  could  be  offered,  and  the  rebel  line  crumbled 
swiftly  before  it,  and  in  a  twinkling  the  left  was  hurled,  in 
confusion,  back  on  the  centre.  "This  let  the  cavalry  loose, 
and  now  Wilson  swept  round  and  past  the  right  like  a  thun 
derbolt,  and  hung  like  an  avenging  cloud  on  the  flank 
and  rear  of  the  rebels,  as  they  fell  suddenly  back  on  their 


centre." 


Aroused  to  the  imminent  peril  that  threatened  himr 
Hood  now  ordered  over  troops  from  his  right  to  stay  the 
reversed  tide  of  battle — and  from  all  the  heights  around 
Nashville,  could  be  seen  the  hurrying  lines  of  infantry  and 
artillery  sweeping  to  the  rescue. 

But  though  his  left  was  gone,  the  position  he  held  in  the 
centre  was  a  strong  one ;  high  hills — covered  with  breast- 


542  HOOD'S   NEW   POSITION. 

works,  lined  with  rifle-pits,  and  fringed  with  abattis,  beyond 
which  'frowned  heavy  batteries — commanded  all  the  open 
country  below.  Smith  paused  before  this  formidable  bar 
rier,  and  began  to  reconnoitre.  Wood  and  Schofield  now 
came  up,  and  all  day  long,  Hood's  intrenchments  were  swept 
by  a  fierce  artillery  fire,  while  here  and  there  the  infantry 
attempted  to  find  a  weak  spot  in  his  lines.  But  no  impres 
sion  was  made  on  the  strong  position  which  the  enemy  occu 
pied,  and  no  particular  advantage  gained,  except  the  pos 
session  of  a  battery,  which  was  carried  by  a  gallant  rush. 
Still,  the  results  of  the  whole  day  footed  up  well — two  thou 
sand  prisoners  captured,  with  sixteen  pieces  of  artillery. 

As  the  day  declined,  and  darkness  began  to  creep  over 
the  landscape,  Thomas,  who  saw  that  no  more  could  be 
done  that  night,  ordered  the  firing  to  cease,  and  turning  his 
horse's  head,  rode  off  to  Nashville  to  telegraph  his  success  to 
Washington. 

Just  as  he  was  leaving  the  field  he  remarked  to  an  officer, 
in  his  quiet  way,  "  So  far  I  think  we  have  done  pretty  well. 
Unless  Hood  decamps  to-night,  to-morrow  Steedman  will 
double  up  his  right,  Wood  will  hold  his  centre,  Smith  and 
Schofield  again  strike  his  left,  while  the  cavalry  work  away 
at  his  rear." 

That  night  Hood  took  up  a  new  and  strong  position,  two 
miles  in  rear  of  his,  first,  by  which  his  lines  were  shortened 
from  six  miles  to  three.  Thomas,  carrying  out  his  original 
plan,  ordered  Steedman  to  move  at  daylight  against  the 
enemy's  right  as  before,  while  Wood  advanced  over  the 
deserted  works  straight  on  the  centre.  Their  orders,  how 
ever,  were  merely  to  feel  the  hostile  line  and  wait  till  Smith 
and  Schofield  broke  with  the  thunder-crash  of  the  day  before 
on  the  rebel  left.  But  the  latter,  too,  were  directed  simply  to 
hold  their  ground,  until  the  cavalry  which  had  been  sent  in  a 
wide  circuit  to  the  rear,  could  be  heard  from. 


SECOND   DAY'S   BATTLE.  543 

Hood  had  again  committed  the  mistake  that  he  did  at 
Atlanta,  when  he  sent  off  all  his  cavalry  to  cut  Sherman's 
communications,  leaving  that  Commander  to  place  his  army 
where  his  own  would  be  effectually  destroyed.  He  posses 
sed  a  fine  body  of  cavalry,  under  Forrest,  superior  in  num 
ber  to  that  of  Thomas,  but  he  had  sent  it  down  the  Cum 
berland  after  our  transports,  and  back  to  Murfreesboro',  to 
waste  its  energies  in  dashing  against  our  strong  defenses. 
Thomas  was  aware  of  this,  and  hence  had  no  fear  that  it 
would  interfere  with  his  movements. 

It  was  a  long  time,  however,  before  our  cavalry  was 
heard  from.  It  had  made  a  wide  detour  to  prevent  the 
movement  from  being  detected,  so  that  noon  came  without 
any  thing  of  importance  being  done.  There  had  been  heavy 
artillery  firing  all  the  forenoon,  and  Hood  was  evidently 
momentarily  expecting  an  attack.  Smith  and  Schofield 
chafed  under  the  inaction,  and  sent  to  Thomas  for  permis 
sion  to  assault,  but  he  firmly  refused.  The  short  winter's 
day  wore  on,  and  night  threatened  to  come  before  any  thing 
was  accomplished.  But  Thomas  remained  imperturbable  as 
ever,  amid  all  the  impatience  and  excitement  around  him. 
At  length,  about  four  o'clock,  a  prolonged  fire  of  rifles  and 
carbines,  that  swept  around  the  rebel  flank,  and  crept  up 
along  Hood's  rear,  told  him  that  the  hour  had  come.  His 
blue  eye  flashed  with  sudden  inspiration,  and  turning  to  his 
aids,  he  said,  "Now  tell  Generals  Schofield  and  Smith  to 
advance." 

The  aids  dashed  off  to  deliver  the  order,  but  before  they 
reached  these  impatient  Generals,  the  latter  were  already  ad 
vancing.  With  leveled  bayonets  and  loud,  defiant  shouts,  the 
columns  moved  straight  on  and  over  the  rebel  works.  Wood, 
in  the  centre,  at  once  advanced  and  came  upon  a  strong 
fort  which  commanded  the  Franklin  pike,  and  aided  by 
Steedman  on  the  left,  with  his  colored  troops,  attempted  to 


544  A     GALLANT     CHARGE. 

cany  it.  At  first,  the  assaulting  columns  were  repulsed  with, 
fearful  slaughter,  but  the  troops  rallied  when  they  heard  the 
shouts  of  Wood's  and  Schofield's  battalions,  as,  storming  over 
the  hostile  batteries,  they  scaled  the  bald  hill  in  their  front, 
and  again  moved  with  loud  cheers  against  the  fort,  and  cap 
tured  it,  with  nine  pieces  of  artillery. 

A  gentle  rain  was  falling,  and  not  a  breeze  stirred  the 
leafless  branches  of  the  dripping  trees,  while  this  whirlwind 
of  death  was  sweeping  the  heights.  Borne  back  at  every 
point,  the  enemy  abandoned  their  batteries,  and  throwing 
away  every  thing  that  could  impede  their  flight,  sped  in  dis 
may  over  the  country. 

Said  a  captured  Brigadier-General,  in  speaking  of  the  last 
charge,  u  Why,  Sir,  it  was  the  most  wonderful  thing  I  ever 
witnessed.  I  saw  your  men  coming  and  held  my  fire — a  full 
brigade,  too — until  they  were  in  close  range,  could  almost 
see  the  whites  of  their  eyes,  and  then  poured  my  volley  right 
into  their  faces.  I  supposed,  of  course,  that  when  the  smoke 
lifted,  your  line  would  be  broken  and  your  men  gone.  But 
it  is  surprising,  Sir,  it  never  even  staggered  them.  Why, 
they  did  not  even  come  forward  on  a  run.  But  right  along, 
cool  as  fate,  your  line  swung  up  the  hill,  and  your  men 
walked  right  up  to  and  over  my  works  and  around  my  brig 
ade,  before  we  knew  that  they  were  upon  us.  It  was  aston 
ishing,  Sir,  such  fighting." 

Over  five  thousand  prisoners,  one  Major-General,  three 
Brigadiers,  and  more  than  two  hundred  commissioned  offi 
cers  were  captured,  not  to  mention  the  killed  and  wounded. 
Forty  pieces  of  artillery  were  taken,  with  any  quantity  of 
small  arms,  battle-flags,  &c. 

Thus,  in  two  days,  Thomas  had  taken  some  eight  thou 
sand  prisoners,  and  between  fifty  and  sixty  pieces  of  ar 
tillery. 

As  on  the  day  before,   so  now,  night  put  an  end  to  the 


THE     PURSUIT.  545 

conflict,  and  our  army  bivouacked  on  the  field,  while  the 
demoralized  rebel  army  retreated  through  the  darkness  to 
Harpeth  River.  At  -daylight,  the  next  morning,  the  Fourth 
Corps,  with  the  cavalry,  commenced  the  pursuit.  On  the 
night  of  the  19th,  Hood  crossed  Duck  River  and  took  up 
the  bridge. 

Thomas,  in  his  report,  says,  "the  pontoon  train  coming 
up  to  Rutherford's  Creek  about  noon,  of  the  21st,  a  bridge 
was  laid  during  the  afternoon,  and  General  Smith's  troops 
were  able  to  cross.  The  weather  had  changed  from  dismal 
rain  to  bitter  cold,  very  materially  retarding  the  work  in 
laying  the  bridge,  as  the  regiment  of  colored  trops,  to  whom 
the  duty  was  intrusted,  seemed  unmanned  by  the  cold,  and 
totally  unequal  to  the  occasion." 

This  caused  a  serious  delay,  but  a  whole  day  was  lost  in 
a  manner  not  mentioned  in  any  report.  The  pontoon  train 
took  the  wrong  road,  when  it  left  Nashville,  and  had  been 
gone  a  part  of  a  day  before  the  mistake  was  discovered.  At 
Columbia,  Forrest's  cavalry,  that  had  been  operating  against 
Murfreesboro',  joined  the  army,  and  formed  a  strong  rear 
guard  for  it. 

Hood  now  saw  the  folly  of  dividing  his  forces,  for  Bates' 
division  of  Cheatham's  Corps,  with  which  Forrest  had  been 
sent  against  Murfreesboro',  was  repulsed  in  its  attack  on  the 
first  block  house  five  miles  north  of  the  place,  and  after 
ward  with  another  division,  and  twenty-five  hundred  of 
Forrest's  cavalry,  was  driven  from  before  Fort  Rosecrans, 
which  was  under  the  command  of  Rousseau.  Attacked  in 
their  position  by  Milroy  with  seven  regiments,  the  rebels 
were  defeated,  with  a  loss  of  over  four  hundred  men.  Al 
though  Buford,  with  his  cavalry,  entered  the  town  the  same 
day,  he  was  speedily  driven  out,  so  that  Hood  had  weakened 
his  army  to  no  purpose — and  now  the  whole,  once  more  uni 
ted,  fled  back  toward  Alabama. 


546         REBEL  PLOTS  AT  THE  NORTH. 

Thomas  kept  up  the  pursuit,  though  the  roads  were  ter 
rible  ;  but  he  succeeded  in  inflicting  only  slight  loss  on  the 
enemy. 

On  the  last  of  the  month,  Hood  crossed  the  Tennessee, 
when  it  was  abandoned,  and  the  campaign  ended. 

This  virtually  closed  the  war  in  the  Valley  of  the  Missis 
sippi.  Thomas  had  done  his  work  well  and  thoroughly,  and 
vindicated  the  high  opinion  of  Sherman,  and  nobly  fulfilled 
the  trust  that  had  been  imposed  on  him. 

But  while  the  months  of  November  and  December  brought 
such  glorious  victories  to  our  armies  West  and  South,  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  won  only  the  laurels  due  to  patient 
endurance. 

Among  the  minor  events  of  November,  was  the  attempt 
to  burn  the  City  of  New  York.  The  diabolical  plot  origi 
nated  in  Canada,  among  the  rebel  refugees  there,  and  was 
attempted  to  be  put  in  execution  on  the  night  of  the  25th 
of  the  month.  Intrusted  to  bungling  hands,  it  failed  of 
success,  though  the  fires  were  started  in  various  buildings. 
Captain  Robert  A.  Kennedy,  of  the  rebel  service,  was  after 
ward  arrested,  at  the  West,  for  complicity  in  it,  and  tried 
and  executed  at  Fort  Lafayette  the  following  Spring. 

Beall,  the  rebel  officer,  who  in  September  destroyed  two 
steamboats  on  the  Lakes,  was  arrested  in  December,  near 
Suspension  Bridge,  for  attempting  to  throw  a  train  of  cars 
off  the  railroad  track,  and  in  February  was  also  hung  on 
Governor's  Island. 

On  the  20th  of  the  month,  the  country  was  startled  by  a 
Proclamation  of  the  President,  calling  for  three  hundred 
thousand  more  troops.  Up  to  this  time,  two  and  a  half  mil 
lions  of  men  had  been  called  for,  either  for  permanent  or 
temporary  service,  though  nothing  like  this  number  ever 
entered  the  field. 

Although  the  army  around  Petersburg  was  engaged  in  no 


EXPEDITION    AGAINST    FORT     FISHER.  547 

battles  while  such  stirring  events  were  transpiring  West  and 
South,  it  was  not  idle.  On  the  7th  of  December,  General 
Warren,  with  twenty  thousand  men,  moved  south  toward 
Hatcher's  Run,  and  in  two  days  reached  Bellefield  Station, 
on  the  Moherrin  River,  forty  miles  from  Petersburg,  where 
he  destroyed  the  rebel  works,  depot,  &c.  The  next  day  he 
commenced  his  return  march,  destroying  every  thing  in  his 
line  of  march,  and  twenty  miles  of  the  Weldon  railroad. 

The  most  important  event,  however,  of  the  month,  con 
nected  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  was  the  attempt  to 
capture  Fort  Fisher,  which  commanded  the  entrance  to 
Cape  Fear  River. 

Wilmington,  at  this  time,  was  the  most  important  seaport 
left  to  the  South,  for  through  it  she  got  most  of  her  supplies, 
and  from  which  she  sent  out  blockade-runners,  loaded  with 
cotton  and  other  products.  The  blockade  had  been  only 
partially  maintained  here,  and  it  was  deemed  very  important 
by  the  Navy  Department  that  it  should  be  taken.  Besides, 
it  was  a  point  of  great  strategic  importance. 

As  there  has  been  much  dispute  respecting  the  cause  of 
the  failure  of  the  first  attempt  to  capture  the  fort,  and  a 
direct  issue  made  between  the  Commanders  of  the  naval  and 
land  forces,  on  questions  of  fact,  we  prefer  to  let  General 
Grant  give  the  history  of  the  affair  himself. 

u  To  secure  the  possession  of  this  land  required  the  co-opera 
tion  of^i  land  force,  which  I  agreed  to  furnish.  Immediately 
commenced  the  assemblage  in  Hampton  Roads,  under  Ad 
miral  D.  D.  Porter,  of  the  most  formidable  armada  ever  col 
lected  for  concentration  upon  one  given  point.  This  nec 
essarily  attracted  the  attention  of  the  enemy,  as  well  as  that 
of  the  loyal  North ;  and  through  the  imprudence  of  the 
public  press,  and  very  likely  of  officers  of  both  branches  of 
service,  the  exact  object  of  the  expedition  became  a  subject 
of  common  discussion  in  the  newspapers  both  North  and 


548  BUTLER'S  ORDERS. 

South.  The  enemy,  thus  warned  prepared  to  meet  it.  This 
caused  a  postponement  of  the  expedition  until  the  latter 
part  of  November,  when,  being  again  called  upon  by  Hon. 
G.  Y.  Fox,  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  I  agreed  to 
furnish  the  men  required  at  oncef  and  went  myself,  in  com 
pany  with  Major:General  Butler,  to  Hampton  Roads,  where 
we  had  a  conference  with  Admiral  Porter  as  to  the  force  re 
quired  and  the  time  of  starting.  A  force  of  six  thousand, 
five  hundred  men  was  regarded  as  sufficient.  The  time  of 
starting  was  not  definitely  arranged,  but  it  was  thought  all 
would  be  ready  by  the  6th  of  December,  if  not  before. 
Learning  on  the  30th  of  November  that  Bragg  had  gone  to 
Georgia,  taking  with  him  most  of  the  forces  about  Wilming 
ton,  I  deemed  it  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  expedi 
tion  should  reach  its  destination  before  the  return  of  Bragg, 
and  directed  General  Butler  to  make  all  arrangements  for 
the  departure  of  Major-General  Weitzel,  who  had  been  des 
ignated  to  command  the  land  forces,  so  that  the  navy  might 
not  be  detained  one  moment. 

"  On  the  6th  of  December  the  following  instructions  were 
given : 

"Guv  POINT,  Va.,  Dec.  6,  1864. 

"  GENERAL  : — The  first  object  of  the  expedition  under  General  Weitzel  is  to 
close  to  the  enemy  the  port  of  Wilmington.  If  successful  in  this,  the 
second  will  be  to  capture  Wilmington  itself.  There  are  reasonable  grounds 
to  hope  for  success,  if  advantage  can  be  taken  of  the  absence  of  the  greater 
part  of  the  enemy's  forces  now  looking  after  Sherman  in  Georgia.  The  di 
rections  you  have  given  for  the  numbers  and  equipment  of  the  expedition 
are  all  right  except  in  the  unimportant  matter  of  where  they  embark,  and  the 
amount  of  intrenching  tools  to  be  taken.  The  object  of  the  expedition  will 
be  gained  by  effecting  a  landing  on  the  main  land  between  Cape  Fear  River 
and  the  Atlantic,  north  of  the  north  entrance  to  the  river.  Should  such 
landing  be  effected  whilst  the  enemy  still  holds  Fort  Fisher  and  the  batteries 
guarding  the  entrance  to  the  river,  then  the  troops  should  intrench  them 
selves,  and,  by  co-operating  with  the  navy,  effect  the  reduction  and  capture 
of  those  places.  These  in  our  hands,  the  navy  could  enter  the  harbor,  and 
the  port  of  Wilmington  would  be  sealed.  Should  Fort  Fisher  and  the  point 
of  land  on  which  it  is  built  fall  into  the  hands  of  our  troops  immediately  on 
landing,  then  it  will  be  worth  the  attempt  to  capture  Wilmington  by  a 


GRANT     ON     BUTLER.  549 

forced  march  and  surprise.     If  time  is  consumed  in  gaining  the  first  object 
of  the  expedition,  the  second  will  become  a  matter  of  after  consideration. 

"  The  details  for  execution  are  intrusted  to  you  and  the  officer  immediately 
in  command  of  the  troops. 

"  Should  the  troops  under  General  Weitzel  fail  to  effect  a  landing  at  or 
near  Fort  Fisher  they  will  be  returned  to  the  armies  operating  against  Rich 
mond  without  delay. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General. 

Major  General  B.  F.  Butler. 

"  General  Butler  commanding  the  army  from  which  the 
troops  were  taken  for  this  enterprise,  and  the  territory 
within  which  they  were  to  operate,  military  courtesy  re 
quired  that  all  orders  and  instructions  should  go  through 
him.  They  were  so  sent ;  but  General  Weitzel  has  since 
officially  informed  me  that  he  never  received  the  foregoing 
instructions,  nor  was  he  aware  of  their  existence  until  he  read 
General  Butler's  published  official  report  of  the  Fort  Fisher 
failure,  with  my  endorsement  and  papers  accompanying  it. 
I  had  no  idea  of  General  Butler's  accompanying  the  expedi 
tion  until  the  evening  before  it  got  off  from  Bermuda  Hun 
dred,  and  then  did  not  dream  but  that  General  Weitzel  had 
received  all  the  instructions,  and  would  be  in  command.  I 
rather  formed  the  idea  that  General  Butler  was  actuated  by 
a  desire  to  witness  the  effect  of  the  explosion  of  the  pow 
der-boat.  The  expedition  was  detained  several  days  at 
Hampton  Roads,  awaiting  the  loading  of  the  powder-boat. 

u  The  importance  of  getting  the  Wilmington  expedition 
off  without  any  delay,  with  or  without  the  powder-boat,  had 
been  urged  upon  General  Butler,  and  he  advised  to  so  notify 
Admiral  Porter. 

"The  expedition  finally  got  off  on  the  13th  of  December, 
and  arrived  at  the  place  of  rendezvous,  off  New  Inlet,  near 
Fort  Fisher,  on  the  evening  of  the  15th.  Admiral  Porter 
arrived  on  the  evening  of  the  18th,  having  put  in  at  Beau 
fort  to  get  ammunition  for  the  monitors.  The  sea  becoming 
rough,  making  it  difficult  to  land  troops,  and  the  supply  of 


550  SUTLER'S    POWDER-BOAT. 

water  and  coal  being  about  exhausted,  the  transport  fleet 
put  back  to  Beaufort  to  replenish ;  this,  with  the  state  of  the 
weather,  delayed  the  return  to  the  place  of  rendezvous  until 
the  24th.  The  powder-boat  was  exploded  on  the  morning 
of  the  24th,  before  the  return  of  General  Butler  from  Beau 
fort  ;  but  it  would  seem  from  the  notice  taken  of  it  in  the 
Southern  newspapers,  that  the  enemy  were  never  enlight 
ened  as  to  the  object  of  the  explosion  until  they  were  in 
formed  by  the  Northern  press. 

u  On  the  25th  a  landing  was  effected  without  opposition, 
and  a  reconnoissance,  under  Brevet  Brigadier  General  Curtis, 
pushed  up  toward  the  Fort.  But  before  receiving  a  full 
report  of  the  result  of  this  reconnoissance,  General  Butler, 
in  direct  violation  of  the  instructions  given,  ordered  the  re- 
embarkation  of  the  troops  and  the  return  of  the  expedition. 

"  The  re-embarkation  was  accomplished  by  the  morning 
of  the  27th." 

The  powder-boat  was  Butler's  device,  he- having  read  of 
the  effects  of  the  explosion  of  a  large  amount  of  powder  in 
England.  It  was  placed  under  the  command  of  Commander 
A.  C.  Rhind,  who,  with  Lieutenant  S.  W.  Preston,  Engineer 
A.  T.  E.  Mullen,  and  Acting  Master's  Mate  Paul  Boyden, 
and  seven  men  undertook  the  perilous  task  of  towing  it  in. 
Having  anchored  it  within  four  hundred  yards  of  the  fort, 
he  set  fire  to  the  fuse  that  was  to  explode  it,  and,  hast 
ening  back  to  the  Wilderness,  steamed  away  twelve  miles 
to  avoid  the  effects  of  the  explosion.  The  whole  fleet  lay 
off  at  this  safe  distance.  The  object  was  to  explode  the 
magazine  of  the  fort,  and  blow  it  and  the  garrison  together 
into  the  air.  It  proved  however  quite  a  harmless  affair, 
but  the  bombardment  that  followed  w^as  one  of  the  most 
terrific  ever  witnessed. 

The  fleet  of  Porter  consisted  of  seventy-three  vessels, 
carrying  in  all  six  hundred  and  fifty-five  guns,  some  of  them 


A    GUNBOAT    SUNK.  551 

of  the  largest  calibre.  For  two  days  it  was  kept  up,  com 
pletely  silencing  the  fort,  which  Porter  insists  could  easily 
have  been  taken  by  a  man  of  any  enterprise. 

There  is  one  short  sentence  in  Grant's  report,  which  for 
keen  sarcasm,  and  quiet  humor  cannot  be  surpassed.  In 
speaking  of  his  ignorance  that  Butler  was  to  command  the 
expedition  he  says,  "  I  had  rather  formed  the  idea  that  Gen 
eral  Butler  was  actuated  by  a  desire  to  witness  the  effect  of  the 
explosion  of  the  powder-boat ." 

This  ended  the  extraordinary  military  career  of  General 
Butler,  for  soon  after  he  was  superseded  by  Ord. 

As  a  co-operative  movement  in  this  expedition,  General 
Palmer  sent  off  a  force  from  Plymouth^  which  proceeded 
up  the  Roanoke  River  beyond  Jamestown,  but  not  being 
sustained  by  the  gunboats  that  were  kept  back  by  the  tor 
pedoes  in  the  river,  it  effected  nothing  of  importance.  In 
the  fore  part  of  the  month  the  gunboat  Otsego  was  sunk  in 
the  river  by  one  of  these  torpedoes. 

65 


CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

JANUARY,  1865. 

GUERRILLAS — PEACE  RUMORS — RELIEF  FOR  THE  DESTITUTE  IN  SAVANNAH 

GRANT  PLANS  A  SECOND  EXPEDITION  AGAINST  FORT  FISHER TERRY  COM 
MANDS,  IT THE  .  BOMBARDMENT THE  ASSAULT  AND  VICTORY EVACUATION 

OF  OTHER  FORTS  IN  THE  VICINITY THOMAS'  ARMY  BROKEN  UP SMITH'S 

COMMAND  SENT  TO  JOIN  CANBY SCHOFIELD's  CORPS  ORDERED  EAST 

NORTH  CAROLINA  MADE  A  SEPARATE  MILITARY  DEPARTMENT — NARROW  ES- 

.  CAPE  OF  THE  ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC PEACE  COMMISSIONERS  APPOINTED 

BY  DAVIS THEIR  INTERVIEW  WITH  THE  PRESIDENT  AND  SECRETARY  OF 

STATE EXCHANGE  OF  PRISONERS — SOUTHERN  PRISON  LIFE INHUMANITY 

OF  THE  SOUTH ANDERSONVILLE  PRISON CAPTAIN  W1RZ,  THE  COMMAN 
DANT,  TRIED  AT  WASHINGTON  AND  HUNG. 

THE  beginning  of  the  year  1865  exhibited  no  active  mil 
itary  movements  in  any  part  of  the  country.  Guer 
rillas  still  swarmed  in  Kentucky,  and  other  border  States — 
the  steamer  Yenango  was  burned  by  them,  on  the  Missis 
sippi,  and  the  more  desperate  the  cause  of  the  Confederacy 
became,  the  more  vindictive  and  ferocious  seemed  their 
conduct. 

Peace  rumors  were  afloat,  which  acquired  importance 
from  the  repeated  visits  of  Francis  P.  Blair,  Senior,  to  Rich 
mond. 

The  destitution  of  the  people  of  Savannah,  called  forth 
the  sympathies  of  the  citizens  of  New  York,  and  provi 
sions  and  supplies,  of  various  kinds,  were  furnished  for  their 
relief. 

But  under  all  this  apparent  quietness,  the  most  important 
preparations  were  going  on.  Not  only  was  Sherman  getting 
ready  for  his  northern  march,  but  Grant,  indignant  at  the 
failure  of  the  expedition  against  Fort  Fisher,  was  quietly 


A    DOUBTFUL     ENTERPRISE.  553 

preparing  for  a  second  and  more  serious  attempt  to  capture 
it.  His  movements  were  all  so  secretly  made,  that  the  pub 
lic  journals  got  no  hint  of  his  intentions  until  his  work  was 
accomplished. 

Still,  we  must  confess  that  we  cannot  see  the  wisdom  of 
this  second  expedition.  When  Sherman  reached  Savannah, 
Grant  directed  him  to  place  his  army  on  transports  and  join 
him  at  City  Point,  in  order  to  aid  him  in  his  projected  oper 
ations  against  Richmond.  But  after  the  defeat  of  Hood  by 
Thomas,  he  changed  his  plans,  and  wrote  to  Sherman,  ask 
ing  him  what,  under  the  circumstances,  he  ^  thought  it  best 
to  do.  The  latter  replied,  that  he  would,  at  once,  come  to 
him  by  sea  if  he  desired,  but  that  he  had  expected  to  march 
to  Columbia,  South  Carolina,  and  thence  to  Raleigh,  where 
he  would  report  to  him. 

Grant  says: — "The  confidence  he  manifested  in  this  letter 
of  being  able  to  march  up  and  join  me,  pleased  me,  and, 
without  waiting  for  a  reply  to  my  letter  of  the  18th,  I  direct 
ed  him,  on  the  28th  of  December,  to  make  preparations  to 
start,  as  he  proposed,  without  delay,  to  break  up  the  rail 
roads  in  North  and  South  Carolina,  and  join  the  armies  oper 
ating  against  Richmond  as  soon  as  he  could." 

Now,  this  order  was  sent  the  day  after  the  re-embarkation 
of  the  troops  that,  under  the  first  expedition,  were  to  assault 
Fort  Fisher.  Hence,  Grant  was  perfectly  aware  of  Sher 
man's  plan  to  march  north  to  Raleigh,  and  was  so  confident 
of  its  practicability  that  he  approved  of  it.  But  he  also 
knew  that  if  Sherman  succeeded  in  carrying  out  that  plan, 
Fort  Fisher  and  Wilmington  would  fall  of  themselves.  No 
one  knew  better  than  he,  that  the  enemy  could  no  more 
hold  Wilmington,  with  Sherman  marching  on  Raleigh  or 
Goldsboro',  than  he  could  Charleston,  with  him  marching  on 
Columbia. 

Before  he  reached  even  Fayetteville,  these  places  would 


554  TERRY'S   EXPEDITION. 

be  evacuated,  or  the  garrisons  hopelessly  cut  off;  hence,  to 
our  apprehension,  it  would  have  been  just  as  wise  to  have 
sacrificed  the  lives  of  our  soldiers  in  an  attack  on  Charles 
ton,  at  this  time,  as  on  Wilmington.  A  glance  at  the  map 
will  make  this  plain,  and  any  one  will  see  that  nothing  be 
tween  Sherman's  line  of  march  and  the  sea  could  be  held  by 
the  rebels. 

The  original  plan  of  attempting  to  capture  Fort  Fisher 
was  not  Grant's,  'but  it  having  failed,  he  determined  that  it 
should  be  carried  out.  Taking  the  same  troops  that  Butler 
had,  with  the  addition  of  only  a  small  brigade  numbering 
about  fifteen  hundred  men,  he  placed  them  under  General 
Terry,  also  a  civilian  Commander,  with  orders  similar  to 
those  which  he  had  given  to  the  former,  or  rather  to  Weit- 
zel.  In  neither  case  did  he  direct  that  an  assault  on  the  fort 
should  be  made — he  left  this  entirely  uto  the  discretion  of 
the  commanding  officer." 

The  expedition  sailed  from  Fortress  Monroe  on  the  6th 
of  January,  u  arriving  on  the  rendezvous  off  Beaufort  on  the 
8th,  where,  owing  to  the  difficulties  of  the  weather,  it  lay 
until  the  morning  of  the  12th,  when  it  got  under  way,  and 
reached  its  destination  that  evening."  The  next  morning, 
the  disembarkation  of  the  troops  commenced,  and  by  three 
o'clock  was  completed  without  loss.  The  next  day  a  recon- 
noissance  was  made  to  within  five  hundred  yards  of  the  fort, 
"  and  a  small  advance  work  taken  possession  of,  and  turned 
into  a  defensive  line  against  any  attempt  that  might  be  made 
from  the  fort." 

The  third  day,  Sunday,  was  fixed  upon  for  the  assault, 
but,  in  the  meantime,  the  fleet  had  kept  up  a  terrible  fire 
upon  the  fort.  It  attacked  in  three  columns.  The  first,  led 
by  the  Brooklyn,  numbered  one  hundred  and  sixteen  guns ; 
the  second,  by  the  Minnesota,  one  hundred  and  seventy-six 
guns;  while  the  third,  composed  of  gunboats,  numbered 


ASSAULT     ON    FORT     FISHER.  555 

one  hundred  and  twenty-three — in  all,  over  four  hundred 
guns,  that  played  with  fearful  precision  on  the  hostile  works. 
When  the  firing  was  most  rapid,  shells  fell  at  the  rate  of  four 
every  second. 

Under  this  horrible  fire,  guns  were  dismounted,  embra 
sures  blown  open,  and  traverses  disappeared  with  amazing 
rapidity. 

A  force  of  marines  and  sailors,  numbering  about  two 
thousand,  was  to  assault  from  the  sea-side,  at  the  same  time 
that  the  columns  of  Terry  advanced  from  the  land-side.  For 
three  hours  previous  to  the  assault,  the  four  hundred  guns 
of  the  fleet  were  worked  to  their  utmost  capacity,  till  the 
ponderous  shells  fell  thick  as  hailstones  from  heaven,  on  the 
doomed  fort — driving  the  garrison  to  the  casemates.  The 
parapets  were  twenty-five  feet  thick,  and  twenty  feet  high, 
and  surrounded  by  a  strong  palisade.  About  two  hundred 
yards  in  advance  of  this,  was  strung  a  line  of  torpedoes, 
eighty-five  feet  apart — each  one  containing  a  hundred  pounds 
of  powder,  and  all  connected  by  wires.  Fortunately,  the 
shells  from  the  fleet  had  cut  the  wires  leading  to  those  that 
lay  in  the  path  of  the  assaulting  columns.  The  shells,  also, 
broke  down  a  part  of  the  palisade,  so  that  they  had  almost 
a  clear  sweep  to  the  ramparts — though  in  some  places  they 
had  to  be  cut  away  or  beaten  down. 

At  length,  every  thing  being  ready,  at  three  o'clock  the 
signal  was  given,  and  the  three  brigades — the  first  led  by 
Curtis,  the  second  by  Pennypacker,  and  the  third  by  Bell — 
dashed  forward,  following  one  another  about  three  hundred 
yards  apart,  making,  in  their  final  rush,  for  the  west  end  on 
the  land-side.  As  they  started,  Porter  ran  up  his  signal 
which  set  all  the  steam-whistles  shrieking.  This  was  the 
signal  to  change  the  fire  of  the  fleet  from  the  fort,  and  con 
centrate  it  on  the  batteries  to  the  left  and  above,  to  avoid 
hitting  our  own  troops.  The  smoke  hanging  over  the 


556  THE     VICTORY. 

mighty  armada,  out  of  which  arose  the  shriek  of  countless 
steam- whistles,  and  carne  incessant  explosions  too  quick  to 
count — the  volcano  that  opened  from  the  fort,  as  with  loud 
cheers  those  gallant  brigades  drove  on,  combined  to  make 
that  Sabbath  afternoon  one  of  the  most  terrific  the  earth 
ever  witnessed.  On  the  sea-side,  the  marines  and  sailors 
dashed  gallantly  forward,  but  were  swept  like  chaff  before 
the  wind,  from  the  ramparts.  Terry's  troops,  however, 
boldly  mounted  those  in  their  front,  when  a  fearful  hand  to 
hand  conflict  followed.  Soon  the  high  parapets  swallowed 
up  the  combatants,  but  the  work  of  death  went  on  within. 
Shouts  and  curses,  mingled  with  volleys  of  musketry,  made 
the  interior  of  that  fort  a  pandemonium — but  our  troops,  bent 
on  victory,  won  their  way  steadily  from  traverse  to  traverse 
in  spite  of  the  desperate  opposition  of  the  enemy. 

The  wintry  sun  went  down  on  the  strange  scene,  and 
darkness  closed  around  the  combatants.  Fighting  in  the 
fitful  light  of  the  flashes  of  musketry,  and  of  the  flaming 
shells  streaking  the  sky  above  them,  they  drove  the  garrison 
back  step  by  step,  until  at  last,  at  half  past  nine  the  fort  was 
cleared.  A  long,  loud  shout  arose  from  the  bosom  of  the 
bloody  and  trampled  works,  and  then  Terry's  signal  torches 
flamed  from  the  summit,  announcing  to  Porter  that  the  place 
was  won.  The  firing  ceased,  and  rockets  were  immediately 
sent  up  from  the  flagship,  signaling  to  the  fleet  the  glorious 
news,  when  cheer  after  cheer  rung  over  the  water,  ship, 
answering  ship  in  the  darkness — the  shouts  being  echoed 
back  from  the  fort,  till  land  and  sea  shook  with  the  wild 
huzzas.  About  midnight,  General  Whitney,  and  Colonel 
Lamb,  the  Commanders,  with  the  garrison,  eighteen  hundred 
in  number,  surrendered.  Seventy-three  guns  fell  into  our 
hands,  besides  the  camp  equipage  and  stores. 

Our  loss  was  six  hundred  and  forty-six  in  killed  and 
wounded,  while  that  of  the  enemy  was  only  four  hundred. 


A    NARROW    ESCAPE.  557 

Unfortunately,  in  the  morning  the  magazine  blew  up,  killing 
and  wounding  several  hundred  more.  Among  our  officers 
who  fell  in  the  assault  were  Colonels  Bell  and  Moore,  and 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Lyman,  killed,  and  Colonels  Curtis,  Pen: 
nypacker  and  Lieutenant  Colonel  Coan,  wounded.  In  the  fleet 
the  loss  of  which  in  the  assault  was  about  two  hundred, 
Lieutenants  Preston  and  Porter  were  killed,  and  Lamson  and 
Bache,  wounded.  The  other  forts  in  the  vicinity,  one  after  an 
other,  with  eighty-three  cannon  now  fell  into  our  hands,  the 
garrisons  retiring  to  Wilmington. 

In  the  meantime  Thomas'  army  being  no  longer  needed 
in  Tennessee,  was  broken  up  ;  and  A.  J.  Smith's  command, 
with  a  division  of  cavalry,  ordered  to  report  to  General 
Canby,  while  Schofield's  Corps  was  brought  east  and  sent  to 
Fort  Fisher,  and  Newbern.  North  Carolina  was  created  a 
separate  military  department,  and  placed  under  the  latter, 
with  orders  to  report  to  General  Sherman. 

But  while  we  were  rejoicing  in  our  victories  on  the  Cape 
Fear  River,  a  disaster  came  very  near  befalling  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac,  that  would  speedily  have  wiped  out  its 
remembrance.  Knowing  that  our  war  vessels  were  nearly 
all  away  at  the  former  place,  the  rebels  on  the  night  of  the 
24th  sent  four  iron-clads  down  the  James  River,  with  the  in 
tention  of  severing  the  armies  on  the  two  sides  of  the  stream, 
and,  reaching  City  Point  to  destroy  the  communications  of 
the  army.  A  heavy  rebel  force  in  the  meantime,  was 
massed  north  of  the  James,  to  fall  on  our  army  there  the  mo 
ment  success  was  announced.  The  signal  of  this  was  to  be  the 
burning  of  a  high  tower  at  City  Point,  erected  by  us  for  the 
purpose  of  overlooking  the  enemy's  lines.  The  iron-clads 
broke  through  the  obstructions  at  Dutch  Gap  canal — passed 
Fort  Brady — drove  back  the  only  vessel  we  had  stationed 
in  the  river,  and  bid  fair  to  reach  City  Point.  The  utmost 


558  PEACE      NEGOTIATIONS. 

consternation  prevailed  along  our  lines,  and  officers  were 
seen  galloping  off  in  every  direction.  Fortunately  the 
vessels  grounded  and  one  of  them  was  blown  up,  and  the  other 
destroyed — so  that  the  well-laid  scheme  totally  failed. 

In  the  Court  of  Inquiry  summoned  to  investigate  this 
affair,  every  officer  but  General  Grant  that  was  examined 
as  a  witness,  testified,  that  had  the  rebel  iron-clads  reached 
City  Point,  the  siege  of  Petersburg  and  Richmond  would 
have  been  raised,  as  not  another  pound  of  provisions  could 
have  been  got  to  the  army.  Grant,  on  the  contrary,  said  he 
had  provisions  enough  on  hand,  that  with  great  economy 
might  last  two  weeks,  and  he  thought  in  that  time  the  Gov 
ernment  would  have  succeeded  in  re-opening  his  communi 
cations.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  even  on  Grant's  testimony,  that 
his  salvation  would  have  depended  alone  on  outside  help,  and 
not  on  any  thing  that  he  could  do.  The  country  never 
dreamed  how  narrow  was  our  escape,  and  how  much  de 
pended  on  a  few,  more  or  less  inches  of  water. 

The  close  of  the  month  was  made  memorable  by  the  ar 
rival  at  Fortress  Monroe  of  Alexander  H.  Stevens,  Vice 
President  of  the  Confederacy,  R.  M.  T.  Hunter,  of  Virginia 
and  J.  A.  Campbell,  of  Alabama,  as  Peace  Commissioners 
from  Jefferson  Davis.  President  Lincoln  and  Secretary 
Seward  met  them  two  or  three  days  after,  on  board  a 
steamer,  and  had  an  informal  interview.  The  rebel  com 
missioners  wished  a  postponement  of  the  question  of  sepa- 
tion,  and  proposed  a  cessation  of  hostilities  and  the  resump 
tion  of  intercourse  between  the  two  sections,  to  see  what 
time  and  the  subsidence  of  passion  might  effect.  But  Mr. 
Lincoln  mildly  yet  firmly  insisted  on  a  complete  restoration 
of  the  national  authority  every  where,  as  the  first  condition 
to  a  cessation  of  hostilities,  and  hence  the  interview  broke 
up  without  any  beneficial  results. 


EXCHANGE     OF     PRISONERS.  559 

Nothing  awakened  more  indignation  at  the  North  in  the 
progress  of  the  war  than  the  treatment  of  our  prisoners  by 
the  South,  which  during  this  Winter  reached  its  climax.  As 
stated  in  the  previous  volume,  for  more  than  a  year  after  the 
war  commenced  we  would  consent  to  no  cartel  with  the 
rebels,  as  it  recognized  them  as  belligerents — but  finally,  in 
the  Summer  of  1862  one  was  agreed  upon,  in  which  it  was 
stipulated  that  prisoners  should  be  exchanged  man  for  man, 
and  the  excess,  on  either  side,  be  paroled  until  regularly 
exchanged. 

At  that  time  the  balance  was  greatly  against  us,  and 
hence  the  cartel  worked  in  our  favor.  But  the  introduction 
of  colored  regiments  into  our  army,  the  soldiers  of  which  the 
rebel  authorities  refused  to  place  on  the  same  footing  as 
white  ones,  brought  on  an  acrimonious  correspondence 
between  the  Commissioners,  Meredith  and  Ould ;  the  latter 
insisting  that  the  provisions  of  the  original  cartel  should  be 
carried  out,  and  exchanges  resumed,  and  the  other  refusing 
to  consent  to  any  exchange  unless  stipulations  were  made  in 
regard  to  the  colored  soldiers.  Besides,  the  prisoners  cap 
tured  at  Vicksburg  and  Port  Hudson,  had  turned  the  bal 
ance  in  our  favor  by  nearly  thirty  thousand,  whom  we  were 
afraid  to  release  on  parole,  having  no  confidence  in  the  good 
faith  of  the  Confederate  Government.  Hence,  no  regular 
system  of  exchanges  could  be  agreed  upon.  General  But 
ler  endeavored,  while  commanding  at  Fortress  Montroe,  to 
establish  one,  but  failed. 

At  length,  the  whole  subject  assumed  a  character  dis 
graceful  to  both  Governments.  The  rebel  Government  had 
so  treated  Union  prisoners  that  they  were  utterly  worthless 
for  active  service,  if  exchanged,  while  it  was  sadly  in  need 
of  soldiers  for  its  rapidly  diminishing  army,  and  hence  pro 
posed  to  exchange  officer  for  officer,  and  man  for  man,  as 
far  as  it  could  be  done.  To  this  proposition,  our  Commis- 


560  TREATMENT    OF    SOLDIERS. 

sioner  refused  to  accede,  giving  various  reasons  for  his  refu 
sal,  but  they  failed  to  satisfy  the  people  who  were  becoming 
clamorous  on  the  subject. 

The  real  fact  was,  the  Secretary  of  War  saw  that  while 
we  could  raise  an  indefinite  number  of  men,  the  South  was 
exhausted,  and  he  had  no  idea  of  reinforcing  its  armies  with 
thirty  or  forty  thousand  able-bodied  men,  and  getting  in  re 
turn  the  same  number  of  emaciated,  half-starved,  enfeebled 
soldiers,  that  would  not  be  fit  for  duty  till  the  war  was  over, 
if  ever.  His  motives,  unquestionably,  were  right,  and  he 
thought  that  he  was  doing  his  country  a  service  by  keeping 
the  rebel  army  reduced  in  this  way..  Doubtless,  too,  he 
thought  this  course  would  be  a  saving  of  life  in  the  end,  but 
it  was  cruel  as  the  grave. 

There  are  certain  things  to  be  done  and  to  be  left  undone, 
without  regard  to  consequences.  A  ruler  may  think  it  the 
quickest  way  to  end  a  war,  to  massacre  all  the  young  men 
fit  to  bear  arms,  that  he  can  capture,  but  the  end  sought  to 
be  obtained  can  never  justify  the  use  of  such  means.  A 
powerful  nation,  in  war  with  a  weaker  one,  might  think  that 
the  shortest  way  to  end  the  struggle,  would  be  to  hoist  the 
black  flag  and  give  no  quarter,  and  judge  rightly,  too ;  but 
the  whole  civilized  world  would  cry  out  against  the  barbarous 
act.  And  yet  these  measures  have  their  excuses,  but  no 
course  can  be  justified,  that,  for  a  probable  good,  allows 
brave  soldiers,  who  have  nobly  struggled  to  sustain  their 
Government,  to  languish  and  die  in  prison. 

There  is  no  class  of  men,  whose  interests  and  welfare 
should  be  so  dear  to  the  Government,  as  its  soldiers  cap 
tured  in  battle.  So  the  country  felt,  and  the  pressure  be 
came  at  length  so  great  on  the  Administration,  that  it  was 
compelled  to  turn  over  the  whole  matter  to  General  Grant. 
With  his  strong,  practical  common  sense,  and  his  love  of  the 


SOUTHERN     CRUELTY.  561 

soldier,  he  did  not  long  hesitate  respecting  the  course  he 
ought  to  adopt. 

Not  the  injustice  and  wickedness  of  the  South,  nor  the 
advantages  that  might  accrue  to  it,  could  deter  him  from 
acting  humanely  to  our  own  soldiers,  and  exchanging  man 
for  man  as  long  as  it  could  be  done. 

The  exchange  of  prisoners,  under  his  wise  administration, 
became  very  active,  and  as  the  emaciated,  dying,  half-idiotic 
forms  of  humanity,  that  had  once  been  brave  American 
soldiers,  reached  our  lines,  the  barbaric,  diabolical  system 
practised  in  Southern  prisons  became  painfully  apparent. 
It  was  vain  for  the  rebel  authorities  to  say  that  their  own 
soldiers  lacked  food,  and  that  the  inhabitants  were  starving, 
and  that  our  prisoners  only  shared  the  common  fate.  Making 
all  due  allowance  for  the  scarcity  of  provisions  in  the  South, 
the  treatment  of  our  prisoners  indicated  a  depth  of  moral 
degradation  and  a  savage  hate,  that  will  be  a  disgrace  to 
Southern  civilization  as  long  as  time  endures.  If  such  inhu 
manity  and  fiendish  cruelty  were  the  result  of  Slavery,  it 
would  need  no  deeper  damnation. 

We  cannot  go  over  the  sickening  details  of  Southern 
prison-life.  Men  left  to  perish  with  the  scurvy — slowly 
eaten  up  with  maggots — shot  without  excuse,  and  tortured, 
apparently,  for  mere  love  of  cruelty,  make  up  a  picture  from 
which  the  heart  of  any  but  a  Fejee  would  turn  with  loath 
ing  and  abhorrence. 

The  principal  prisons,  South,  were  Andersonville  ,and  Mil- 
len,  Georgia ;  Columbia,  Florence,  and  Charleston,  South 
Carolina ;  Tyler,  Texas ;  Salisbury,  North  Carolina ;  Ca- 
hawba,  Alabama;  Danville,  Virginia;  and  Libby,  Pember- 
ton,  Castle  Thunder,  and  Belle  Isle,  Richmond.  Of  these, 
Millen,  Andersonville,  and  the  Richmond  prisons,  were  pre 
eminent  for  infamous  barbarity. 

It  is  impossible  to  tell  how  many  perished  in  these  various 


562  ANDERSONVILLE    PRISON. 

prisons  during  the  war,  but  some  have  put  them  as  high  as 
seventy  thousand.  Over  ten  thousand  perished  in  Ander- 
sonville  prison  alone.  In  the  latter,  although  the  camp  was 
located  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  large  forests,  the 
captives  were  allowed  no  shelter,  and  the  sick  groaned  out 
their  lives  on  the  bare  ground.  The  treatment  was  not  the 
same  at  every  period  during  the  war,  nor  the  same  in  all 
the  prisons,  but  at  Andersonville,  the  record  of  every  day 
and  month  was  one  of  horrors.  Here  some  twenty  acres 
were  inclosed  by  a  stockade,  with  a  swamp  in  the  centre, 
where,  at  times,  thirty  thousand  Union  prisoners  were  con 
fined.  This  space  was  dotted  with  holes  dug  by  the  prison 
ers  to  obtain  a  place  of  shelter.  American  soldiers  and  citi 
zens  were  here  compelled  by  their  former  fellow-citizens,  to 
burrow  like  wild  animals  in  the  earth. 

The  horrors  and  sufferings  of  this  mundane  hell  were  such 
that  some  went  mad  and  roamed  about  in  helpless  idiocy ; 
others  deliberately  walked  across  the  dead-line,  as  it  was 
called,  to  be  shot,  and  so  get  rid  of  their  misery.  Those  who 
attempted  to  escape  were  hunted  with  blood-hounds  or  shot 
down.  Many  of  the  efforts  put  forth  by  these  men  to  keep 
up  their  spirits,  and  brace  them  to  endure  their  sufferings, 
were  most  pitiful. 

The  rebel  officers  sought  to  take  advantage  of  their  suffer 
ings  and  make  them  enlist  in  the  Confederate  army,  but  in 
most  cases  without  success.  The  brave  fellows,  though 
utterly  prostrated  in  strength  and  spirits,  still  refused  to 
betray  the  flag  under  which  they  had  fought — and  so  died, 
unknown  and  unsung,  yet  noble  martyrs  for  their  country. 
The  rebel  surgeons  were,  in  most  cases,  humane,  and  re 
monstrated  with  the  authorities  against  the  cruelties  perpe 
trated  on  Union  prisoners. 

Those  who  wish  to  read  the  heart-rending  details  of 
Southern  prison-life,  will  find  them  at  length  in  the  account 


A     CRUEL     POLICY.  563 

of  the  trial  of  Captain  Wirz,  who  was  in  immediate  com 
mand  of  Andersonville  prison.  This  wretch,  who,  we  are 
glad  to  know,  was  not  born  in  this  country,  was  arraigned 
soon  after  the  close  of  the  war,  before  a  military  commission 
in  Washington,  tried,  convicted  and  hung. 

There  is  no  language  too  strong  to  express  the  enormity 
of  the  guilt  of  the  Southern  authorities.  On  the  other  hand, 
there  can  be  no  justification  of  a  policy,  on  our  part,  that 
would  permit  tens  of  thousands  of  brave  soldiers  to  perish 
under  untold  sufferings,  when  they  might  have  been  saved. 
If  the  principle,  laid  down  by  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  given  on  a 
former  page,  had  been  carried  out,  a  greater  part  of  this 
misery  might  have  been  prevented. 


CHAPTER    XL. 

JANUARY-FEBRUARY,  1865. 

THE    RIGHT    WING    OF    SHERMAN'S    ARMY    THREATENS    CHARLESTON THE    LEFT 

AUGUSTA THE  ARMY  DELAYED  BY  HEAVY  FLOODS KILPATRICK's  CAVAL 
RY FORCING  OF  THE  SALKEHATCHIE THE  ENEMY  DECEIVED,  AND  THEIR 

FORCES    HOPELESSLY    SEPARATED DESTRUCTION    OF    THE    CHARLESTON    AND 

AUGUSTA    RAILROAD CAPTURE    OF    ORANGEBURG CROSSING    THE  EDISTO 

CAPTURE  OF  COLUMBIA BURNING  OF  THE  CITY DISTRESS  OF  THE  INHAB 
ITANTS BURNING  OF  WINNSBORO' CHARLOTTE,  N.  C.,  THREATENED SHER 
MAN  SUDDENLY  STRIKES  EAST  FOR  FAYETTEVILLE CAPTURE  OF  CHERAW 

FALL  OF  CHARLESTON JUNCTION  OF  THE  TWO  WINGS CAPTURE  OF  FAY 
ETTEVILLE COMMUNICATIONS  OPENED  WITH  SCHOFIELD  AND  TERRY BAT 
TLE  OF  AVERYSBORO' BATTLE  OF  BENTONVILLE OCCUPATION  OF  GOLDS- 

BORO' END    OF    THE    CAMPAIGN SHERMAN    VISITS   GRANT  AT  CITY  POINT 

SPEEDY    REFITTING    OF    THE    ARMY. 

CAMPAIGN  OF  THE  CAROLINAS. 

SHERMAN,  having  rested  his  army  at  Savannah  and 
completed  his  plans,  began,  in  the  middle  of  January, 
to  send  off  a  part  of  his  troops,  in  transports,  to  Beaufort, 
preparatory  to  the  commencement  of  his  campaign  through 
the  Carolinas.  But  his  army  was  not  in  motion  until  the  first 
of  February.  It  numbered  about  sixty-five  thousand  men, 
and  was  divided  into  four  Corps,  with  a  train  of  four  thou 
sand  five  hundred  vehicles,  of  all  kinds,  which,  if  stretched 
in  a  single  line,  in  marching  order,  would  have  extended 
forty-five  miles.  Each  Corps,  however,  had  its  own  train, 
which  occupied  a  separate  road  so  as  to  avoid  crowding  or 
delay. 

The  news  of  his  departure  from  Savannah  filled  the  South 
with  alarm,  and  the  North  with  solicitude      The  question 


SHERMAN'S    PLAN.  565 

was  in  every  one's  mouth,  "  Where  next  will  this  extraordi 
nary  man  go?"  Some  thought  that  he  would  first  strike 
Augusta,  others,  Charleston.  But  he  had  a  grander  object 
in  view  than  the  immediate  capture  of  either  of  these  places. 
Standing  in  Savannah,  he  cast  his  eyes  north  five  hundred 
miles  to  Goldsboro',  and  determined  to  carry  his  gallant 
army  thither,  right  through  the  heart  of  two  hostile  States. 
One  standing  by  his  side  and  looking  forward  on  the  route 
the  brave  Chieftain  had  marked  out  for  his  columns,  must 
have  been  amazed  at  the  mighty  enterprise  on  which  he  was 
about  to  enter. 

One  rebel  army  lay  at  Charleston,  on  his  right,  another -at 
Augusta,  on  his  left — North  Carolina  swarmed  with  troops, 
while  every  step  he  advanced  took  him  nearer  to  Lee's 
gathered  forces  at  Richmond.  Large  rivers  were  to  be 
crossed,  swamps  traversed,  and  battles  fought,  before  he 
could  reach  the  goal  of  his  wishes. 

In  organizing  this  campaign,  Sherman  resolved  to  make 
Columbia  his  first  objective  point.  To  do  this,  without 
being  compelled  to  fight  heavy  battles,  it  was  necessary  'to 
keep  the  rebel  armies  at  Charleston  and  Augusta  divided. 
United  they  could  make  the  rivers  successive  lines  of  de 
fense,  which  could  not  be  carried  without  severe  loss.  He, 
therefore,  determined  to  threaten  both  places  at  the  same 
time,  and  thus  keep  the  enemy  at  each  in  a  state  of  suspense 
and  anxiety,  and  afraid  to  move  in  any  direction.  In  car 
rying  out  this  plan,  he  directed  Slocum,  with  the  left  wing 
and  Kilpatrick's  cavalry,  to  move  up  the  Savannah  River 
and  threaten  Augusta,  while  Howard  advancing  from  the 
sea-coast,  was  to  threaten  Charleston. 

By  this  adroit  management  he  prevented  the  enemy  from 
doing  the  only  thing  that  promised  success — viz.,  the  con 
centration  of  his  forces  on  the  line  of  the  swampy  Salke- 
hatchie.  Had  this  been  done,  and  both  Charleston  and  Au- 


566  SLOCUM'S   WING. 

gusta  abandoned,  Sherman  would  have  had  great  trouble  in 
carrying  out  his  plans — for  supposing  that  he  could,  with 
his  superior  strength,  have  forced  this  line,  still  the  rebels, 
by  the  central  position  they  would  occupy,  could  have  fallen 
back  toward  Columbia  and  made  another  stand  on  the  Edisto. 
If,  on  the  other  hand,  he  had  attempted  to  outflank,  as  he 
did,  on  the  way  from  Chattanooga  to  Atlanta,  his  flanks 
and  trains  would  have  been  greatly  exposed  while  crossing 
the  rivers.  By  trying  to  save  too  much,  the  rebel  Com 
manders  lost  every  thing,  and  that  too  without  even  the 
honor  of  fighting  for  it. 

The  supplies  for  the  right  wing  were  completed  at  Poca- 
taligo,  and  those  for  the  left  at  Sister's  Ferry.  At  the  latter 
place,  Slocum  and  Kilpatrick  were  detained  a  long  time  by 
a  heavy  flood  in  the  river,  which,  overflowing  its  banks,  cov 
ered  all  the  surrounding  country  with  water,  so  that  the 
inundated  lowlands  made  the  stream,  at  this  point,  three 
miles  wide. 

It  was  an  extraordinary  flood,  and  as  Slocum  looked  at 
the  spreading  sea,  and  thought  of  his  urgent  orders  to 
advance  without  delay,  he  was  filled  with  great  anxiety,  and 
impatiently  waited  for  the  waters  to  subside.  As  soon,  how 
ever,  as  the  crossing  could  be  commenced  with  any  degree 
of  safety,  he  put  his  army  in  motion,  and  the  columns,  half- 
waist  deep  in  the  water,  moved  rapidly  over  the  inundated 
fields. 

When  he  reached  solid  ground,  in  order  to  make  up  for 
lost  time,  he  marched  eighteen  miles  a  day,  though  he  was 
constantly  compelled  to  halt  and  re-bridge  streams,  and 
remove  trees  that  the  enemy  had  felled  across  the  road, 
while  the  wintry  rains  made  the  march  heavy,  and  the  night 
encampment  cold  and  gloomy. 

Kilpatrick  in  the  meantime  pushed  on  toward  Augusta, 
and  by  his  daring  advance  caused  all  the  rebel  troops  in  the 


THE    SALKEHATCHIE     FORCED.  567 

vicinity  to  be  concentrated  there  for  its  defense,  leaving  no 
enemy  for  Slocum  to  encounter. 

Howard  moved  from  Pocataligo  on  the  last  day  of  the 
month,  leaving  Hatch's  division  behind,  in  order  to  keep  up 
the  appearance  of  marching  on  Charleston  by  the  railroad 
bridge  over  the  Salkehatchie  at  that  point.  He  found  in  his 
march  the  roads  obstructed  by  trees  felled  across  it,  and  the 
bridges  over  the  swollen  streams  burned,  but  the  pioneer 
battalion  removed  the  one,  and  rebuilt  the  other  so  quickly, 
that  the  columns  were  scarcely  compelled  to  halt. 

A  railroad  runs  across  the  state  from  Charleston  to  Au 
gusta,  and  half  way  between  the  two  stands  Midway  Sta 
tion,  lying  due  south  from  Columbia.  Toward  this  point 
Howard  directed  his  columns.  But  he  had  first  to  cross  the 
Salkehatchie,  which  the  rebels  held  in  force,  "  having  in 
fantry  and  artillery  intrenched  at  River  and  Beaufort 
bridges."  The  Seventeenth  Corps  was  ordered  to  carry 
River  bridge,  and  the  Fifteenth  Corps  Beaufort  bridge. 

Mower  and  Giles  A.  Smith,  with  their  divisions  promptly 
carried  the  former  on  the  3d  of  February  "by  crossing  the 
swamp,  nearly  three  miles  wide,  with  water  varying  from 
knee  to  shoulder  deep."  Although  the  weather  was  bitter 
cold,  those  two  gallant  Commanders  led  their  divisions  on 
foot,  wading  the  deep,  chilly  water  side  by  side  with  the 
soldiers,  and  making  a  lodgment  below  the  bridge,  drove 
the  rebel  brigade  that  guarded  it  in  terror  toward  Branch- 
ville.  Our  loss  in  this  bold  and  brilliant  movement  was  lit 
tle  less  than  ninety. 

The  line  of  the  Salkehatchie  being  thus  broken,  the  rebels 
could  make  no  stand  until  they  reached  the  Edisto  at  Branch- 
ville,  a  place  lying  some  sixty  miles  out  from  Charleston. 
The  army  then  pushed  rapidly  for  the  railroad  at  Midway, 
which  it  reached  on  the  7th,  and  at  once  began  to  tear  it 
up.  The  left  wing  under  Slocum  struck  it  farther  up  to- 

66 


568  CROSSING    THE    EDISTO. 

ward  Augusta,  and  also  commenced  the  work  of  destruc 
tion.  The  rebel  forces  at  Aiken  and  Augusta,  on  the  one 
hand,  and  those  at  Branchville  and  Charleston  on  the  other, 
were  now  hopelessly  divided,  and  unable  to  act  in  concert. 

Leaving  the  left  wing  still  at  work  destroying  the  rail 
road,  Sherman  with  the  right  moved  north  on  Orangeburg. 
The  Seventeenth  Corps  crossed  the  South  Fork  of  the 
Edisto,  at  Binnaker's  bridge,  and  marched  straight  on  the 
place,  while  the  Fifteenth  Corps  crossed  at  Holman's  bridge 
and  moved  to  Poplar  Springs  in  support. 

The  rebel  Commander  had  so  long  thought  of  nothing,  and 
labored  for  nothing,  but  to  save  Charleston,  that  he  could 
not  be  persuaded  that  it  was  not  the  chief  object  of  Sher 
man's  desires,  and  continued  to  lie  behind  his  fortifications 
at  Branchville,  to  protect  it.  Still,  he  had.  caused  the 
bridge  over  the  Edisto  to  be  burned,  and  stationed  a  force 
at  the  spot  to  oppose  the  passage  of  our  army.  Ford,  with 
the  advance  division,  as  he  approached  the  burned  bridge, 
was  saluted  with  a  heavy  fire  of  artillery,  which  arrested  his 
progress.  Lower  down,  however,  by  wading  to  the  armpits, 
and  often  swimming,  the  men  succeeded  in  launching  four 
pontoon  boats  into  the  water,  and  just  as  the  moon  was 
rising,  the  division  was  got  across,  which,  pouncing  upon 
the  astonished  rebels  in  flank,  scattered  them  in  confusion 
through  the  moonlit  woods.  For  fifteeen  miles  along  this 
river  the  spread-out  army  made  demonstrations  at  different 
points,  so  that  the  scattered  enemy  could  do  very  little  in 
opposing  the  passage,  except  by  skirmishing. 

The  rebel  force  in  Orangeburg  now  fled  north  to  Colum 
bia,  and  this  place,  with  a  population  of  three  thousand, 
fell  into  our  hands.  A  conflagration,  however,  was  raging 
at  the  time,  which  the  soldiers,  under  the  orders  of  Howard 
and  Sherman,  labored  hard  to  extinguish.  The  place  was 
set  on  fire  by  a  Jew,  in  revenge  for  fifty  bales  of  cotton 


COLUMBIA    REACHED.  569 

belonging  to  him,  and  destroyed  by  the  rebels.  The  negro 
pioneers  here  ran  riot  among  the  ornamented  grounds  of  the 
wealthy  citizens.  Sherman  says :  u  Blair  was  ordered  to  de 
stroy  the  railroad  effectually  up  to  Lewisville,  and  to  push  the 
enemy  across  the  Congaree,  and  force  him  to  burn  the  bridges, 
which  he  did  on  the  14th,  and,  without  wasting  time  or 
labor  on  Branchville  or  Charleston,  which  I  knew  the  enemy 
could  no  longer  hold,  I  turned  all  the  columns  straight  on 
Columbia."  The  left  wing  swept  on  in  the  same  direction, 
farther  to  the  west,  over  the  Edisto,  and  across  swamps  and 
streams ;  straight  through  the  heart  of  the  proud,  rebellious 
State,  the  mighty  columns  moved  with  resistless  power,  till 
on  the  16th,  Howard  drew  up  on  the  banks  of  the  Saluda, 
in  front  of  Columbia.  An  hour  later  the  head  of  the  ad 
vance  column  of  the  left  wing  appeared  on  the  shore  of  the 
same  stream,  farther  to  the  west,  and  the  Capital  of  South 
Carolina  lay  under  our  guns.  The  Mayor  surrendered  the 
city,  and  Sherman,  in  anticipation  of  it,  says :  "I  had  made 
written  orders  to  General  Howard,  touching  the  conduct  of 
the  troops.  These  were  to  destroy  absolutely  all  arsenals  and 
public  property  not  needed  for  our  own  use,  as  well  as  all 
railroads,  depots,  and  machinery  useful  in  war  to  an  enemy, 
but  to  spare  all  dwellings,  colleges,  schools,  asylums,  and 
harmless  private  property.  I  was  the  first  to  cross  the  pon 
toon  bridge,  and  in  company  with  General  Howard,  rode 
into  the  city.  The  day  was  clear,  but  a  perfect  tempest  of 
wind  was  raging.  The  brigade  of  Colonel  Stone  was  al 
ready  in  the  city,  and  properly  posted.  Citizens  and  sol 
diers  were  on  the  streets  and  general  good  order  prevailed. 
General  Wade  Hampton,  who  commanded  the  Confederate 
rear-guard  of  cavalry,  had  in  anticipation  of  our  capture  of 
Columbia,  ordered  that  all  cotton,  public  and  private, 
should  be  moved  into  the  streets  and  fired,  to  prevent  our 
making  use  of  it.  Bales  were  piled  every  where,  the  rope 


570          BURNING  OF  THE  CAPITAL. 

and  bagging  cut,  and  tufts 'of  cotton  were  blown  about  in 
the  wind,  lodged  in  the  trees  and  against  houses,  so  as  to 
resemble  a  snow  storm.  Some  of  these  piles  of  cotton  were 
burning,  especially  one  in  the  very  heart  of  the  city,  near 
the  Court-House,  but  the  fire  was  partially  subdued  by  the 
labor  of  our  soldiers."  If  must  be  remembered  that  the 
army  did  not  enter  Columbia.  The  Fifteenth  Corps  alone 
marched  through,  and  encamped  beyond  on  the  Camden 
road.  The  Seventeenth  did  not  enter  the  place  at  all,  while 
the  entire  left  wing  and  cavalry  did  not  come  within  two 
miles  of  it.  A  single  brigade  was  placed  within  it  on  duty. 
Sherman  says :  u  Before  one  single  public  building  had  been 
fired  by  order,  the  smouldering  fires  set  by  Hampton's  order 
were  rekindled  by  the  wind,  and  communicated  to  the  build 
ings  around.  About  dark  they  began  to  spread,  and  got  be 
yond  the  control  of  the  brigade  on  duty  within  the  city. 
The  whole  of  Wood's  division  was  brought  in,  but  it  was 
found  impossible  to  check  the  flames,  which  by  midnight 
had  become  unmanagable,  and  raged  until  about  four  A.  M., 
when,  the  wind  subsiding,  they  were  got  under  control.  I 
was  up  nearly  all  night,  and  saw  Generals  Howard,  Logan 
and  Wood,  and  others,  laboring  to  save  houses  and  to  pro 
tect  families,  thus  suddenly  deprived  of  shelter,  and  of  bed 
ding,  and  wearing  apparel.  I  disclaim  on  the  part  of  my 
army,  any  agency  in  this  fire,  but,  on  the  contrary,  claim 
that  we  saved  what  of  Columbia  remains  unconsumed." 
He  acknowledges,  what  any  one  acquainted  with  armies, 
would  know  must  be  inevitable — that,  while  the  officers 
and  men  worked  hard  to  extinguish  the  flames,  u  others 
not  on  duty,  including  the  officers  who  had  long  been  im 
prisoned  there,  rescued  by  me,  may  have  assisted  in  spread 
ing  the  fire,  after  it  had  begun,  and  may  have  indulged  in 
unconcealed  joy  to  see  the  ruin  of  the  Capital  of  South 
Carolina." 


PILLAGING    PARTIES.  571 

All  know  what  soldiers  and  released  prisoners  will  do  in  a 
burning  city,  whether  set  on  fire  by  friend  or  foe.  The  law 
less  and  vindictive,  and  mercenary,  will  help  to  swell  the 
conflagration,  and  add  plunder  and  cruelty  to  the  destruc 
tion  caused  by  the  flames.  Hence  those  familiar  with  the 
history  of  invading  armies  will  be  prepared  for  the  follow 
ing  description  of  an  officer  who  was  an  eye-witness : 

"  Pillaging  gangs  soon  fired  the  heart  of  the  town,  then 
entered  the  houses,  in  many  instances  carrying  off  articles 
of  value.  The  flame  soon  burst  out  in  all  parts  of  the  city, 
and  the  streets  were  quickly  crowded  with  helpless  women 
and  children,  some  in  their  night-clothes.  Agonized  moth 
ers,  seeking  their  children,  all  affrighted  and  terrified,  were 
rushing,  on  all  sides,  from  the  raging  flames  and  falling 
houses.  Invalids  had  to  be  dragged  from  their  beds,  and 
lay  exposed  to  the  flames  and  smoke  that  swept  the  streets, 
or  to  the  cold  of  the  open  air  in  back  yards. 

"  The  scene  at  the  convent  was  a  sad  one  indeed.  The 
flames  were  fast  encompassing  the  convent,  and  the  sisters 
and  about  sixty  terrified  young  ladies  huddled  together  on 
the  streets.  Some  of  these  had  come  from  the  North,  previ 
ous  to  the  war,  for  their  education,  and  were  not  able  to  re 
turn.  The  superioress  of  the  convent  had  educated  General 
Sherman's  daughter,  Minnie.  He  had  assigned  them  a  spe 
cial  guard  of  six  men ;  so  they  felt  secure,  and  were  totally 
unprepared  for  the  dreadful  scene  that  ensued.  Some 
Christian  people  formed  a  guard  around  this  agonized  group 
of  ladies,  and  conducted  them  to  the  Park. 

"  I  trust  I  shall  never  witness  such  a  scene  again — drunken 
soldiers,  rushing  from  house  to  house,  emptying  them  of 
their  valuables,  and  then  firing  them ;  negroes  carrying  off 
piles  of  booty,  and  grinning  at  the  good  chance,  and  exult 
ing,  like  so  many  demons ;  officers  and  men  reveling  on  the 


572  A    SAD    SPECTACLE. 

wines  and  liquors,  until  the  burning  houses  buried  them  in 
their  drunken  orgies. 

"  I  was  fired  at  for  trying  to  save  an  unfortunate  man  from 
being  murdered. 

"  The  scene  of  desolation  the  city  presented  next  morning 
was  fearful.  That  long  street  of  rich  stores,  the  fine  hotels, 
the  court-houses,  the  extensive  convent  buildings,  and  last 
the  old  Capitol,  where  the  order  of  secession  was  passed, 
with  its  fine  library  and  State  archives,  were  all  in  one  heap 
of  unsightly  ruins  and  rubbish.  Splendid  private  residences, 
lovely  cottages,  with  their  beautiful  gardens,  and  the  stately 
rows  of  shade  trees,  were  all  withered  into  ashes. 

"  The  ruins  alone,  without  the  evidences  of  human  misery 
that  every-where  met  the  view,  were  enough  to  inspire  one 
with  feelings  of  deep  melancholy. 

u  Here  was  desolation  heightened  by  the  agonized  misery 
of  human  sufferings. 

u  There  lay  the  city  wrapped  in  her  own  shroud — the  tall 
chimneys  and  blackened  trunks  of  trees  looking  like  so 
many  sepulchral  monuments,  and  the  woe-stricken  people, 
that  listlessly  wandered  about  the  street,  her  pallid  mourners. 

"  Old  and  young  moved  about  seemingly  without  a  pur 
pose.  Some  mournfully  contemplated  the  piles  of  rubbish, 
the  oely  remains  of  their  late  happy  homesteads. 

"Old  men,  women,  and  children  were  grouped  together. 
Some  had  piles  of  bedding  and  furniture  which  they  saved 
from  the  wreck ;  others,  who  were  wealthy  the  night  previ 
ous,  had  not  now  a  loaf  of  bread  to  break  their  fast. 

u  Children  were  crying  with  fright  and  hunger;  mothers 
were  weeping ;  strong  men,  who  could  not  help  either  them 
or  themselves,  sat  bowed  down,  with  their  heads  buried  be 
tween  their  hands. 

u  The  yards  and  offices  of  the  Lunatic  Asylum  were 
crowded  with  people  who  had  fled  there  for  protection  the 


DEVASTATION.  573 

night  previous.  Its  wards,  too,  had  received  new  subjects, 
for  several  had  gone  crazy  from  terror,  or  from  having  lost 
their  children  or  friends  in  the  flames."  * 

Having  finished  his  work,  and  leaving  behind  enough  pro 
visions  to  sustain,  for  some  time,  the  homeless  population 
of  the  place,  Sherman  marched  north  toward  Charlotte, 
followed  by  a  horde  of  negroes  and  refugees.  The  army 
being  spread  out  as  much  as  possible,  to  obtain  forage,  it 
moved  over  the  fertile  country  like  the  locusts  of  Egypt. 
"  A  garden  was  before  them,  a  desert  behind  them."  The 
steady,  on-pouring  columns,  with  their  long  trains,  filled  the 
inhabitants  with  unbounded  terror,  and  well  they  might, 
for  throughout  the  army,  there  reigned  a  feeling  of  intense 
hatred  against  this  traitorous,  rebellious,  little  State — and 
though  plundering  and  violence  were  forbidden,  in  an  army 
spread  over  such  a  vast  extent  of  country  they  could  not 
be  prevented,  and  no  soldier  felt  inclined  to  inform  against 
even  a  reckless  camp-follower,  for  firing  a  South  Carolinian's 
house. 

Says  an  officer : — "In  Georgia  few  houses  were  burned ; 
here,  few  escaped ;  and  the  country  was  converted  into  one 
vast  bonfire.  The  pine  forests  were  fired,  the  resin  factories 
were  fired,  the  public  builings  and  private  dwellings  were 
fired.  The  middle  of  the  finest  day  looked  black  and  gloomy, 
for  a  dense  smoke  arose  on  all  sides,  clouding  the  very 
heavens.  At  night  the  tall,  pine  trees  seemed  so  many  huge 
pillars  of  fire.  The  flames,  hissed  and  screeched,  as  they  fed 
on  the  fat  resin  and  dry  branches,  imparting  to  the  forests  a 
most  fearful  appearance. 

"Vandalism  of  this  kind,  though  not  encouraged,  was  sel 
dom  punished.  True,  where  every  one  is  guilty  alike,  there 
will  be  no  informers ;  therefore  the  Generals  knew  little  of 
what  was  going  on. 

*  Captain  Conyngliam. 


574  MARCHING    ON    FAY  ETTE  VILLE. 

"  The  ruined  homesteads  of  the  Palmetto  State  will  long 
be  remembered.  The  army  might  safely  march  the  darkest 
night ;  the  crackling  pine  woods  shooting  up  their  columns 
of  flame  and  the  burning  houses  along  the  way  would  light 
it  on,  while  the  dark  clouds  and  pillars  of  smoke  would  safely 
cover  its  rear." 

Slocum,  with  the  left  wing,  and  Kilpatrick's  cavalry  cov 
ering  his  left  flank,  moved  to  Winnsboro7,  lying  north-west 
of  Columbia,  which  the  foragers  set  on  fire  before  he  could 
arrive  with  his  columns  to  prevent  it. 

Beauregard  had  fallen  back  on  Charlotte  from  Columbia, 
thinking  that  it  would  be  the  next  place  on  which  Sherman 
would  move.  Cheatham's  Corps,  of  Hood's  old  army,  was 
striving  to  make  a  junction  with  him  at  this  place — having 
marched  all  the  way  from  Augusta  almost  parallel  with  Kil 
patrick's  cavalry. 

A  heavy  rain  storm  now  set  in,  making  the  roads  almost 
impassable,  yet  Sherman,  for  two  days,  pushed  on  toward 
Charlotte — but  on  the  23rd  the  army  suddenly  made  a  grand 
right-wheel,  and  facing  the  rising  sun,  left  this  place,  as  it 
had  Augusta  and  Charleston,  far  in  the  rear.  Breasting  the 
pitiless  storm,  this  noble  army  pushed  forward  toward  Fay- 
etteville — the  line  of  march  cutting  the  swollen  rivers  that  a 
hundred  years  before  so  obstructed  Cornwallis  in  his  pursuit 
of  Greene. 

Kilpatrick,  in  the  meantime,  covered  this  movement  as 
long  as  he  could,  in  order  to  enable  the  army  to  get  across 
these  formidable  rivers  without  opposition.  But  when  it  was 
discovered  that  Sherman  was  actually  crossing  the  country  to 
Fayetteville,  Hampton  and  Wheeler,  with  the  rebel  cavalry, 
attempted  to  reach  the  place  first,  on  which  Hardee,  in  his 
retreat  from  Charleston,  was  marching.  In  endeavoring  to 
prevent  this  junction,  Kilpatrick  undertook  to  hold  three 
roads,  over  any  one  of  which  he  thought  the  enemy  might 


KILPATRICK    SURPRISED.  575 

pass.  On  one  of  them,  with  a  small  force,  he  lay  one  night, 
when  his  camp  was  suddenly  surprised  by  Hampton,  and 
swept  like  a  whirlwind. 

His  head-quarters  were  carried  in  a  twinkling,  and  all  his 
artillery  captured,  while  he  and  his  bold  troopers  were  driven 
into  a  swamp.  His  case  now  seemed  hopeless,  but  looking 
out  from  his  hiding  place,  he  saw  that  the  rebels  were  wholly 
taken  up  with  plundering  his  camp,  when  rallying  his  re 
maining  men,  he  charged  them  so  suddenly  and  fiercely  that 
they  were  driven  back  in  confusion.  Instantly  turning  the 
artillery  on  them  he  completed  their  discomfiture,  and  seized 
with  panic  they  fled,  leaving  all  the  captured  prisoners  and 
artillery  in  his  possession. 

Crossing  the  Catawba  without  loss,  Sherman  struck  for  the 
Pedee,  at  Cheraw,  where  the  rebels  made  a  feeble  stand,  but 
were  swept  away  with  a  single  blow,  leaving  twenty-five 
pieces  of  artillery  in  our  hands. 

In  the  meantime  the  news  reached  the  army  that  Charles 
ton  was  evacuated,  and  the  Union  flag  once  more  flying  over 
Fort  Sumter. 

The  troops,  under  Hardee,  commenced  leaving  the  place 
on  the  night  of  the  16th,  and  by  next  night  were  all  gone. 
At  midnight,  some  soldiers  fired  the  upper  part  of  the  city, 
destroying  the  railroad  depots,  in  which  were  two  hun 
dred  kegs  of  powder,  and  a  vast  amount  of  cotton.  The 
half-starved  poor  of  the  city  rushed  into  the  burning  build 
ings  to  snatch  from  the  flames  some  of  the  rice  stored  in 
them,  when  the  powder  exploded  killing  a  hundred  or 
more. 

At  daylight,  the  rebel  rams  in  the  harbor  blew  up  .with  a 
terrific  explosion. 

The  next  morning,  the  18th,  the  Mayor  surrendered  the 
city  to  Gillmore,  with  all  the  surrounding  forts,  and  the  Na 
tional  flag  floated  once  more  over  what  had  been  the  empo- 


576  FAYETTEVILLE    REACHED. 

Hum  of  the  South — now  a  heap  of  blackened  ruins.  Here 
rebellion  had  been  hatched  for  the  purpose  of  degrading 
that  flag,  and  at  the  same  time  preventing  all  interference 
with  the  servile  condition  of  the  black  man— and  behold  the 
result !  A  colored  regiment,  with  well-set  ranks,  wearing  the 
National  uniform  and  bearing  above  them  that  glorious  flag, 
marched  into  its  streets  as  conquerors.  Human  history  can 
scarcely  present  another  such  a  contrast,  produced  in  the 
short  space  of  four  years. 

Gillmore  reported  four  hundred  and  fifty  pieces  of  cannon 
captured  in  the  various  defenses  of  the  place,  before  which 
he  had  sat  down  in  siege,  five  hundred  and  eighty-five  days 
before.  For  five  hundred  and  forty  days  the  city  had  been 
under  fire. 

Only  some  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  of  the  lower  classes, 
remained  after  its  evacuation.  Its  overthrow  was  hailed 
with  unbounded  delight  at  the  North,  and  scarce  a  sigh  was 
heaved  over  its  wide-spread  desolation. 

At  Cheraw,  the  right  and  left  wings  of  Sherman's  army 
met  for  the  first  time  since  leaving  Savannah,  and  now, 
together,  marched  on  Fayetteville,  which  the  advance  col 
umns  reached  on  the  12th  of  March. 

In  anticipation  of  his  arrival,  he  had  sent  trusty  scouts  to 
Wilmington,  nearly  a  hundred  miles  distant,  to  announce 
his  near  approach.  Our  troops  had  entered  this  place  about 
a  fortnight  before.  Schofield,  in  conjunction  with  Porter, 
of  the  Navy,  moved  his  forces  up  both  sides  of  the  Cape 
Fear  River,  and  advanced  against  Fort  Anderson — the  ene 
my's  main  defense  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river — which  the 
garrison  at  once  evacuated.  During  the  following  two  days, 
some  fighting  occurred,  but  on  the  22nd  of  February,  our 
troops  had  possession  of  the  place. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  scouts,  the  United  States  steam-tug 
Davidson  was  started  up  the  river,  and  reached  Fayetteville 


BATTLE    OF     AVERYSBORO.  577 

on  the  same  day  that  Sherman's  columns  approached  it,  and 
was  hailed  by  the  latter  with  loud  cheers. 

A  few  hours  later  she  returned  with  dispatches  from  Sher 
man  to  Terry,  in  command  at  Wilmington,  and  to  Schofield 
who  had  transferred  his  Corps  to  Newbern,  directing  them  to 
move  at  once  on  Goldsboro,  and  join  him  there,  where  he 
himself  expected  to  be  in  five  days.  He  knew  that  he  would 
soon  need  these  columns,  that  had  been  planted  on  the  sea 
board,  on  purpose  to  aid  him,  for  he  cpuld  no  longer  prevent 
the  concentration  of  the  enemy's  forces.  He  was  aware  that 
Cheatham  had  effected  a  junction  with  Beauregard,  and  that 
both  were  marching  on  Raleigh,  and  that  Hardee,  who  had 
evacuated  Fayetteville  at  his  approach,  was  falling  back  in 
the  same  direction.  These,  joined  by  Johnston  and  Hoke, 
with  the  forces  from  Wilmington  and  Newbern  would  make 
a  formidable  army. 

Schofield,  however,  had  some  difficulty  in  making  his  way 
inland,  for  he  was  attacked  on  the  8th  at  Wise's  Forks,  and 
driven  back  with  severe  loss.  Two  days  after,  the  enemy 
following  up  his  success,  attacked  his  intrenched  position, 
but  was  repulsed  with  such  a  heavy  loss  that  he  was  com 
pelled  to  retreat.  On  the  14th  Schofield  crossed  the  Neuse 
and  occupied  Kinston. 

The  next  day  after  this  success,  Sherman  put  his  columns 
in  motion  up  the  Cape  Fear  River,  as  though  his  objective 
point  was  Raleigh  instead  of  Goldsboro  on  the  Neuse,  up 
which  Schofield  was  to  march. 

Hardee  in  his  retreat  from  Fayetteville,  had  halted  on  a 
narrow,  swampy  neck  of  land  between  Cape  Fear  and  South 
Rivers,  near  Averysboro,  and  with  twenty  thousand  men  now 
occupied  an  intrenched  position.  Here  Kilpatrick  found  him 
and  sent  back  word  to  Slocum.  The  latter,  after  getting  his 
forces  well  up,  began  to  feel  the  enemy's  lines.  The  ground 
was  so  swampy  that  horses  mired  at  every  step,  and  it  was 


578  ATTACK     ON     SLOCUM. 

difficult  for  the  infantry  to  operate  ;  but  it  was  necessary  that 
this  position  should  be  carried — and  amid  torrents  of  rain, 
and  fearful  gusts  of  wind  he  advanced  to  the  attack  and 
drove  the  enemy  in  confusion  from  their  works.  Our  loss 
in  the  engagement  was  about  six  hundred.  The  rebels  re 
treated  in  the  night  during  a  frightful  storm,  leaving  one 
hundred  and  eight  dead  on  the  field. 

The  next  day  Slocum  ceased  his  movement  on  Raleigh,  and 
wheeling  to  the  right,  crossed  South  River,  swollen  by  the 
rains,  and  took  the  road  to  Goldsboro,  whither  Howard  farther 
to  the  east  was  marching,  "  wallowing  along  the  miry  roads." 

On  the  18th  both  wings  were  within  a  few  miles  of  the 
place,  and  Sherman,  thinking  there  would  be  no  more  oppo 
sition  to  his  advance,  left  Slocum  and  started  across  the 
country  to  see  Howard.  But  he  had  gone  scarcely  six  miles 
when  he  was  startled  by  the  sudden,  angry  roar  of  artil 
lery  behind  him,  evidently  coming  from  the  spot  where 
Slocum's  army  lay.  While  listening  to  the  heavy  explo 
sions,  wondering  what  they  could  mean,  a  staff-officer  gal 
loped  up,  and  quieted  his  anxiety  by  saying  that  it  was 
merely  an  affair  between  Carlin's  division  and  the  rebel 
cavalry,  and  that  the  latter  were  in  full  retreat.  In  a  few 
moments  however,  other  officers  arrived,  who,  to  his  sur 
prise  informed  him  that  Slocum  had  suddenly  found  himself 
confronted  by  the  whole  of  Johnston's  army  near  Benton- 
ville.  Comprehending  at  once  the  new  and  dangerous  posi 
tion  of  affairs,  he  sent  back  word  to  Slocum  to  stand  solely 
on  the  defensive  until  he  could  hurry  up  troops  to  his  relief. 
Officers  immediately  dashed  off  over  the  country,  bearing 
dispatches — one  to  Blair,  to  make  a  night  march  with  his 
Corps,  to  Falling  Creek  Church,  and  with  three  divisions 
of  the  Fifteenth  Corps  to  come  up  in  Johnston's  rear  from 
the  direction  of  Cox's  bridge — another  to  Howard,  to  move, 
minus  his  wagon  guard,  at  daylight  on  Bentonville. 


BATTLE    OF     BENTONV1LLE.  579 

While  thus  engaged  in  dispatching  his  orders,  other  cou 
riers  arrived,  from  Schofield  and  Terry.  Ordering  the  for 
mer  to  march  on  Goldsboro,  and  the  latter  to  move  to  Cox's 
bridge  ten  miles  above,  and  establish  a  crossing  there,  he 
once  more  gave  his  undivided  attention  to  Slocum,  and  the 
unexpected  battle  thus  suddenly  thrown  upon  him. 

The  latter,  however,  seemed  to  feel  no  uneasiness,  and 
choosing  an  admirable  position,  placed  his  artillery  so  as  to 
sweep  his  entire  front.  He  then  sent  on  Morgan's  division 
to  establish  another  line  about  a  half  a  mile  in  advance. 
Against  this  Johnston  advanced  in  overwhelming  numbers, 
and  hurled  it  in  confusion  back,  capturing  three  guns  and 
caissons.  Slocum,  seeing  the  heavy  force  opposed  to  him, 
at  once  deployed  the  two  divisions  of  the  Fourteenth  Corps, 
General  Davis,  and  hurried  forward  at  their  utmost  speed 
the  two  divisions  of  the  Twentieth  Corps,  General  Williams. 
A  line  of  barricades  was  hastily  prepared,  and  the  whole 
force  put  strictly  on  the  defensive.  In  the  meantime  Kil- 
patrick  aroused  by  the  thunder  of  artillery,  came  dashing 
down  the  roads  and  massed  his  squadrons  on  the  left.  It 
was  now  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  Slocum  had 
hardly  got  every  thing  ready  when  the  enemy  came  on  in 
one  of  their  dashing,  impetuous  charges.  In  three  massive 
columns,  they  swept  up  to  his  frail  barricades,  and  threat 
ened  by  mere  weight  of  numbers  to  carry  every  thing  be 
fore  them.  Mowed  down  by  our  batteries,  and  the  deliber 
ate  deadly  volleys  of  the  infantry,  the  first  column  recoiled, 
when  the  second,  undaunted  by  the  repulse  of  the  first, 
charged  with  a  cheer.  But  right  in  its  path  stood  Davis' 
Corps — that  won  such  immortal  honor  on  the  bloody  field  of 
Chickamauga — and  stopped  it  with  one  terrible  blow.  The 
whole  fury  of  the  attack  spent  itself  in  less  than  an  hour, 
and  yet  in  that  time  the  enemy  had  made  six  successive  as 
saults,  and  in  the  last  charge  broke  Slocum's  line,  but  it 


580  RETREAT    OF    JOHNSTON. 

quickly  rallied,  and  charging  in  turn^  drove  him  back.  So 
close  and  desperate  was  the  combat  that  many  of  the  rebel 
dead  lay  within  our  lines,  and  even  around  the  head-quar 
ters  of  the  Generals. 

0 

That  night  Slocum  got  up  his  wagon  train,  with  its  guard 
of  two  divisions,  and  the  gallant  Hazen's  division,  with 
which  reinforcements  he  felt  able  to  hold  his  ground,  al 
though  Johnston,  with  Hoke's,  Cheatham's  and  Hardee's 
Corps,  greatly  outnumbered  him.  The  next  day,  Howard 
came  up  and  connected  with  his  left.  Sherman  now  had 
his  invincible  army  well  in  hand  and  presenting  a  strong 
line  of  battle  in  front  of  the  enemy's  intrenched  position. 
Johnston  had  concentrated  his  forces  rapidly,  intending  to 
catch  the  army  divided,  and  break  it  up  in  detail.  Instead 
of  that,  he  suddenly  found  it  all  together,  and  boldly  con 
fronting  him  in  his  works.  It  was  not,  however,  Sherman's 
wish  to  bring  on  a  battle  here,  unless  every  thing  was  in  his 
favor,  and  so  he  contented  himself  with  pressing  forward 
the  skirmishers,  and  playing  with  his  batteries  on  the  woods 
in  which  the  enemy  lay,  and  threatening  his  strongly  pro 
tected  flanks. 

This  was  the  state  of  things  on  the  21st  of  March;  on 
which  day  Schofield  entered  Goldsboro',  and  Terry  got  pos 
session  of  the  Neuse  River  at  Cox's  bridge,  ten  miles  above, 
with  a  pontoon  bridge  across,  and  one  brigade  over.  It 
was  a  stormy  day,  and  the  rain  fell  in  torrents,  yet  during  it 
Mower  managed  to  work  well  around  the  enemy's  flank,  to 
the  right,  and  nearly  reached  Mill  Creek  bridge — the  only 
line  of  his  retreat.  "A  noisy  battle,"  as  Sherman  termed 
it,  followed,  and  in  the  night  Johnston  retreated.  Our  total 
loss  was  sixteen  hundred  and  forty-six. 

Directing  Howard,  with  the  cavalry,  to  remain  next  day 
on  the  field  and  bury  the  dead,  he  gave  orders  for  the  troops 
to  move  to  the  various  camps  assigned  them  around  Golds^ 


A     GREAT     MARCH.  581 

boro'.  After  visiting  Terry,  at  Cox's  bridge,  he  rode  into 
the  town,  where  he  found  Schofield  already  arrived. 

The  campaign  was  now  ended,  for  he  had  reached  the 
point  for  which  he  had  started  the  Autumn  before.  But 
what  an  astonishing  march  it  had  been  !  A  desolate  tract  of 
country,  forty  miles  wide,  and  between  two  and  three  hun 
dred  miles  long,  across  the  State  of  Georgia,  and  one 
equally  wide,  and  far  more  desolate,  for  nearly  five  hundred 
miles,  from  Savannah  to  the  heart  of  North  Carolina,  marked 
its  line  of  progress. 

Sherman  now  turned  over  his  army  to  Schofield,  and  has 
tened  to  City  Point  to  consult  with  Grant  respecting  the 
next  move  to  be  made.  Here  he  also  met  the  President, 
who  welcomed  him  with  great  cordiality. 

In  the  meantime,  Quarter-master  Meigs  came  down,  and 
in  a  fortnight  supplied  twenty  thousand  men  with  shoes,  and 
one  hundred  thousand  with  clothing,  and  every  thing  neces 
sary  for  entering  on  another  campaign. 


CHAPTER    XLI. 

FEBRUARY— APfilL,  1865. 

INTERVIEW   BETWEEN    GRANT  AND  SHERMAN REVIEW  OF  THE   MILITARY  FIELD 

— CANBY'S   PREPARATIONS   AGAINST   MOBILE — STONEMAN'S  ADVANCE  FROM 

EAST   TENNESSEE CAVALRY  RAID  FROM   VICKSBURG ANOTHER   FROM  EAST- 
PORT,  MISSISSIPPI — SHERIDAN'S  RAID  UP   THE   SHENANDOAH  VALLEY  AND 

ROUND    RICHMOND    TO    THE  WHITE    HOUSE HE    REACHES    THE    ARMY  OF  THE 

POTOMAC    THE    SAME    DAY    AS    SHERMAN GRANTS    PLAN    TO    MOVE    AROUND 

THE    REBEL    RIGHT    FLANK REBEL    ATTACK    ON    FORT    STEADMAN SHERMAN 

RETURNS     TO      HIS     ARMY GRANT     BEGINS     HIS     MOVEMENT UNEXPECTED 

SUCCESS BATTLE  OF  FIVE  FORKS GRAND  ASSAULT    OF    THE    ENEMY'S  LINES 

EVACUATION     OF     PETERSBURG    AND    RICHMOND — LEE    RETREATS    TOWARD 

DANVILLE THE    PURSUIT LINCOLN    AND    DAVIS    ON    THE    DAY    OF    THE    BAT 
TLE WEITZEL    ENTERS    RICHMOND THE    CITY    FIRED    BY  THE    REBELS LEE 

HARD    PRESSED HIS    RETREAT    CUT    OFF GRANT    DEMANDS    HIS  SURRENDER 

THE  CORRESPONDENCE THE  CAPITULATION SURRENDER  OF  THE    TROOPS 

OF    NORTHERN    VIRGINIA — JOY    OF    THE    NORTH    OVER    THE    VICTORY. 

THE  interview  between  Grant  and  Sherman  was  one  of 
intense  interest.  The  subject  of  the  consultation  was 
no  less  than  the  manner  in  which  the  death  blow  should  be 
given  to  the  rebellion,  for  the  final,  decisive  hour  both  be 
lieved  to  be  near  at  hand.  Still,  a  mistake  on  their  part  at 
this  juncture  might  prove  fatal — while  a  wise  move  in  the 
right  direction  would  bring  complete  triumph.  The  stake 
for  which  they  were  to  throw,  was  this  Great  Republic,  and 
they  might  well  ponder  on  the  threshold  of  such  a  momen 
tous  event. 

Sherman  from  the  1st  of  February  had  been  locked  up  in 
the  heart  of  the  enemy's  country,  and  hence  knew  but  im 
perfectly,  either  what  Grant  had  done,  or  intended  to  do ; 


STONEMAX    AND     CANBY.  583 

but  now  the  military  map  was  spread  out  before  him,  and 
the  field  of  operations,  both  past  and  present,  unfolded  and 
explained. 

First,  as  he  was  starting  from  Savannah,  Grant  had  di 
rected  Thomas  to  send  General  Stoneman  from  East  Tennes 
see,  down  into  South  Carolina,  with  a  cavalry  force  to  de 
stroy  the  railroads,  and  military  resources  of  the  country. 
But  before  he  could  get  away,  Sherman  was  well-nigh 
across  the  State  doing  that  work  himself.  Grant,  therefore, 
on  the  last  of  February,  ordered  Thomas  to  send  him,  in 
stead,  with  four  or  five  thousand  cavalry  east,  to  destroy  the 
railroad  toward  Lynchburg,  in  which  work  he  was  now  en 
gaged.  At  this  time  Canby  was  preparing  a  movement 
from  Mobile  Bay  against  Mobile,  and  Thomas  was  directed, 
in  order  to  make  a  diversion  in  his  favor,  to  send  a  cavalry 
force,  ten  thousand  strong,  from  Eastport,  Mississippi,  deep 
into  Alabama.  In  the  meantime  another  body,  seven  or 
eight  thousand  strong,  was  to  move  east  from  Yicksburg  for 
the  same  purpose.  These  movements,  Grant  thought,  with 
the  work  done  in  South  Carolina,  were  "  all  that  would  be 
wanted  to  leave  nothing  for  the  rebellion  to  stand  on.1' 

Sheridan,  in  the  meantime  had  completed  his  raid  from 
the  Shenandoah  Valley.  On  the  20th  of  February,  Grant 
telegraphed  to  him  to  take  a  cavalry  force  as  soon  as  the 
roads  could  be  traveled  and  advance  on  Lynchburg,  and  after 
destroying  the  railroad  and  canal  near  it,  to  push  on  if  prac 
ticable,  and  join  Sherman  who  was  inferior  to  the  enemy  in, 
cavalry,  and  might  be  in  great  need  of  reinforcements  to 
this  arm. 

On  the  27th  of  the  month,  with  two  divisions  of  cavalry 
— in  all  ten.  thousand  men — he  left  Winchester,  and  by  a 
rapid  movement  succeeded,  two  days  after,  in  securing  the 
bridge  across  the  middle  fork  of  the  Shenandoah  at  Mount 

Crawford,  and  the  next  day  entered  Staunton.     The  rebel 
67 


584  SHERIDAN'S  RAID. 

troops  in  the  Valley  as  before  stated,  had  mostly  been  with 
drawn  to  reinforce  Lee  at  Richmond,  yet  Early  was  still 
here  with  a  moderate  force,  and  on  the  approach  of  Sheri 
dan  fell  back  to  Waynesboro  and  intrenched.  The  latter 
pushed  rapidly  on  after  him,  and  arriving  in  front  of  his 
works,  without  waiting  even  for  a  reconnoissance,  ordered 
the  bugles  to  sound  the  charge.  With  a  rush  and  a  hurrah 
the  bold  riders  dashed  over  every  obstacle  and  carried  the 
position  like  a  whirlwind,  capturing  sixteen  hundred  prison 
ers,  eleven  pieces  of  artillery,  with  horses  and  caissons  com 
plete,  two  hundred  loaded  wagons  and  teams,  and  seventeen 
battle  flags. 

Sending  the  prisoners  back  under  an  escort  to  Winches 
ter,  he  moved  on  to  Charlottesville,  destroying  the  railroad 
and  bridges  as  he  advanced.  Reaching  this  place  on  the 
3d,  he  halted  two  days  to  break  up  the  railroad  and  bridges 
toward  Lynchburg  and  Richmond,  and  to  wait  for  the  ar 
rival  of  his  trains.  This  delay  gave  the  enemy  at  Lynch 
burg  time  to  prepare  for  his  approach,  and  he  abandoned  the 
design  of  capturing  it. 

On  the  6th,  he  again  put  his  force  in  motion,  dividing  it 
into  two  columns ;  one  of  which  marched  to  Scottsville,  from 
whence  it  moved  up  the  James  River  to  New  Market,  de 
stroying  the  locks,  and  in  many  places  the  banks  of  the  canal. 
From  this  point  a  force  was  sent  out  to  secure  a  bridge 
across  the  river  at  Duiguidsville,  but  the  enemy,  apprised 
of  the  movement,  burned  it. 

The  other  column  moved  down  the  railroad,  toward 
Lynchburg,  and  destroyed  it  to  within  sixteen  miles  of 
the  place. 

Unfortunately  the  spring  floods  had  so  swelled  the  river 
that  the  pontoons  which  Sheridan  had  brought  along  would 
not  reach  across  the  river,  and  the  enemy  having  burned  the 
bridges,  he  was  unable  to  get  over  and  move  south  as  he 


GRANT'S   PLAN.  585 

intended,  and  join  Sherman.  Of  course,  nothing  was  now 
left  him  to  do,  but  either  to  retrace  his  steps,  or,  advancing 
down  the  river,  sweep  around  Richmond  to  the  north,  and 
put  himself  in  communication  with  Grant's  army  by  reach 
ing  a  new  base  at  the  White  House.  He  chose  the  latter 
course,  and  keeping  on  toward  the  rebel  Capital,  destroying 
the  railroad  as  he  advanced,  at  length  on  the  10th  concen 
trated  his  forces  at  Columbia.  Here  he  rested  one  day,  and 
sent  off  trusty  scouts  to  Grant,  informing  him  of  his  plans, 
and  asking  that  supplies  be  sent  to  him  at  the  White  House. 
Two  days  after,  these  scouts  were  brought  into  the  Lieuten 
ant  General's  presence,  who  immediately  on  receiving  Sher 
idan's  message,  dispatched  an  infantry  force  to  hold  the 
White  House. 

Sheridan,  in  the  meantime,  marched  forward  toward  Rich 
mond,  sending  consternation  into  the  rebel  Capital.  A 
strong  column  was  at  once  sent  out  to  cut  him  off,  but 
wheeling  to  the  left,  he  crossed  the  North  and  South  Anna 
Rivers — burning  the  bridges  behind  him — and  moving  down 
the  north  bank  of  the  Pamunkey,  reached  the  White  House 
on  the  19th.  Halting  here  to  rest  and  refit,  he  marched 
across  to  James  River,  and  on  the  27th,  the  very  day  of 
Sherman's  arrival,  joined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

Grant  no*w  determined  to  send  him  around  the  rebel  left, 
and  reach,  if  possible,  the  South-side  and  Danville  railroads. 
As  this  would  be  the  line  of  Lee's  retreat,  should  he  evacu 
ate  Richmond  and  attempt  to  join  Johnston,  who  was  oper 
ating  against  Sherman's  army,  it  was  of  vital  importance 
that  it  should  be  destroyed.  The  movement  was  to  com 
mence  on  the  29th — two  Corps  being  directed  to  advance 
in  the  same  direction  to  support  him,  and,  if  possible,  turn 
the  rebel  position  at  Petersburg.  But  two  days  before  it 
was  to  take  place,  the  rebels  carried  by  sudden  assault  Fort 


586  FORT     STEADMAN. 

Steadman,  in  front  of  the  Ninth  Corps,  and  brought  on  an 
unexpected  battle. 

Whether  Lee  designed  this  as  a  movement  to  cover  his 
own  retreat,  or  hoped  to  break  through  our  lines,  and  sud 
denly  wheeling  to  the  left,  take  our  batteries  in  reserve, 
and  keeping  on,  cut  our  communications,  and  thus  raise  the 
siege  of  Richmond,  we  cannot  tell.  At  all  events,  it  was  a 
bold  movement,  and  was  made  so  suddenly  that  the  fort  was 
carried  with  a  single  bound,  and  its  guns  turned  on  us. 
Three  mortar  batteries  adjoining  it  were  also  taken.  But 
the  troops  on  either  flank  held  their  ground,  while  Hartranft's 
division  advanced  to  aid  Wilcox  in  driving  the  enemy  out 
of  the  captured  works. 

In  the  meantime  our  surrounding  artillery  was  brought 
to  bear  upon  Fort  Steadman,  the  fire  of  which  became  so 
hot  that  the  victors  had  to  abandon  their  prize ;  and  many 
of  them,  afraid  to  recross  the  intervening  space  to  their  own 
lines,  surrendered.  Our  loss  was  nine  hundred  and  nine 
teen,  while  we  took  nineteen  hundred  prisoners.  Meade  at 
once  ordered  the  other  Corps  to  advance  and  feel  the  ene 
my's  line  in.  their  front.  They  did  so,  and  captured  and 
held  the  rebel  picket  line  in  front  of  the  Second  and  Sixth 
Corps,  taking  eight  hundred  and  thirty-four  prisoners.  Thus 
the  transient  success  of  the  enemy  proved  a  sad  reverse 
to  him. 

Two  days  after  this,  as  we  have  seen,  Sherman  reached 
Grant,  to  hold  the  interview  mentioned  in  the  commence 
ment  of  the  chapter. 

The  events  above  narrated,  covered  the  whole  military 
field,  and  Sherman  when  put  in  possession  of  them,  compre 
hended  the  exact  state  of  things. 

It  was  plain  to  both  Commanders,  as  before  remarked, 
that  the  time  for  the  last,  great,  decided  movement  had 
come.  Even  Davis  could  see  that  the  crisis  of  the  Confed- 


THE    COMING    CRISIS.  587 

eracy  was  fast  approaching.  The  year  before,  the  pros 
pect  looked  gloomy  enough,  and  in  its  terror,  the  rebel 
Congress  had  prevailed  on  him  to  make  Lee  Commander-in- 
Chief  of  all  the  rebel  forces.  But  that  did  not  increase  the 
army,  and  to  do  this,  it  was  resolved  to  enroll  the  slaves. 
But  this  measure,  if  ever  practicable,  was  adopted  too  late. 
The  march  of  events  was  too  rapid.  Lee's  new  power 
gave  him  no  new  confidence.  The  heavens  were  gathering 
black  as  midnight  above  him,  and  the  thunder  was  mutter 
ing  angrily  around  the  entire  horizon.  Look  which  way  he 
would,  the  rebel  Chieftain  saw  the  lightning's  flash.  The 
hand-writing  was  being  traced  on  the  wall. 

After  full  deliberation  on  the  state  of  affairs,  and  the  prob 
able  movements  of  the  enemy,  it  was  agreed  that  Sherman 
should  return  to  his  army,  and  making  a  feint,  as  if  to  move 
up  the  Neuse  to  Raleigh,  march  rapidly  north  to  the  line 
of  the  Roanoke.  This  would  be  closing  the  last  door  on 
Lee,  and  Grant  knew  that  the  moment  Sherman  approached 
this  river,  the  former  would  evacuate  Richmond. 

It  seems  strange  that  Lee  remained  in  the  rebel  Capital 
so  long  as  he  did.  But  knowing  how  closely  he  was  watched 
by  Grant,  he  may  have  feared  to  leave  his  fortifications — 
for  desertions  having  become  so  fearfully  great,  the  moment 
he  retreated,  they  might  and  probably  would  be  so  increased 
as  to  leave  him  but  the  remnant  of  an  army,  and,  therefore, 
he  thought  it  the  wisest  course  to  wait  and  see  if  Johnston 
could  not  stop  Sherman's  northward  march.  Grant,  how 
ever,  felt  very  uneasy,  and  spent  many  an  anxious  night, 
fearing  that  the  morning  light  would  reveal  Petersburg 
and  Richmond  evacuated,  and  the  rebel  army  well  on  the 
road  to  Danville,  to  effect  a  junction  with  Johnston.  He 
knew  if  he  succeeded  in  doing  this,  new  combinations  would 
have  to  be  formed,  and  a  new  campaign  organized.  He, 
therefore,  determined  to  carry  out  his  original  plan,  adopted 


588  THE    FINAL    MOVEMENT. 

before  the  attack  on  Fort  Steadman,  and  before  the  arrival 
of  Sherman. 

He  did  not  expect  this  to  be  the  decided  movement  it 
turned  out  to  be.  But  he  said,  u  by  moving  out,  I  would 
put  the  army  in  better  condition  for  pursuit,  and  would,  at 
least,  by  the  destruction  of  the  Danville  road,  retard  the 
concentration  of  the  two  armies  of  Lee  and  Johnston,  and 
cause  the  enemy  to  abandon  much  material  that  he  might 
otherwise  save." 

He,  therefore,  on  the  night  of  the  27th — the  very  day 
Sherman  reached  him — dispatched  two  divisions  of  Ord's 
Corps,  under  General  Gibbon,  and  one  division  of  the 
Twenty-fifth  Corps,  commanded  by  Birney,  and  McKenzie's 
cavalry,  to  a  position  near  Hatcher's  Run,  the  scene  of  so 
many  bitter  conflicts. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen,  that  Grant  was  to  repeat  over  again 
the  unsuccessful  experiment  so  often  tried,  of  getting  around 
the  enemy's  right  flank. 

The  whole  scope,  and  plan  and  object  of  this  movement, 
is  given  so  much  more  clearly  by  Grant,  in  the  following 
letter  of  instructions  to  Sheridan,  than  any  language  of  ours 
can  do,  that  we  quote  it  :- 

"CiTY  POINT,  Va.,  March  28,  1865. 

GENERAL  : — The  Fifth  Army  Corps  will  move  by  the  Vaughn  road,  at  three, 
A.  M.,  to-morrow  morning^  The  Second  moves  at  about  nine,  A.  M.,  having 
but  about  three  miles  to  march  to  reach  the  point  designated  for  it  to  take  on 
the  right  of  the  Fifth  Corps,  after  the  latter  reaching  Dinwiddie  Court-House. 
Move  your  cavalry  at  as  early  an  hour  as  you  can,  and  without  being  eon- 
fined  to  any  particular  road  or  roads.  You  may  go  out  by  the  nearest  roads 
in  rear  of  the  Fifth  Corps,  pass  by  its  left,  and  passing  near  to,  or  through 
Dinwiddie,  reach  the  right  and  rear  of  the  enemy  as  soon  as  you  can.  It  is 
not  the  intention  to  attack  the  enemy  in  his  intrenched  position,  but  to  force 
him  out,  if  possible.  Should  he  come  out  and  attack  us,  or  get  himself 
where  he  can  be  attacked,  move  in  with  your  entire  force  in  your  own  way, 
and  with  the  full  reliance  that  the  army  will  engage  or  follow,  as  circumstan 
ces  will  dictate.  I  shall  be  on  the  field,  and  will  probably  be  able  to  com 
municate  with  you.  Should  I  not  do  so,  and  you  find  that  the  enemy  keeps 
within  his  main,  intrenched  line,  you  may  cut  loose  and  push  for  the  Dan- 


SHERIDAN'S  MOVEMENTS.  589 

villc  road.  If  you  find  it  practicable,  I  would  like  you  to  cross  the  South- 
side  road,  between  Petersburg  and  Burkesville,  and  destroy  it  to  some 
extent.  I  would  not  advise  much  detention,  however,  until  you  reach  the 
Danville  road,  which  I  would  like  you  to  strike  as  near  to  the  Appomattox 
as  possible.  Make  your  destruction,  on  that  road,  as  complete  as  possible. 
You  can  then  pass  on  to  the  South-side  road,  west  of  Burkesville,  and  destroy 
that  in  like  manner. 

After  having  accomplished  the  destruction  of  the  two  railroads,  which  are 
now  the  only  avenues  of  supply  to  Lee's  army,  you  may  return  to  this  army, 
selecting  your  road  further  south,  or  you  may  go  on  into  North  Carolina  and 
join  General  Sherman.  Should  you  select  the  latter  course,  get  the  informa 
tion  to  me  as  early  as  possible,  so  that  I  may  send  orders  to  meet  you  at 
Goldsboro'. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant-General* 

On  the  morning  of  the  29th,  the  movement  commenced, 
and  Sheridan,  sweeping  around  the  extreme  rebel  right, 
pushed  on  toward  Dinwiddie  Court-House,  which  he  reached 
that  night,  while  the  left  of  the  infantry  line  had  ex 
tended  nearly  to  the  junction  of  the  Quaker  and  Boydton 
plank  road. 

Sheridan,  as  we  have  seen,  was  on  our  extreme  left — next 
to  him  came  Warren,  then  Humphreys,  Ord,  Wright,  and 
Parke.  It  looked  now  as  if  Grant  would  succeed  in  get 
ting  well  on  the  rebel  flank,  and  he,  therefore,  sent  word  to 
Sheridan  not  to  cut  loose  to  operate  against  the  railroads, 
saying,  "I  now  feel  like  ending  the  matter,  if  it  is  possible 
to  do  so,  before  going  back.  We  will  all  act  together  as 
one  army  here,  until  it  is  seen  what  can  be  done  with  the 
enemy." 

The  next  day  the  rain  fell  in  torrents,  turning  the  roads 
into  such  beds  of  mud  that  neither  artillery,  nor  trains  could 
be  moved.  Sheridan,  however,  advanced  toward  the  Five 
Forks,  while  Warren  pushed  on  toward  the  White  Oak  road, 
where  he  found  the  enemy  in  force. 

Finding  the  enemy  confronting  his  line,  no  matter  how 
far  he  extended  it,  Grant  determined  to  give  Sheridan  a 
Corps  of  infantry,  and  let  him  cut  loose  from  the  army,  and 
swing  independently  around  the  rebel  flank,  arid  when  this 


590  SHERIDAN'S   GENERALSHIP. 

was  done,  advance  with  the  other  Corps  sternly  to  the 
assault  in  front. 

On  the  morning  of  the  31st,  Sheridan  moving  forward, 
got  possession  of  the  Five  Forks,  while  Warren  advanced  to 
seize  the  White  Oak  road.  The  enemy,  at  first,  retired 
before  the  latter,  but  suddenly  rallying,  fell  with  such  fury 
on  Ayers'  division,  which  had  the  advance,  that  it  was 
driven  back  in  confusion.  Following  up  his  success,  he  kept 
on,  and  striking  Crawford  next,  bore  him  back  also  on  the 
Third  division,  under  Bell,  where  the  onset  was  checked. 
A  division  of  the  Second  Corps  being  now  sent  to  Warren's 
support,  he  re-formed  his  broken  lines,  and  charging  in  turn, 
drove  the  enemy  back  with  heavy  loss,  and  gained  posses 
sion  of  the  White  Oak  road. 

The  transient  success,  however,  of  the  enemy  enabled  him 
to  send  a  heavy  force  against  Sheridan,  which  drove  him  out 
of  the  Five  Forks  back  to  Dinwiddie  Court-House. 

"  Here,"  says  Grant,  "  General  Sheridan  displayed  great 
generalship.  Instead  of  retreating  with  his  whole  command 
on  the  main  army,  to  tell  the  story  of  superior  forces  en 
countered,  he  deployed  his  cavalry  on  foot,  leaving  only 
mounted  men  enough  to  take  charge  of  the  horses.  This 
compelled  the  enemy  to  deploy  over  a  vast  extent  of  woods 
and  broken  country,  and  made  his  progress  slow.  At 
this  juncture,  he  dispatched  to  me  what  had  taken  place, 
and  that  he  was  dropping  back  slowly  on  Dinwiddie  Court- 
House.  General.  McKenzie's  cavalry  and  one  division  of  the 
Fifth  Corps,  were  immediately  ordered  to  his  assistance. 
Soon  after  receiving  a  report  from  General  Meade  that  Hum 
phreys  could  hold  our  position  on  the  Boydton  road,  and 
that  the  other  two  divisions  of  the  Fifth  Corps  could  go  to 
Sheridan,  they  were  so  ordered  at  once." 

At  midnight,  the  Fifth  Corps  joined  him,  and  feeling 
strong  enough  to  resume  the  offensive,  he,  in  the  morning, 


BATTLE    OF    FIVE    FORKS.  591 

again  advanced  to  the  Five  Forks — so  called  because  here 
five  roads  meet — three  of  them  leading  directly  back  to  the 
South-side  railroad. 

Driving  the  enemy  into  his  intrefiehments,  he  ordered  a 
general  attack,  which  he  thus  describes : — 

uThe  Fifth  Corps,  on  reaching  thelVhite  Oak  road,  made 
a  left  wheel,  and  burst  on  the  enemy's  left  flank  and  rear 
like  a  tornado,  and  pushed  rapidly  on  ;  orders  having  been 
given  that  if  the  enemy  was  routed,  there  should  be  no  halt 
to  re-form  broken  lines.  As  stated  before,  the  firing  of  the 
Fifth  Corps  was  the  signal  to  General  Merritt  to  assault, 
which  was  promptly  responded  to,  and  the  works  of  the 
enemy  were  soon  carried  at  several  points  by  our  brave 
cavalrymen.  The  enemy  were  driven  from  their  strong  line 
of  works,  and  completely  routed ;  the  Fifth  Corps  doubling 
up  their  left  flank  in  confusion,  and  the  cavalry  of  General 
Merritt  dashing  on  to  the  White  Oak  road,  capturing  their 
artillery  and  turning  it  upon  them,  and  riding  into  their 
broken  ranks,  so  demoralized  them,  that  they  made  no  seri 
ous  stand  after  their  line  was  carried,  but  took  to  flight  in 
disorder.  Between  five  and  six  thousand  prisoners  fell  into 
our  hands,  and  the  fugitives  were  driven  westward,  and  were 
pursued  until  long  after  dark  by  Merritt's  and  McKenzie's 
cavalry,  for  a  distance  of  six  miles." 

From  some  unexplained  cause,  right  in  the  moment  of 
victory,  while  Warren  was  in  the  front  with  his  shouting 
troops,  Sheridan  removed  him  from  the  command  of  the 
Corps,  and  put  Griffin  in  his  place. 

The  report  of  this  brilliant  victory  reached  Grant  just 
after  dark,  and  knowing  the  importance  of  the  position 
gained  by  Sheridan,  he  feared  that  the  enemy  would  con 
centrate  a  heavy  force  against  him  and  drive  him  out,  in 
order  to.  open  the  way  of  retreat,  and  he  at  once  ordered 
Miles'  division  of  Humphreys'  Corps  to  march  rapidly  to  re- 


592  A     GENERAL     ASSAULT. 

inforce  him,  and  at  the  same  time  directed  a  heavy  bombard 
ment  of  the  enemy's  lines  to  be  kept  up  all  night. 

At  four  o'clock  next  morning,  he  ordered  a  general  as 
sault,  and  the  mighty  army  swept  forward  like  the  in-rolling 
tide  of  the  sea.  Wright  forced  the  lines  in  his  front,  and 
passing  through  with  his  whole  Corps,  carried  every  thing 
before  him,  capturing  a  large  number  of  guns  and  several 
thousand  prisoners.  Keeping  on,  followed  by  two  divisions 
of  Ord,  he  at  length  met  the  remaining  divisions  of  the  lat 
ter  that  had  forced  the  rebel  lines  at  Hatcher's  Run,  when 
the  two  corps  swung  together  to  the  right,  closing  the  en 
emy  on  that  side  of  them  in  Petersburg.  Humphreys  then 
advanced  with  two  divisions  and  joined  Wright  on  the  left ; 
Parke  carried  the  enemy's  main  line  in  his  front,  but  could 
not  penetrate  the  second,  while  a  portion  of  Gibbon's 
Corps  by  a  gallant  charge,  captured  two  strong  works  south 
of  Petersburg.  These  successes  enabled  Grant  to  shorten  his 
lines  materially,  and  thus  strengthen  them.  The  battle  now 
raged  from  right  to  left,  and  the  Sabbath  of  the  2d  of  April 
was  evidently  to  see  the  beginning  of  the  end  of  the  war. 

The  rebels  fought  behind  their  intrenchments  with  despe 
rate  determination — especially  Hill's  Corps,  in  their  efforts  to 
retain  possession  of  Fort  Mahone,  mounting  fourteen  guns. 
Here  Hill  was  killed.  But  now  Sheridan  came  sweeping  in 
from  the  west  on  the  rebel  flank  apd  rear,  when  the  enemy 
gave  it  up  and  fled  in  confusion,  leaving  in  our  hands  his 
guns  and  a  great  number  of  prisoners.  That  night  both  Pe 
tersburg  and  Richmond  were  evacuated. 

During  the  battle  President  Lincoln  was  at  Grant's  head 
quarters  before  Petersburg,  anxiously  awaiting  the  issue  of 
the  great  contest.  A  few  miles  from  him,  in  Richmond,  Da 
vis  at  the  same  time  was  attending  church,  and  in  the  midst 
of  the  services,  an  orderly  splashed  with  mud,  strode  up  the 
aisle  and  handed  him  a  paper.  Glancing  at  its  contents,  he 


LEE'S  RETREAT.  593 

saw  that  all  was  over,  and  a  few  hours  after,  he  had  left  be 
hind  him  his  Capital  forever,  and  was  fleeing  toward  Danville. 

As  soon  as  it  was  known  that  Lee  had  retreated,  Sheridan 
wheeled  about  and  pushed  for  the  Danville  road,  followed 
by  Meade  with  the  Second  and  Sixth  Corps,  while  Ord,  keep 
ing  near  the  Appomattox,  moved  rapidly  toward  Burkes- 
ville,  along  the  South-side  railroad.  Lee,  north  of  the  Ap 
pomattox  was  moving  toward  the  same  point,  and  it  became 
a  race  of  life  and  death  to  him.  It  was  fifty-three  miles  from 
Petersburg  to  Burkesville,  where  the  South-side  and  Dan 
ville  railroads  intersect.  The  condition  of  the  roads,  and  of 
the  troops  after  two  days'  fighting,  made  this  one  of  the  most 
fatiguing  marches  of  the  war.  In  the  meantime,  on  Mon 
day  morning,  Weitzel,  with  that  portion  of  the  Army  of  the 
James  left  under  his  command  north  of  the  James  River, 
composed  in  part  of  colored  troops,  marched  into  Richmond 
with  bands  playing,  and  colors  flying.  The  rebels  had  fired 
the  city  and  plundered  many  of  the  stores  and  shops  while 
evacuating.  All  the  business  part  of  Main  Street  was  de 
stroyed,  together  with  all  the  bridges  over  the  river. 
Weitzel  took  a  thousand  prisoners,  and  found  some  five  hun 
dred  pieces  of  artillery  left  behind. 

The  two  armies  continued  to  stretch  forward  toward 
Burke's  Station,  but  Grant  this  time  had  the  inside  track, 
and  reached  it  first.  Sheridan,  pushing  forward  with  his  ac 
customed  energy,  struck  the  Danville  road  near  Jettersville, 
more  than  half  way  up  from  Burkesville  to  Amelia  Court- 
House,  where  Lee  was  with  his  shattered  army.  The  next 
night  Ord  reached  Burkesville  below  him.  A  glance  at  the 
map  will  show  how  desperate  Lee's  position  had  now  become. 

On  the  6th,  Sheridan  ascertained  that  Lee,  finding  that  he 
could  not  advance  by  the  railroad,  was  attempting  to  swing 
around  him  to  the  west,  and  instantly  moved  out  with  his 
cavalry  to  strike  him  in  flank,  followed  by  the  Sixth  Corps. 


594  A    HEAVY    CAPTURE. 

The  Second  and  Fifth  Corps  were  in  Lee's  rear,  pressing 
him  so  close  that  he  had  to  abandon  wagons  and  artillery. 

Ord  pushed  forward  north-west,  toward  Farmville,  where 
Lee  evidently  expected  to  strike  the  railroad  again.  Two 
regiments  of  infantry  in  the  lightest  marching  order,  and  a 
squadron  of  cavalry,  were  hurried  on  in  advance  to  destroy 
the  bridges  there,  and  detain  the  enemy.  These  were  placed 
under  General  Theodore  Read,  who,  meeting  near  the  place, 
the  head  of  Lee's  columns,  gallantly  attacked  it,  and  held  it 
in  check  until  he  was  killed  and  his  little  force  overpowered. 

But  in  the  meantime  Ord  with  the  rest  of  the  Corps  ar 
rived,  when  the  enemy  began  to  intrench  himself. 

On  the  same  afternoon  Sheridan  struck  the  enemy  farther 
back,  capturing  sixteen  pieces  of  artillery,  and  four  hundred 
wagons,  and  detained  him  until  the  Second  Corps  came  up, 
when  a  general  attack  was  ordered,  resulting  in  the  capture 
of  six  or  seven  thousand  prisoners,  and  among  them  Generals 
Ewell  and  Custis.  Lee  now  moving  off  to  the  west,  the  pur 
suit  was  kept  up  till  it  became  evident  to  all  that  his  escape 
was  hopeless.  Grant  having  arrived  at  Farmville  addressed 
a  note  to  him  which  we  give  below,  with  the  correspondence 
that  followed. 

"April  7,  1865. 

GENERAL  : — The  result  of  the  last  week  must  convince  you  of  the  hopeless 
ness  of  further  resistance  on  the  part  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  in 
this  struggle.  I  feel  that  it  is  so,  and  regard  it  as  my  duty  to  shift  from  my 
self  the  responsibility  of  any  further  effusion  of  blood  by  asking  of  you  the 
surrender  of  that  portion  of  the  Confederate  States  Army  known  as  the  Army 
of  Northern  Virginia. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant-General. 

General  R.  E.  LEE. 

"  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  8th,  before  leaving,  I  re 
ceived  at  Farmville,  the  following : 

GENERAL  : — I  have  received  your  note  of  this  date.  Though  not  enter 
taining  the  opinion  you  express  on  the  hopelessness  of  further  resistance  on 
the  part  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  I  reciprocate  your  desire  to 


LEE     HARD     PRESSED.  595 

avoid  useless  effusion  of  blood,  and  therefore,  before  considering  your  prop 
osition,  ask  the  terms  you  will  offer  on  condition  of  its  surrender. 

R.  E.  LEE,  General. 
Lieutenant-General  U.  S.  GRANT. 

u  To  this  I  immediately  replied : — 

April  8,  1865. 

GENERAL  : — Your  note  of  last  evening,  in  reply  to  mine  of  same  date,  asking 
the  condition  on  which  I  will  accept  the  surrender  of  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia,  is  just  received.  In  reply,  I  would  say  that  peace  being  my  great 
desire,  there  is  but  one  condition  I  would  insist  upon,  namely ;  that  the  men 
and  officers  surrendered  should  be  disqualified  for  taking  up  arms  again 
against  the  Government  of  the  United  States  until  properly  exchanged.  I 
will  meet  you  or  will  designate  officers  to  meet  any  officers  you  may  name 
for  the  same  purpose,  at  any  point  agreeable  to  you  for  the  purpose  of  ar 
ranging  definitely  the  terms  upon  which  the  surrender  of  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia  will  be  received. 

U.   S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant-General. 
General  R.  E.  LEE. 

"Early  on  the  morning  of  the  8th,  the  pursuit  was  resumed. 
General  Meade  followed  north  of  the  Appomattox,  and  Gen 
eral  Sheridan,  with  all  the  cavalry,  pushed  straight  for  Ap 
pomattox  Station,  followed  by  General  Ord's  command  and 
the  Fifth  Corps.  During  the  day  General  Meade's  advance 
had  considerable  fighting  with  the  enemy's  rear-guard,  but 
was  unable  to  bring  on  a  general  engagement.  Late  in  the 
evening,  General  Sheridan  struck  the  railroad  at  Appomattox 
Station,  drove  the  enemy  from  there,  and  captured  twenty- 
five  pieces  of  artillery,  a  hospital  train,  and  four  trains  of 
cars  loaded  with  supplies  for  Lee's  army.  During  this  day, 
I  accompanied  General  Meade's  column,  and  about  midnight 
received  the  following  communication  from  General  Lee- — 

April  8,  1865. 

GENERAL  : — I  received  Tat  a  late  hour  your  note  of  to-day.  In  mine  of 
yesterday  I  did  not  intend  to  propose  the  surrender  of  the  Army  of  North 
ern  Virginia,  but  to  ask  the  terms  of  your  proposition.  To  be  frank,  I  do 
not  think  the  emergency  has  arisen  to  call  for  the  surrender  of  this  army, 
but  as  the  restoration  of  peace  should  be  the  sole  object  of  all,  I  desired  to 
know  whether  your  proposals  would  lead  to  that  end.  I  cannot,  therefore, 
meet  you  with  a  view  to  surrender  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  but  as 


596  CORRESPONDENCE. 

far  as  your  proposal  may  affect  the  Confederate  States  forces*  under  my 
command,  and  tend  to  the  restoration  of  peace  I  should  be  pleased  to  meet 
you  at  ten  A.  M.  to-morrow,  on  the  old  stage  road  to  Richmond,  between  the 
picket  lines  of  the  two  armies. 

R.  E.  LEE,  General. 
Lieutenant-General  U.  S.  GRANT. 

"  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  9th  I  returned  him  an  an 
swer  as  follows,  and  immediately  started  to  join  the  column 
south  of  the  Appomattox:  — 

April  9,  1865. 

GENERAL  : — Your  note  of  yesterday  is  received.  I  have  no  authority  to 
treat  on  the  subject  of  peace;  the  meeting  proposed  for  ten,  A.  M.,  to-day, 
could  lead  to  no  good.  I  will  state,  however,  General,  that  I  am  equally 
anxious  for  peace  with  yourself,  and  the  whole*  North  entertains  the  same 
feeling.  The  terms  upon  which  peace  can  be  had  are  well  understood.  By 
the  South  laying  down  their  arms,  they  will  hasten  that  most  desirable  event, 
save  thousands  of  human  lives,  and  hundreds  of  millions  of  property  not  yet 
destroyed.  Seriously  hoping  that  all  our  difficulties  may  be  settled  without 
the  loss  of  another  life,  I  subscribe  myself,  &c. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant-General. 
General  R.  E.  LEE. 

"On  the  morning  of  the  9th,  General  Ord's  command  and 
the  Fifth  Corps  reached  Appomattox  Station  just  as  the 
enemy  was  making  a  desperate  effort  to  break  through  our 
cavalry.r  The  infantry  was  at  once  thrown  in.  Soon  after 
a  white  flag  was  received,  requesting  a  suspension  of  hostil 
ities  pending  negotiations  for  a  surrender. 

"  Before  reaching  General  Sheridan's  head-quarters,  I  re 
ceived  the  following  from  General  Lee: — 

April  9,  1865. 

GENERAL  : — I  received  your  note  of  this  morning,  on  the  picket  line, 
whither  I  had  come  to  meet  you,  and  ascertain  definitely  what  terms  were 
embraced  in  your  proposal  of  yesterday,  with  reference  to  the  surrender  of 
this  army.  I  now  ask  an  interview  in  accordance  with  the  offer  contained  in 
your  letter  of  yesterday  for  that  purpose. 

R.  E.  LEE,  General. 

Lieutenant-General  U.  S.  GRANT. 

"The  interview  was  held  at  Appomattox  Court-House, 


SURRENDER     OF     LEE.  597 

the  result  of  which  is  set  forth  in  the  following  correspon 
dence  : — 

APPOMATTOX  CotiRT-IIousE,  Va.,  April  9,  1865. 

GENERAL  : — In  accordance  with  the  substance  of  my  letter  to  you,  of  the 
8th  instant,  I  propose  to  receive  the  surrender  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Vir 
ginia  on  the  following  terms,  to  wit :  Rolls  of  all  the  officers  and  men  to  be 
made  in  duplicate,  one  copy  to  be  given  to  an  officer  to  be  designated  by 
me,  the  other  to  be  retained  by  such  officer  or  officers  as  you  may  designate. 
The  officers  to  give  their  individual  paroles  not  to  take  up  arms  against  the 
Government  of  the  United  States  until  properly  exchanged ;  and  each  com 
pany  or  regimental  Commander  sign  a  like  parole  for  the  men  of  their  com 
mands.  The  arms,  artillery,  and  public  property  to  be  parked  and  stacked, 
and  turned  over  to  the  officers  appointed  by  me  to  receive  them.  This  will 
not  embrace  the  side-arms  of  the  officers,  nor  their  private  horses  or  bag 
gage.  This  done,  each  officer  and  man  will  be  allowed  to  return  to  his  home, 
not  to  be  disturbed  by  United  States  authority  so  long  as  they  observe  their 
paroles,  and  the  laws  in  force  where  they  may  reside. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant-General. 
General  R.  E.  LEE. 

HEAD-QUARTERS  ARMY  OF  NORTHERN  VIRGINIA,  ) 

April  9,  1865.          J 

GENERAL  : — I  received  your  letter  of  this  date,  containing  the  terms  of 
the  surrender  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  as  proposed  by  you.  As 
they  are  substantially  the  same  as  those  expressed  in  your  letter  of  the  8th 
instant,  they  are  accepted.  I  will  proceed  to  designate  the  proper  officers  to 
carry  the  stipulations  into  effect. 

R.  E.  LEE,  General. 

Lieutenant-General  U.  S.  GRANT." 

On  the  reception  of  the  last  letter,  Grant  hastened  to  the 
front,  where  Lee  was  awaiting  him.  They  met  in  the  par 
lor  of  a  neighboring  farm-house  and  saluted  each  other  with 
dignified  courtesy.  In  former  years  they  had  fought  side 
by  side,  under  the  same  flag,  but  for  the  last  year,  backed 
by  two  as  fine  armies  as  ever  trod  a  battle-field,  they  had 
confronted  each  other  as  enemies.  Well  matched,  neither 
had  been  able  to  obtain  any  decided  success  over  the  other. 
As  they  now  stood  face  to  face,  what  memories  must  have 
crowded  on  them,  and  what  a  different  future  spread  out 
before  them ! 

Lee  acknowledged  that  the  terms  dictated  by  Grant  were 


598  JOY     OF     THE     NORTH. 

more  lenient  than  he  had  a  right  to  expect.  In  killed, 
wounded,  and  prisoners,  the  rebel  army  had  been  reduced, 
in  the  last  few  days,  full  thirty  thousand  men,  besides  the 
vast  number  that  had  straggled  off  to  their  homes,  so  that 
less  than  twenty  thousand  were  left  to  surrender. 

When  the  news  of  the  capitulation  reached  the  army,  loud 
cheers  arose  on  every  side,  which  lasted  for  hours.  There 
was  some  disappointment,  however,  among  the  soldiers  that, 
after  their  toils  and  hardships,  they  were  not  allowed  to 
pass  through  the  enemy's  lines  and  witness  their  surrender. 
But  Grant,  magnanimous  as  he  is  great,  wishing  to  abate  as 
much  as  possible  all  ill-feeling  between  men,  hereafter  to  be 
citizens  of  the  same  Government,  allowed  the  rebel  troops 
to  return  to  their  homes  without  further  humiliation,  on  giv 
ing  their  parole  not  to  take  up  arms  against  the  Government, 
until  properly  .exchanged. 

By  a  singular  coincidence,  as  the  grand  assault  on  the 
enemy's  works  at  Petersburg  took  place  on  Sunday,  so  now 
on  Sunday,  and  Palm  Sunday  too,  the  capitulation  was 
signed. 

The  surrender  of  Lee's  army  was  followed  by  that  of  most 
of  the  troops  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  Mosby  surren 
dered  his  command  on  the  17th.  Hancock,  who  had  suc 
ceeded  Sheridan,  when  the  latter  started  on  his  last  great 
raid  for  Lynchburg,  commanded  here  at  this  time. 

With  Lee's  immediate  army,  were  captured  one  hundred 
and  seventy  pieces  of  artillery,  which  number  was  of  course 
swelled  by  the  surrender  of  the  other  forces  in  Northern 
Virginia. 

The  joy  of  the  North  was  unbounded  over  this  great 
victory.  Bonfires,  illuminations,  and  the  firing  of  cannon, 
attested  the  universal  delight,  while  Grant  became  the  idol 
of  the  Nation. 


CHAPTER    XLII. 

APRIL-MAY,  1865. 

SHERMAN  REJOINS  HIS  ARMY RECEIVES  THE  NEWS    OF    THE    FALL    OF   PETERS 
BURG    AND    RICHMOND — HE    MOVES    ON    RALEIGH THE    ARMY  RECEIVES  THE 

NEWS  OF  LEE'S  SURRENDER — INTERVIEW  WITH  JOHNSTON — THE  ARMISTICE — 
INJUSTICE  OF  THE  SECRETARY  OF  WAR  AND  HALLECK STONEMAN?S  RAID 

ASSASSINATION    OF    THE    PRESIDENT HIS    LAST    ORDER HIS    CHARACTER 

FUNERAL    OBSEQUIES — THE    CONSPIRACY ARREST,    TRIAL,    AND     EXECUTION 

OF  THE  PRISONERS — REWARDS  OFFERED  FOR  THE  CAPTURE  OF  DAVIS  AND 
OTHERS THE  MOVEMENT  AGAINST  MOBILE ITS  CAPTURE WILSON'S  CAV 
ALRY  EXPEDITION RAISING  THE  FLAG  AT  FORT  SUMTER GRAND  REVIEW  OF 

THE    ARMIES    OF   GRANT  AND  SHERMAN  AT  WASHINGTON CLOSING  SCENES 

NATIONAL    DEBT. 

SHERMAN,  when  he  hastened  back  to  Goldsboro',  from 
his  interview  with  Grant,  at  once  made  preparations 
to  move.  He  had  said  that  he  could  not  get  ready  before 
the  10th  of  April.  This,  it  will  be  noticed,  was  one  day 
after  Lee  surrendered. 

Wholly  ignorant  of  this  great  event,  he,  on  the  10th,  was 
about  putting  his  columns  in  motion  for  the  Roanoke,  when/ 
he  received  the  news  of  the  fall  of  Petersburg  and'  Rich 
mond.  This,  of  course,  caused  a  change  in  his  pl;ansj  for 
with  the  tidings  came  a  dispatch  from  Grant,  dated  April 
5th,  in  which  he  stated  the  hopeless  condition  of 'Lee's  army, 
and  added,  u  if  you  can  possibly  do  so,  push  on  from  where 
you  are,  and  let  us  see  if  we  cannot  finish  the  job  with  Lee's 
and  Johnston's  armies."  Sherman  at  once*  wheeled  his  col 
umns  toward  Raleigh,  forcing  the  enemy  back  and  destroy 
ing  the  bridges  on  the  way. 

On  the  3rd  day  of  the  marchr  the  news  of  the  surrender 

68 


600  SHERMAN    AND    JOHNSTON.  * 

of  Lee's  entire  force  reached  the  army.  It  spread  like  wild 
fire,  from  regiment  to  regiment,  and  division  to  division,  till 
one  long,  loud  hurrah  from  the  mighty  host  rent  the  heav 
ens.  -When  tired  with  cheering,  the  soldiers  began  to  yell, 
till  it  seemed  as  if  pandemonium  had  broke  loose.  Sherman 
seemed  as  much  excited  as  the  rest,  and  exclaimed  in  exult 
ing  accents,  "  Glory  to  God  and  our  glorious  Country." 
That  night  the  elated  army  encamped  within  fourteen  miles 
of  Raleigh.  The  next  day,  Sherman  entered  the  place, 
assuring  the  citizens  that  their  property  should  be  pro 
tected. 

The  following  day,  the  15th,  Johnston,  who  was  also 
informed  of  the  overthrow  of  Lee,  sent  a  letter  to  him,  ask 
ing  if  some  arrangement  could  not  be  made  to  save  further 
effusion  of  blood.  Sherman  replied  that  he  was  ready  to 
listen  to  any  terms  that  he  wished  to  propose.  Johnston  then 
requested  a  personal  interview,  and  the  next  day,  at  noon, 
the  two  met  upon  the  road,  and  shaking  hands  with  appa 
rent  cordiality,  adjourned  to  a  neighboring  farm-house  for 
consultation.  Johnston  asked  for  four  days'  armistice,  which 
Sherman  refused  to  grant,  and  a  meeting  for  arranging  the 
terms  of  surrender  was  agreed  upon  for  the  next  day. 

They  met  at  the  same  hour,  attended  by  their  splendidly 
mounted  Staffs,  and  courteously  lifting  their  hats  to  each 
other,  shook  hands,  and  then  dismounted  and  walked  to 
gether  to  the  farm-house.  Breckenridge,  the  rebel  Secre 
tary  of  War,  was  present  at  this  interview,  and  though  the 
terms  of  surrender  that  were  granted  to  Lee,  Johnston 
regarded  as  satisfactory,  he  thought  that  it  would  be  for 
the  interest  of  all  if  some  basis  of  peace  was  adopted.  A 
•memorandum,  looking  to  this,  was  signed  by  both  parties, 
and  a  suspension  of  hostilities  was  agreed  upon,  until  it 
could  be  submitted  to  the  Government  for  its  ratification  or 
rejection. 


THE     ARMISTICE.  601 

Both  armies  were  to  remain  in  statu  quo  until  a  reply 
could  be  received. 

The  following  is  the  memorandum : — 

"  FIRST,  The  contending  armies  now  in  the  field  to  maintain  their  statu 
quo,  until  notice  is  given  by  the  commanding  General  of  either  one  to  its 
opponent,  and  reasonable  time — say  forty-eight  hours — allowed, 

SECOND.  The  Confederate  armies,  now  in  existence,  to  be  disbanded  and 
conducted  to  their  several  State  Capitals,  there  to  deposit  their  arms  and 
public  property  in  the  State  arsenals,  and  each  officer  and  man  to  execute 
and  file  an  agreement  to  cease  from  acts  of  war,  and  abide  action  of  both 
State  and  Federal  authority.  The  number  of  arms  and  munitions  of  war 
to  be  reported  to  the  Chief  of  Ordnance  at  Washington  City,  subject  to 
future  action  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States ;  in  the  meantime,  to  be 
used  solely  to  maintain  peace  and  order  within  the4)orders  of  the  States  re 
spectively. 

THIRD.  The  recognition  by  the  Executive  of  the  United  States  of  several 
State  Governments,  in  their  Officers  and  Legislatures,  taking  oath  prescribed 
by  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  ,and  where  conflicting  State  Gov 
ernments  have  resulted  from  the  war,  the  legitimacy  of  all  shall  be  submitted 
to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States. 

FOURTH.  The  re-establishment  of  all  Federal  Courts  in  the  several  States, 
with  powers  as  defined  by  the  Constitution  and  laws  of  Congress. 

FIFTH.  The  people  and  inhabitants  of  all  States  to  be  guaranteed,  so  far  as 
the  Executive  can,  their  political  rights  and  franchise,  as  well  as  their  rights 
of  person  and  property,  as  defined  by  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States 
and  of  States  respectively. 

SIXTH.  The  Executive  authority  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States 
not  to  disturb  any  of  the  people  by  reason  of  the  late  war,  so  long  as  they 
live  in  peace  and  quiet,  and  abstain  from  acts  of  armed  hostility,  and  obey 
laws  in  existence  at  any  place  of  their  residence. 

In  general  terms,  war  to  cease ;  a  general  amnesty,  so  far  as  the  Executive 
power  of  the  United  States  can  command,  or  on  condition  of  disbandment 
of  the  Confederate  armies,  and  the  distribution  of  arms,  and  resumption  of 
peaceful  pursuits  by  officers  and  men  as  hitherto  composing  the  said  armies ; 
not  being  fully  empowered  by  our  respective  principals  to  fullfil  these  terms, 
we  individually  and  officially  pledge  ourselves  to  promptly  obtain  necessary 
authority,  and  to  carry  out  the  above  programme. 

W.  T.  SHERMAN, 
Major-General  Commanding  the  Army  of  the  United  States  in  N.  C. 

J.  E.  JOHNSTON, 

General  Commanding  Confederate  States  Army  in  North  Carolina." 

This  memorandum  was  rejected  by  the  President  and  Cab 
inet,  and  Sherman  was  directed  to  resume  hostilities  at  once, 


602  STANTON     VERSUS    SHERMAN. 

unless  Johnston  should  accept  the  term's  which  had  been 
granted  to  Lee.  Grant,  in  the  meantime,  was  sent  down  to 
take  charge  of  affairs. 

Thus  far  every  thing  was  quite  natural  and  proper.  An 
armistice  granted  for  a  few  hours,  by  a  General  in  the  field, 
until  proposed  terms  of  surrender  by  an  enemy  could  be 
submitted  to  the  Supreme  Authority,  was  nothing  strange ; 
and  in  this  case,  when  all  the  advantages  of  delay  were  with 
us,  perfectly  right  and  reasonable. 

The  refusal  of  the  Government  to  accede  to  the  proffered 
basis  of  agreement,  on  the  other  hand,  was  not  only  justifia 
ble,  but  clearly  its  duty,  if  it  thought  such  an  agreement 
prejudicial  to  the  interests  of  the  country. 

There  the  matter  should  have  ended.  It  was  a  very  sim 
ple,  ordinary  affair  altogether,  and  would  scarcely  have  ex 
cited  a  remark,  but  for  the  absurd  fuss  made  over  it  by  the 
Secretary  of  War.  He  should  have  been  content  with 
sending  a  messenger  down  to  Sherman  with  the  decision  of 
the  Government.  But  instead  of  pursuing  this  simple,  digni 
fied  course,  he  came  out  in  the  public  newspapers  with  nine 
different  reasons  why  the  terms  were  inadmissible.  The  first 
reason  was,  that  Sherman,  as  well  as  Johnston,  knew  that  he 
had  no  right  to  make  them.  This  was  simply  false.  Every 
Commander  in  the  field  has  a  right  to  submit  proffered  terms 
of  peace  to  his  Government,  unless  he  has  special  instruc 
tions  to  the  contrary. 

After  this  extraordinary  explosion  of  patriotism  it  seemed 
to  have  dawned  on  the  Secretary's  mind,  that  his  first  grand 
reason  would  not  be  accepted  by  any  sensible  man,  and  so 
he  gave  to  the  public  a  telegram,  which  Mr.  Lincoln  had 
formerly  sent  to  Grant,  for  his  guidance,  in  any  negotiations 
that  he  might  make  with  Lee — implying  that  Sherman  had 
seen  this  telegram,  and  had  deliberately  acted  in  direct  vio 
lation  of  it. 


HALLECK'S  INTERFERENCE.  .     603 

Sherman,  in  reply  to  this  implication,  says:— " Now  I  was 
not  in  possession  of  it,  and  I  have  reason  to  know  that  Mr. 
Stanton  knew  I  was  not  in  possession  of  it"  This  is 
a  guarded  way  of  making  one  of  the  severest  accusations 
that  can  be  brought  against  a  man. 

Halleck  caught  the  spirit  of  the  Secretary,  and,  as  Chief 
of  Staff,  immediately  sent  dispatches  to  different  Command 
ers  in  Sherman's  department,  with  directions  to  pay  no  at 
tention  to  him,  but  to  resume  hostilities  at  once.  When  he 
did  this  he  knew  perfectly  well  that  the  government  dis 
patches,  ordering  Sherman  to  resume  hostilities,  would 
reach  the  latter  before  his  own  would  those  Commanders, 
and  hence  were  unnecessary,  except  on  the  supposition  that 
Sherman  would  turn  traitor,  and  refuse  to  obey  his  Govern 
ment  Indeed,  the  conduct  of  both  him  and  Stanton  can  be 
accounted  for  only  on  the  ground,  that  for  some  reason  or 
other  they  wished  to  take  advantage  of  the  mere  circum 
stances  of  this  armistice  of  a  few  hours,  to  injure  the  charac 
ter  of  Sherman. 

In  speaking  of  Halleck's  impertinent  interference  with  his 
command,  he  says:  "  This  is  too  much;  and  I  turn  from  the 
subject  with  feelings  too  strong  for  words."  The  pretext  of 
the  Secretary  of  War,  that  the  armistice  would  allow  Davis 
to  get  off  with  his  fabulous  amount  of  treasure,  did  well 
enough  while  the  country  was  lashed  into  the  intensest  ex 
citement  by  the  murder  of  the  President ;  but  viewed  from 
this  more  quiet  point  of  view,  it  only  awakens  a  smile  of 
ridicule.  Sherman  says,  "if  the  Secretary  of  War  wanted 
Davis  caught,  why  not  order  it,  instead  of,  by  publishing 
in  the  newspapers,  putting  him  on  his  guard  to  hide 
away  and  escape?  No  orders  or  instructions  to  catch  Davis 
or  his  stolen  treasure  ever  came  to  me ;  but,  on  the  contrary, 
I  was  led  to  believe  that  the  Secretary  of  War  rather  pre- 


604       JOHNSTON'S  SURRENDER. 

ferred  he  should  effect  an  escape  from  the  country,  if  made 
1  unknown '  to  him." 

There  never  was  an  instance,  when,  without  any  provoca 
tion,  a  man  who  for  long  years  had  been  periling  his  life  on 
the  battle  field  for  his  country,  lifting  it  by  his  genius  to  the 
highest  pinnacle  of  military  glory,  and  bearing  it  on  to  a 
glorious  peace,  was  so  bitterly  assailed  by  those  who  should 
have  been  the  first  to  protect  him.  The  whole  account  of 
this  disgraceful  transaction  is  given  in  Sherman's  Report,  and 
in  all  future  time  it  will  furnish  a  chapter  in  our  history,  that 
some  of  the  characters  who  figure  in  it  will  wish  could 
be  expunged. 

Johnston,  when  informed  of  the  decision  of  our  Govern 
ment,  surrendered  his  immediate  command  on  the  same 
terms  as  those  granted  to  Lee,  together  with  all  the  rebel 
forces  between  him  and  the  Chattahoochee. 

A  great  many  soldiers  had  gone  off  during  the  armistice, 
so  that  when  on  the  26th  of  the  month,  the  surrender  took 
place,  only  about  twenty-seven  thousand  men  laid  down  their 
arms.  One  hundred  and  eight  pieces  of  artillery  were  given 
up.  Johnston's  army  at  the  time  of  the  surrender,  though 
nearly  fifty  miles  from  Sherman,  was  in  a  most  perilous  posi 
tion.  Stoneman,  who,  as  we  have  noticed  had  been  sent 
east  from  Knoxville  on  the  20th  of  March,  marched  rapidly 
by  way  of  Boone,  North  Carolina,  and  struck  the  railroad  at 
Wytheville,  Chambersburg  and  Big  Lick.  The  portion  of 
the  column  striking  it  at  the  latter  place,  pushed  on  to  within 
a  few  miles  of  Lynchburg,  destroying  the  bridges  on  the 
way,  while  the  main  force,  after  breaking  up  the  road  be 
tween  New  River,  and  Big  Lick,  turned  off  to  Greensboro, 
on  the  North  Carolina  railroad,  burning  the  bridges  between 
that  place  and  Danville,  and  between  it  and  the  Yadkin 
River,  together  with  depots  of  supplies,  and  capturing  four 
hundred  prisoners.  Crossing  the  river,  Stoneman  advanced 


ASSASSINATION     OF    THE    PRESIDENT.  605 

on  Salisbury,  near  which  he  attacked  and  defeated  General 
Gardiner,  capturing  fourteen  pieces  of  artillery,  and  one 
thousand,  three  hundred  and  sixty  four  prisoners.  He  was 
now  but  a  little  over  a  hundred  miles  west  of  Raleigh,  and 
on  the  line  by  which  Johnston  received  his  supplies,  and  by 
which  he  must  retreat.--  Burning  rebel  army  stores  here,  he 
destroyed  fifteen  miles  of  railroad  toward  Charlotte,  and 
then  retired  on  Statesville.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  how  com 
prehensive  and  complete  Grant's  plan  was,  to  make  this  cam 
paign  a  conclusive  one. 

But  while  these  great  victories  were  being  achieved,  and 
the  mighty  Confederacy  that  had  attracted  the  gaze  of  the 
world  was  dissolving  like  a  tower  of  mist,  and  the  Nation, 
elate  with  hope  was  just  lifting  its  head  from  out  the  bloody 
waves  of  revolution,  an  event  occurred  that  thrilled  the 
land  with  an  excitement  which,  for  a  time  made  all  other 
things  sink  into  insignificance.  "The  President  of  the  Uni 
ted  States  has  been  assassinated  in  the  Capital,"  flew  on 
wings  of  lightning  over  the  North,  making  every  face  turn 
pale  with  horror.  The  man  whose  inauguration  had  been 
the  signal  for  revolt,  and  who  for  four  years  had  watched 
and  waited,  and  labored,  and  prayed  for  a  restored  Union, 
was  ruthlessly  shot  down  by  an  assassin,  just  as  the  mountain 
was  being  lifted  from  his  heart  and  the  smile  of  joy  was 
chasing  away  the  look  of  care  that  had  so  long  darkened  "his 
countenance.  Anxious  to  take  the  first  step  toward  peace, 
he  on  the  13th  of  April,  caused  the  Secretary  of  War  to  issue 
the  following  bulletin : — 

"WAR  DEPARTMENT,  WASHINGTON,  April  13,  1865 — 6  p.  M. 

This  Department,  after  mature  consideration,  and  consultation  with  the 
Lieutenant-General  upon  the  results  of  the  recent  campaigns,  has  come  to 
the  following  determinations,  which  will  be  carried  into  effect  by  appropriate 
orders,  to  be  immediately  issued : 

FIRST.  To  stop  all  drafting  and  recruiting  in  the  loyal  States. 

SECOND.  To  curtail  purchases  for  arms,  ammunition,  quartermaster  and 


606  DEATH    OF    THE    ASSASSIN. 

commissary  supplies,  and  reduce  the  expenses  of  the  military  establishment 
in  its  several  branches. 

THIRD.  To  reduce  the  number  of  general  and  staff  officers  to  the  actual 
necessities  of  the  service. 

FOURTH.  To  remove  all  military  restrictions. upon  trade  and  commerce,  so 
far  as  may  be  consistent  with  public  safety. 

As  soon  as  these  measures  can  be  put  in  operation,  it  will  be  made  known 
by  public  orders. 

EDWIN  M.  STANTON,  Secretary  of  War." 

The  next  night,  while  the  President  was  at  Ford's  theatre 
with  his  wife,  seeking  a  little  relaxation,  a  play  actor  by  the 
name  of  John  Wilkes  Booth  shot  him  in  the  back  of  the 
head,  then  leaping  on  the  stage  and  brandishing  a  dagger,  he 
shouted  "  Sic  semper  tyrannis"  and  fled  through  a  side  door 
into  the  street.  His  plans  were  well  laid,  as  far  as  human 
foresight  could  do  it,  to  escape;  but  the  mute  flag  of  .his 
country,  hanging  over  the  President's  box,  caught  his  spur 
as  he  leaped,  flinging  him  heavily  on  the  stage,  and  crippling 
him  so  that  his  flight  was  retarded,  and  he  was  eventually 
overtaken  and  shot  while  refusing  to  surrender. 

In  consequence  of  the  intense  excitement  the  country  was 
in,  just  previous  to  the  murder — the  victim  being  the  Presi 
dent  of  the  United  States,  and  a  man  possessing  one  of  the 
kindliest  and  most  forgiving  hearts  that  ever  beat  in  a  human 
bosom — this  assassination  produced  the  profoundest  sensation 
that  ever  shook  a  nation  to  its  center. 

It  was  altogether  an  extraordinary  murder.  There  were 
men  South  who  had  not  only  been  ruined  in  property  by 
the  war,  but  whose  sons  had  been  slain  in  battle  or  died  in 
prison,  and  whose  wives  and  'daughters  had  been  outraged 
by  Federal  soldiers,  till  they  had  gone  mad  with  despair 
and  the  desire  of  revenge,  of  whom  such  an  act  might  be 
expected.  But  the  assassin  had  not  been  injured  in  a  single 
interest,  and  could  give  no  shadow  of  excuse  for  the  hell 
ish  deed. 

Mr.  Lincoln  committed  some  grave  errors  of  policy,  for 


LINCOLN'S   CHARACTER.  607 

he  was  not  infallible — he  had  faults,  for  he  was  not  perfect, 
but  as  a  man  who,  to  use  his  own  words,  "felt  malice  toward 
none,  and  had  charity  for  all,"  whose  highest  ambition  was 
to  do  right,  whose  strongest  desire  was  the  peace  and  pros 
perity  of  his  country,  and  u  all  whose  faults  leaned  to  vir 
tue's  side,"  he  stands  without  a  peer  since  Washington.  His 
simple,  honest,  kindly  nature,  notwithstanding  the  bitter 
animosities  that  prevailed,  had  taken  a  deep  hold  of  the  Na 
tional  heart,  and  from  enemies  as  well  as  friends,  there'arose 
a  cry  of  horror  and  of  grief  at  the  "  deep  damnation  of  his 
taking  off." 

With  but  slender  education,  and  no  remarkable  intellect 
ual  endowments,  he  had  shown  how  wisely,  in  the  stormiest 
times,  and  amid  the  greatest  embarrassments  and  difficulties, 
an  honest  heart  may  cause  a  ruler  to  act.  Indeed,  a  careful 
analysis  of  his  life  will  show  that  nearly  all  his  mistakes  arose 
from  not  following  his  own  judgment,  but  from  yielding  to 
the  crooked,  selfish  policy  of  others. 

The  funeral  obsequies  were  celebrated  in  the  Executive 
Mansion  on  the  19th  of  April,  when  the  body  was  taken  to 
the  Capitol,  where  it  lay  in  state  until  the  21st,  and  then 
was  borne  back  to  its  former  home,  in  Springfield,  Illinois. 
The  tolling  of  bells,  and  the  draping  of  the  land  in  mourn 
ing,  all  along  the  line  of  the  road  over  which  the  body 
was  transported,  and  the  crowds  that  thronged  around 
the  funeral  car,  attested  how  deep  and  universal  was  the 
grief. 

On  the  same  night  of  his  murder,  Mr.  Seward,  Secretary 
of  State,  was  attacked  in  his  sick  bed,  by  an  accomplice  of 
Booth,  and  dangerously  wounded,  before  the  assassin  could 
be  driven  off. 

On  May  10th,  David  E.  Harrold,  George  A.  Atzeroth, 
Lewis  Payne,  Michael  O'Laughlin,  Edward  Spangler,  Sam 
uel  Arnold,  Mary  E.  Surratt,  and  Samuel  A.  Mudd,  who  had 


608  TRIAL     OF     THE    ASSASSINS. 

been  arrested  on  suspicion,  as  accomplices  of  Booth,  were 
arraigned  before  a  military  tribunal,  as  principals  or  acces 
sories  to  the  murder.  After  a  trial  of  nearly  two  months, 
in  the  progress  of  which,  the  existence  of  a  plot  to  murder 
not  only  Mr.  Lincoln  and  Mr.  Seward,  but  Vice  President 
Johnson,  General  Grant,  and  others,  was  developed,  Har- 
rold,  Payne,  Mrs.  Surratt,  and  Atzeroth,  were  found  guilty 
of  murder,  and  hung  in  Washington  on  the  7th  of  July ; 
Mudd,  Arnold,  and  O'Laughlin  were  sentenced  to  imprison 
ment  for  life,  and  Spangler  to  six  years'  imprisonment  at 
hard  labor. 

In  a  few  hours  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  Andrew 
Johnson,  Vice  President,  was  installed  into  office — and  so  far 
as  the  affairs  of  the  Government  were  concerned,  every 
thing  went  on  as  though  nothing  had  happened.  While 
European  powers  looked  for  a  new  outbreak,  or  an  attempt 
ed  assumption  of  military  power,  or  at  least  a  sudden  arrest 
of  the  wheels  of  Government,  they  saw,  with  amazement, 
that  a  Republic  could  not  only  put  forth  the  greatest  efforts, 
but  stand,  unmoved,  the  heaviest  shocks,  and  the  most  sud 
den  changes,  of  any  Government  on  earth. 

Owing  to  the  excited  state  of  the  public  mind,  every  fact 
bearing  on  the  assassination  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  became  magni 
fied,  and  it  was  believed  that  Booth  was  only  a  tool  in  the 
hands  of  Jefferson  Davis,  and  other  prominent  men  of  the 
South ;  hence  heavy  rewards  were  offered  by  the  new  Presi 
dent  for  their  arrest — one  hundred  thousand  dollars  for 
Davis;  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  for  Clement  C.  Clay, 
Jacob  Thompson,  George  N.  Sanders,  and  Beverly  Tucker ; 
and  ten  thousand  dollars  for  William  C.  Cleary,  clerk  of  Clay. 
In  the  meantime,  Davis -had  fled  into  Georgia. 

But  little  more  remains  to  be  told  of  military  movements. 
With  the  surrender  of  Lee  and  Johnston,  the  rebellion  was 
ended.  But  while  the  closing  scenes  were  being  enacted  on 


ADVANCE     ON     MOBILE.  609 

the  Atlantic  Coast,  events  were  transpiring  on  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  which,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  would  have 
awakened  the  keenest  interest.  Grant  designed  that  the 
expedition  against  Mobile  should  keep  a  large,  rebel  force  in 
Alabama,  which  otherwise  would  reinforce  Lee.  Hence,  as 
we  have  seen,  Canby  commenced  his  movements  against 
it  the  20th  of  March,  or  just  as  Sherman  was  reaching 
Goldsboro. 

In  the  meantime,  vessels,  drawing  but  little  water,  had 
been  gathered  in  Mobile  Bay,  so  that  the  navy  could  co-op 
erate  with  the  army  in  the  attack.  A.  J.  Smith  took  his 
command  from  Fort  Gaines  to  Fish  River,  by  water,  where 
he  was  joined  by  Granger,  with  the  Thirteenth  Corps,  who 
moved  from  Fort  Morgan.  In  the  meantime,  General  Steele, 
with  his  command,  struck  across  the  country  from  Pensacola, 
and  cutting  the  railroad  leading  from  Tensas  to  Montgom 
ery,  effected  a  juncture  with  the  former. 

Thus,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  army  moved  up  on  the  east 
side  of  the  bay.  Two  main  forts  prevented  the  passage  of 
the  gunboats  up  to  Mobile — the  Spanish  Fort,  as  it  was 
called,  and  Fort  Blakely.  It  was  determined  to  take  the 
first  of  these  by  a  combined  attack  of  the  army  and  navy — 
the  latter  to  engage  the  water-batteries,  while  the  land  for 
ces  should  assail  the  works  in  the  rear.  Siege  guns  were 
brought  up,  and  on  the  4th  of  April  a  tremendous  bombard 
ment  was  opened  on  the  fort. 

On  the  8th,  another  was  ordered — to  be  followed  by  a 
general  assault,  at  five  o'clock  in  the  evening.  The  fire  was 
terrific  and  crushing,  and  for  three  hours  it  was  kept  up 
with  fearful  effect,  when  two  brigades  of  Carr's  division 
moved  gallantly  to  the  assault.  Mounting  the  ramparts  with 
loud  cheers,  they  carried  some  three  hundred  yards  of  the 
works,  when  they  made  themselves  secure,  to  wait  for  day 
light  to  complete  the  conquest,  but  at  one  o'clock  in  the 


610  ASSAULT    OF    FORT    BLAgELY. 

morning — the  same  Sunday  that  Lee  surrendered  to  Grant — 
the  garrison  capitulated. 

On  this  day,  also,  so  bright  in  our  calendar,  Steele  as 
saulted  Fort  Blakely,  in  his  front.  This  was  situated  some 
four  miles  north  of  the  former,  and  twelve  miles  from  Mo 
bile.  With  the  reading  of  the  orders  for  the  assault,  to  the 
troops,  was  read  also  a  dispatch  announcing  the  fall  of  Rich 
mond  and  Petersburg,  and  the  flight  of  Lee.  Loud  shouts 
rent  the  air  at  the  glorious  news,  and  gaily  as  though  going 
to  a  banquet,  the  brave  fellows  moved  forward.  Garrard's 
division  bore  the  brunt  of  the  fight.  For  a  whole  hour  the 
soldiers  worked  away  at  the  obstructions,  while  a  desolating 
fire  swept  them,  and  torpedoes  were  almost  momentarily 
bursting  under  their  feet. 

At  last  they  were  cleared,  and  with  a  yell  they  jumped 
into  the  ditch  and  scaled  the  works.  Colonel  Rinneken's 
and  General  Gilbert's  brigade  turned  the  right  of  the  fort 
and  entered  it  at  the  same  time.  The  colored  troops  on  the 
right,  under  General  Hawkins,  behaved  with  great  gallantry, 
charging  like  veterans  through  the  fire.  At  seven  o'clock, 
our  flag  was  waving  from  the  ramparts.  Our  loss  in  this 
gallant  assault,  was  about  one  thousand,  while  that  of  the 
enemy  was  not  over  five  hundred.  Three  thousand  three 
hundred  prisoners,  four  thousand  stand  of  arms,  and  thirty- 
two  pieces  of  artillery  were  captured.  This  secured  the  fall 
of  Mobile. 

Monday  and  Tuesday  were  spent  in  pushing  forward  re- 
connoissances,  and  in  the  removing  of  torpedoes  from  the 
river,  by  the  navy,  so  that  it  could  approach  the  city.  The 
latter  was  hazardous  work,  for  the  bed  of  the  stream  was 
sown  thick  with  them,  while  the  batteries  on  shore  kept  up 
a  steady  fire  on  the  vessels  engaged  in  it. 

On  the  12th,  our  columns  were  already  in  motion  to  com- 


CAPTURE    OF    MOBILE.  611 

plete  the  investment  of  the  place,  when  the  signal  came  that 
the  enemy  had  evacuated  it. 

Our  total  loss  before  the  place  was  two  thousand  soldiers, 
and  fifty  seamen.  We  lost,  besides  two  heavy  iron-clads,  two 
tin-clads,  and  one  transport — all  destroyed  by  torpedoes. 

Admiral  Thatcher  commanded  the  naval  force,  and  reported 
the  amount  of  artillery  captured  at  four  hundred  pieces. 

We  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  movement  of 
Canby  on  Mobile,  the  raid  of  Wilson  east  from  Yicksburg. 
u  The  expedition,  consisting  of  twelve  thousand  five  hun 
dred  mounted  men,  was  delayed  by  rains  until  March  22, 
when  it  moved  from  Chickasaw,  Alabama.  On  the  1st  of 
April,  General  Wilson  encountered  the  enemy  in  force  under 
Forrest,  near  Ebenezer  Church,  drove  him  in  confusion,  cap 
tured  three  hundred  prisoners  and  three  guns,  and  destroyed 
the  central  bridge  over  the  Cahawba  River.  On  the  2d  he 
attacked  and  captured  the  fortified  city  of  Selma,  defended 
by  Forrest  with  seven  thousand  men  and  thirty-two  guns, 
destroyed  the  arsenal,  armory,  naval  foundry,  machine  shops, 
vast  quantities  of  stores,  and  captured  three  thousand  pris 
oners.  On  the  4th  he  captured  and  destroyed  Tuscaloosa. 
On  the  10th  he  crossed  the  Alabama  River,  and  after  sending 
information  of  his  operations  to  General  Canby,  marched  on 
Montgomery,  which  place  he  occupied  on  the  14th,  the  en 
emy  having  abandoned  it.  At  this  place  many  stores  and 
five  steamboats  fell  into  our  hands.  Thence  a  force  marched 
direct  on  Columbus,  and  another  on  West  Point,  both  of 
which  places  were  assaulted  and  captured  on  the  16th.  At 
the  former  place  we  got  fifteen  hundred  prisoners  and  fifty- 
two  field  guns,  destroyed  two  gunboats,  the  navy -yard,  foun 
dries,  arsenal,  many  factories,  and  much  other  public  prop 
erty.  At  the  latter  place  we  got  three  hundred  prisoners, 
four  guns,  and  destroyed  nineteen  locomotives  and  three 
hundred  cars.  On  the  20th  he  took  possession  of  Macon, 


612  CANBY'S  RAID. 

Georgia,  with  sixty  field-guns,  twelve  hundred  militia,  and 
five  Generals,  surrendered  by  General  Howell  Cobb."* 

This  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  raids  of  the  war ; 
but  its  success  and  results  not  being  known  until  after  the 
surrender  of  Lee  and  Johnston,  it  excited  but  little  interest. 
Three  days  after  the  fall  of  Macon,  Davis  started  in  his 
flight  to  Georgia,  accompanied  by  his  family.  General  Wil 
son  at  the  former  place,  hearing  of  it,  immediately  scattered 
his  cavalry  over  the  country,  and  at  length,  on  the  morning  of 
the  llth  of  May,  succeeded  in  capturing  him  at  Irwinsville. 
Colonel  Pritchard,  of  the  Fourth  Michigan  cavalry  came  sud 
denly  upon  his  encampment,  when  the  rebel  President  at 
tempted  to  make  his  escape,  disguised  as  a  woman.  Being 
detected  by  the  heavy  boots  under  his  female  apparel,  he  was 
seized,  together  with  Reagan  his  Post  Master  General,  and 
conveyed  seventy  miles  distant  to  Macon,  from  whence  he  was 
transferred  to  Fortress  Monroe  to  await  his  trial  for  treason. 

Previous  to  this,  the  Government  dispatched  a  steamer, 
with  General  Anderson  to  Fort  Sumter,  to  raise  the  same 
flag  which  just  four  years  before,  he  had  been  compelled  to 
haul  down  at  the  bidding  of  traitors.  With  his  own  hands 
he  sent  it  aloft,  amid  the  cheers  of  the  spectators. 

In  looking  over  the  events  of  this  Spring,  one  is  struck 
with  the  remarkable  unity  of  action,  and  the  unvaried  suc 
cess  of  our  armies  in  different  parts  of  the  widely  extended 
military  field.  Indeed  it  is  seldom  that  a  single  month  is 
crowded  with  such  momentous  events  as  that  of  April,  1865. 
Selma,  Montgomery,  Macon,  Mobile,  and  Columbus,  Ga.,  all 
fell  during  the  month — the  two  armies  of  Lee  and  Johnston 
surrendered,  and  the  President  of  the  United  States  was  as 
sassinated.  It  saw  the  culmination  and  overthrow  of  the 
Confederacy,  and  all  that  followed  was  but  the  mere  pick 
ing  up  of  the  fragments. 

*  General  Grant's  Report. 


THE    GRAND    REVIEW.  613 

* 

"  On  the  4th  day  of  May,  General  Dick  Taylor  surren 
dered  to  General  Canby  all  the  remaining  rebel  forces  east 
of  the  Mississippi. 

"  A  force  sufficient  to  insure  an  easy  triumph  over  the  en 
emy  under  Kirby  Smith,  west  of  the  Mississippi,  was  imme 
diately  put  in  motion  for  Texas,  and  Major-General  Sheridan 
designated  for  its  immediate  command;  but  on  the  26th 
day  of  May,  and  before  they  reached  their  destination,  Gen 
eral  Kirby  Smith  surrendered  his  entire  command  to  Major- 
General  Canby.  This  surrender  did  not  take  place,  how 
ever,  until  after  the  capture  of  the  rebel  President  and  Vice 
President ;  and  the  bad  faith  was  exhibited  of  first  disband 
ing  most  of  his  army,  and  permitting  an  indiscriminate  plun 
der  of  public  property."* 

Thus  on  sea  and  land,  all  resistance  disappeared,  with  the 
exception  of  the  pirate  Shenandoah,  which  cruised  all  Sum 
mer  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  capturing  our  vessels.  Her 
career  did  not  close  till  November,  when  she  surrendered  to 
an  English  man  of  war  in  the  Mersey. 

As  a  fitting  close  to  this  long  and  terrible  struggle  which 
the  country  had  passed  through,  a  grand  review  of  the  two 
armies  of  Grant  and  Sherman  took  place  in  the  National  Cap 
ital  on  the  23d  and  24th,  of  May  in  the  presence  of  the 
President  and  Cabinet,  and  foreign  Ministers.  As  the 
bronzed  and  proud  veterans  marched  up  Pennsylvania  Av 
enue,  the  heavens  resounded  with  the  acclamations  of  the 
multitude,  and  the  air  was  filled  with  bouquets  of  flowers  that 
were  rained  on  the  noble  leaders.  The  Duke  of  Welling 
ton  said,  when  50,000  troops  were  reviewed  in  the  Champs 
Elysees,  after  the  occupation  of  Paris  by  the  Allies,  that  it 
was  "a  sight  but  once  seen  in  a  life  time;  "  but  here  nearly 
two  hundred  thousand  marched  in  an  apparently  endless 
stream  past  the  Presidential  mansion,  not  conscripts  forced 
*  General  Grant's  Report. 


614  A    SUBLIME    SPECTACLE. 

i 

into  the  ranks,  but  citizens,  who  had  voluntarily  taken  up 
arms  to  defend  not  a  monarch's  rights,  but  their  own. 

Yet,  sublime  as  was  this  spectacle,  it  sunk  into  insignifi 
cance  before  the  grandeur  of  the  one  presented  a  few  days 
after,  when  this  army,  strong  enough  to  conquer  a  hemisphere, 
melted  suddenly  away  into  the  mass  of  the  people  and  was 
seen  no  more.  Its  deeds  of  renown  had  filled  the  civilized 
world,  and  European  statesmen  looked  on  and  wondered 
what  disposition  could  be  made  of  it,  and  where  it  would 
choose  to  go,  or  what  it  would  do.  It  was  one  of  the  grand 
est  armies  that  ever  bore  on  its  bayonet  points  the  destinies 
of  a  king  or  a  nation — a  consolidation  and  embodiment  of 
power  seldom  witnessed;  and  yet,  while  the  gaze  of  the 
world  was  fixed  upon  it,  it  disappeared  like  a  vision,  and 
when  one  looked  for  it  he  saw  only  peaceful  citizens  engaged 
in  their  usual  occupations.  The  Major-Gen eral  whose  mar 
tial  achievements  had  been  repeated  in  almost  every  lan 
guage  under  the  sun,  was  seen  amid  his  papers  in  his  old  law 
office,  which  he  had  left  at  the  call  of  his  country — the 
brave  Colonel,  who  had  led  many  a  gallant  charge,  was  in  his 
counting  house,  acting  as  though  he  had  been  absent  only  a 
few  days  on  business,  while  the  veterans  of  the  rank  and  file, 
whose  battle  shout  had  rung  over  scores  of  bloody  fields, 
could  only  be  found  by  name  as  one  bent  over  his  saw  and 
plane,  and  another  swung  his  scythe  in  the  harvest  fieldT  or 
plied  his  humble  toil  along  the  streets.  It  was  a  marvelous 
sight,  the  grandest  the  world  ever  saw.  It  had  been  the  peo 
ple's  war — the  people  had  carried  it  on,  and  having  finished 
their  own  work,  quietly  laid  aside  the  instruments  with  which 
they  had  accomplished  it,  and  again  took  up  those  of  peaceful 
industry.  Never  did  a  Government  on  earth  exhibit  such 
stability,  and  assert  its  superiority  over  all  other  forms,  as 
did  this  republican  government  of  ours,  in  the  way  its  ar 
mies  disappeared  when  the  struggle  was  over. 


V  RECONSTRUCTION.  615 


The  war  being  ended,  there  now  remain  for  the  country 
the  great  work  of  reconstruction  and  the  management  of 
the  National  debt*  After  the  disbanding  of  the  armies,  the 
sale  of  governmental  vessels  and  the  vast  amount  of  army 
stores  and  supplies  of  every  kind,  and  settling  up  the  most 
important  claims  against  the  National  Treasury,  our  public 
debt,  on  the  1st  of  February,  1866,  was  two  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  sixteen  millions,  eight  hundred  and  ninety-eight 
thousand,  one  hundred  and  fifty- two  dollars.  The  following 
is  a  condensed  summary  of  it  at  that  time : — 

PUBLIC   DEBT    OF   THE    UNITED  STATES,   FEBRUARY  1,    1866. 

Original  5-20  Bonds,  1862, $514,780,500 

New  5-20  Bonds,  1864,   ... 100,000,000 

New  5-20  Bonds,  1865, 50,590,300 

Six  per  cent.  Bonds,  1881,. 282,648,250 

Five  per  cent.  10-40  Bonds,. 172,769,100 

Old  six  per  cents., 19,339,592 

Old  five  per  cents., 27,022,000 

Total  gold-bearing  Bonds, $1,167,149,742 

Seven-thirty  per  cent.  Treasury  Notes, $830,000,000 

Compound  Legal  Tenders, 180,012,141 

Five  per  cent.  Legal  Tenders, 8,536,900 

Six  per  cent.  Certificates, 60,637,000 

Deposits  on  Interest, .  .* 114,755,840 

Six  per  cent,  to  Pacific  Railroad, 3,354,000 

Total  Currency  Interest, $1,197,295,881 

Greenbacks, $423,902,223 

Gold  Certificates, 8,391,080 

Fractional  Currency, 26,553,244 


Total  free  of  Interest, $458,846,547 

Less  Treasury  balances, *1 07,493,348 

Total, $351,353,199 

Past  due  debt, 1,099,330 


Grand  total  of  all  debt, $2,716,898,152 

*0n  hand  in  Coin, $51,443,162 

*0n  hand  in  Currency, 56,050,186 


Total  as  above, $107,493,348 

69 


616  PUBLIC     DEBT. 

The  principal  changes  in  the  statement  since  January  1st, 
are: — 

Increase  of  Currency  Deposits  from, ' $97,257,194 

To  1st  of  February, 114,755,840 

Increase, $17,498,646 

Increase  of  Gold  Certificates, 1,102,940 


Total  increase  of  Deposits, $18,601,586 

Nearly  balanced  by  increase  of  Cash  on  hand, ... 16,764,467 

Difference, $1,837,119 

Add  increase  Pacific  railroad  Bonds, $352,000 

Increase  of  Fractional  Currency, 552,824 —     904,824 


Difference, $2,741,943 

Deduct  Greenbacks  reduced, $2,329,107 

Other  Items  reduced, 96,220—  2,425,327 


Net  increase  of  Public  Debt, '          $316,616 

Total,  January  1,  1866, $2,716,581,536 

Total,  February  1,  1866,. 2,716,898,152 

Difference  as  above, • $316,616 

The  Public  Debt  reached  its  maximum  on  the  schedule  of  the  31st  of  Au 
gust  last,  when  the  total  stood, $2,757,781,190 

Present  total, 2,716,898,152 


Net  reduction  in  five  months, 840,883,038 

The  Public  Debt  stood,  on  the  1st  of  October  last,  at  the  close  of  the  first 

Quarter  of  the  current  fiscal  year, $2,745,061,844 

As  against  February  1,  1866, 2,716,898,152 

Decrease  since  October  1, 1865, $28,163,692 


OFFICIAL  REPORT 

OF 

LIEUTENANT  GENERAL  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT, 

CONTAINING    A    HISTORY    OF   THE    OPERATIONS    OF 

THE   ARMIES   OF  THE   UNITED  STATES— 1864-65. 

HEAD-QUARTERS  ARMIES  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES, 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  22,  1865. 

SIR  : — I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  report  of  the  operations  of 
the  armies  of  the  United  States  from  the  date  of  my  appointment  to  com 
mand  the  same : — 

From  an  early  period  in  the  rebellion  I  had  been  impressed  with  the  idea 
that  active  and  continuous  operations  of  all  the  troops  that  could  be  brought 
into  the  field,  regardless  of  season  and  weather,  were  necessary  to  a  speedy 
termination  of  the  war.  The  resources  of  the  enemy  and  his  numerical 
strength  were  far  inferior  to  ours;  but  as  an  offset  to  this,  we  had  a  vast  ter 
ritory  with  a  population  hostile  to  the  Government,  to  garrison,  and  long 
lines  of  river  and  railroad  communications  to  protect,  to  enable  us  to  supply 
the  operating  armies. 

The  armies  in  the  East  and  West  acted  independently  and  Avithout  concert, 
like  a  balky  team,  no  two  ever  pulling  together,  enabling  the  enemy  to  use 
to  great  advantage  his  interior  lines  of  communication  for  transporting 
troops  from  cast  to  west,  reinforcing  the  army  most  vigorously  pressed,  and 
to  furlough  large  numbers,  during  seasons  of  inactivity  on  our  part,  to  go  to 
their  homes  and  do  the  work  of  producing  for  the  support  of  their  armies. 
It  was  a  question  whether  our  numerical  strength  and  resources  were  not 
more  than  balanced  by  these  disadvantages  and  the  enemy's  superior 
position. 

From  the  first,  I  was  firm  in  the  conviction  that  no  peace  could  be  had 
that  would  be  stable  and  conducive  to  the  happiness  of  the  people,  both 
North  and  South,  until  the  military  power  of  the  rebellion  was  entirely 
broken. 

I  therefore  determined,  first,  to  use  the  greatest  number  of  troops  practi 
cable  against  the  armed  force  of  the  enemy ,  preventing  him  from  using  the 
same  force  at  different  seasons  against  first  one  and  then  another  of  our  ar 
mies,  and  the  possibility  of  repose  for  refitting  and  producing  necessary  sup 
plies  for  carrying  on  resistance.  Second,  to  hammer  continuously  against 
the  armed  force  of  the  enemy  and  his  resources,  until  by  mere  attrition,  if  in 
no  other  way,  there  should  be  nothing  left  to  him  but  an  equal  submission 
with  the  loyal  section  of  our  common  country  to  the  Constitution  and  laws 
of  the  land. 

These  views  have  been  kept  constantly  in  mind,  and  orders  given  and 
campaigns  made  to  carry  them  out.  Whether  they  might  have  been  better 


618  THE     MILITARY     SITUATION. 

in  conception  and  execution  is  for  the  people,  who  mourn  the  loss  of  friends 
fallen,  and  who  have  to  pay  the  pecuniary  cost,  to  say.  All  I  can  say  is, 
that  what  I  have  clone  has  been  done  conscientiously,  to  the  best  of  my 
ability,  and  in  what  I  conceived  to  be  for  the  best  interests  of  the  whole 
country. 

At  the  date  when  this  report  begins,  the  situation  of  the  contending  forces 
was  about  as  follows  : — The  Mississippi  River  was  strongly  garrisoned  by  Fed 
eral  troops  from  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  to  its  mouth.  The'  line  of  the  Arkan 
sas  was  also  held,  thus  giving  us  armed  possession  of  all  west  of  the  Missis 
sippi,  north  of  that  stream.  A  few  points  in  Southern  Louisiana,  not  remote 
from  the  river,  were  held  by  us,  together  with  a  small  garrison  at  and  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande.  All  the  balance  of  the  vast  territory  of  Ar 
kansas,  Louisiana,  and  Texas,  was  in  the  almost  undisputed  possession  of  the 
enemy,  with  an  army  of  probably  not  less  than  eighty  thousand  effective  men 
that  could  have  been  brought  into  the  field  had  there  been  sufficient  opposition 
to  have  brought  them  out.  The  let-alone  policy  had  demoralized  this  force 
so  that  probably  but  little  more  than  one-half  of  it  was  ever  present  in  garri 
son  at  any  one  time.  But  the  one-half,  or  forty  thousand  men,  with  the  bands 
of  guerrillas  scattered  through  Missouri,  Arkansas,  and  along  the  Mississippi 
River,  and  the  disloyal  character  of  much  of  the  population,  compelled  the 
use  of  a  large  number  of  troops  to  keep  navigation  open  on  the  river,  and  to 
protect  the  loyal  people  to  the  west  of  it.  To  the  east  of  the  Mississippi  we 
held  substantially  with  the  line  of  the  Tennessee  and  Holston  Rivers,  running 
eastward  to  include  nearly  all  of  the  State  of  Tennessee.  South  of  Chatta 
nooga  a  small  foothold  had  been  obtained  in  Georgia,  sufficient  to  protect 
East  Tennessee  from  incursions  from  the  enemy's  force  at  Dalton,  Georgia. 
West  Virginia  was  substantially  within  our  lines.  Virginia,  with  the  excep 
tion  of  the  northern  border,  the  Potomac  River,  a  small  area  about  the 
mouth  of  James  River  covered  by  the  troops  at  Norfolk  and  Fort  Monroe, 
and  the  territory  covered  by  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  lying  along  the  Rap- 
idan,  was  in  the  possession  of  the  enemy.  Along  the  sea-coast  footholds  had 
been  obtained  at  Plymouth,  Washington,  and  Newbern,  in  (North  Carolina; 
Beaufort,  Folly  and  Morris  Islands,  Hilton  Head,  Fort  Pulaski,  and  Port 
Royal,  in  South  Carolina ;  Fernandina  and  St.  Augustine,  in  Florida.  Key 
West  and  Pensacola  were  also  in  our  possession,  while  all  the  important 
ports  were  blockaded  by  the  navy.  The  accompanying  map,  a  copy  of 
which  was  sent  to  General  Sherman  and  other  commanders  in  March,  1864, 
shows  by  red  lines  the  territory  occupied  by  us  at  the  beginning  of  the 
rebellion  a-nd  at  the  opening  of  the  campaign  of  18G4,  while  those  in  blue 
are  the  lines  which  it  was  proposed  to  occupy. 

Behind  the  Union  lines  there  were  many  bands  of  guerrillas  and  a  large 
population  disloyal  to  the  Government,  making  it  necessary  to  guard  every 
foot  of  road  or  river  used  in  supplying  our  armies.  In  the  South  a  reign  of 
military  despotism  prevailed,  which  made  every  man  and  boy  capable  of 
bearing  arms  a  soldier,  and  those  who  could  not  bear  amis  in  the  field  acted 
as  provosts  for  collecting  deserters  and  returning  them.  This  enabled  the 
enemy  to  bring  almost  his  entire  strength  into  the  field. 

The  enemy  had  concentrated  the  bulk  of  his  forces  east  of  the  Mississippi 
into  two  armies,  commanded  by  Generals  R.  E.  Lee  and  J.  E.  Johnston,  his 
ablest  and  best  Generals.  The  army  commanded  by  Lee  occupied  the  south 
bank  of  the  Rapidan,  extending  from  Mine  Run  westward,  strongly  in- 


INSTRUCTIONS     TO     BANKS.  619 

trenched,  covering"  and  defending  Richmond,  the  rebel  Capital,  against  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  The  army  under  Johnston  occupied  a  strongly  in 
trenched  position  at  Dalton,  Georgia,  covering  and  defending  Atlanta,  Geor 
gia,  a  place  of  great  importance  as  a  railroad  center,  against  the  armies  un 
der  Major  General  W.  T.  Sherman.  In  addition  to  these  armies,  he  had  a 
large  cavalry  force  under  Forrest,  in  north-east  Mississippi ;  a  considerable 
force,  of  all  arms,  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  and  in  the  western  part  of  Vir 
ginia  and  extreme  eastern  part  of  Tennessee ;  and  also  confronting  our  sea- 
coast  garrisons,  and  holding  blockaded  ports  where  we  had  no  foothold  upon 
land. 

These  two  armies,  and  the  cities  covered  and  defended  by  them,  were  the 
main  objective  points  of  the  campaign. 

Major  General  W.  T.  Sherman,  who  was  appointed  to  the  command  of 
the  military  division  of  the  Mississippi,  embracing  all  the  armies  and  terri 
tory  east  of  the  Mississippi  River  to  the  Alleghanies,  and  the  department  of 
Arkansas,  west  of  the  Mississippi,  had  the  immediate  command  of  the  armies 
operating  against  Johnston. 

Major  General  George  G.  Meade  had  the  immediate  command  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  from  where  I  exercised  general  supervision  of  the 
movements  of  all  our  armies. 

General  Sherman  was  instructed  to  move  against  Johnston's  army,  to 
break  it  up,  and  to  go  into  the  interior  of  the  enemy's  country  as  far  as  he 
could,  inflicting  all  the  damage  he  could  upon  their  war  resources.  If  the 
enemy  in  his  front  showed  signs  of  joining  Lee,  to  follow  him  up  to  the  full 
extent  of  his  ability,  while  I  would  prevent  the  concentration  of  Lee  upon 
him  if  it  was  in  the  power  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  to  do  so.  More 
specific  written  instructions  were  not  given,  for  the  reason  that  I  had  talked 
over  with  him  the  plans  of  the  campaign,  and  was  satisfied  that  he  under 
stood  them  and  would  execute  them  to  the  fullest  extent  possible. 

Major  General  N.  P.  Banks,  then  on  an  expedition  up  Red  River  against 
Shreveport,  Louisiana,  (which  had  been  organized  previous  to  my  appoint 
ment  to  command,)  was  notified  by  me. on  the  15th  of  March  of  the  import 
ance  it  was  that  Shreveport  should  be  taken  at  the  earliest  possible  day,  and 
that  if  he  found  that  the  taking  of  it  would  occupy  from  ten  to  fifteen  days' 
more  time  than  General  Sherman  had  given  his  troops  to  be  absent  from 
their  command,  he  would  send  them  back  at  the  time  specified  by  General 
Sherman,  even  if  it  led  to  the  abandonment  of  the  main  object  of  the  Red 
River  expedition,  for  this  force  was  necessary  to  movements  cast  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  ;  that  should  his  expedition  prove  successful,  he  would  hold  Shreve 
port  arid  the  Red  River  with  such  force  as  he  might  deem  necessary,  and  re 
turn  the  balance  of  his  troops  to  the  neighborhood  of  New  Orleans,  com 
mencing  no  move  for  the  further  acquisition  of  territory  unless  it  was  to 
make  that  then  held  by  him  more  easily  held ;  that  it  might  be  a  part  of  the 
spring  campaign  to  move  against  Mobile  ;  that  it  certainly  would  be  if  troops 
enough  could  be  obtained  to  make  it  without  embarrassing  other  move 
ments;  that  Xew  Orleans  would  be  the  point  of  departure  for  such  an  expe 
dition  ;  also,  that  I  had  directed  General  Steele  to  make  a  real  move  from 
Arkansas,  as  suggested  by  him,  (General  Banks,)  instead  of  a  demonstration, 
as  Steele  thought  advisable. 

On  the  21st  of  March,  in  addition  to  the  foregoing  notification  and  direc 
tions,  he  was  instructed  as  follows : — 


620  INSTRUCTIONS    TO    MEADE. 

"1st.  If  successful  in  your  expedition  against  Shreveport,  that  you  turn  over  the  de 
fense  of  the  Red  Eiver  to  General  Steele  arid  the  navy. 

2d.  That  you  abandon  Texas  entirely  with  the  exception  of  your  hold  upon  the  Rio 
Grande.  This  can  be  held  with  four  thousand  men,  if  they  will  turn  their  attention  im 
mediately  to  fortifying  their  positions.  At  least  one-half  of  the  force  required  for  this 
service  might  be  taken  from  the  colored  troops. 

3d.  By  properly  fortifying  on  the  Mississippi  River,  the  force  to  guard  it  from  Port  Hud 
son  to  New  Orleans  can  be  reduced  to  ten  thousand  men,  if  not  to  a  less  number.  Six 
thousand  more  would  then  hold  all  the  rest  of  the  territory,  necessary  to  hold,  until  active 
operations  can  be  resumed  west  of  the  river.  According  to  your  last  return  this  would 
give  you  a  force  of  over  thirty  thousand  effective  men  with  which  to  move  against  Mobile. 
To  this  I  expect  to  add  five  thousand  men  from  Missouri.  If,  however,  you  think  the 
force  here  stated  too  small  to  hold  the  territory  regarded  as  necessary  to  hold  possession 
of,  I  would  say,  concentrate  at  least  twenty-live  thousand  men  of  your  present  command 
for  operations  against  Mobile.  With  these  and  such  additions  as  I  can  give  you  from 
elsewhere,  lose  no  time  in  making  a  demonstration,  to  be  followed  by  an  attack  upon  Mo 
bile.  Two  or  more  iron-clads  will  be  ordered  to  report  to  Admiral  Farragut.  This  gives 
him  a  strong  naval  fleet  with  which  to  cooperate.  You  can  make  your  own  arrangements 
with  the  Admiral  for  his  cooperation,  and  select  your  OAVII  line  of  approach.  My  own  idea 
of  the  matter  is  that  Pascagoula  should  be  your  base,  but,  from  your  long  service  in  the 
Gulf  department,  you  will  know  best  about  the  matter.  It  is  intended  that  your  move 
ments  shall  be  cooperative  with  movements  elsewhere,  a'nd  you  can  not  now  start  too 
soon.  All  I  would  now  add  is,  that  you  commence  the  concentration  of  your  forces  at 
once.  Preserve  a  profound,  secrecy  of  what  you  intend  doing,  and  start  at  the  earliest 
possible  moment. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General" 

Major  General  N.  P.  BANKS. 

Major  General  Meacle  was  instructed  that  Lee's  army  would  be  liis  object 
ive  point;  that  wherever  Lee  went  he  would  go  also.  For  his  movement 
two  plans  presented  themselves : — One  to  cross  the  Rapidan  below  Lee, 
moving  by  his  right  flank ;  the  other  above,  moving  by  his  left.  Each  pre 
sented  advantages  over  the  other,  -with  corresponding  objections.  By  cross 
ing  above,  Lee  would  be  cut  off  from  all  chance  of  ignoring  Richmond  or 
going  north  on  a  raid.  13nt  if  we  took  this  route,  all  AVC  did  would  have  to 
be  done  whilst  the  rations  we  started  with  held  out ;  besides,  it  separated  us 
from  Butler,  so  that  he  could  not  be  directed  how  to  cooperate.  If  we  took 
the  other  route,  Brandy  Station  could  be  used  as  a  base  of  supplies  until 
another  was  secured  on  the  York  or  James  Rivers.  Of  these,  however,  it  was 
decided  to  take  the  lower  route. 

The  following  letter  of  instruction  was  .addressed  to  Major  General  B.  F. 
Butler : — 

FORT  MONROE,  VA.,  April  2,  1864. 

"  GENERAL: — In  the  spring  campaign,  which  it  is  desirable  shall  commence  at  as  early  a 
day  as  practicable,  it  is  proposed  to  have  cooperative  action  of  alPthe  armies  in  the  field, 
as  far  as  this  object  can  be  accomplished. 

It  will  not  be  possible  to  unite  our  armies  into  two  or  three  large  ones  to  act  as  so 
many  units,  owing  to  the  absolute  necessity  of  holding  on  to  the  territory  already  taken 
from  the  enemy.  But,  generally  speaking,  concentration  can  be  practically  effected  by 
armies  moving  to  the  interior  of  the  enemy's  country  from  the  territory  they  have  to 
guard.  By  such  movement  they  interpose  themselves  between  the  enemy  and  the  coun 
try  to  be  guarded,  thereby  reducing  the  number  necessary  to  guard  important  points,  or 
at  least  occupy  the  attention  of  a  part  of  the  enemy's  force,  if  no  greater  object  is  gained. 
Lee's  army  and  Richmond  being  the  greater  objects  toward  which  our  attention  must  be 
directed  in  the  next  campaign,  it  is  desirable  to  unite  all  the  force  we  can  against  them. 
The  necessity  of  covering  Washington  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  of  covering 
your  department  with  your  army,  makes  it  impossible  to  unite  these  forces  at  the  begin 
ning  of  any  move.  I  propose,  therefore,  what  comes  nearest  this  of  anything  that  seems 


INSTRUCTIONS     TO     BUTLER.  621 

practicable : — Tho  Army  of  the  Potomac  will  act  from  its  present  base,  Lee's  army  being 
the  objective  point.  You  will  collect  all  the  forces  from  your  command  that  can  be 
spared  from  garrison  duty — I  should  say  not  less  than  twenty  thousand  effective  men — to 
operate  on  the  south  side  of  James  River,  Richmond  being  your  objective  point.  To  tho 
force  you  already  have  will  be  added  about  ten  thousand  men  from  South  Carolina,  under 
Major  General  Gillmore,  who  will  command  them  in  person.  Major  General  W.  F.  Smith 
is  ordered  to  report  to  you,  to  command  the  troops  sent  into  the  field  from  your  own 
department. 

General  Gillmore  will  be  ordered  to  report  to  you  at  Fortress  Monroe,  with  all  tho 
troops  on  transports,  by  the  18th  instant,  or  as  soon  thereafter  as  practicable.  Should 
you  not  receive  notice  by  that  time  to  move,  you  will  make  such  disposition  of  them  and 
your  other  forces  as  you  may  deem  best  calculated  to  deceive  the  enemy  as  to  the  real 
move  to  be  made. 

When  you  are  notified  to  move,  take  City  Point  with  as  much  force  as  possible.  For 
tify  or  rather  intrench,  at  once,  and  concentrate  all  your  troops  for  the  field  there  as  rap 
idly  as  you  can.  From  City  Point,  directions  can  not  be  given  at  this  time  for  your  fur 
ther  movements. 

The  fact  that  has  already  been  stated — that  is,  that  Richmond  is  to  be  your  objective 
point,  and  that  there  is  to  be  cooperation  between  your  force  and  the  Army  of  the  Poto 
mac — must  be  your  guide.  This  indicates  the  necessity  of  your  holding  close  to  the  south 
bank  of  the  James  River  as  you  advance.  Then,  should  the  enemy  be  forced  into  his  in- 
trenchments  in  Richmond,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  would  follow,  and  by  means  of  trans 
ports  the  two  armies  would  become  a  unit. 

All  the  minor  details  of  your  advance  are  left  entirely  to  your  direction.  If,  however, 
you  think  it  practicable  to  use  your  cavalry  south  of  you  so  as  to  cut  the  railroad  about 
Hick's  Ford  about  the  time  of  the  general  advance,  it  would  be  of  immense  advantage. 

You  will  please  forward  for  my  information,  at  the  earliest  practicable  day,  all  orders, 
details,  and  instructions  you  may  give  for  the  execution  of  this  order. 

.      U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General}' 

Major  General  B.  F.  BUTLER. 

On  the  16th,  these  instructions  were  substantially  reiterated.  On  the 
19th,  in  order  to  secure  full  cooperation  between  his  army  and  that  of  Gen 
eral  Meade,  he  was  informed  that  I  expected  him  to  mov.e  from  Fort  Monroe 
the  same  day  that  General  Meade  moved  from  Culpepper.  The  exact  time  I 
was  to  telegraph  him  as  soon  as  it  was  fixed,  and  that  it  would  not  be  earlier 
than  the  27th  of  April ;  that  it  was  my  intention  to  fight  Lee  between  Cul 
pepper  and  Richmond  if  he  would  stand.  Should  he,  however,  fall  back  into 
Richmond,  I  would  follow  up  and  make  a  junction  with  his  (General  But 
ler's)  army  on  the  James  River;  that,  could  I  be  certain  he  would  be  able  to 
invest  Richmond  on  the  south  side  so  as  to  have  his  left  resting  on  the 
James,  above  the  city,  I  would  form  the  junction  there ;  that  circumstances 
might  make  this  course  advisable  any  how  ;  that  he  should  use  every  exer 
tion  to  secure  footing  as  far  up  the  south  side  of  the  river  as  he  could,  and 
as  soon  as  possible  after  the  receipt  of  orders  to  move ;  that  if  he  could  not 
carry  the  city,  he  sliould  at  least  detain  as  large  a  force  as  possible. 

In  cooperation  with  the  main  movements  against  Lee  and  Johnston,  I  was 
desirous  of  using  all  other  troops  necessarily  kept  in  departments  remote 
from  the  fields  of  immediate  operations,  and  also  those  kept  in  .the  back 
ground  for  the  protection  of  our  extended  lines  between  the  loyal  States  and 
the  armies  operating  against  them. 

A  very  considerable  force  under  command  of  Major  General  Sigel  was  so 
held  for  the  protection  of  West  Virginia,  and  the  frontiers  of  Maryland  and 
Pennsylvania.  Whilst  these  troops  could  not  be  withdrawn  to  distant  fields 
without  exposing  the  North  to  invasion  by  comparatively  small  bodies  of  the 
enemy,  they  could  act  directly  to  their  front  and  give  better  protection  than 


622  SIGEL     IN     THE     SHENANDOAH. 

if  lying  idle  in  garrison.  By  such  movement  they  would  either  compel  the 
enemy  to  detach  largely  for  the  protection  of  his  supplies  and  lines  of  com 
munication,  or  he  would  lose  them. 

General  Sigel  was  therefore  directed  to  organize  all  his  available  force  into 
two  expeditions,  to  move  from  Beverly  and  Charleston,  under  command  of 
Generals  Ord  and  Crook,  against  the  East  Tennessee  and  Virginia  railroad. 
Subsequently,  General  Ord  having  been  relieved  at  his  own  request,  General 
Sigel  was  instructed,  at  his  own  suggestion,  to  give  up  the  expedition  by 
Beverly  and  to  form  two  columns,  one  under  General  Crook,  on  the  Kanawha> 
numbering  about  ten  thousand  men,  and  one  on  the  Shenandoah,  numbering 
about  seven  thousand  men.  The  one  on  the  Shenandoah  to  assemble  be 
tween  Cumberland  and  the  Shenandoah,  and  the  infantry  and  artillery  ad 
vanced  to  Cedar  Creek  with  such  cavalry  as  could  be  made  available  at  the 
moment,  to  threaten  the  enemy  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  and  advance  as 
far  as  possible ;  while  General  Crook  would  take  possession  of  Lewisburg 
with  part  of  his  force  and  move  down  the  Tennessee  railroad,  doing  as  much 
damage  as  he  could,  destroying  the  New  River  bridge  and  the  salt-works  at 
Saltville,  Va. 

Owing  to  the  weather  and  bad  condition  of  the  roads,  operations  were  de 
layed  until  the  1st  of  May,  when,  every  thing  being  in  readiness  and  the 
roads  favorable,  orders  were  given  for  a  general  movement  of  all  the  armies 
not  later  than  the  4th  of  May. 

My  first  object  being  to  break  the  military  power  of  the  rebellion  and  cap 
ture  the  enemy's  important  strongholds,  made  me  desirous  that  General  But 
ler  should  succeed  in  his  movement  against  Richmond,  as  that  would  tend 
more  than  any  thing  else,  unless  it  were  the  capture  of  Lee's  army,  to  ac 
complish  this  desired  result  in  the  East.  If  he  failed,  it  was  my  determina 
tion,  by  hard  fighting,  either  to  compel  Lee  to  retreat  or  to  so  cripple  him 
that  he  could  not  detach  a  large  force  to  go  north  and  still  retain  enough  for 
the  defense  of  Richmond.  It  was  well  understood  by  both  Generals  Butler 
and  Meade,  before  starting  on  the  campaign,  that  it  was  my  intention  to  put 
both  their  armies  south  of  the  James  River,  in  case  of  failure  to  destroy  Lee 
without  it. 

Before  giving  General  Butler  his  instructions,  I  visited  him  at  Fort  Mon 
roe,  and  in  conversation  pointed  out  the  apparent  importance  of  getting  pos 
session  of  Petersburg  and  destroying  railroad  communication  as  far  south  as 
possible.  Believing,  however,  in  the  practicability  of  capturing  Richmond, 
unless  it  was  reinforced,  I  made  that  the  objective  point  of  his  operations. 
As  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  to  move  simultaneously  with  him,  Lee 
could  not  detach  from  his  army  with  safety,  and  the  «neiny  did  not  have 
troops  elsewhere  to  bring  to  the  defense  of  the  city  in  time  to  meet  a  rapid 
movement  from  the  north  of  James  River. 

I  may  here  state  that,  commanding  all  the  armies  as  I  did,  I  tried,  as  far 
as  possible,  to  leave  General  Meade  in  independent  command  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac.  My  instructions  for  that  army  were  all  through  him,  and 
were  general  in  their  nature,  leaving  all  the  details  and  the  execution  to  him. 
The  campaigns  that  followed  proved  him  to  be  the  right  man  in  the  right 
place.  His  commanding  always  in  the  presence  of  an  officer  superior  to  him 
in  rank,  has  drawn  from  him  much  of  that  public  attention  that  his  zeal  and 
ability  entitle  him  to,  and  which  he  would  otherwise  have  received. 

The  movement  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  commenced  early  on  the 


BEGINNING    OF    THE     CAMPAIGN.  623 

morning  of  the  4th  of  May,  under  the  immediate  direction  and  orders  of 
Major  General  Meade,  pursuant  to  instructions.  Before  night  the  whole 
army  was  across  the  Rapidan,  (the  Fifth  and  Sixth  Corps  crossing  at  Germania 
Ford,  and  the  Second  Corps  at  United  States  Ford,  the  cavalry,  under  Major 
General  Sheridan,  moving  in  advance,)  with  the  greater  part  of  its  trains,  num 
bering  about  four  thousand  wagons,  meeting  with  but  slight  opposition.  The 
average  distance  traveled  by  the  troops  that  day  was  about  twelve  miles.  This 
I  regarded  as  a  great  success,  and  it  removed  from  my  mind  the  most  serious 
apprehensions  I  had  entertained,  that  of  crossing  the  river  in  the  face  of  an 
active,  large,  well-appointed,  and  ably-commanded  army,  and  how  so  large  a 
train  was  to  be  carried  through  a  hostile  country  and  protected.  Early  on 
the  5th,  the  advance  corps  (the  Fifth,  Major  General  G.  K.  Warren  command 
ing)  met  and  engaged  the  enemy  outside  his  intrenchments  near  Mine  Run. 
The  battle  raged  furiously  all  day,  the  whole  army  being  brought  into  the 
fight  as  fast  as  the  corps  could  be  got  upon  the  field,  which,  considering  the 
density  of  the  forest  and  narrownesss  of  the  roads,  was  done  with  commenda 
ble  promptness. 

General  Burnside,  with  the  Ninth  Corps,  was,  at  the  time  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  moved,  left  with  the  bulk  of  his  corps  at  the  crossing  of  the  Rap- 
pahannock  River  and  Alexandria  railroad,  holding  the  road  back  to  Bull  Run, 
with  instructions  not  to  move  until  he  received  notice  that  a  crossing  of  the 
Rapidan  was  secured,  but  to  move  promptly  as  soon  as  such  notice  was  re 
ceived.  This  crossing  he  was  apprised  of  on  the  afternoon  of  the  4th.  By 
six  o'clock  of  the  morning  of  the  6th  he  was  leading  his  corps  into  action 
near  the  Wilderness  Tavern,  some  of  his  troops  having  marched  a  distance 
of  over  thirty  miles,  crossing  both  the  Rappahannock  and  Rapidan  Rivers. 
Considering  that  a  large  proportion,  probably  two-thirds  of  his  command, 
was  composed  of  new  troops,  unaccustomed  to  marches  and  carrying  the  ac 
coutrements  of  a  soldier,  this  was  a  remarkable  march. 

The  battle  of  the  Wilderness  was  renewed  by  us  at  five  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  the  6th,  and  continued  with  unabated  fury  until  darkness  set  in, 
each  army  holding  substantially  the  same  position  that  it  had  on-  the 
evening  of  the  5th.  After  dark  the  enemy  made  a  feeble  attempt  to  turn 
our  right  flank,  capturing  several  hundred  prisoners  and  creating  considera 
ble  confusion.  But  the  promptness  of  General  Sedgwick,  who  was  person 
ally  present  and  commanded  that  part  of  our  line,  soon  re-formed  it  and  re 
stored  order.  On  the  morning  of  the  7th  reconnoissances  showed  that  the 
enemy  had  fallen  behind  his  intrenched  lines,  with  pickets  to  the  front,  cov 
ering  a  part  of  the  battle-field.  From  this  it  was  evident  to  my  mind  that 
the  two  days'  figlvting  had  satisfied  him  of  his  inability  to  further  maintain 
the  contest  in  the  open  field,  notwithstanding  his  advantage  of  position,  and 
that  he  would  wait  an  attack  behind  his  works.  I  therefore  determined  to 
push  on  and  put  my  whole  force  between  him  and  Richmond ;  and  orders 
were  at  once  issued  for  a  movement  by  his  right  flank.  On  the  night  of  the 
Vth  the  march  was  commenced  toward  Spottsylvania  Court-House,  the  Fifth 
Corps  moving  on  the  most  direct  road.  But  the  enemy  having  become  ap 
prised  of  our  movement,  and  having  the  shorter  line,  was  enabled  to  reach 
there  first.  On  the  8th  General  Warren  met  a  force  of  the  enemy  which 
had  been  sent  out  to  oppose  and  delay  his  advance,  to  gain  time  to  fortify 
the  line  taken  up  at  Spottsylvania.  This  force  was  steadily  driven  back  on 
the  main  force,  within  the  recently  constructed  works,  after  considerable 


624        BATTLE  OF  THE  WILDERNESS. 

fighting,  resulting  in  severe  loss  to  both  sides.  On  the  morning  of  the  9th 
General  Sheridan  started  on  a  raid  against  the  enemy's  lines  of  communica 
tion  with  Richmond.  The  9th,  10th,  and  llth  were  spent  in  manoeuvring 
and  fighting,  without  decisive  results.  Among  the  killed  on  the  9th  was 
that  able  and  distinguished  soldier,  Major  General  John  Sedgwick,  com 
manding  the  Sixth  Army  Corps.  Major  General  H.  G.  Wright  succeeded  him 
in  command.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  12th  a  general  attack  was  made 
on  the  enemy  in  position.  The  Second  Corps,  Major  General  Hancock  com 
manding,  carried  a  salient  of  his  line,  capturing  most  of  Johnston's  division 
of  Swell's  Corps  and  twenty  pieces  of  artillery.  But  the  resistance  was  so 
obstinate  that  the  advantage  gained  did  not  prove  decisive.  The  13th,  14th, 
15th,  16th,  17th,  and  18th,  were  consumed  in  manoeuvring  and  awaiting  the 
arrival  of  reinforcements  from  Washington.  Deeming  it  impracticable  to 
make  any  further  attack  upon  the  enemy  at  Spottsylvania  Court-House,  or 
ders  were  issued  on  the  18th  with  a  view  to  a  movement  to  the  North  Anna, 
to  commence  at  12  o'clock  on  the  night  of  the  19th.  Late  in  the  afternoon 
of  the  19th,  E well' s  Corps  came  out  of  its  works  on  our  extreme  right  flank; 
but  the  attack  was  promptly  repulsed,  with  heavy  loss.  This  delayed  the 
movement  to  the  North  Anna  until  the  night  of  the  21st,  when  it  was  com 
menced.  But  the  enemy  again  having  the  shorter  line,  and  being  in  pos 
session  of  the  main  roads,  was  enabled  to  reach  the  North  Anna  in  advance 
of  us,  and  took  position  behind  it.  The  Fifth  Corps  reached  the  North  Anna 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  23d,  closely  followed  by  the  Sixth  Corps.  The  Second 
and  Ninth  Corps  got  up  about  the  same  time,  the  Second  holding  the  railroad 
bridge  and  the  Ninth  lying  between  that  and  Jericho  Ford.  General  Warren 
effected  a  crossing  the  same  afternoon,  and  got  a  position  without  much  opposi 
tion.  Soon  after  getting  into  position  he  was  violently  attacked,  but  repulsed 
the  enemy  with  great  slaughter.  On  the  25th  General  Sheridan  rejoined  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  from  the  raid  on  which  he  started  from  Spottsylvania, 
having  destroyed  the  depots  at  Beaver  Dam  and  Ashland  Stations,  four  trains 
of  cars,  large  supplies  of  rations,  and  many  miles  of  railroad  track ;  recap 
tured  about  four  hundred  of  our  men,  on  their  way  to  Richmond  as  prison 
ers  of  war;  met  and  defeated  the  enemy's  cavalry  at  Yellow  Tavern  ;  carried 
the  first  line  of  works  around  Richmond,  (but  finding  the  second  line  too, 
strong  to  be  carried  by  assault,)  recrossed "to  the  north  bank  of  the  Chicka- 
hominy  at  Meadow's  Bridge,  under  heavy  fire,  and  moved  by  a  detour  to 
Haxall's  Landing,  on  the  James  River,  where  he  communicated  with  General. 
Butler.  This  raid  had  the  effect  of  drawing  off  the  whole  of  the  enemy's 
cavalry  force,  and  making  it  comparatively  easy  to  guard  our  trains. 

General  Butler  moved  his  main  force  up  the  James  River,  in  pursuance  of 
instructions,  on  the  4th  of  May,  General  Gillmore  having  joined  him  with 
the  Tenth  Corps.  At  the  same  time  he  sent  a  force  of  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  cavalry,  by  way  of  West  Point,  to  form  a  junction  with  him 
wherever  he  might  get  a  foothold,  and  a  force  of  three  thousand  cavalry,  un 
der  General  Kautz,  from  Suffolk,  to  operate  against  the  roads  south  of  Pe 
tersburg  and  Richmond.  On  the  5th  he  occupied,  without  opposition,  both 
City  Point  and  Bermuda  Hundred,  his  movement  being  a  complete  surprise. 
On  the  6th  he  was  in  position  with  his  main  army,  and  commenced  in 
trenching.  On  the  7th  he  made  ,a  reconnoissance  against  the  Petersburg 
and  Richmond  railroad,  destroying  a  portion  of  it  after  some  fighting.  On 
the  9th  he  telegraphed  as  follows : — 


FIGHT  AT   DRURY'S   BLUFF.  625 

HEAD-QUARTERS  NEAR  BERMUDA  LANDING,  May  9,  1864. 

"  Our  operations  may  be  summed  up  in  a  few  words.  "With  one  thousand  seven  hun 
dred  cavalry  we  have  advanced  up  the  Peninsula,  forced  the  Chickahominy,  and  have 
safely  brought  them  to  our  present  position.  These  were  colored  cavalry,  and  are  now 
holding  our  advance  pickets  toward  Richmond. 

General  Kautz  with  three  thousand  cavalry  from  Suffolk,  on  the  same  day  with  our 
movement  up  James  River,  forced  the  Black  water,  burned  the  railroad  bridge  at  Stony 
Creek,  below  Petersburg,  cutting  in  two  Beauregard's  force  at  that  point. 

We  have  landed  here,  intrenched  ourselves,  destroyed  many  miles  of  railroad,  and  got 
a  position  which,  with  proper  supplies,  we  can  hold  out  against  the  whole  of  Lee's  army. 
I  have  ordered  up  the  supplies. 

Beauregard,  with  a  large  portion  of  his  force,  was  left  south  by  the  cutting  of  the  rail 
roads  by  Kautz.  That  portion  which  reached  Petersburg  under  Hill  I  have  whipped  to 
day,  killing  and  wounding  many  and  taking  many  prisoners,  after  a  severe  and  well- 
contested  tight. 

General  Grant  will  not  be  troubled  with  any  further  reinforcements  to  Lee  from  Beau- 
regard's  force. 

BENJAMIN  F.  BUTLER,  Major  General" 

Hon.  E.  M.  STANTON,  Secretary  of  War. 

On  the  evening  of  the  13th  and  morning  of  the  14th  he  carried  a  portion 
of  the  enemy's  first  line  of  defenses  at  Drury's  Bluff,  or  Fort  Darling,  with 
small  loss.  The  time  thus  consumed  from  the  6th  lost  to  us  the  benefit  of 
the  surprise  and  capture  of  Richmond  and  Petersburg,  enabling,  as  it  did, 
Beauregard  to  collect  his  loose  forces  in  North  and  South  Carolina  and  bring 
them  to  the  defense  of  those- places.  On  the  16th  the  enemy  attacked  Gen 
eral  Butler  in  his  position  in  front  of  Drury's  Bluff.  He  was  forced  hack,  or 
drew  back,  into  his  intrenchments  between  the  forks  of  the  James  and  Ap- 
pomattox  Rivers,  the  enemy  intrenching  strongly  in  his  front,  thus  covering 
his  railroads,  the  city,  and  all  that  was  valuable  to  him.  His  army,  there 
fore,  though  in  a  position  of  great  security,  was  as  completely  shut  off  from 
further  operations  directly  against  Richmond  as  if  it  had  been  in  a  bottle 
strongly  corked.  It  required  but  a  comparatively  small  force  of  the  enemy 
to  hold  it  there. 

On  the  12th  General  Kautz  with  his  cavalry  was  started  on  a  raid  against 
the  Danville  railroad,  which  he  struck  at  Coalfield,  Powhatan,  and  Chola 
Stations,  destroying  them,  the  railroad  track,  two  freight  trains,  and  one  loco 
motive,  together  with  large  quantities  of  commissary  and  other  stores ;  thence 
crossing  to  the  South-side  road,  struck  it  at  Wilson's,  Wellsville,  and  Black 
and  White  Stations,  destroying  the  road  and  station-houses;  thence  he  pro 
ceeded  to  City  Point,  which  he  reached  on  the  18th. 

On  the  19th  of  April,  and  prior  to  the  movement  of  General  Butler,  the 
enemy,  with  a  land  force  under  General  Iloke  and  an  iron-clad  rain,  attacked 
Plymouth,  N.  C.,  commanded  by  General  II.  W.  Wessels,  and  our  gunboats 
there,  and  after  severe  fighting  the  place  was  carried  by  assault  and  the  en 
tire  garrison  and  armament  captured.  The  gunboat  Southfield  was  sunk 
and  the  Miami  disabled. 

The  army  sent  to  operate  against  Richmond  having  hermetically  sealed 
itself  up  at  Bermuda  Hundred,  the  enemy  was  enabled  to  bring  the  most  if 
not  all  the  reinforcements  brought  from  the  south  by  Beauregard  against  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  In  addition  to  this  reinforcement,  a  very  considera 
ble  one,  probably  not  less  than  fifteen  thousand  men,  was  obtained  by  calling 
in  the  scattered  troops  under  Breckinridge  from  the  western  part  of  Virginia. 

The  position  at  Bermuda  Hundred  was  as  easy  to  defend  as  it  was  difficult 


626  OPERATIONS    ABOVE     RICHMOND. 

to  operate  from  against  the  enemy.  I  determined,  therefore,  to  bring  from  it 
all  available  forces,  leaving  enough  only  to  secure  what  had  been  gained, 
and  accordingly,  on  the  22d,  I  directed  that  they  be  sent  forward,  under 
command  of  Major  General  W.  F.  Smith,  to  join  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

On  the  24th  of  May  the  Ninth  Army  Corps,  commanded  by  Major  General 
A.  E.  Burnside,  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  from  this 
time  forward  constituted  a  portion  of  Major  General  Meade's  command. 

Finding  the  enemy's  position  on  the  North  Anna  stronger  than  either  of 
his  previous  ones,  I  withdrew  on  the  night  of  the  26th  to  the  north  bank  of 
the  North  Anna,  and  moved,  via  Ilanovertown,  to  turn  the  enemy's  position 
by  his  right. 

Generals  Torbert's  and  Merritt's  divisions  of  cavalry,  under  Sheridan,  and  the 
Sixth  Corps  led  the  advance ;  crossed  the  Pamunkey  River  at  Ilanovertown 
after  considerable  lighting,  and  on  the  28th  the  two  divisions  of  cavalry  had 
a  severe  but  successful  engagement  with  the  enemy  at  Haw's  shop.  On  the 
29th  and  30th  we  advanced,  with  heavy  skirmishing,  to  the  Hanover  Court- 
House  and  Cold  Harbor  road,  and  developed  the  enemy's  position  north  of 
the  Chickahominy.  Late  on  the  evening  of  the  last  day  the  enemy  came- 
out  and  attacked  our  left,  but  was  repulsed  with  very  considerable  loss.  An 
attack  was  immediately  ordered  by  General  Meade  along  his  whole  line, 
which  resulted  in  driving  the  enemy  from  a  part  of  his  intrenched  skirmish 
line. 

On  the  31st  General  Wilson's  division  of  cavalry  destroyed  the  railroad 
bridges  over  the  South  Anna  River,  after  defeating  the  enemy's  cavalry. 
General  Sheridan,  on  the  same  day,  reached  Cold  Harbor,  and  held  it  until 
relieved  by  the  Sixth  Corps  and  General  Smith's  command,  which  had  just 
arrived,  via  White  House,  from  General  Butler's  army. 

On  the  1st  day  of  June  an  attack  was  made  at  5  P.  M.  by  the  Sixth  Corps 
and  the  troops  under  General  Smith,  the  other  corps  being  held  in  readiness 
to  advance  on  the  receipt  of  orders.  This  resulted  in  our  carrying  and  hold 
ing  the  enemy's  first  line  of  works  in  front  of  the  right  of  the  Sixth  Corps  and 
in  front  of  General  Smith.  During  the  attack  the  enemy  made  repeated  as 
saults  on  each  of  the  corps  not  engaged  in  the  main  attack,  but  were  re 
pulsed  with  heavy  loss  in  every  instance.  That  night  he  made  several  as 
saults  to  regain  what  he  had  lost  in  the  day,  but  failed.  The  2d  was  spent 
in  getting  troops  into  position  for  an  attack  on  the  3d.  On  the  3d  of  June 
we  again  assaulted  the  enemy'  works,  in  the  hope  of  driving  him  from  his 
position.  In  this  attempt  our  loss  was  heavy,  while  that  of  the  enemy,  I 
have  reason  to  believe,  was  comparatively  light.  It  was  the  only  general 
attack  made  from  the  Rapidan  to  the  James  which  did  not  inflict  upon  the 
enemy  losses  to  compensate  for  our  own  losses.  I  would  not  be  understood 
as  saying  that  all  previous  attacks  resulted  in  victories  to  our  arms,  or  ac 
complished  as  much  as  I  had  hoped  from  them ;  but  they  inflicted  upon  the 
enemy  severe  losses,  which  tended,  in  the  end,  to  the  complete  overthrow  of 
the  rebellion. 

From  the  proximity  of  the  enemy  to  his  defenses  around  Richmond,  it  was 
impossible  by  any  flank  movement  to  interpose  between  him  and  the  city. 
I  was  still  in  a  condition  to  either  move  by  his  left  flank  and  invest  Rich 
mond  from  the  north  side,  or  continue  my  move  by  his  right  flank  to  the 
south  side  of  the  James.  While  the  former  might  have  been  better  as  a 
covering  for  Washington,  yet  a  full  survey  of  all  the  ground  satisfied  me 


FIRST    ATTEMPTS     ON    PETERSBURG.  627 

that  it  would  be  impracticable  to  hold  a  line  north  and  east  of  Richmond 
that  would  protect  the  Fredericksburg  railroad — a  long,  vulnerable  line, 
which  would  exhaust  much  of  our  strength  to  guard,  and  that  would  have  to 
be  protected  to  supply  the  army,  arid  would  leave  open  to  the  enemy  all  his 
lines  of  communication  on  the  south  side  of  the  James.  My  idea,  from  the 
start,  had  been  to  beat  Lee's  army  north  of  Richmond  if  possible.  Then, 
after  destroying  his  lines  of  communication  north  of  the  James  River,  to 
transfer  the  army  to  the  south  side  and  besiege  Lee  in  Richmond,  or  follow 
him  south  if  he  should  retreat.  After  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  it  was 
evident  that  the  enemy  deemed  it  of  the  first  importance  to  run  no  risks 
with  the  army  he  then  had.  He  acted  purely  on  the  defensive  behind 
breastworks,  or  feebly  on  the  offensive  immediately  in  front  of  them,  and 
where,  in  case  of  repulse,  he  could  easily  retire  behind  them.  Without  a 
greater  sacrifice  of  life  than  I  was  willing  to  make,  all  could  not  be  accom 
plished  that  I  had  designed  north  of  Richmond.  I  therefore  determined  to 
continue  to  hold  substantially  the  ground  we  then  occupied,  taking  advan 
tage  of  any  favorable  circumstances  that  might  present  themselves,  until  the 
cavalry  could  be  sent  to  Charlottesville  and  G-ordonsville,  to  effectually  break 
up  the  railroad  connection  between  Richmond  and  the  Shenandoah  Valley 
and  Lynchburg ;  and,  when  the  cavalry  got  well  off,  to  move  the  army  to 
the  south  side  of  the  James  River,  by  the  enemy's  right  flank,  where  I  felt  I 
could  cut  off  all  his  sources  of  supply  except  by  the  canal. 

On  the  7th  two  divisions  of  cavalry,  under  General  Sheridan,  got  off  on 
the  expedition  against  the  Virginia  Central  railroad,  with  instructions  to 
Hunter,  whom  I  hoped  he  would  meet  near  Charlottesville,  to  join  his  forces 
to  Sheridan's,  and  after  the  work  laid  out  for  them  was  thoroughly  done,  to 
join  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  by  the  route  laid  down  in  Sheridan's  in 
structions. 

On  the  10th  of  June  General  Butler  sent  a  force  of  infantry  under  General 
Gillmorc,  and  cavalry  under  General  Kautz,  to  capture  Petersburg  if  possi 
ble,  and  destroy  the  railroad  and  common  bridges  across  the  Appomattox. 
The  cavalry  carried  the  works  on  the  south  side,  and  penetrated  well  in  to 
ward  the  town,  but  were  forced  to  retire.  General  Gillmore  finding  the 
works  which  he  approached  very  strong,  and  deeming  an  assault  impractica 
ble,  returned  to  Bermuda  Hundred  without  attempting  one. 

Attaching  great  importance  to  the  possession  of  Petersburg,  I  sent  back 
to  Bermuda  Hundred  and  City  Point  General  Smith's  command  by  water, 
via  the  White  House,  to  reach  there  in  advance  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
This  was  for  the  express  purpose  of  securing  Petersburg  before  the  enemy, 
becoming  aware  of  our  intention,  could  reinforce  the  place. 

The  movement  from  Cold  Harbor  commenced  after  dark  on  the  evening 
of  the  12th;  one  division  of  cavalry,  under  General  Wilson,  and  the  Fifth 
Corps  crossed  the  Chickahominy  at  Long  Bridge,  and  moved  out  to  White 
Oak  Swamp,  to  cover  the  crossings  of  the  other  corps.  The  advance  corps 
reached  James  river,  at  Wilcox's  Landing  and  Charles  City  Court-House,  on 
the  night  of  the  13th. 

During  three  long  years  the  armies  of  the  Potomac  and  Northern  Virginia 
had  been  confronting  each  other.  In  that  time  they  had  fought  more  des 
perate  battles  than  it  probably  ever  before  fell  to  the  lot  of  two  armies  to 
fight,  without  materially  changing  the  vantage-ground  of  either.  The  South 
ern  press  and  people,  with  more  shrewdness  than  was  displayed  in  the  North, 


628  DIFFICULTIES     OF    THE     CAMPAIGN. 

finding  that  they  had  failed  to  capture  "Washington  and  march  on  to  New 
York,  as  they  had  boasted  they  would  do,  assumed  that  they  only  defended 
their  Capital  and  Southern  territory.  Hence,  Antietam,  Gettysburg,  and  all 
the  other  battles  that  had  been  fought,  were  by  them  set  down  as  failures  on 
our  part,  and  victories  for  them.  Their  army  believed  this.  It  produced  a 
morale  which  could  only  be  overcome  by  desperate  and  continuous  hard 
fighting.  The  battles  of  the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  North  Anna,  and 
Cold  Harbor,  bloody  and  terrible  as  they  were  on  oflr  side,  were  even  more 
damaging  to  the  enemy,  and  so  crippled  him  as  to  make  him  wary  ever  after 
of  taking  the  offensive.  His  losses  in  men  were  probably  not  so  great,  owing 
to  the  fact  that  we  were,  save  in  the  Wilderness,  almost  invariably  the  attack 
ing  party ;  and  when  he  did  attack  it  was  in  the  open  field.  The  details  of 
these  battles,  which  for  endurance  and  bravery  on  the  part  of  the  soldiery 
have  rarely  been  surpassed,  are  given  in  the  report  of  Major  General  Meade, 
and  the  subordinate  reports  accompanying  it. 

During  the  campaign  of  forty-three  days,  from  the  Rapidan  to  James 
River,  the  army  had  to  be  supplied  from  an  ever-shifting  base,  by  wagons, 
over  narrow  roads,  through  a  densely-wooded  country,  with  a  lack  of 
wharves  at  each  new  base  from  which  to  conveniently  discharge  vessels.  Too 
much  credit  can  not,  therefore,  be  awarded  to  the  quartermaster  and  com~ 
missary  departments  for  the  zeal  and  efficiency  displayed  bv  them.  Under 
the  general  supervision  of  the  chief  quartermaster,  Brigadier  General  R.  In- 
galls,  the  trains  were  made  to  occupy  all  the  available  roads  between  the 
army  and  our  water  base,  and  but  little  difficulty  was  experienced  in  pro 
tecting  them. 

The  movement  of  the  Kanawha  and  Shenancloah  Valleys,  under  General 
Sigel,  commenced  on  the  first  of  May.  General  Crook,  who  had  the  immediate 
command  of  the  Kanawha  expedition,  divided  his  forces  into  two  columns, 
giving  one,  composed  of  cavalry,  to  General  Averill.  They  crossed  the 
mountains  by  separate  routes.  Averill  struck  the  Tennessee  and  Virginia 
railroad,  near  Wytheville,  on  the  10th,  and  proceeding  to  New  River  and 
Christiansburg,  destroyed  the  road,  several  important  bridges  and  depots,  in 
cluding  New  River  bridge,  forming  a  junction  with  Crook  at  Union  on  the 
loth.  General  Sigel  moved  up  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  met  the  enemy  at 
New  Market  on  the  15th,  and,  after  a  severe  engagement,  was  defeated  with 
heavy  loss,  and  retired  behind  Cedar  Creek.  Not  regarding  the  operations 
of  General  Sigel  as  satisfactory,  I  asked  his  removal  from  command,  and 
Major  General  Hunter  was  appointed  to  supersede  him.  His  instructions 
were  embraced  in  the  following  dispatches  to  Major  General  H.  W.  Halleck, 
Chief  of  Staff  of  the  army : — 

NEAR  SPOTTSYLVANIA  COURT-HOUSE,  VA.,  May  20,  1864. 
************** 
"The  enemy  are  evidently  relying  for  supplies  greatly  on  such  as  are  brought  over  the 
branch  road  running  through  St'aunton.     On  the  whole,  therefore,  I  think  it  would  be 
better  for  General  Hunter  to  move  in  that  direction;  reach  Staunton  and  Gordonsville  or 
Charlottesville,  if  he  does  not  meet  too  much  opposition.     If  he  can  hold  at  bay  a  force 
equal  to  his  own,  he  will  be  doing  good  service.     *    *    * 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General" 
Major  General  H.  W.  HALLECK. 

JERICHO  FORD,  VA.,  May  25,  1864. 

"  If  Hunter  can  possibly  get  to  Charlottesville  and  Lynchburg,  he  should  do  so,  living 


HUNTER'S  PUSH   TOWARD   LYNCHBURG.       629 

on  the  country.  The  railroads  and  canal  should  be  destroyed  beyond  possibility  of  re- 
ipairs  for  weeks.  Completing  this,  he  could  find  his  way  back  to  his  original  base,  or 
from  about  Gordons ville  join  this  army. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General." 
Major  General  H.  W.  HALLECK. 

General  Hunter  immediately  took  up  the  offensive,  and  moving  tip  the  Shen- 
andoah  Valley,  met  the  enemy  on  the  5th  of  June  at  Piedmont,  and  after  a  bat 
tle  of  ten  hours  routed  and  defeated  him,  capturing  on  the  field  of  battle  one 
thousand  five  hundred  men,  three  pieces  of  artillery,  and  three  hundred  stand 
of  small-arms.  On  the  8th  of  the  same  month  he  formed  a  junction  with  Crook 
and  Averill  at  Staunton,  from  which  place  he  moved  direct  on  Lynchburg,  via 
Lexington,  which  place  he  reached  and  invested  on  the  16th  day  of  June.  Up 
to  this  time  he  was  very  successful,  and  but  for  the  difficulty  of  taking  with 
him  sufficient  ordnance  stores  over  so  long  a  march,  through  a  hostile  coun 
try,  he  would  no  doubt  have  captured  that  (to  the  enemy)  important  point. 
The  destruction  of  the  enemy's  supplies  and  manufactories  was  very  great. 
To  meet  this  movement  under  General  Hunter,  General  Lee  sent  a  force, 
perhaps  equal  to  a  corps,  a  part  of  which  reached  Lynchburg  a  short  time 
before  Hunter.  After  some  skirmishing  on  the  17th  and  18th,  General 
Hunter,  owing  to  a  want  of  ammunition  to  give  battle,  retired  from  before 
the  place.  Unfortunately,  this  want  of  ammunition  left  him  no  choice  of 
route  for  his  return  but  by  way  of  Kanawha.  This  lost  to  us  the  use  of 
his  troops  for  several  weeks  from  the  defense  of  the  North. 

Had  General  Hunter  moved  by  way  of  Charlottesville,  instead  of  Lexing 
ton,  as  his  instructions  contemplated,  he  would  have  been  in  a  position  to 
have  covered  the  Shenandoah  Valley  against  the  enemy,  should  the  force  he 
met  rftive  seemed  to  endanger  it.  If  it  did  not,  he  would  have  been  within 
easy  distance  of  the  James  Rivet-  canal,  on  the  main  line  of  communication 
between  Lynchburg  and  the  force  sent  for  its  defense.  I  have  never  taken 
exception  to  the  operations  of  General  Hunter,  and  I  am  not  now  disposed 
to  find  fault  with  him,  for  I  have  no  doubt  he  acted  within  what  he  con 
ceived  to  be  the  spirit  of  his  instructions  and  the  interests  of  the  service. 
The  promptitude  of  his  movements  and  his  gallantry  should  entitle  him  to 
the  commendation  of  his  country. 

To  return  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac : — The  Second  Corps  commenced 
crossing  the  James  River  on  the  morning  of  the  14th  by  ferry-boats  at  Wil- 
cox's  Landing.  The  laying  of  the  pontoon  bridge  was  completed  about  mid 
night  of  the  14th,  and  the  crossing  of  the  remainder  of  the  army  was  rapidly 
pushed  forward  by  both  bridge  and  ferry. 

After  the  crossing  had  commenced,  I  proceeded  by  a  steamer  to  Bermuda 
Hundred  to  give  the  necessary  orders  for  the  immediate  capture  of  Pe 
tersburg. 

The  instructions  to  General  Butler  were  verbal,  and  were  for  him  to  send 
General  Smith  immediately,  that  night,  with  all  the  troops  he  could  give 
him  without  sacrificing  the  position  he  then  held.  I  told  him  that  I  would 
return  at  once  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  hasten  its  crossing,  and  throw  it 
forward  to  Petersburg  by  divisions  as  rapidly  as  it  could  be  done ;  that  we 
could  reinforce  our  armies  more  rapidly  there  than  the  enemy  could  bring 
troops  against  us.  General  Smith  got  oif  as  directed,  and  confronted  the 
enemy's  pickets  near  Petersburg  before  daylight  next  morning,  but  for  some 
reason,  that  I  have  never  been  able  to  satisfactorily  understand,  did  not  get 


630      FIRST     VICTORIES     BEFORE     PETERSBURG. 

ready  to  assault  his  main  lines  until  near  sundown.  Then,  with  a  part  of 
his  command  only,  he  made  the  assault,  and  carried  the  lines  northeast  of 
Petersburg  from  the  Appomattox  River,  for  a  distance  of  over  two  and  a  half 
miles,  capturing  fifteen  pieces  of  artillery  and  three  hundred  prisoners.  This 
was  about  7  P.  M.  Between  the  line  thus  captured  and  Petersburg  there 
were  no  other  works,  and  there  was  no  evidence  that  the  enemy  had  re 
inforced  Petersburg  with  a  single  brigade  from  any  source.  The  night  was 
clear — the  moon  shining  brightly — and  favorable  to  further  operations.  Gen 
eral  Hancock,  with  two  divisions  of  the  Second  Corps,  reached  General  Smith 
just  after  dark,  and  offered  the  service  of  these  troops  as  he  (Smith)  might 
wish,  waiving  rank  to  the  named  commander,  who  he  naturally  supposed 
knew  best  the  position  of  affairs,  and  what  to  do  with  the  troops.  But  in 
stead  of  taking  these  troops,  and  pushing  at  once  into  Petersburg,  he  re 
quested  General  Hancock  to  relieve  a  part  of  his  line  in  the  captured  works, 
which  was  done  before  midnight. 

By  the  time  I  arrived  the  next  morning  the  enemy  was  in  force.  An  attack 
was  ordered  to  be  made  at  6  o'clock  that  evening  by  the  troops  under  Smith 
and  the  Second  and  Ninth  Corps.  It  required  until  that  time  for  the  Ninth 
Corps  to  get  up  and  into  position.  The  attack  was  made  as  ordered,  and 
the  fighting  continued  with  but  little  intermission  until  six  o'clock  the  next 
morning,  and  resulted  in  our  carrying  the  advance  and  some  of  the  main 
works  of  the  enemy  to  the  ,right  (our  left)  of  those  previously  captured  by 
General  Smith,  several  pieces  of  artillery,  and  over  four  hundred  prisoners. 

The  Fifth  Corps  having  got  up,  the  attacks  were  renewed  and  persisted  in 
with  great  vigor  on  the  17th  and  18th,  but  only  resulted  in  forcing  the  en 
emy  to  an  interior  line  from  which  he  could  not  be  dislodged.  The  advan 
tages  in  position  gained  by  us  were  very  great.  The  army  then  proceeded 
to  envelop  Petersburg  toward  the  South-side  railroad,  as  far  as  possible, 
without  attacking  fortifications. 

On  the  6th  the  enemy,  to  reinforce  Petersburg,  withdrew  from  a  part  of 
his  intrenchment  in  front  of  Bermuda  Hundred,  expecting  no  doubt  to  get 
troops  from  north  of  the  James  to  take  the  place  of  those  withdrawn,  before 
we  could  discover  it.  General  Butler,  taking  advantage  of  this,  at  once 
moved  a  force  on  the  railroad  between  Petersburg  and  Richmond.  As  soon 
as  I  was  apprised  of  the  advantage  thus  gained,  to  retain  it  I  ordered  two  di 
visions  of  the  Sixth  Corps,  General  Wright-commanding,  that  were  embarking 
at  Wilcox's  Landing  under  orders  for  City  Point,  to  report  to  General  Butler 
at  Bermuda  Hundred,  of  which  General  Butler  was  notified,  and  the  import 
ance  of  holding  a  position  in  advance  of  his  present  line  urged  upon  him. 

About  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  General  Butler  was  forced  back  to  the 
line  the  enemy  had  withdrawn  from  in  the  morning.  General  Wright,  with 
his  two  divisions,  joined  General  Butler  on  the  forenoon  of  the  17th,  the  lat 
ter  still  holding  with  a  strong  picket  line  the  enemy's  works.  But  instead 
of  putting  these  divisions  into  the  enemy's  works  to  hold  them,  he  permitted 
them  to  halt  arid  rest  some  distance  in  the  rear  of  his  own  line.  Between 
4  and  5  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  enemy  attacked  and  drove  in  his  pick 
ets  and  reoccupied  his  old  line. 

On  the  night  of  the  20th  and  morning  of  the  21st  a  lodgment  was  effected 
by  General  Butler,  with  one  brigade  of  infantry,  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
James,  at  Deep  Bottom,  and  connected  the  pontoon  bridge  with  Bermuda 
Hundred. 


SHERIDAN'S  AND  WILSON'S  RAIDS.  631 

On  the  19th  General  Sheridan,  on  his  return  from  his  expedition  against 
the  Virginia  Central  railroad,  arrived  at  the  White  House  just  as  the  ene 
my's  cavalry  was  about  to  attack  it,  and  compelled  it  to  retire.  The  result 
of  this  expedition  was,  that  General  Sheridan  met  the  enemy's  cavalry  near 
Trevillian  Station,  on  the  morning  of  the  llth  of  June,  whom  he  attacked, 
and  after  an  obstinate  contest  drove  from  the  field  in  complete  rout.  He 
left  his  dead  and  nearly  all  his  wounded  in  our  hands,  and  about  four  hun 
dred  prisoners  and  several  hundred  horses.  On  the  12th  he  destroyed  the 
railroad  from  Trevillian  Station  to  Louisa  Court-House.  This  occupied  un 
til  3  o'clock  P.  M.,  when  he  advanced  in  the  direction  of  Gordonsville.  He 
found  the  enemy  reinforced  by  infantry,  behind  well-constructed  rifle-pits, 
about  five  miles  from  the  latter  place,  and  too  strong  to  successfully  assault. 
On  the  extreme  right,  however,  his  reserve  brigade  carried  the  enemy's  works 
twice,  and  was  twice  driven  therefrom  by  infantry.  Night  closed  the  con 
test.  Not  having  sufficient  ammunition  to  continue  the  engagement,  and 
his  animals  being  without  forage,  (the  country  furnishing  but  inferior  graz 
ing,)  and  hearing  nothing  from  General  Hunter,  he  withdrew  his  command 
to  the  north  side  of  the  North  Anna,  and  commenced  his  return  march 
reaching  White  House  at  the  time  before  stated.  After  breaking  up  the  de 
pot  at  that  place  he  moved  to  the  James  River,  which  he  reached  safely  after 
heavy  fighting.  He  commenced  crossing  on  the  25th,  near  Fort  Powhatan, 
without  further  molestation,  and  rejoined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

On  the  22d  General  Wilson,  with  his  own  division  of  cavalry  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac,  and  General  Kautz's  division  of  cavalry  of  the  Army  of  the 
James,  moved  against  the  enemy's  railroads  south  of  Richmond.  Striking 
the  Weldon  railroad  at  Ream's  Station,  destroying  the  depot  and  several 
miles  of  the  road  and  the  South-side  road  about  fifteen  miles  from  Peters 
burg,  to  near  Not  to  way  Station,  where  he  met  and  defeated  a  force  of  the 
enemy's  cavalry,  he  reached  Burksville  Station  on  the  afternoon  of  the  23d, 
and  from  there  destroyed  the  Danville  railroad  to  Roanoke  bridge,  a  distance 
of  twenty-five  miles,  where  he  found  the  enemy  in  force,  and  in  a  position 
from  which  he  could  not  dislodge  him.  He  then  commenced  his  return 
march,  and  on  the  28th  met  the  enemy's  cavalry  in  force  at  the  Weldon  rail 
road  crossing  of  Stony  Creek,  where  he  had  a  severe  but  not  decisive  en 
gagement.  Thence  he  made  a  detour  from  his  left,  with  a  view  of  reaching 
Ream's  Station,  (supposing  it  to  be  in  our  possession.)  At  this  place  he  was 
met  by  the  enemy's  cavalry,  supported  by  infantry,  and  forced  to  retire,  with 
the  loss  of  his  artillery  and  trains.  In  this  last  encounter  General  Kautz, 
with  a  part  of  his  command,  became  separated,  and  made  his  way  into  our 
lines.  General  Wilson,  with  the  remainder  of  his  force,  succeeded  in  cross 
ing  the  Nottoway  River  and  coming  in  safely  on  our  left  and  rear.  The 
damage  to  the  enemy  in  this  expedition  more  than  compensated  for  the 
losses  we  sustained.  It  severed  all  connection  by  railroad  with  Richmond 
for  several  weeks. 

With  a  view  of  cutting  the  enemy's  railroad  from  near  Richmond  to  the 
Anna  Rivers  and  making  him  wary  of  the  situation  of  his  army  in  the  Shen- 
andoah,  atfd,  in  the  event  of  failure  in  this,  to  take  advantage  of  his  necessary 
withdrawal  of  troops  from  Petersburg,  to  explode  a  mine  that  had  been  pre 
pared  in  front  of  the  Ninth  Corps  and  assault  the  enemy's  lines  at  that  place, 
on  the  night  of  the  26th  of  July  the  Second  Corps  ami  two  divisions  of  the 
cavalry  corps  and  Kautz's  cavalry  were  crossed  to  the  north  bank  of  tbe 
70 


632         OPERATIONS    IN    SHENANDOAH    VALLEY. 

James  River  and  joined  the  force  General  Butler  had  there.  On  the  27th 
the  enemy  was'  driven  from  his  intrenched  position,  with  the  loss  of  four 
pieces  of  artillery.  On  the  28th  our  lines  were  extended  from  Deep  Bottom 
to  New  Market  road,  but  in  getting  this  position  were  attacked  by  the  enemy 
in  heavy  force.  The  fighting  lasted  for  several  hours,  resulting  in  considera 
ble  loss  to  both  sides.  The  first  object  of  this  move  having  failed,  by  reason 
of  the  very  large  force  thrown  there  by  the  enemy,  I  determined  to  take  ad 
vantage  of  the  diversion  made,  by  assaulting  Petersburg  before  he  could  get 
Ids  force  back  there.  One  division  of  the  Second  Corps  was  withdrawn  on 
the  night  of  the  28th,  and  moved  during  the  night  to  the  rear  of  the  Eigh 
teenth  Corps,  to  relieve  that  corps  in  the  line,  that  it  might  be  foot-loose  in 
the  assault  to  be  made.  The  other  two  divisions  of  the  Second  Corps  and 
Sheridan's  cavalry  were  crossed  over  on  the  night  of  the  29th  and  moved  in 
front  of  Petersburg.  On  the  morning  of  the  30th,  between  four  and  five 
o'clock,  the  mine  was  sprung,  blowing  up  a  battery  and  most  of  a  regiment, 
and  the  advance  of  the  assaulting  column,  formed  of  the  Ninth  Corps,  imme 
diately  took  possession  of  the  crater  made  by  the  explosion,  and  the  line  for 
some  distance  to  the  right  and  left  of  it,  and  a  detached  line  in  front  of  it, 
but  for  some  cause  failed  to  advance  promptly  to  the  ridge  beyond.  Had 
they  done  this,  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  Petersburg  would  have 
fallen.  Other  troops  were  immediately  pushed  forward,  but  the  time  con 
sumed  in  getting  them  up  enabled  the  enemy  to  rally  from  his  surprise 
(which  had  been  complete)  and  get  forces  to  this  point  for  its  defense.  The 
captured  line  thus  held  being  untenable,  and  of  no  advantage  to  us,  the 
troops  were  withdrawn,  but  not  without  heavy  loss.  Thus  terminated  in 
disaster  what  promised  to  be  the  most  successful  assault  of  the  campaign. 

Immediately  upon  the  enemy's  ascertaining  that  General  Hunter  was  re 
treating  from  Lynchburg  by  way  of  the  Kanawha  River,  thus  laying  the 
Shenandoah  Valley  open  for  raids  into  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania,  he  re 
turned  northward,  and  moved  down  that  valley.  As  soon  as  this  movement 
of  the  enemy  was  ascertained,  General  Hunter,  who  had  reached  the  Kana 
wha  River,  was  directed  to  move  his  troops  without  delay,  by  river  and  rail 
road,  to  Harper's  Ferry;  but  owing  to  the  difficulty  of  navigation  by  reason 
of  low  water  and  breaks  in  the  railroad,  great  delay  was  experienced  in 
getting  there.  It  became  necessary,  therefore,  to  find  other  troops  to  check 
this  movement  of  the  enemy.  For  this  purpose  the  Sixth  Corps  was  taken 
from  the  armies  operating  against  Richmond,  to  which  was  added  the  Nine 
teenth  Corps,  then  fortunately  beginning  to  arrive  in  Hampton  Roads  from 
the  Gulf  Department,  under  orders  issued  immediately  after  the  ascertain 
ment  of  the  result  of  the  Red  River  expedition.  The  garrisons  of  Baltimore 
and  Washington  were  at  this  time  made  up  of  heavy  artillery  regiments, 
hundred-days  men,  and  detachments  from  the  invalid  corps.  One  division, 
under  command  of  General  Ricketts,  of  the  Sixth  Corps,  was  sent  to  Balti 
more,  and  the  remaining  two  divisions  of  the  Sixth  Corps,  under  General 
Wright,  were  subsequently  sent  to  Washington.  On  the  3d  of  July  the 
enemy  approached  Martinsburg ;  General  Sigel,  who  was  in  command  of  our 
forces  there,  retreated  across  the  Potomac  at  Shepardstown  ;  and  General 
Weber,  commanding  at  Harper's  Ferry,  crossed  the  river  and  occupied  Ma 
ryland  Heights.  On  the  6th  the  enemy  occupied  Hagerstown,  moving  a 
strong  column  toward  Frederick  City.  General  Wallace,  with  Rickett's 
division  and  his  own  command,  the  latter  mostly  new  and  undisciplined 


EARLY'S   RAID   NORTH.  633 

troops,  pushed  out  from  Baltimore  with  great  promptness,  and  met  the 
enemy  in  force  on  the  Monocacy,  near  the  crossing  of  the  railroad  bridge. 
His  force  was  not  sufficient  to  insure  success,  but  he  fought  the  enemy  nev 
ertheless,  and  although  it  resulted  in  a  defeat  to  our  arms,  yet  it  detained 
the  enemy  and  thereby  served  to  enable  General  Wright  to  reach  Washing 
ton  with  two  divisions  of  the  Sixth  Corps,  and  the  advance  of  the  Nineteenth 
Corps,  before  him.  From  Monacacy  the  enemy  moved  on  Washington,  his 
cavalry  advance  reaching  Rockville  on  the  evening  of  the  10th.  On  the  12th 
a  reconnoissance  was  thrown  out  in  front  of  Fort  Stevens,  to  ascertain  the 
enemy's  position  and  force.  A  severe  skirmish  ensued,  in  which  we  lost 
about  two  hundred  and  eighty  in  killed  and  wounded.  The  enemy's  loss 


to  the  command  of  all  the  troops  that  could  be  made  available  to  operate  in 
the  field  against  the  enemy,  and  directed  that  he  should  get  outside  of  the 
trenches  with  all  the  force  he  could,  and  push  Early  to  the  last  moment. 
General  Wright  commenced  the  pursuit  on  the  13th;  on  the  18th  the  en 
emy  was  overtaken  at  Snicker's  Ferry,  on  the  Shenan<Joah,  when  a  sharp 
skirmish  occurred ;  and  on  the  20th  General  Averill  encountered  and  de 
feated  a  portion  of  the  rebel  army  at  Winchester,  capturing  four  pieces  of 
artillery  and  several  hundred  prisoners. 

Learning  that  Early  was  retreating  south  toward  Lynchburg  or  Richmond, 
I  directed  that  the  Sixth  and  Nineteenth  Corps  be  got  back  to  the  armies 
operating  against  Richmond,  so  that  they  might  be  used  in  a  movement 
against  Lee  "before  the  return  of  the  troops  sent  by  him  into  the  valley;  and 
that  Hunter  should  remain  in,  the  Shcnandoah  Valley,  keeping  between  any 
force  of  the  enemy  and  Washington,  acting  on  the  defensive  as  much  as 
possible.  I  felt  that  if  the  enemy  had  any  notion  of  returning,  the  fact 
would  be  developed  before  the  Sixth  and  Nineteenth  Corps  could  leave 
Washington.  Subsequently,  the  Nineteenth  Corps  was  excepted  from  the 
order  to  return  to  the  James. 

About  the  25th  it  became  evident  that  the  enemy  was  again  advancing 
upon  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania,  and  the  Sixth  Corps,  then  at  AVashington, 
was  ordered  back  to  the  vicinity  of  Harper's  Ferry.  The  rebel  force  moved 
down  the  valley,  and  sent  a  raiding  party  into  Pennsylvania,  which  on  the 
30th  burned  Chambersburg  and  then  retreated,  pursued  by  our  cavalry,  to 
ward  Cumberland.  They  were  met  and  defeated  by  General  Kelly,  and  with 
diminished  numbers  escaped  into  the  mountains  of  West  Virginia.  From 
the  time  of  the  first  raid  the  telegraph  wires  were  frequently  down  between 
Washington  and  City  Point,  making  it  necessary  to  transmit  messages  a 
part  of  the  way  by  boat.  It  took  from  twenty-four  to  thirty-six  hours  to  get 
dispatches  through  and  return  answers  back ;  so  that  often  orders  would  be 
given,  and  then  information  would  be  received  showing  a  different  state  of 
facts  from  those  on  which  they  were  based,  causing  a  confusion  and  apparent 
contradiction  of  orders  that  must  have  considerably  embarrassed  those  who 
had  to  execute  them,  and  rendered  operations  against  the  enemy  less  effective 
than  they  otherwise  would  have  been.  To  remedy  this  evil,  it  was  evident 
to  my  mind  that  some  person  should  have  the  supreme  command  of  all  the 
forces  in  the  Departments  of  West  Virginia,  Washington,  Susquehanna,  and 
the  Middle  Department,  and  I  so  recommended. 


634       SHERIDAN  SUPERSEDES  HUNTER. 

On  the  2d  of  August  I  ordered  General  Sheridan  to  report  in  person  to 
Major  General  Halleck,  Chief  of  Staff,  at  Washington,  with  a  view  to  his*  as 
signment  to  the  command  of  all  the  forces  against  Early.  At  this  time  the 
enemy  was  concentrated  in  the  neighborhood  of  "Winchester,  whilst  our 
forces,  under  General  Hunter,  were  concentrated  on  the  Monocacy,  at  the 
crossing  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad,  leaving  open  to  the  enemy 
Western  Maryland  and  Southern  Pennsylvania.  From  where  I  was,  I  hesi 
tated  to  give  positive  orders  for  the  movement  of  our  forces  at  Monocacy, 
lest  by  so  doing  I  should  expose  Washington.  Therefore,  on  the  4th  I  left 
City  Point  to  visit  Hunter's  command,  and  determine  for  myself  what  wa» 
best  to  be  done.  On  arrival  there,  and  after  consultation  with  General  Hun 
ter,  I  issued  to  him  the  following  instructions : — 

MOXOCACY  BRIDGE,  MD,T  August  5,  18G4 — 8  P.  M, 

"GENERAL: — Concentrate  all  yonr  available  force  without  delay  in  the  vicinity  of  Har 
per's  Ferry,  leaving  only  such  railroad  guards  and  garrisons  for  public  property  as  may  be 
necessary.  Use,  in  this  concentrating,  the  railroads,  if  by  so  doing  time  can  be  saved. 
From  Harper's  Ferry,  if  it  is  found  that  the  enemy  has  moved  north  of  the  Potomae  in 
large  force,  push  north,  following  him  and  attacking  him  wherever  found;  follow  him,  if 
driven  south  of  the  Potomac,  as  long  as  it  is  safe  to  do  so.  If  it  is  ascertained  that  the  enemy 
Las  but  a  small  force  north  of  the  Potomae,  then  push  south  with  the  main  force,  detach 
ing,  under  a  competent  Commander,  a  sufficient  force  to  look  after  the  raiders,  and  drire 
them  to  their  homes.  In  detaching  such  a  force,  the  brigade  of  cavalry  now  en  route  from 
Washington,  vi-a  Eockville,  may  be  taken  into  account. 

There  are  now  on  their  way  to  join  you  three  other  brigades  of  the  best  cavalry,  num 
bering,  at  least,  five  thousand  men  and  horses.  These  will  be  instructed,  in  the  absence 
of  further  orders,  to  join  you  by  the  south  side  of  the  Potomac.  One  brigade  will  proba 
bly  start  to-morrow.  In  pushing  up  the  Shenandoah  Yalley,  where  it  is  expected  you 
will  have  to  go  first  or  last,  it  is  desirable  that  nothing  should  be  left  to  invite  the  enemy 
to  return.  Take  all  provisions,  forage,  and  stock  wanted  for  the  use  of  your  command ; 
such  as  can  not  be  consumed,  destroy.  It  is  not  desirable  that  the  buildings  should  be- 
destroyed — they  should  rather  be  protected — but  the  people  should  be  informed  that  so 
long  as  an  army  can  subsist  among  them  recurrences  of  these  raids  must  be  expected,  and 
we  are  determined  to  stop  them  at  all  haz  irds. 

Bear  in  mind  the  object  is  to  drive  the  enemy  south,  and  to  do  tins  you  want  to  keep 
him  always  in  sight.  Be  guided  in  your  course  -by  the  course  he  takes. 

Make  your  own  arrangements  for  supplies  of  all  kinds,  giving  regular  vouchers  for  such 
as  may  be  taken  from  loyal  citizens  in  the  country  through  which  you  march. 

U.  S,  GRANT,  Lieuknani  General" 

Major  General  D.  HUNTER. 

The  troops  were  immediately  put  in  motion,  and  the  advance  reached 
Halltown  that  night. 

General  Hunter  having,  in  our  conversation,  expressed  a  willingness  to  he- 
relieved  from  command,  I  telegraphed  to  have  General  Sheridan,  then  at 
Washington,  sent  to  Harper's  Ferry  by  the  morning  train,  with  orders  to- 
take  general  command  of  all  the  troops  in  the  field,  and  to  call  on  General 
Hunter  at  Monocacy,  who  would  turn  over  to  him  my  letter  of  instructions. 
I  remained  at  Monocacy  until  General  Sheridan  arrived  on  the  morning  of 
the  6th,  and,  after  a  conference  with  him  in  relation  to  military  affairs  in 
that  vicinity,  I  returned  to  City  Point  by  way  of  Washington. 

On  the  7th  of  August  the  Middle  Department  and  the  Departments  of 
West  Virginia,  Washington,  and  Susquehanna  were  constituted  into  the 
"  Middle  Military  Division,"  and  Major  General  Sheridan  was  assigned  to 
temporary  command  of  the  same. 

Two  divisions  of  cavalry,  commanded  by  Generals  Torbert  and  Wilson, 


SHERIDAN'S  GREAT  VICTORY.  635 

were  sent  to  Sheridan  from  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  The  first  reached 
him  at  Harper's  Ferry  about  the  llth  of  August. 

His  operations  during  the  month  of  August  and  the  fore-part  of  Septem 
ber  were  both  of  an  offensive  and  defensive  character,  resulting  in  many  se 
vere  skirmishes,  principally  by  the  cavalry,  in  which  we  were  generally  suc 
cessful,  but  no  general  engagement  took  place.  The  two  armies  lay  in  such 
a  position — the  enemy  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Opequan  Creek  covering 
Winchester,  and  our  forces  in  front  of  Berrysville — that  either  could  bring 
on  a  battle  at  any  time.  Defeat  to  us  would  lay  open  to  the  enemy  the 
States  of  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  for  long  distances  before  another  army 
could  be  interposed  to  check  him.  Under  these  circumstances,  I  hesitated 
about  allowing  the  initiative  to  be  taken.  Finally,  the  use  of  the  Baltimore 
and  Ohio  railroad  and  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  canal,  which  were  both  ob 
structed  by  the  enemy,  became  so  indispensably  necessary  to  us,  and  the  im 
portance  of  relieving  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland  from  continuously  threat 
ened  invasion  so  great,  that  I  determined  the  risk  should  be  taken.  But 
fearing  to  telegraph  the  order  for  an  attack  without  knowing  more  than  I 
did  of  General  Sheridan's  feelings  as  to  what  would  be  the  probable  result,  I 
left  City  Point  on  the  15th  of  September  to  visit  him  at  his  head-quarters, 
to  decide,  after  conference  with  him,  what  should  be  done.  I  met  him  at 
Charleston,  and  he  pointed  out  so  distinctly  how  each  army  lay,  what  he 
could  do  the  moment  he  was  authorized,  and  expressed  such  confidence  of 
success,  that  I  saw  there  were  but  two  words  of  instructions  necessary — Go 
in !  For  the  convenience  of  forage,  the  teams  for  supplying  the  army  were 
kept  at  Harper's  Ferry.  I  asked  him  if  he  could  get  out  his  teams  and  sup 
plies  in  time  to  make  an  attack  on  the  ensuing  Tuesday  morning.  His  re 
ply  was,  that  he  could  before  daylight  on  Monday.  He  was  off  promptly  to 
time,  and  I  may  here  add  that  the  result  was  such  that  I  have  never  since 
deemed  it  necessary  to  visit  General  Sheridan  before  giving  him  orders. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  General  Sheridan  attacked  General 
Early  at  the  crossing  on  the  Opequan  Creek,  and  after  a  most  sanguinary 
and  bloody  battle,  lasting  until  5  o'clock  in  the  evening,  defeated  him  with 
heavy  loss,  carrying  his  entire  position  from  Opequan  Creek  to  Winchester, 
capturing  several  thousand  prisoners  and  five  pieces  of  artillery.  The  enemy 
rallied  and  made  a  stand  in  a  strong  position  at  Fisher's  Hill,  where  he  was 
attacked  and  again  defeated  with  heavy  loss  on  the  20th.  Sheridan  pursued 
him  with  great  energy  through  Harrisonburg,  Staunton,  and  the  gaps  of  the 
Blue  Ridge.  After  stripping  the  upper  valley  of  most  of  the  supplies  and 
provisions  for  the  rebel  army,  he  returned  to  Strasburg,  and  took  position  ou 
the  north  side  of  Cedar  Creek. 

Having  received  considerable  reinforcements,  General  Early  again  returned 
to  the  valley,  and  on  the  9th  of  October  his  cavalry  encountered  ours  near 
Strasburg,  where  the  rebels  were  defeated  with  the  loss  of  eleven  pieces  of 
artillery  and  three  hundred  and  fifty  prisoners.  On  the  night  of  the  18th  the 
enemy  crossed  the  mountains  which  separated  the  branches  of  the  Shenan- 
doah,  forded  the  north  fork,  and  early  on  the  morning  of  the  19th,  under 
cover  of  the  darkness  and  the  fog,  surprised  and  turned  our  left  flank,  and 
captured  the  batteries  which  enfiladed  our  whole  line.  Our  troops  fell  back 
with  heavy  loss  and  in  much  confusion,  but  were  finally  rallied  between 
Middletown  and  Newtown.  At  this  juncture  General  Sheridan,  who  was  at 
Winchester  when  the  battle  commenced,  arrived  on  the  field,  arranged  his 


636  AFFAIRS     AROUND    PETERSBURG. 

lines  just  in  time  to  repulse  a  heavy  attack  of  the  enemy,  and  immediately 
assuming  the  offensive,  he  attacked  in  turn  with  great  vigor.  The  enemy 
was  defeated  with  great  slaughter  and  the  loss  of  most  of  his  artillery  and 
trains  and  the  trophies  he  had  captured  in  the  morning.  The  wreck  of  his 
army  escaped  during  the  night,  and  fled  in  the  direction  of  Staunton  and 
Lynchburg.  Pursuit  was  made  to  Mount  Jackson.  Thus  ended  this,  the 
enemy's  last  attempt,  to  invade  the  north,  via  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  I 
was  now  enabled  to  return  the  Sixth  Corps  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
and  to  send  one  division  from  Sheridan's  army  to  the  Army  of  the  James, 
and  another  to  Savannah,  Georgia,  to  hold  Sherman's  new  acquisitions  on 
the  sea-coast,  and  thus  enable  him  to  move  without  detaching  from  his  force 
for  that  purpose. 

Reports  from  various  sources  led  me  to  believe  that  the  enemy  had  de 
tached  three  divisions  from  Petersburg  to  reinforce  Early  in  the  Shenandoah 
Valley.  I  therefore  sent  the  Second  Corps  and  Gregg's  division  of  cavalry, 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  a  force  of  General  Butler's  army,  on  the 
night  of  the  13th  of  August,  to  threaten  Richmond  from  the  north  side  of 
the  James,  to  prevent  him  from  sending  troops  away,  and,  if  possible,  to 
draw  back  those  sent.  In  this  move  we  captured  six  pieces  of  artillery  and 
several  hundred  prisoners,  detained  troops  that  were  under  marching  orders, 
and  ascertained  that  but  one  division,  (Kershaw's,)  of  the  three  reputed  de 
tached,  had  gone. 

The  enemy  having  withdrawn  heavily  from  Petersburg  to  resist  this  move 
ment,  the  Fifth  Corps,  General  Warren  commanding,  was  moved  out  on  the 
1 8th  and  took  possession  of  the  Wcldon  railroad.  During  the  day  he  had 
considerable  righting.  To  regain  possession  of  the  road,  the  enemy  made 
repeated  and  desperate  assaults,  but  was  each  time  repulsed  with  great  loss. 
On  the  night  of  the  20th  the  troops  on  the  north  side  of  the  James  were 
withdrawn,  and  Hancock  and  Gregg  returned  to  the  front  of  Petersburg. 
On  the  25th  the  Second  Corps  and  Gregg's  division  of  cavalry,  while  at 
Ream's  Station  destroying  the  railroad,  were  attacked,  and  after  desperate 
fighting,  a  part  of  our  line  gave  way,  and  five  pieces  of  artillery  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy. 

By  the  12th  of  September  a  branch  railroad  was  completed  from  the  City 
Point  and  Petersburg  railroad  to  the  Weldon  railroad,  enabling  us  to  sup 
ply,  without  difficulty,  in  all  weather,  the  army  in  front  of  Petersburg. 

The  extension  of  our  lines  across  the  Weldon  railroad  compelled  the  en 
emy  to  so  extend  his  that  it  seemed  he  could  have  but  few  troops  north  of 
the  James  for  the  defense  of  Richmond.  On  the  night  of  the  28th  the  Tenth 
Corps,  Major  General  Birney,  and  the  Eighteenth  Corps,  Major  General  Ord 
commanding,  of  General  Butler's  army,  were  crossed  to  the  north  side  of  the 
James,  and  advanced  on  the  morning  of  the  29th,  carrying  the  very  strong 
fortifications  and  intrenchments  below  Chapin's  Farm,  known  as  Fort  Harri 
son,  capturing  fifteen  pieces  of  artillery  and  the  New  Market  road  and  in 
trenchments.  This  success  was  followed  up  by  a  gallant  assault  upon  Fort 
Gillmore,  immediately  in  front  of  the  Cliapin  Farm  fortifications,  in  which  we 
were  repulsed  with  heavy  loss.  Kantz's  cavalry  was  pushed  forward  on  the 
road  to  the  right  of  this,  supported  by  infantry,  and  reached  the  enemy's  in 
ner  line,  but  was  unable  to  get  further.  The  position  captured  from  tho  en 
emy  was  so  threatening  to  Richmond  that  I  determined  to  hold  it.  The 
enemy  made  several  desperate  attempts  to  dislodge  us,  all  of  which  were 


OPERATIONS    AROUND     PETERSBURG.  637 

unsuccessful,  and  for  which  he  paid  dearly.  On  the  morning  of  the  30th 
General  Meadc  sent  out  a  reconnoissance,  with  a  view  to  attacking  the  ene 
my's  line  if  it  was  found  sufficiently  weakened  l>y  withdrawal  of  troops  to 
the  north  side.  In  this  reconnoissance  we  captured  and  held  the  enemy's 
works  near  Poplar  Spring  Church.  In  the  afternoon,  troops  moving  to  get 
to  the  left  of  the  point  gained  were  attacked  by  the  enemy  in  heavy  force, 
and  compelled  to  fall  back  until  supported  by  the  forces  holding  the  captured 
works.  Our  cavalry  under  Gregg  was  also  attacked,  but  repulsed  the  enemy 
with  great  loss. 

On  the  7th  of  October  the  enemy  attacked  Kautz's  cavalry  north  of  the 
James,  and  drove  it  back  with  heavy  loss  in  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners, 
and  the  loss  of  all  the  artillery — eight  or  nine  pieces.  This  he  followed  up 
by  an  attack  on  our  intrenched  infantry  line,  but  was  repulsed  with  severe 
slaughter.  On  the  13th  a  reconnoissance  was  sent  out  by  General  Butler, 
with  a  view  to  drive  the  enemy  from  some  new  works  he  was  constructing, 
which  resulted  in  very  heavy  loss  to  us. 

On  the  27th  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  leaving  only  sufficient  men  to  hold 
its  fortified  line,  moved  by  the  enemy's  right  flank.  The  Second  Corps,  fol 
lowed  by  two  divisions  of  the  Fifth  Corps,  with  the  cavalry  in  advance  and 
covering  our  left  flank,  forced  a  passage  of  Hatcher's  Run,  and  moved  up  the 
south  side  of  it  toward  the  South-side  railroad,  until  the  Second  Corps  and 
part  of  the  cavalry  reached  the  Boydtown  plank  road,  where  it  crosses 
Hatcher's  Run.  At  this  point  we  were  six  miles  distant  from  the  South-side 
railroad,  which  I  had  hoped  by  this  movement  to  reach  and  hold.  But 
finding  that  we  had  not  reached  the  end  of  the  enemy's  fortifications,  and 
no  place  presenting  itself  for  a  successful  assault  by  which  he  might  be 
doubled  up  and  shortened,  I  determined  to  withdraw  to  within  our  fortified 
line.  Orders  were  given  accordingly.  Immediately  upon  receiving  a  report 
that  General  Warren  had  connected  with  General  Hancock,  I  returned  to  my 
head-quarters.  Soon  after  I  left,  the  enemy  moved  out  across  Hatcher's 
Run,  in  the  gap  between  Generals  Hancock  and  Warren,  which  was  not 
closed  as  reported,  and  made  a  desperate  attack  on  General  Hancock's  right 
and  rear.  General  Hancock  immediately  faced  his  corps  to  meet  it,  and 
after  a  bloody  combat  drove  the  enemy,  within  his  works,  and  withdrew  that 
night  to  his  old  position. 

In  support  of  this  movement  General  Butler  made  a  demonstration  on  the 
north  side  of  the  James,  and  attacked  the  enemy  on  the  Williamsburg  road, 
and  also  on  the  York  River  railroad.  In  the  former  he  was  unsuccessful ;  in 
the  latter  he  succeeded  in  carrying  a  work  which  was  afterward  abandoned, 
and  his  forces  withdrawn  to  their  former  positions. 

From  this  time  forward  the  operations  in  front  of  Petersburg  and  Richmond, 
until  the  spring  campaign  of  1865,  were  confined  to  the  defense  and  exten 
sion  of  our  lines,  and  to  offensive  movements  for  crippling  the  enemy's  lines 
of  communication,  and  to  prevent  his  detaching  any  considerable  force  to 
send  south.  By  the  7th  of  February  our  lines  were  extended  to  Hatcher's 
Run,  and  the  Weldon  railroad  had  been  destroyed  to  Hicksford. 

General  Sherman  moved  from  Chattanooga  on  the  6th  of  May,  with  the 
armies  of  the  Cumberland,  Tennessee,  and  Ohio — commanded,  respectively, 
by  Generals  Thomas,  McPherson,  and  Schofield — upon  Johnston's  army  at 
Dalton ;  but  finding  the  enemy's  positions  at  Buzzard  Roost,  covering  Dai- 
ton,  too  strong  to  be  assaulted.  General  McPherson  was  sent  through  Snake 


638  SHERMAN     STARTS    FOR    ATLANTA. 

Gap  to  turn  it,  whilst  Generals  Thomas  and  Schofield  threatened  it  in  front 
and  on  the  north.  This  movement  was  successful.  Johnston,  finding  his 
retreat  likely  to  be  cut  oft',  fell  back  to  his  fortified  position  at  Resaca,  where 
he  was  attacked  on  the  afternoon  of  May  15th.  A  heavy  battle  ensued. 
During  the  night  the  enemy  retreated  south.  Late  on  the  17th  his  rear 
guard  was  overtaken  near  Adairsville,  and  heavy  skirmishing  followed.  The 
next  morning,  however,  he  had  again  disappeared.  He  was  vigorously  pur- 
Bued  and  was  overtaken  at  Cassville  on  the  19th,  but,  during  the  ensuing 
night,  retreated  across  the  Etowah.  Whilst  these  operations  were  going  on, 
General  Jefferson  C.  Davis'  division  of  Thomas'  army  was  sent  to  Rome, 
capturing  it  with  its  forts  and  artillery  and  its  valuable  mills  and  foundries. 
General  Sherman  having  given  his  army  a  few  days'  rest  at  this  point,  again 
put  it  in  motion  on  the  23d  for  Dallas,  with  a  view  of  turning  the  difficult 
pass  at  Allatoona.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  25th  the  advance,  under  General 
Hooker,  had  a  severe  battle  with  the  enemy,  driving  him  back  to  New  Hope 
Church,  near  Dallas.  Several  sharp  encounters  occurred  at  this  point.  The 
most  important  was  on  the  28th,  when  the  enemy  assaulted  General  Mc- 
Pherson  at  Dallas,  but  received  a  terrible  and  bloody  repulse. 

On  the  4th  of  June,  Johnston  abandoned  his  intrenched  position  at  New 
Hope  Church  and  retreated  to  the  strong  positions  of  Ivenesaw,  Pine,  and 
Lost  Mountains.  He  was  forced  to  yield  the  two  last  named  places  and  con 
centrate  his  army  on  Kenesaw,  where,  on  the  27th,  Generals  Thomas  and 
McPherson  made  a  determined  but  unsuccessful  assault.  On  the  night  of 
the  2d  of  July  Sherman  commenced  moving  his  army  by  the  right  flank, 
and  on  the  morning  of  the  3d  found  that  the  enemy,  in  consequence  of  this 
movement,  had  abandoned  Kenesaw  and  retreated  across  the  Chattahoochee. 

General  Sherman  remained  on  the  Chattahoochee  to  give  his  men  rest  and 
get  up  stores  until  the  17th  of  July,  when  he  resumed  his  operations,  crossed 
the  Chattahoochee,  destroyed  a  large  portion  of  the  railroad  to  Augusta,  and 
drove  the  enemy  back  to  Atlanta.  At  this  place  General  Hood  succeeded 
General  Johnston  in  command  of  the  rebel  army,  and  assuming  the  otfensive- 
defensive  policy,  made  several  severe  attacks  upon  Sherman  in  the  vicinity 
of  Atlanta,  the  most  desperate  and  determined  of  which  was  on  the  22d  of 
July.  About  1  P.  M.  of  this  day  the  brave,  accomplished,  and  noble -hearted 
McPherson  was  killed.  General  Logan  succeeded  him,  and  commanded  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee  through  this  desperate  battle  and  until  lie  was  su 
perseded  by  Major  General  Howard  on  the  26th,  with  the  same  success  and 
ability  that  had  characterized  him  in  the  command  of  a  corps  or  division. 

In  all  these  attacks  the  enemy  was  repulsed  with  great  loss.  Finding  it 
impossible  to  entirely  invest  the  place,  General  Sherman,  after  securing  his 
line  of  communications  across  the  Chattahoochee,  moved  his  main  force  round 
by  the  enemy's  left  flank  upon  the  Montgomery  and  Macon  roads,  to  draw 
the  enemy  from  his  fortifications.  In  this  he  succeeded,  and,  after  defeating 
the  enemy  near  Rough  and  Ready,  Jonesboro',  and  Lovejoy's,  forcing  him  to 
retreat  to  the  south,  on  the  2d  of  September  occupied  Atlanta,  the  objective 
point  of  his  campaign. 

About  the  time  of  this  move  the  rebel  cavalry,  under  Wheeler,  attempted 
to  cut  his  communications  in  the  rear,  but  was  repulsed  at  Dalton  and  driven 
into  East  Tennessee,  whence  it  proceeded  west  to  McMinnville,  Murfreesboro', 
and  Franklin,  and  was  finally  driven  south  of  the  Tennessee.  The  damage 
done  by  this  raid  was  repaired  in  a  few  days. 


TRIBUTE     TO     SHERMAN.  639 

During  the  partial  investment  of  Atlanta,  General  Rousseau  joined  General 
Sherman  with  a  force  of  cavalry  from  Decatur,  having  made  a  successful  raid 
upon  the  Atlanta  and  Montgomery  railroad,  and  its  branches  near  Opelika. 
Cavalry  raids  were  also  made  by  Generals  McCook,  Garrard,  and  Stoneman, 
to  cut  the  remaining  railroad  communication  with  Atlanta.  The  first  two 
were  successful — the  latter  disastrous. 

General  Sherman's  movement  from  Chattanooga  to  Atlanta  was  prompt, 
skillful,  and  brilliant.  The  history  of  his  flank  movements  and  battles  during 
that'memorable  campaign  will  ever  be  read  with  an  interest  unsurpassed  by 
any  thing  in  history. 

His  own  report,  and  those  of  his  subordinate  Commanders  accompanying 
it,  give  the  details  of  that  most  successful  campaign. 

He  was  dependent  for  the  supply  of  his  armies  upon  a  single-track  railroad 
from  Nashville  to  the  point  where  he  was  operating.  This  passed  the  entire 
distance  through  a  hostile  country,  and  every  foot  of  it  had  to  be  protected 
by-  troops.  The  cavalry  force  of  the  enemy  under  Forrest,  in  Northern  Mis 
sissippi,  was  evidently  waiting  for  Sherman  to  advance  far  enough  into  the 
mountains  of  Georgia  to  make  a  retreat  disastrous,  to  get  upon  his  line  and 
destroy  it  beyond  the  possibility  of  further  use.  To  guard  against  this  dan 
ger  Sherman  left  what  he  supposed  to  be  a  sufficient  force  to  operate  against 
Forrest  in  West  Tennessee.  He  directed  General  Washburn,  who  com 
manded  there,  to  send  Brigadier  General  S.  D.  Sturgis  in  command  of  this 
force  to  attack  him.  On  the  morning  of  the  10th  of  June  General  Sturgis 
met  the  enemy  near  Guntown,  Miss.,  was  badly  beaten,  and  driven  back  in 
utter  rout  and  confusion  to  Memphis — a  distance  of  about  one  hundred  miles — 
hotly  pursued  by  the  enemy.  By  this,  however,  the  enemy  was  defeated  in 
his  designs  upon  Sherman's  line  of  communications.  The  persistency  with 
which  he  followed  up  this  success  exhausted  him,  and  made  a  season  for  rest 
and  repairs  necessary.  In  the  meantime  Major  General  A.  J.  Smith,  with 
the  troops  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  that  had  been  sent  by  General 
Sherman  to  General  Banks,  arrived  at  Memphis  on  their  return  from  Red 
River,  where  they  had  done  most  excellent  service.  He  was  directed  by 
General  Sherman  to  immediately  take  the  offensive  against  Forrest.  This  he 
did  with  the  promptness  and  effect  which  has  characterized  his  whole  mili 
tary  career.  On  the  14th  of  July  he  met  the  enemy  at  Tupelo,  Miss.,  and 
whipped  him  badly.  The  fighting  continued  through  three  days.  Our  loss 
was  small  compared  with  that  of  the  enemy.  Having  accomplished  the  ob 
ject  of  his  expedition,  General  Smith  returned  to  Memphis. 

During  the  months  of  March  and  April  this  same  force  tinder  Forrest  an 
noyed  us  considerably.  On  the  24th  of  March  it  captured  Union  City,  Ky., 
and  its  garrison,  and  on  the  24th  attacked  Paducah,  commanded  by  Colonel 
S.  G.  Hicks,  Fortieth  Illinois  volunteers.  Colonel  II.,  having  but  a  small 
force,  withdrew  to  the  forts  near  the  river,  from  where  he  repulsed  the  enemy 
and  drove  him  from  the  place. 

On  the  13th  of  April  part  of  this  force,  under  the  rebel  General  Buford, 
summoned  the  garrison  of  Columbus,  Ky.,  to  surrender,  but  received  for  re 
ply  from  Colonel  Lawrence,  Thirty-fourth  New  Jersey  volunteers,  that,  being 
placed  there  by  his  Government  with  adequate  force  to  hold  his  post  and 
repel  all  enemies  from  it,  surrender  was  out  of  the  question. 

On  the  morning  of  the  same  day  Forrest  attacked  Fort  Pillow,  Tenn.,  gar 
risoned  by  a  detachment  of  Tennessee  cavalry,  and  the  First  Regiment 


640  REVERSES     ON     THE     RED    RIVER. 

Alabama  colored  troops,  commanded  by  Major  Booth.  The  garrison  fought 
bravely  until  about  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  enemy  carried  the, 
works  by  assault;  and,  after  our  men  threw  down  their  arms,  proceeded  to 
an  inhuman  and  merciless  massacre  of  the  garrison. 

On  the  14th  General  Buford,  having  failed  at  Columbus,  appeared  before 
Paducah,  but  was  again  driven  off. 

Guerrillas  and  raiders,  seemingly  emboldened  by  Forrest's  operations,  were 
also  very  active  in  Kentucky.  The  most  noted  of  these  was  Morgan.  With 
a  force  of  from  two  to  three  thousand  cavalry  he  entered  the  State  through 
Pound  Gap  in  the  latter  part  of  May.  On  the  llth  of  June  he  attacked  and 
captured  Cynthiana,  with  its  entire  garrison.  On  the  12th  he  was  overtaken 
by  General  Burbridge,  and  completely  routed  with  heavy  loss,  and  was 
finally  driven  out  of  the  State.  This  notorious  guerrilla  was  afterward  sur 
prised  and  killed  near  Greenville,  Tenn.,  and  his  command  captured  and  dis 
persed  by  General  Gillem. 

In  the  absence  of  official  reports  at  the  commencement  of  the  Red  River 
expedition,  except  so  far  as  relates  to  the  movements  of  the  troops  sent  by 
General  Sherman  under  A.  J.  Smith,  I  am  unable  to  give  the  date  of  its 
starting.  The  troops  under  General  Smith,  comprising  two  divisions  of  the 
Sixteenth  and  a  detachment  of  the  Seventeenth  Army  Corps,  left  Vicksburg 
on  the  10th  of  March  and  reached  the  designated  point  on  Red  River  one  day 
earlier  than  that  appointed  by  General  Banks.  The  rebel  forces  at  Fort  De 
Russey,  thinking  to  defeat  him,  left  the  fort  on  the  14th  to  give  him  battle  in 
the  open  field  ;  but,  while  occupying  the  enemy  with  skirmishing  and  demon 
strations,  Smith  pushed  forward  to  Fort  De  Russey,  which  had  been  left  with 
a  weak  garrison,  and  captured  it  with  its  garrison — about  three  hundred  and 
fifty  men,  eleven  pieces  of  artillery,  and  many  small-arms.  Our  loss  was  but 
slight.  On  the  15th  he  pushed  forward  to  Alexandria,  which  place  he 
reached  on  the  18th.  On  the  21st  he  had  an  engagement  with  the  enemy 
at  Henderson  Hill,  in  which  he  defeated  him,  capturing  two  hundred  and 
ten  prisoners  and  four  pieces  of  artillery. 

On  the  28th  he  again  attacked  and  defeated  the  enemy  under  the  rebel 
General  Taylor  at  Cane  River.  By  the  26th  General  Banks  had  assembled 
his  whole  army  at  Alexandria  and  pushed  forward  to  Grand  Ecore.  On  the 
morning  of  April  6th  he  moved  from  Grand  Ecore.  On  the  afternoon  of  the 
7th  his  advance  engaged  the  enemy  near  Pleasant  Hill  and  drove  him  from 
the  field.  On  the  same  afternoon  the  enemy  made  a  stand  eight  miles  be 
yond  Pleasant  Hill,  but  was  again  compelled  to  retreat.  On  the  8th,  at  Sa- 
bine  Cross-roads  and  Peach  Hill,  the  enemy  attacked  and  defeated  his  ad 
vance,  capturing  nineteen  pieces  of  artillery  and  an  immense  amount  of  trans 
portation  and  stores.  During  the  night  General  Banks  fell  back  to  Pleasant 
Hill,  where  another  battle  was  fought  on  the  9th,  and  the  enemy  repulsed 
with  great  loss.  During  the  night  General  Banks  continued  his  retrograde 
movement  to  Grand  Ecore,  and  thence  to  Alexandria,  which  he  reached  on 
the  27th  of  April.  Here  a  serious  difficulty  arose  in  getting  Admiral  Por 
ter's  fleet,  which  accompanied  the  expedition,  over  the  rapids,  the  water 
having  fallen  so  much  since  they  passed  up  as  to  prevent  their  return.  At 
the  suggestion  of  Colonel  (now  Brigadier  General)  Bailey,  and  under  his  su 
perintendence,  wing-dams  were  constructed,  by  which  the  channel  was  con 
tracted  so  that  the  fleet  passed  down  the  rapids  in  safety. 

The  army  evacuated  Alexandria  on  the  14th  of  May,  after  considerable 


OPERATIONS     IN     ARKANSAS.  641 

skirmishing  with  the  enemy's  advance,  and  reached  Morganzia  and  Point 
Coupee  near  the  end  of  the  month.  The  disastrous  termination  of  this  ex 
pedition  and  the  lateness  of  the  season  rendered  impracticable  the  carrying 
out  of  my  plans  of  a  movement  in  force  sufficient  to  insure  the  capture  of 
Mobile. 

On  the  23d  of  March  Major  General  Steele  left  Little  Rock  with  the  Sev 
enth  Army  Corps  to  cooperate  with  General  Bank's  expedition  on  Red  River, 
and  reached  Arkadelphia  on  the  28th.  On  the  16th  of  April,  after  driving 
the  enemy  before  him,  he  was  joined  near  Elkin's  Ferry,  in  Washita  County, 
by  General  Thayer,  who  had  marched  from  Fort  Smith.  After  several  se 
vere  skirmishes,  in  which  the  enemy  was  defeated,  General  Steele  reached 
Camden,  which  he  occupied  about  the  middle  of  April. 

On  learning  the  defeat  and  consequent  retreat  of  General  Banks  on  Red 
River,  and  the  loss  of  one  of  his  own  trains  at  Mark's  Mill,  in  Dallas  County, 
General  Steele  determined  to  fall  back  to  the  Arkansas  River.  He  left  Cam- 
deri  on  the  26th  of  April,  and  reached  Little  Rock  on  the  2d  of  May.  On 
the  30th  of  April  the  enemy  attacked  him  while  crossing  Saline  River  at 
Jenkins'  Ferry,  but  was  repulsed  with  considerable  loss.  Our  loss  was  about 
six  hundred  in  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners. 

Major  General  Canby,  who  had  been  assigned  to  the  command  of  the 
"  Military  Division  of  West  Mississippi,"  was  therefore  directed  to  send  the 
Nineteenth  Army  Corps  to  join  the  armies  operating  against  Richmond,  and 
to  limit  the  remainder  of  his  command  to  such  operations  as  might  be  nec 
essary  to  hold  the  positions  and  lines  of  communications  he  then  occupied. 

Before  starting  General  A.  J.  Smith's  troops  back  to  Sherman,  General 
Canby  sent  a  part  of  it  to  disperse  a  force  of  the  enemy  that  was  collecting 
near  the  Mississippi  River.  General  Smith  met  and  defeated  this  force  near 
Lake  Chicot  on  the  5th  of  June.  Our  loss  was  about  forty  killed  and 
seventy  wounded. 

In  the  latter  part  of  July  General  Canby  sent  Major  General  Gordon 
Granger,  with  such  forces  as  he  could  collect,  to  cooperate  with  Admiral 
Farragut  against  the  defenses  of  Mobile  Bay.  On  the  8th  of  August  Fort 
Gaines  .surrendered  to  the  combined  naval  and  land  forces.  Fort  Powell 
was  blown  up  and  abandoned. 

On  the  9th  Fort  Morgan  was  invested,  and  after  a  severe  bombardment 
surrendered  on  the  23d.  The  total  captures  amounted  to  one  thousand  four 
hundred  and  sixty-four  prisoners  and  one  hundred  and  four  pieces  of  artillery. 

About  the  last  of  August,  it  being  reported  that  the  rebel  General  Price, 
with  a  force  of  about  ten  thousand  men,  had  reached  Jacksonport,  on  his 
way  to  invade  Missouri,  General  A.  J.  Smith's  command,  then  en  route  from 
Memphis  to  join  Sherman,  was  ordered  to  Missouri.  A  cavalry  force  was 
also,  at  the  same  time,  sent  from  Memphis,  under  command  of  Colonel 
Winslow.  This  made  General  Rosecrans'  forces  superior  to  those  of  Price, 
and  no  doubt  was  entertained  he  would  be  able  to  check  Price  and  drive 
him  back,  while  the  forces  under  General  Steele,  in  Arkansas,  would  cut  off 
his  retreat.  On  the  26th  day  of  September  Price  attacked  Pilot  Knob  and 
forced  the  garrison  to  retreat,  and  thence  moved  north  to  the  Missouri  River, 
and  continued  up  that  river  toward  Kansas.  General  Curtis,  commanding 
Department  of  Kansas,  immediately  collected  such  forces  as  he  could  to  repel 
the  invasion  of  Kansas,  while  General  Rosecrans'  cavalry  was  operating  in  his 
rear. 


642    FORREST'S  ATTACK  UPON  ATHENS. 

The  enemy  was  brought  to  battle  on  the  Big  Blue  and  defeated,  with  the 
loss  of  nearly  all  his  artillery  and  trains  and  a  large  number  of  prisoners.  He 
made  a  precipitate  retreat  to  Northern  Arkansas.  The  impunity  with  which 
Price  was  enabled  to  roam  over  the  State  of  Missouri  for  a  long  time,  and 
the  incalculable  mischief  done  by  him,  shows  to  how  little  purpose  a  superior 
force  may  be  used.  There  is  no  reason  why  General  Rosecrans  should  not 
have  concentrated  his  forces  and  beaten  and  driven  Price  before  the  latter 
reached  Pilot  Knob. 

September  20th  the  enemy's  cavalry,  under  Forrest,  crossed  the  Tennessee 
near  Waterloo,  Ala.,  and  on  the  23d  attacked  the  garrison  at  Athens,  con 
sisting  of  six  hundred  men,  which  capitulated  on  the  24th.  Soon  after  the 
surrender  two  regiments  of  reinforcements  arrived,  and  after  a  severe  fight 
were  compelled  to  surrender.  Forrest  destroyed  the  railroad  westward,  cap 
tured  the  garrison  at  Sulphur  Branch  trestle,  skirmished  with  the  garrison 
at  Pulaski  on  the  27th,  and  on  the  same  day  cut  the  Nashville  and  Chatta 
nooga  railroad  near  Tullahoma  and  Dechard.  On  the  morning  of  the  30th 
one  column  of  Forrest's  command,  under  Buford,  appeared  before  Huntsville, 
and  summoned  the  surrender  of  the  garrison.  Receiving  an  answer  in  the 
negative,  he  remained  in  the  vicinity  of  the  place  until  next  morning,  when 
he  again  summoned  its  surrender,  and  received  the  same  reply  as.  on  the 
night  before.  He  withdrew  in  the  direction  of  Athens,  which  place  had 
been  re-garrisoned,  and  attacked  it  on  the  afternoon  of  the  1st  of  October, 
but  without  success.  On  the  morning  of  the  2d  he  renewed  his  attack,  but 
was  handsomely  repulsed. 

Another  column,  under  Forrest,  appeared  before  Columbia  on  the  morning 
of  the  1st,  but  did  not  make  an  attack.  On  the  morning  of  the  3d  he  moved 
toward  Mount  Pleasant.  While  these  operations  were  going  on  every  exer 
tion  was  made  by  General  Thomas  to  destroy  the  forces  under  Forrest  be 
fore  he  could  re-cross  the  Tennessee,  but  was  unable  to  prevent  his  escape  to 
Corinth,  Miss. 

In  September  an  expedition  under  General  Burbridge  was  sent  to  destroy 
the  salt-works  at  Saltville,  Va.  He  met  the  enemy  on  the  2d  of  October, 
about  three  miles  and  a  half  from  Saltville,  and  drove  him  into  his  strongly 
intrenched  position  around  the  salt-works,  from  which  he  was  unable  to  dis 
lodge  him.  During  the  night  he  withdrew  his  command  and  returned  to 
Kentucky. 

General  Sherman,  immediately  after  the  fall  of  Atlanta,  put  his  armies  in 
camp  in  and  about  the  place,  and  made  all  preparations  for  refitting  and 
supplying  them  for  future  service.  The  great  length  of  road  from  Atlanta  to 
the  Cumberland  River,  however,  which  had  to  be  guarded,  allowed  the  troops 
but  little  rest. 

During  this  time  Jefferson  Davis  made  a  speech  in  Macon,  Geo.,  which 
was  reported  in  the  papers  of  the  South,  and  soon  became  known  to  the 
whole  country,  disclosing  the  plans  of  the  enemy,  thus  enabling  General 
Sherman  to  fully  meet  them.  He  exhibited  the  weakness  of  supposing  that 
an  army  that  had  been  beaten  and  fearfully  decimated  in  a  vain  attempt  at 
the  defensive  could  successfully  undertake  the  offensive  against  the  army  that 
had  so  often  defeated  it. 

In  execution  of  this  plan  Hood,  with  his  army,  was  soon  reported  to  the 
south-west  of  Atlanta.  Moving  far  to  Sherman's  right,  he  succeeded  in 
reaching  the  railroad  about  Big  Shanty,  and  moved  north  on  it.  t 


SHERMAN     PREPARES    FOR    HIS     MARCH.         643 

General  Sherman,  leaving  a  force  to  hold  Atlanta,  with  the  remainder  of 
his  army  fell  upon  him  and  drove  him  to  Gadston,  Ala.  Seeing  the  con 
stant  annoyance  he  would  have  with  the  roads  to  his  rear  if  we  attempted 
to  hold  Atlanta,  General  Sherman  proposed  the  abandonment  and  destruc 
tion  of  that  place,  with  all  the  railroads  leading  to  it,  and  telegraphed  me  as 
follows : — 

CEXTREVILLE,  GA.T  October  10 — Noon. 

"  Dispatch  about  Wilson  just  received.  Hood  is  now  crossing  Coosa  River,  twelve  miles 
below  Rome,  bound  west.  If  he  passes  over  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  road,  had  I  not  better 
execute  the  plan  of  my  letter  sent  by  Colonel  Porter,  and  leave  General  Thomas,  with  tho 
troops  now  in  Tennessee,  to  defend  the  State?  He  will  have  an  ample  force  wheti  the  re 
inforcements  ordered  reach  Nashville. 

W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Major  General" 

Lieut.  Gen.  GRANT. 

For  a  full  understanding  of  the  plan  referred  to  in  this  dispatch,  I  quote 
from  the  letter  sent  by  Colonel  Porter : — "  I  will  therefore  give  my  opinion, 
that  your  army  and  Canby's  should  be  reinforced  to  the  maximum ;  that, 
after  you  get  Wilmington,  you  strike  for  Savannah  and  the  river ;  that  Canby 
be  instructed  to  hold  the  Mississippi  River,  and  send  a  force  to  get  Colum 
bus,  Geo.,  either  by  the  way  of  the  Alabama  or  the  Appalachicola,  and  that 
I  keep  Hood  employed  and  put  my  army  in  final  order  for  a  march  on  Au- 
gusta,  Columbia,  and  Charleston,  to  be  ready  as  soon  as  Wilmington  is  sealed 
as  to  commerce,  and  the  city  of  Savannah  is  in  our  possession."  This  was 
in  reply  to  a  letter  of  mine  of  date  September  12th,  in  answer  to  a  dispatch 
of  his  containing  substantially  the  same  proposition,  and  in  which  I  informed 
him  of  a  proposed  movement  against  Wilmington,  and  of  the  situation  in 
Virginia,  &c. 

CITY  POINT,  YA.,  October  11,  1864—11  A.  M. 

"Your  dispatch  of  October  10th  received.  Does  it  not  look  as  if  Hood  was  going  to  at 
tempt  the  invasion  of  Middle  Tennessee,  using  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  and  Memphis  and 
Charleston  roads  to  supply  his  base  on  the  Tennessee  River,  about  Florence  or  Decatur? 
If  he  does  this  he  ought  to  be  met  and  prevented  from  getting  north  of  the  Tennessee 
River.  If  you  were  to  cut  loose,  I  do  not  believe  you  would  meet  Hood's  army,  but  would 
be  bushwhacked  by  all  the  old  men,  little  boys,  and  such  railroad  guards  as  are  still  left  at 
home.  Hood  would  probably  strike  for  Nashville,  thinking  that  by  going  north  he  could 
inflict  greater  damage  upon  us  than  we  could  upon  the  rebels  by  going  south.  If  there  is 
any  way  of  getting  at  Hood's  army  I  would  prefer  that ;  but  I  must  trust  to  your  own  judg 
ment.  I  find  I  shall  not  be  able  to  send  a  force  from  here  to  act  with  you  on  Savannah. 
Your  movements;,  therefore,  will  be  independent  of  mine ;  at  least  until  the  fall  of  Rich 
mond  takes  place.  I  am  afraid  Thomas,  with  such  lines  of  road  as  he  has  to  protect,  could 
not  prevent  Hood  from  going  north.  With  Wilson  turned  loose,  with  all  your  cavalry,  you 
will  find  the  rebels  put  much  more  on  the  defensive  than  heretofore. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieut,  General," 

Maj.  Gen.  W.  T.  SHERMAN. 

KINGSTON,  GA.T  October  11—11  A.  M. 

"Hood  moved  his  army  from  Palmetto  Station  across  by  Dallas  and  Ceefartown,  and  is 
now  on  the  Coosa  River,  south  of  Rome.  He  threw  one  corps  on  my  road  at  Acworth, 
and  I  was  forced  to  follow.  I  hold  Atlanta  with  the  Twentieth  Corps,  and  have  strong 
detachments  along  my  line.  This  reduces  my  active  force  to  a  comparatively  small  arm}-. 
We  can  not  remain  here  on  the  defensive.  With  the  twenty-five  thousand  men.  and  the 
bold  cavalry  he  has,  he  can  constantly  break  my  roads.  I  would  infinitely  prefer  to  make 
a  wreck  of  the  rosid  and  of  the  country  from  Chattanooga  to  Atlanta,  including  the  latter 
city — send  back  all  my  wounded  and  worthless,  and,  with  my  effective  army,  move  through 
Georgia,  smashing  things,  to  the  sea.  Hood  may  turn  into  Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  but 
1  believe  he  will  be  forced  to  follow  me.  Instead  of  my  being  on  the  defensive,  I  would 


644  SHERMAN'S   ADVANCE. 

be  on  the  offensive;  instead  of  guessing  at  what  he  means  to  do,  he  would  have  to  guess 
at  my  plans.  The  difference  in  war  is  full  twenty-rive  per  cent.  I  can  make  Savannah, 
Charleston,  or  the  mouth  of  the  Chattahoochee. 

Answer  quick,  as  I  know  we  will  not  have  the  telegraph  long. 

W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Major  General" 
Lieut.  Gen.  GRANT. 

CITY  POINT,  YA.,  October  11,  1864—11:30  P.  M. 

"Your  dispatch  of  to-day  received.  If  you  are  satisfied  the  trip  to  the  sea-coast  can  be 
made,  holding  the  line  of  the  Tennessee  River  firmly,  you  may  make  it,  destroying  all  the 
railroad  south  of  Dalton  or  Chattanooga,  as  you  think  best. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieut  General" 

Major«Gen.  W.  T.  SHERMAN. 

It  was  the  original  design  to  hold  Atlanta,  and  by  getting  through  to  the 
coast,  with  a  garrison  left  on  the  southern  railroads  leading  east  and  west 
through  Georgia,  to  effectually  sever  the  east  from  the  west.  In  other 
words,  cut  the  would-be  Confederacy  in  two  again,  as  it  had  been  cut  once 
by  owr  gaining  possession  of  the  Mississippi  River.  General  Sherman's  plan 
virtually  effected  this  object. 

General  Sherman  commenced  at  once  his  preparations  for  his  proposed 
movement,  keeping  his  army  in  position  in  the  meantime  to  watch  Hood. 
Becoming  satisfied  that  Hood  had  moved  westward  from  Gadsden  across 
Sand  Mountain,  General  Sherman  sent  the  Fourth  Corps,  Major  General 
Stanley  commanding,  and  the  Twenty-third  Corps,  Major  General  Schofield 
commanding,  back  to  Chattanooga  to  report  to  Major  General  Thomas,  at 
Nashville,  whom  he  had  placed  in  command  of  all  the  troops  of  his  military 
division,  save  the  four  army  corps  and  cavalry  division  he  designed  to  move 
with  through  Georgia,  With  the  troops  thus  left  at  his  disposal,  there  was 
little  doubt  that  General  Thomas  could  hold  the  line  of  the  Tennessee,  or  in 
the  event  Hood  should  force  it,  would  be  able  to  concentrate  and  beat  him 
in  battle.  It  was  therefore  readily  consented  to,  that  Sherman  should  start 
for  the  sea-coast. 

Having  concentrated  his  troops  at  Atlanta  by  the  14th  of  November,  lie 
commenced  his  march,  threatening  both  Augusta  and  Macon.  His  coming- 
out  point  could  not  be  definitely  fixed.  Having  to  gather  his  subsistence  as 
h«  marched  through  the  country,  it  was  not  impossible  that  a  force  inferior 
to  his  own  might  compel  him  to  head  for  such  point  as  he  could  reach,  in 
stead  of  such  as  he  might  prefer.  The  blindness  of  the  enemy,  however,  in 
ignoring  his  movement,  and  sending  Hood's  army,  the  only  considerable  force 
he  had  west  of  Richmond  and  east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  northward  on  an 
offensive  campaign,  left  the  whole  country  open,  and  Sherman's  route  to  his 
own  choice. 

How  that  campaign  was  conducted,  how  little  opposition  was  met  with, 
the  condition  of  the  country  through  which  the  armies  passed,  the  capture 
of  Fort  McAllister,  on  the  Savannah  River,  and  the  occupation  of  Savannah 
on  the  21«t  of  December,  .are  all  clearly  set  forth  in  General  Sherman's  ad 
mirable  report. 

SOOR  after  General  Sherman  commenced  his  march  from  Atlanta,  two  ex 
peditions,  one  from  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  and  one  from  Vicksbtirg,  Miss.,  were 
started  by  General  Canby  to  cut  the  enemy's  line  of  communication  with 
Mobile  and  detain  troops  in  that  field.  General  Foster,  commanding  De 
partment  of  the  South,  also  sent  an  expedition,  via  Broad  River,  to  destroy 
the  railroad  between  Charleston  and  Savannah.  The  expedition  from 


MOVEMENTS     OF     HOOD'S     ARMY.  645 

Vicksburg,  vmder  command  of  Brevet  Brigadier  General  E.  D.  Osband, 
(Colonel  Third  United  States  colored  cavalry,)  captured,  on  the  27th  of  No 
vember,  and  destroyed  the  Mississippi  Central  railroad  bridge  and  trestle- 
work  over  Big  Black  River,  near  Canton,  thirty  miles  of  the  road  and  two 
locomotives,  besides  large  amounts  of  stores.  The  expedition  from  Baton 
Rouge  was  without  favorable  results.  The  expedition  from  the  Department 
of  the  South,  under  the  immediate  command  of  Brigadier  General  John  P. 
Hatch,  consisting  of  about  five  thousand  men  of  all  arms,  including  a  brigade 
from  the  navy,  proceeded  up  Broad  River  and  debarked  at  Boyd's  Neck  on 
the  29th  of  November,  from  where  it  moved  to  strike  the  railroad  at  Gra- 
hamsville.  At  Honey  Hill,  about  three  miles  from  Grahamsville,  the  enemy 
was  found  and  attacked  in  a  strongly  fortified  position,  which  resulted,  after 
severe  fighting,  in  our  repulse  with  a  loss  of  seven  hundred  and  forty-six  in 
killed,  wounded,  and  missing.  During  the  night  General  Hatch  withdrew. 
On  the  6th  of  December  General  Foster  obtained  a  position  covering  the 
Charleston  and  Savannah  railroad,  between  the  Coosawhatchie  and  Tullifinney 
Rivers. 

Hood,  instead  of  following  Sherman,  continued  his  move  northward,  which 
seemed  to  me  to  be  leading  to  his  certain  doom.  At  all  events,  had  I  had 
the  power  to  command  both  armies,  I  should  not  have  changed  the  orders 
under  which  he  seemed  to  be  acting.  On  the  26th  of  October  the  advance 
of  Hood's  army  attacked  the  garrison  at  Decatur,  Ala.,  but  failing  to  carry 
the  place,  withdrew  toward  Courtland,  and  succeeded,  in  the  face  of  our 
cavalry,  in  effecting  a  lodgment  on  the  north  side  of  the  Tennessee  River, 
near  Florence.  On  the  28th  Forrest  reached  the  Tennessee,  at  Fort  Ilieman, 
and  captured  a  gunboat  and  three  transports.  On  the  2d  of  November  he 
planted  batteries  above  and  below  Johnsonville,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river,  isolating  three  gunboats  and  eight  transports.  On  the  4th  the  enemy 
opened  his  batteries  upon  the  place,  and  was  replied  to  from  the  gunboats 
and  the  garrison.  The  gunboats  becoming  disabled  were  set  on  fire,  as  also 
were  the  transports,  to  prevent  their  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 
About  a  million  and  a  half  dollars'  worth  of  stores  and  property  on  the  levee 
and  in  store-houses  was  consumed  by  fire.  On  the  5th  the  enemy  disap 
peared  and  crossed  to  the  north  side  of  the  Tennessee  River,  above  Johnson 
ville,  moving  toward  Clifton,  and  subsequently  joined  Hood.  On  the  night 
of  the  5th  General  Schofield,  with  the  advance  of  the  Twenty-third  Corps, 
reached  Johnsonviile,  but  finding  the  enemy  gone,  was  ordered  to  Pulaski, 
and  put  in  command  of  all  the  troops  there,  with  instructions  to  watch  the 
movements  of  Hood  and  retard  his  advance,  but  not  to  risk  a  general  en 
gagement  until  the  arrival  of  General  A.  J.  Smith's  command  from  Missouri, 
and  until  General  Wilson  could  get  his  cavalry  re-mounted. 

On  the  19th  General  Hood  continued  his  advance.  General  Thomas,  re 
tarding  him  as  much  as  possible,  fell  back  toward  Nashville  for  the  purpose 
of  concentrating  his  command  and  gaining  time  for  the  arrival  of  reinforce 
ments.  The  enemy  coming  up  with  our  main  force  commanded  by  General 
Schofield  at  Franklin,  on  the  30th,  assaulted  our  works  repeatedly  during 
the  afternoon  until  late  at  night,  but  were  in  every  instance  repulsed.  His 
loss  in  this  battle  was  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty  killed,  seven  hun 
dred  and  two  prisoners,  and  three  thousand  eight  hundred  wounded.  Among 
his  losses  were  six  general  officers  killed,  six  wounded,  and  one  captured. 
Our  entire  loss  w.as  two  thousand  three  hundred.  This  was  the  first  serious 


646          GRANT'S  ANXIETY  ABOUT  THOIVU.S. 

opposition  the  enemy  met  with,  and  T  am  satisfied  was  the  fatal  blow  to  all 
his  expectations.  During  the  night  General  Schofield  fell  back  toward  Nash 
ville.  This  left  the  field  to  the  enemy — not  lost  by  battle,  but  voluntarily 
abandoned — so  that  General  Thomas'  whole  force  might  be  brought  together. 
The  enemy  followed  up  and  commenced  the  establishment  of  his  line  in  front 
of  Nashville  on  the  2d  of  December. 

As  soon  as  it  was  ascertained  that  Hood  was  crossing  the  Tennessee 
River,  and  that  Price  was  going  out  of  Missouri,  General  Rosecrans  was  or 
dered  to  send  to  General  Thomas  the  troops  of  General  A.  J.  Smith's  com 
mand  and  such  other  troops  as  he  could  spare.  The  advance  of  this  rein 
forcement  reached  Nashville  on  the  30th  of  November. 

On  the  morning  of  the  15th  of  December  General  Thomas  attacked  Hood 
in  position,  and,  in  a  battle  lasting  two  days,  defeated  and  drove  him  from 
the  field  in  the  utmost  confusion,  leaving  in  our  hands  most  of  his  artillery 
and  many  thousand  prisoners,  including  four  general  officers. 

Before  the  battle  of  Nashville  I  grew  very  impatient  over,  as  it  appeared 
to  me,  the  unnecessary  delay.  This  impatience  was  increased  upon  learning 
that  the  enemy  had  sent  a  force  of  cavalry  across  the  Cumberland  into  Ken 
tucky.  I  feared  Hood  would  cross  his  whole  army  and  give  us  great  trouble 
there.  After  urging  upon  General  Thomas  the  necessity  of  immediately  as 
suming  the  offensive,  I  started  west  to  superintend  matters  there  in  person. 
Reaching  AVashington  City,  I  received  General  Thomas'  dispatch  announcing 
his  attack  upon  the  enemy,  and  the  result  as  far  as  the  battle  had  progressed. 
I  was  delighted.  All  fears  and  apprehensions  were  dispelled.  I  am  not  yet 
satisfied  but  that  General  Thomas,  immediately  upon  the  appearance  of 
Hood  before  Nashville,  and  before  he  had  time  to  fortify,  should  have  moved 
out  with  his  whole  force  and  given  him  battle,  instead  of  waiting  to  re-mount 
his  cavalay,  which  delayed  him  until  the  inclemency  of  the  weather  made  it 
impracticable  to  attack  earlier  than  he  did.  But  his  final  defeat  of  Hood 
was  so  complete  that  it  will  be  accepted  as  a  vindication  of  that  distinguished 
officer's  judgment. 

After  Hood's  defeat  at  Nashville  he  retreated,  closely  pursued  by  cavalry 
and  infantry,  to  the  Tennessee  River,  being  forced  to  abandon  many  pieces 
of  artillery  and  most  of  his  transportation.  On  the  28th  of  December  OUT 
advance  forces  ascertained  that  he  had  made  good  his  escape  to  the  south 
side  of  the  river. 

About  this  time,  the  rains  having  set  in  heavily  in  Tennessee  and  North 
Alabama,  making  it  difficult  to  move  army  transportation  and  artillery,  Gen 
eral  Thomas  stopped  the  pursuit  by  his  main  force  at  the  Tennessee  River. 

A  small  force  of  cavalry,  under  Colonel  W.  J.  Palmer,  Fifteenth  Pennsyl 
vania  volunteers,  continued  to  follow  Hood  for  some  distance,  capturing  con 
siderable  transportation  and  the  enemy's  pontoon  bridge.  The  details  of 
these  operations  will  be  found  clearly  set  forth  in  General  Thomas'  report. 

A  cavalry  expedition,  under  Brevet  Major  General  Grierson,  started  from 
Memphis  on  the  21st  of  December.  On  the  25th  he  surprised  and  captured 
Forrest's  dismounted  camp  at  Verona,  Miss,,  on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  rail 
road,  destroyed  the  railroad,  sixteen  cars  loaded  with  wagons  and  pontoons 
for  Hood's  army,  four  thousand  new  English  carbines,  and  large  amounts  of 
public  stores.  On  the  morning  of  the  28th  he  attacked  and  captured  a  force 
of  the  enemy  at  Egypt,  and  destroyed  a  train  of  fourteen  cars;  thence  turn 
ing  to  the  south-west,  he  struck  the  Mississippi  Central  railroad  at  Wiiaona, 


OPERATIONS     IN     EAST    TENNESSEE.  647 

destroyed  the  factories  and  large  amounts  of  stores  at  Bankston,  and  the 
machine  shops  and  public  property  at  Grenada,  arriving  at  Vicksburg  Janu 
ary  5th. 

During  these  operations  in  Middle  Tennessee  the  enemy,  With  a  force  un 
der  General  Breckenridge,  entered  East  Tennessee.  On  the  13th  of  Novem 
ber  he  attacked  General  Gillem,  near  Morristown,  capturing  his  artillery  and 
several  hundred  prisoners.  Gillem,  with  what  was  left  of  his  command,  re 
treated  to  Knoxville.  Following  up  his  success,  Breckenridge  moved  to  near 
Knoxville,  but  withdrew  on  the  18th  followed  by  General  Aramcn.  Under 
the  directions  of  General  Thomas,  General  Storieinan  concentrated  the  com 
mands  of  Generals  Burbridge  and  Gillem  near  Bean's  Station,  to  operate 
against  Breckenridge,  and  destroy  or  drive  him  into  Virginia — destroy  the 
salt-works  at  Saltville,  and  the  railroad  into  Virginia  as  far  as  he  could  go 
without  endangering  his  command.  On  the  12th  of  December  he  com 
menced  his  movement,  capturing  and  dispersing  the  enemy's  forces  wherever 
he  met  them.  On  the  16th  he  struck  the  enemy,  under  Vaughn,  at  Marion, 
completely  routing  and  pursuing  him  to  Wytheville,  capturing  all  his  artil 
lery,  trains,  and  one  hundred  and  ninety-eight  prisoners;  and  destroyed 
Wytheville,  with  its  stores  and  supplies,  and  the  extensive  lead-works  near 
there.  Returning  to  Marion,  he  met  a  force  under  Breckenridge  consisting, 
among  other  troops,  of  the  garrison  of  Saltville,  that  had  started  in  pursuit. 
He  atTonce  made  arrangements  to  attack  it  the  next  morning ;  but  morning 
found  Breckenridge  gone.  He  then  moved  directly  to  Saltville,  and  de 
stroyed  the  extensive  salt-works  at  that  place,  a  large  amount  of  stores,, and 
captured  eight  pieces  of  artillery.  Having  thus  successfully  executed  his  in 
structions,  he  returned  General  Burbridge  to  Lexington  and  General  Gillem 
to  Knoxville. 

Wilmington,  N".  C.,  was  the  most  important  sea-coast  port  left  to  the  en 
emy  through  which  to  get  supplies  from  abroad,  and  send  cotton  and  other 
products  out  by  blockade-runners,  besides  being  a  place  of  great  strategic 
value.  The  navy  had  been  making  strenuous  exertions  to  seal  the  harbor  of 
Wilmington,  but  with  only  partial  effect.  The  nature  of  the  outlet  of  Cape 
Fear  River  was  such  that  it  required  watching  for  so  great  a  distance,  that 
without  possession  of  the  land  north  of  New  Inlet,  or  Fort  Fisher,  it  was  im 
possible  for  the  navy  to  entirely  close  the  harbor  against  the  entrance  of 
blockade-runners. 

To  secure  the  possession  of  this  land  required  the  cooperation  of  a  land 
force,  which  I  agreed  to  furnish.  Immediately  commenced  the  assemblage 
in  Hampton  Roads,  under  Admiral  D.  D.  Porter,  of  the  most  formidable  ai*- 
mada  ever  collected  for  concentration  upon  one  given  point.  This  necessa 
rily  attracted  the  attention  of  the  enemy,  as  well  as  that  of  the  loyal  North ; 
and  through  the  imprudence  of  the  public  press,  and  very  likely  of  officers 
of  both  branches  of  service,  the  exact  object  of  the  expedition  became  a  sub 
ject  of  common  discussion  in  the  newspapers  both  North  and  South.  The 
enemy,  thus  warned,  prepared  to  meet  it.  This  caused  a  postponement  of 
the  expedition  until  the  latter  part  of  November,  when,  being  again  called 
upon  by  Hon.  G.  V.  Fox,  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  I  agreed  to  fur 
nish  the  men  required  at  once,  and  went  myself,  in  company  with  Major 
General  Butler,  to  Hampton  Roads,  where  we  had  a  conference  with  Admi 
ral  Porter  as  to  the  force  required  and  the  time  of  starting.  A  force  of  six 
thousand  five  hundred  men  was  regarded  as  sufficient.  The  time  of  starting 
was  not  definitely  arranged,  but  it  was  thought  all  would  be  ready  by  the 
71 


64:8  BUTLER'S   FORT   FISHER   FAILURE. 

6tL  of  December,  if  not  before.  Learning,  on  the  30th  of  November,  that 
Bragg  had  gone  to  Georgia,  taking  with  him  most  of  the  forces  about  Wil 
mington,  I  deemed  it  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  expedition  should 
reach  its  destination  before  the  return  of  Bragg,  and  directed  General  Butler 
to  make  all  arrangements  for  the  departure  of  Major  General  Weitzel,  who 
had  been  designated  to  command  the  land  forces,  so  that  the  navy  might  not 
be  detained  one  moment. 

On  the  6th  of  December  the  following  instructions  were  given : — 

CITY  POINT,  VA,,  December  G,  1864. 

"  GENERAL: — The  first  object  of  the  expedition  under  General  Weitzel  is  to  close  to  the 
enemy  the  port  of  Wilmington.  If  successful  in  this,  the  second  will  be  to  capture  Wil 
mington  itself.  There  are  reasonable  grounds  to  hope  for  success,  if  advantage  can  be 
taken  of  the  absence  of  the  greater  part  of  the  enemy's  forces  now  looking  alter  Sherman 
in  Georgia,  The  directions  you  have  given  for  the  numbers  and  equipment  of  the  expedi 
tion  are  all  right,  except  in  the  unimportant  matter  of  where  they  embark  and  the  amount 
of  intrenching  tools  to  be  taken.  The  object  of  the  expedition  will  be  gained  by  effecting 
a  landing  on  the  mainland  between  Cape  Fear  River  and  the  Atlantic,  north  of  the  north 
entrance  to  the  river.  Should  such  lauding  be  effected  whilst  the  enemy  stills  holds  Fort 
Fisher  and  the  batteries  guarding  the  entrance  to  the  river,  then  the  troops  should  intrench 
themselves,  and,  by  cooperating  with  the  navy,  effect  the  reduction  and  capture  of  those 
places.  These  in  our  hands,  the  navy  could  enter  the  harbor,  and  the  port  of  Wilmington 
would  be  sealed.  Should  Fort  Fisher  and  the  point  of  land  on  which  it  is  built  fall  into 
the  hands  of  our  troops  immediately  on  landing,  then  it  will  be  worth  the  attempt  to  cap 
ture  Wilmington  by  a  forced  march  and  surprise.  If  time  is  consumed  in  gaining  the  first 
object  of  the  expedition,  the  second  will  become  a  matter  of  after  consideration. 

The  details  for  execution  are  intrusted  to  you  and  the  officer  immediately  in  command 
of  the  troops. 

Should  the  troops  under  General  Weitzel  fail  to  effect  a  landing  at  or  near  Fort  Fisher, 
they  will  be  returned  to  the  armies  operating  against  Richmond  without  delay. 

•  U.  S.' GRANT,  Lieutenant  General." 

Major  General  B.  F.  BUTLER 

General  Butler  commanding  the  army  from  which  the  troops  were  taken 
for  this  enterprise,  and  the  territory  within  which  they  were  to  operate,  mil 
itary  courtesy  required  that  all  orders  and  instructions  should  go  through 
him.  They  were  so  sent;  but  General  Weitzel  has  since  officially  informed 
me  that  he  never  received  the  foregoing  instructions,  nor  was  he  aware  of 
their  existence  until  he  read  General  Butler's  published  official  report  of  the 
Fort  Fisher  failure,  with  my  indorsement  and  papers  accompanying  it.  I 
had  no  idea  of  General  Butler's  accompanying  the  expedition  until  the  even 
ing  before  it  got  off  from  Bermuda  Hundred,  and  then  did  not  dream  but 
that  General' Weitzel  had  received  all  the  instructions,  and  would  be  in  com 
mand.  I  rather  formed  the  idea  that  General  Butler  was  actuated  by  a  de 
sire  to  witness  the  effect  of  the  explosion  of  the  powder-boat.  The  expedi 
tion  was  detained  several  days  at  Hampton  Roads  awaiting  the  loading  of 
the  powder-boat. 

The  importance  of  getting  the  Wilmington  expedition  off  without  any  de 
lay,  with  or  without  the  powder-boat,  had  been  urged  upon  General  Butler, 
and  he  advised  to  so  notify  Admiral  Porter. 

The  expedition  finally  got  off  on  the  13th  of  December,  and  arrived  at  the 
place  of  rendezvous,  off  New  Inlet,  near  Fort  Fisher,  on  the  evening  of  the 
15th.  Admiral  Porter  arrived  on  the  evening  of  the  18th,  having  put  in  at 
Beaufort  to  get  ammunition  for  the  monitors.  The  sea  becoming  rough, 
making  it  difficult  to  land  troops,  and  the  supply  of  water  and  coal  being 
about  exhausted,  the  transport  fleet  put  back  to  Beaufort  to  replenish;  this, 


I  SECOND    WILMINGTON     EXPEDITION.  C49 

with  the  state  of  the  weather,  delayed  the  return  to  the  place  of  rendezvous 
until  the  24th.  The  powder-boat  was  exploded  on  the  morning  of  the  24th, 
before  the  return  of  General  Butler  from  Beaufort;  but  it  would  seem,  from 
the  notice  taken  of  it  in  the  Southern  newspapers,  that  the  enemy  were  never 
enlightened  as  to  the  object  of  the  explosion  until  they  were  informed  by  the 
Northern  press. 

On  the  25th  a  landing  was  effected  without  opposition,  and  a  reconnois- 
sance,  under  Brevet  Brigadier  General  Curtis,  pushed  up  toward  the  fort. 
But  before  receiving  a  full  report  of  the  result  of  this  reconnoissance  General 
Butler,  in  direct  violation  of  the  instructions  given,  ordered  the  reembarka- 
tion  of  the  troops  and  the  return  of  the  expedition. 

The  reernbarkation  was  accomplished  by  the  morning  of  the  27th. 

On  the  return  of  the  expedition,  officers  and  men — among  them  Brevet 
Major  General  (then  Brevet  Brigadier  General)  M.  R.  Curtis,  First  Lieuten 
ant  G.  W.  Ross,  Regiment  Vermont  volunteers,  First  Lieutenant 

George  W.  Walling  and  Second  Lieutenant  George  Simpson,  One  Hundred 
and  Forty-second  "New  York  volunteers — voluntarily  reported  to  me  that 
when  recalled  they  were  nearly  into  the  fort,  and,  in  their  opinion,  it  could 
have  been  taken  without  much  loss. 

Soon  after  the  return  of  the  expedition,  I  received  a  dispatch  from  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  and  a  letter  from  Admiral  Porter,  informing  me  that 
the  fleet  was  still  off  Fort  Fisher,  and  expressing  the  conviction  that,  under 
a  proper  leader,  the  place  could  be  taken.  The  natural  supposition  with  me 
was  that,  when  the  troops  abandoned  the  expedition,  the  navy  would  do  so 
also.  Finding  it  had  not,  however,  I  answered  on  the  30th  of  December, 
advising  Admiral  Porter  to  hold  on,  and  that  I  would  send  a  force  and  make 
another  attempt  to  take  the  place.  This  time  I  selected  Brevet  Major  Gen 
eral  (now  Major  General)  A.  II.  Terry  to  command  the  expedition.  The 
troops  composing  it  consisted  of  the  same  that  composed  the  former,  with 
the  addition  of  a  small  brigade,  numbering  about  one  thousand  five  hundred, 
and  a  small  siege  train.  The  latter  it  was  never  found  necessary  to  land.  I 
communicated  direct  to  the  Commander  of  the  expedition  the  following  in 
structions  : — 

CITY  POINT,  YA.,  January  3,  1865. 

"  GENERAL: — The  expedition  intrusted  to  your  command  has  been  fitted  out  to  renew 
the  attempt  to  capture  Fort  Fisher,  N".  C.,  and  Wilmington  ultimately,  if  the  fort  falls. 
You  will,  then,  proceed  with  as  little  delay  as  possible  to  the  naval  fleet  lying  off  Cape 
Fear  River,  and  report  the  arrival  of  yourself  and  command  to  Admiral  D.  D.  Porter,  com 
manding  North  Atlantic  blockading  squadron. 

It  is  exceedingly  desirable  that  the  most  complete  understanding  should  exist  between 
yourself  and  the  naval  Commander.  I  suggest,  therefore,  that  you  consult  with  Admiral 
Porter  freely  arid  get  from  him  the  part  to  be  performed  by  each  branch  of  the  public 
service,  so  that  there  may  be  unity  of  action.  It  would  be  well  to  have  the  whole  pro 
gramme  laid  down  in  writing.  I  have  served  with  Admiral  Porter,  and  know  that  you 
can  rely  on  his  judgment  and  his  nerve  to  undertake  what  he  proposes.  I  would,  there 
fore  defer  to  him  as  much  as  is  consistent  with  your  own  responsibilities.  The  first  object 
to  be  attained  is  to  get  a  firm  position  on  the  spit  of  land  on  which  Fort  Fisher  is  built, 
from  which  you  can  operate  against  that  fort.  You  want  to  look  to  the  practicability  of 
'receiving  your  supplies,  and  to  defending  yourself  against  superior  forces  sent  against  you 
by  any  of  the  avenues  left  open  to  the  enemy.  If  such  a  position  can  be  obtained,  the 
siege  of  Fort  Fisher  will  not  be  abandoned  until  its  reduction  is  accomplished  or  another 
plan  of  campaign  is  ordered  from  these  head-quarters. 

My  own  views  are  that,  if  you  effect  a  landing,  the  navy  ought  to  run  A  portion  of  their 
fleet  into  Cape  Fear  River,  while  the  balance  of  it  operates  on  the  outside.  Land  forces 
can  not  invest  Fort  Fisher,  or  cut  it  off  from  supplies  or  reinforcements,  while  the  river  is 
in  possession  of  the  enemy. 


650  GENERAL    TERRY'S    SUCCESS. 

A  siege  train  will  be  loaded  on  vessels  and  sent  to  Fort  Monroe,  in  readiness  to  be  sent 
to  you  if  required.  All  other  supplies  can  be  drawn  from  Beaufort  as  you  need  them. 

Keep  the  fleet  of  vessels  with  you  until  your  position  is  assured.  "When  you  find  they 
can  be  spared,  order  them  back,  or  such  of  them  as  you  can  spare,  to  Fort  Sionroe,  to  re 
port  for  orders. 

In  case  of  failure  to  effect  a  land  ng,  bring  your  command  back  to  Beaufort,  and  report 
to  these  head-quarters  for  further  instructions.  You  will  not  debark  at  Beaufort  until  so 
tu'rected. 

General  Sheridan  has  been  ordered  to  send  a  division  of  troops  to  Baltimore,  and  place 
them  on  sea-going  vessels.  These  troops  will  be  brought  to  Fort  Monroe  and  kept  there 
on  the  vessels  until  you  are  heard  from.  Should  you  require  them  they  will  be  gent  to 
you. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieuttnani  General" 

Brevet  Major  General  A.  H.  TERRY, 

Lieutenant  Colonel  C.  B.  Comstock,  Aide-de-camp,  (now  Brevet  Brigadier 
General,)  who  accompanied  the  former  expedition,  was  assigned  in  orders  as 
chief  engineer  to  this. 

It  will  be  seen  that  these  instructions  did  not  differ  materially  from  those 
given  for  the  first  expedition ;  and  that  in  neither  instance  was  there  an  or 
der  to  assault  Fort  Fisher.  This  was  a  matter  left  entirely  to  the  discretion 
of  the  commanding  officer. 

The  expedition  sailed  from  Fort  Monroe  on  the  morning  of  the  6th,  arriv 
ing  on  the  rendezvous,  off  Beaufort,  on  the  8th,  where,  owing  to  the  difficul 
ties  of  the  weather,  it  lay  until  the  morning  of  the  12th,  when  it  got  under 
way  and  reached  its  destination  that  evening.  Under  cover  of  the  fleet  the 
disembarkation  of  the  troops  commenced  on  the  morning  of  the  13th,  and 
by  3  o'clock  p.  M.  was  completed  without  loss.  On  the  14th  a  reconnois- 
sance  was  pushed  to  within  five  hundred  yards  of  Fort  Fisher,  and  a  small 
advance  work  taken  possession  of  and  turned  into  a  defensive  line  against 
any  attempt  that  might  be  made  from  the  fort.  This  reconnoissance  dis 
closed  the  fact  that  the  front  of  the  work  had  been  seriously  injured  by  the 
navy  fire.  In  the  afternoon  of  the  15th  the  fort  was  assaulted,  and  after 
most  desperate  fighting  was  captured  with  its  entire  garrison  and  armament. 
Thus  was  secured,  by  the  combined  efforts  of  the  navy  and  army,  one  of  the 
most  important  successes  of  the  war.  Our  loss  was — killed,  one  hundred 
and  ten;  wounded,  five  hundred  and  thirty-six.  On  the  16th  and  17th  the 
enemy  abandoned  and  blew  up  Fort  Caswell  and  the  works  on  Smith's  Island, 
which  were  immediately"  occupied  by  us.  This  gave  us  entire  control  of  the 
month  of  the  Cape  Fear  River. 

At  my  request  Major  General  B.  F.  Butler  was  relieved,  and  Major  Gen 
eral  E.  O.  C.  Orel  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Department  of  Virginia 
and  North  Carolina. 

The  defense  of  the  line  of  the  Tennessee  no  longer  requiring  the  force 
which  had  beaten  and  nearly  destroyed  the  only  army  threatening  it,  I  de 
termined  to  find  other  fields  of  operation  for  General  Thomas'  surplus  troops 
— fields  from  which  they  would  cooperate  with  other  movements.  General 
Thomas  was  therefore  directed  to  collect  all  troops,  not  essential  to  hold  his 
communications,  at  Eastport,  in  readiness  for  orders.  On  the  7th  of  January 
General  Thomas  was  directed,  if  he  was  assured  of  the  departure  of  Hood 
south  from  Corinth,  to  send  General  Schofield  with  his  corps  east  with  as 
little  delay  as  possible.  This  direction  was  promptly  complied  with,  and  the 
advance  of  the  corps  reached  Washington  on  the  23d  of  the  same  month, 
whence  it  was  sent  to  Fort  Fisher  and  Newbern.  On  the  26th  he  was  di- 


SCIIOFIELD    IN    NORTH    CAROLINA.  651 

reeled  to  send  General  A.  J.  Smith's  command  and  a  division  of  cavalry  to 
report  to  General  Canby.  By  the  7th  of  February  the  whole  force  was  en 
route  for  its  destination. 

The  State  of  North  Carolina  was  constituted  into  a  military  department, 
and  General  Schofield  assigned  to  command,  and  placed  under  the  orders  of 
Major  General  Sherman.  The  following  instructions  were  given  him : — 

CITY  POINT,  YA.,  January  31,  1865. 

"GENERAL: —  *  *  *  Your  movements  are  intended  as  cooperative  with  Sherman's 
through  the  States  of  South  and  North  Carolina.  The  first  point  to  be  attained  is  to  se 
cure  Wilmington.  Goldsboro'  will  then  be  your  objective  point,  moving  either  from  Wil 
mington  or  Newbern,  or  both,  as  you  deem  best.  Should  you  not  be  able  to  reach  Golds 
boro',  you  will  advance  on  the  line  or  lines  of  railway  connecting  that  place  with  the  sea- 
coast — as  near  to  it  as  you  can,  building  the  road  behind  you.  The  enterprise  under  you 
has  two  objects;  the  first  is  to  give  General  Sherman  material  aid,  if  needed,  in  his  march 
north ;  the  second,  to  open  a  base  of  supplies  for  him  on  his  line  of  march.  As  soon, 
therefore,  as  you  can  determine  which  of  the  two  points,  Wilmington  or  Newbern,  you 
can  best  use  for  throwing  supplies  from  to  the  interior,  you  will  commence  the  accumula 
tion  of  twenty  days'  rations  and  forage  for  sixty  thousand  men  and  twenty  thousand  ani 
mals.  You  will  get  of  these  as  many  as  you  can  house  and  protect  to  such  point  in  the 
interior  as  you  may  be  able  to  occupy.  I  believe  General  Palmer  has  received  some  in 
structions  direct  from  General  Sherman  on  the  subject  of  securing  supplies  for  his  army. 
You  can  learn  what  steps  he  has  taken  and  be  governed  in  your  requisitions  accordingly. 
A  supply  of  ordmmce  stores  will  also  be  necessary. 

Make  all  requisitions  upon  the  Chiefs  of  their  respective  departments  in  the  field  with 
me  at  City  Point.  Communicate  with  me  by  every  opportunity,  and  should  you  deem  it 
necessary  at  any  time,  send  a  special  boat  to  Fortress  Monroe,  from  which  point  you  can 
communicate  by  telegraph. 

The  supplies  referred  to  in  these  instructions  are  exclusive  of  those  required  for  your 
own  command. 

The  movements  of  the  enemy  may  justify  or  even  make  it  your  imperative  duty  to  cut 
loose  from  your  base  and  strike  for  the  interior  to  aid  Sherman.  In  such  case  you  will 
act  on  your  own  judgment,  without  waiting  for  instructions.  You  will  report,  however, 
what  you  purpose  doing.  The  details  for  carrying  out  these  instructions  are  necessarily 
left  to  you.  1  would  urge,  however,  if  I  did  not  know  that  you  are  already  fully  alive  to 
the  importance  of  it,  prompt  action.  Sherman  may  be  looked  for  in  the  neighborhood  of  v 
Goldsboro'  any  time  from  the  22d  to  the  28th  of  February;  this  limits  your  time  very 
materially. 

If  rolling  stock  is  not  secured  in  the  capture  of  Wilmington,  it  can  be  supplied  from 
Washington.  A  large  force  of  railroad  men  have  already  been  sent  to  Beaufort,  and  other 
mechanics  will  go  to  Fort  Fisher  in  a  day  or  two.  On  this  point  I  have  informed  you  by 
telegraph. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General." 

Major  General  J.  M.  SCHOFIELD. 

Previous  to  giving  these  instructions  £  had  visited  Fort  Fisher,  accom 
panied  by  General  Schofield,  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  for  myself  the  condi 
tion  of  things,  and  personally  conferring  with  General  Terry  and  Admiral 
Porter  as  to  what  was  best  to  be  done. 

Anticipating  the  arrival  of  General  Sherman  at  Savannah — his  army  en 
tirely  foot-loose,  Hood  being  then  before  Nashville,  Tenn.,  the  Southern  rail 
roads  destroyed,  so  that  it  would  take  several  months  to  reestablish  a  through 
line  from  west  to  east,  and  regarding  the  capture  of  Lee's  army  as  the  most 
important  operation  toward  closing  the  rebellion — I  sent  orders  to  General 
Sherman,  on  the  6th  of  December,  that  after  establishing  a  base  on  the  sea- 
coast,  with  necessary  garrison,  to  include  all  his  artillery  and  cavalry,  to 
come  by  water  to  City  Point  with  the  balance  of  his  command. 

On  the  18th  of  December,  having  received  information  of  the  defeat  and 
utter  rout  of  Hood's  army  by  General  Thomas,  and  that,  owing  to  the  great 


652  CAPTURE    OF    WILMINGTON. 

difficulty  of  procuring  ocean  transportation,  it  would  take  over  two  months 
to  transport  Sherman's  army,  and  doubting  whether  he  might  not  contribute 
as  much  toward  the  desired  result  by  operating  from  where  he  was,  I  wrote 
to  him  to  that  effect,  and  asked  him  for  his  views  as.  to  what  would  be  best 
to  do.  A  few  days  after  this  I  received  a  communication  from  General 
Sherman,  of  date  16th  December,  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  my  order  of 
the  6th,  and  informing  me  of  his  preparations  to  carry  it  into  effect  as  soon 
as  he  could  get  transportation.  Also,  that  he  had  expected,  upon  reducing 
Savannah,  instantly  to  march  to  Columbia,  S.  C.,  thence  to  Raleigh,  and 
thence  to  report  to  me ;  but  that  this  would  consume  about  six  weeks'  time 
after  the  fall  of  Savannah,  whereas  by  sea  he  could  probably  reach  me  by  the 
middle  of  January.  The  confidence  he  manifested  in  this  letter  of  being  able 
to  march  up  and  join  me  pleased  me,  and,  without  waiting  for  a  reply  to  my 
letter  of  the  18th,  I  directed  him,  on  the  28th  of  December,  to  make  prepa 
rations  to  start,  as  he  proposed,  without  delay,  to  break  up  the  railroads  in 
North  and  South  Carolina  and  join  the  armies  operating  against  Richmond 
as  soon  as  he  could. 

On  the  21st  of  January  I  informed  General  Sherman  that  I  had  ordered 
the  Twenty-third  Corps,  Major  General  Schofield  commanding,  east;  that  it 
numbered  about  twenty-one  thousand  men  ;  that  we  had  at  Fort  Fisher  about 
eight  thousand  men;  at  Newbern  about  four  thousand;  that  if  Wilmington 
was  captured  General  Schofield  would  go  there ;  if  not,  he  would  be  sent  to 
Newbern ;  that,  in  either  event,  all  the  surplus  force  at  both  points  would 
move  to  the  interior  toward  Goldsboro',  in  cooperation  with  his  movement ; 
that  from  either  point  railroad  communication  could  be  run  out ;  and  that 
all  these  troops  would  be  subject  to  his  orders  as  he  came  into  communica 
tion  with  them. 

In  obedience  to  his  instructions  General  Schofield  proceeded  to  reduce 
Wilmington,  N.  C.,  in  cooperation  with  the  navy  under  Admiral  Porter, 
moving  his  forces  up  both  sides  of  the  Cape  Fear  River.  Fort  Anderson, 
the  enemy's  main  defense  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  was  occupied  on  the 
morning  of  the  19th,  the  enemy  having  evacuated  it  after  our  appearance 
before  it. 

After  fighting  on  the  20th  and  21st,  our  troops  entered  "Wilmington  on 
the  morning  of  the  22d,  the  enemy  having  retreated  toward  Goldsboro' 
during  the  night.  Preparations  were  at  once  made  for  a  movement  on 
Goldsboro'  in  two  columns — one  from  Wilmington,  and  the  other  from 
Newbern — and  to  repair  the  railroads  leading  there  from  each  place,  as  well 
as  to  supply  General  Sherman  by  Cape  Fear  River,  toward  Fayetteville,  if  it 
became  necessary.  The  column  from  Newbern  was  attacked  on  the  8th  of 
March  at  Wise's  Forks,  and  driven  back  with  the  loss  of  several  hundred 
prisoners.  On  the  llth  the  enemy  renewed  his  attack  upon  our  intrenched 
position,  but  was  repulsed  with  severe  loss,  and  fell  back  during  the  night. 
On  the  14th  the  Neuse  River  was  crossed  and  Kinston  occupied,  and  on  the 
21st  Goldsboro'  was  entered.  The  column  from  Wilmington  reached  Cox's 
Bridge,  on  the  Neuse  River,  ten  miles  above  Goldsboro',  on  the  22d. 

By  the  1st  of  February  General  Sherman's  whole  army  was  in  motion  from 
Savannah.  He  captured  Columbia,  S.  C.,  on  the  17th;  thence  moved  on 
Goldsboro',  N.  C.,  via  Fayetteville,  reaching  the  latter  place  on  the  12th  of 
March,  opening  up  communication  with  General  Schofield  by  way  of  Cape 
Fear  River.  On  the  15th  he  resumed  his  march  on  Goldsboro'.  He  met  a 
force  of  the  enemy  at  Averysboro',  and  after  a  severe  fight  defeated  and  com- 


SHERMAN    LEAVES     SAVANNAH.  653 

pelled  it  to  retreat.  Our  loss  in  the  engagement  was  about  six  hundred. 
The  enemy's  loss  was  much  greater.  On  the  18th  the  combined  forces  of 
the  enemy,  under  Joe  Johnston,  attacked  his  advance  at  Bentonville,  captur 
ing  three  guns  and  driving  it  back  upon  the  main  body.  General  Slocum, 
who  was  in  the  advance,  ascertaining  that  the  whole  of  Johnston's  army  was 
in  the  front,  arranged  his  troops  on  the  defensive,  intrenched  himself,  and 
awaited  reinforcements,  which  were  pushed  forward.  On  the  night  of  the 
21st  the  enemy  retreated  to  Smithfield,  leaving  his  dead  and  wounded  in  our 
hands.  From  there  Sherman  continued  to  Goldsboro',  which  place  had  been 
occupied  by  General  Schofield  on  the  21st,  (crossing  the  Ncusc  River  ten 
miles  above  there,  at  Oox's  Bridge,  where  General  Terry  had  got  possession 
and  thrown  a  pontoon  bridge,  on  the  22d,)  thus  forming  a  junction  with  the 
columns  from  Newbern  and  Wilmington. 

Among  the  important  fruits  of  this  campaign  was  the  fall  of  Charleston,  S. 
C.  It  was  evacuated  by  the  enemy  on  the  night  of  the  17th  of  February, 
and  occupied  by  our  forces  on  the  18th. 

On  the  morning  of  the  31st  of  January  General  Thomas  was  directed  to 
send  a  cavalry  expedition  under  General  Stoneman  from  East  Tennessee,  to 
penetrate  South  Carolina  well  down  toward  Columbia,  to  destroy  the  rail 
roads  and  military  resources  of  the  country,  and  return,  if  he  was  able,  to 
East  Tennessee,  by  way  of  Salisbury,  N.  C.,  releasing  our  prisoners  there,  if 
possible.  Of  the  feasibility  of  this  latter,  however,  General  Stoneman  was  to 
judge.  Sherman's  movements,  I  had  no  doubt,  would  attract  the  attention 
of  all  the  force  the  enemy  could  collect  and  facilitate  the  execution  of  this. 
General  Stoneman  was  so  late  in  making  his  start  on  this  expedition,  (and 
Sherman  having  passed  out  of  the  State  of  South  Carolina,)  on  the  27th  of 
February  I  directed  General  Thomas  to  change  his  course,  and  ordered  him 
to  repeat  his  raid  of  last  Fall,  destroying  the  railroad  toward  Lynchburg  as 
far  as  he  could.  This  would  keep  him  between  our  garrisons  in  East  Ten- 
nesse  and  the  enemy.  I  regarded  it  not  impossible  that  in  the  event  of  the 
enemy  being  driven  from  Richmond  he  might  fall  back  to  Lynchburg  and 
attempt  a  raid  north  through *East  Tennessee.  On  the  14th  of  February  the 
following  communication  was  sent  to  General  Thomas : — 

CITY  POINT,  VA.,  February  14,  1865. 

"  General  Canby  is  preparing  a  movement  from  Mobile  Bay  against  Mobile  and  the  in 
terior  of  Alabama.  His  force  will  consist  of  about  twenty  thousand  men,  besides  A.  J. 
Smith's  command.  The  cavalry  you  have  sent  to  Canby  will  be  debarked  at  Vicksburg. 
It,  with  the  available  cavalry  already  in  that  section,  will  move  from  there  eastward,  in. 
cooperation.  Hood's  army  has  been  terribly  reduced  by  the  severe  punishment  you  gave 
it  in  Tennessee,  by  desertion  consequent  upon  their  defeat,  arid  now  lay  the  withdrawal 
of  many  of  them  to  oppose  Sherman.  (I  take  it  a  large  portion  of  the  infantry  has  been  so 
withdrawn.  It  is  so  asserted  in  the  Richmond  papers,  and  a  member  of  the  rebel  Con 
gress  said,  a  few  days  since,  in  a  speech,  that  one-half  of  it  had  been  brought  to  South 
Carolina  to  oppose  Sherman.)  This  being  true,  or  even  if  it  is  not  true,  Qanby's  move 
ments  will  attract  all  the  attention  of  the  enemy,  and  leave  the  advance  from  your  stand 
point  easy.  I  think  it  advisable,  therefore,  that  you  prepare  as  much  of  a  cavalry  force  as 
you  can  spare,  and  hold  it  in  readiness  to  go  south.  The  object  would  be  three-fold:  first, 
to  attract  as  much  of  the  enemy's  force  as  possible  to  insure  success  to  Canby ;  second,  to 
destroy  the  enemy's  line  of  communications  and  military  resources;  third,  to  destroyer 
capture  their  forces  brought  into  the  field,  Tuscaloosa  and  Selma  would  probably  be  the 
points  to  direct  the  expedition  against.  This,  however,  would  not  be  so  important  as  the 
mere  fact  of  penetrating  deep  into  Alabama.  Discretion  should  be  left  to  the  officer  com 
manding  the  expedition  to  go  where,  according  to  the  information  he  may  receive,  he  will 
best  secure  the  objects  named  above. 

Now  that  your  force  has  been  so  much  depleted,  I  do  not  know  what  number  of  men 


654  SHERIDAN'S   RAID   ON  RAILROADS. 

you  can  put  into  the  field.  If  not  more  than  five  thousand  men,  however,  a'l  cavalry,  I 
think  it  will  be  sufficient.  It  is  not  desirable  that  you  should  start  this  expedition  until 
the  one  leaving  Vicksburg  has  been  three  or  four  days  out,  or  even  a  week.  I  do  not 
know  when  it  will  start,  but  will  inform  you  by  telegraph  as  soon  as  I  learn.  If  you 
should  hear  through  other  sources  before  hearing  from  me,  you  can  act  on  the  information 
received. 

To  insure  success,  your  cavalry  should  go  with  as  little  wagon  train  as  possible,  relying 
upon  the  country  for  supplies.  I  would  also  reduce  the  number  of  guns  to  a  battery,  or 
the  number  of  batteries,  and  put  the  extra  teams  to  the  guns  taken.  No  guns  or  caissons 
should  be  taken  with  less  than  eight  horses. 

Please  inform  me  by.  telegraph,  on  receipt  of  this,  what  force  you  think  you  will  be  able 
to  send  under  these  directions. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General" 

Major  General  G.  H.  THOMAS. 

On  the  15th  he  was  directed  to  start  the  expedition  as  soon  after  the  20th 
as  he  could  get  it  oft'. 

I  deemed  it  of  the  utmost  importance,  before  a  general  movement  of  the 
armies  operating  against  Richmond,  that  all  communications  with  the  city, 
north  of  James  River,  should  be  cut  off.  The  enemy  having  withdrawn  the 
bulk  of  his  force  from  the  Shenandoah  Valley  and  sent  it  south,  or  replaced 
troops  sent  from  Richmond,  and  desiring  to  reinforce  Sherman,  if  practicable, 
whose  cavalry  was  greatly  inferior  in  numbers  to  that  of  the  enemy,  I  de 
termined  to  make  a  move  from  the  Shenandoah,  which,  if  successful,  would 
accomplish  the  first  at  least,  and  possibly  the  latter,  of  these  objects.  I 
therefore  telegraphed  General  Sheridan  as  follows : — 

CITY  POINT,  YA.,  February  20,  1 8G5— 1  P.  M. 

"GENERAL : — As  soon  as  it  is  possible  to  travel  I  think  you  will  have  no  difficulty  about 
reaching  Lynchburg  with  a  cavalry  force  alone.  From  there  you  could  destroy  the  railroad 
and  canal  in  every  direction,  so  as  to  be  of  no  further  use  to  the  rebellion.  Sufficient  cav 
alry  should  be  left  behind  to  look  after  Mosby's  gang.  From  Lynchburg,  if  information 
you  might  get  there  would  justify  it,  you  could  strike  south,  heading  the  streams  in  Vir 
ginia  to  the  westward  of  Danville,  and  push  on  and  join  General  Sherman.  This  additional 
raid,  with  one  now  about  starting  from  East  Tennessee  tinder  Stoneman,  numbering  four  or 
five  thousand  cavalry,  one  from  Vicksburg,  numbering  seven  or  eight  thousand  cavalry, 
one  from  Eastport,  Miss.,  ten  thousand  cavalry,  Canby  from  Mobile  Bay  with  about  thirty- 
eight  thousand  mixed  troops,  these  three  latter  pushing  for  Tuscaloosa,  Selma,*and  Mont 
gomery,  and  Sherman  with  a  large  army  eating  out  the  vitals  of  "South  Carolina,  is  all  that 
will  be  wanted  to  leave  nothing  for  the  rebellion  to  stand  upon.  1  would  advise  you  to 
overcome  great  obstacles  to  accomplish  this.  Charleston  was  evacuated  on  Tuesday 
last. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General11 

Major  General  P.  H.  SHERIDAN. 

On  the  25th  I  received  a  dispatch  from  General  Sheridan  inquiring  where 
Sherman  was  aiming  for,  and  if  I  could  give  him  definite  information  as  to 
the  points  he  might  be  expected  to  move  on  this  side  of  Charlotte,  N.  C.  In 
answer  the  following  telegram  was  sent  him : — 

CITY  POINT,  VA.,  February  25,  1865. 

"GENERAL: — Sherman's  movements  will  depend  on  the  amount  of  opposition  he  meets 
with  from  the  enemy.  If  strongly  opposed,  he  may  possibly  have  to  fall  back  to  George 
town,  S.  C.,  and  fit  out  for  a  new  start.  I  think,  however,  all  danger  for  the  necessity  of 
going  to  that  point  has  passed.  I  believe  he  has  passed  Charlotte.  He  may  take  Fay- 
etteville  on  his  way  to  Goldsboro'.  If  you  reach  Lynchburg,  you  will  have  to  be  guided 
in  your  after  movements  by  the  information  you  obtain.  Before  you  could  possibly  reach 
Sherman,  I  think  you  would  find  him  moving  from  Goldsboro'  toward  Raleigh,  or  engag- 


RESULTS     OF    SHERIDAN'S     RAID.  655 

ing  the  enemy  strongly  posted  at  one  or  the  other  of  these  places,  with  railroad  commu 
nications  opened  from  his  army  to  Wilmington  or  Newbern. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General" 
Major  General  P.  H.  SHERIDAN. 

General  Sheridan  moved  from  Winchester  on  the  27th  of  February,  with 
two  divisions  of  cavalry,  numbering  about  five  thousand  each.  On  the  1st 
of  March  he  secured  the  bridge,  which  the  enemy  attempted  to  destroy, 
across  the  middle  fork  of  the  Shenandoah,  at  Mount  Crawford,  and  entered 
Staunton  on  the  2d,  the  enemy  having  retreated  on  Waynesboro'.  Thence 
he  pushed  on  to  Waynesboro',  where  he  found  the  enemy  in  force  in  an  in 
trenched  position,  under  General  Early.  Without  stopping  to  make  a  re- 
corinoissance,  an  immediate  attack  was  made,  the  position  was  carried,  and 
one-  thousand  six  hundred  prisoners,  eleven  pieces  of  artillery,  with  horses 
and  caissons  complete,  two  hundred  wagons  and  teams  loaded  with  subsist 
ence,  and  seventeen  battle  flags,  were  captured.  The  prisoners,  under  an  es 
cort  of  one  thousand  five  hundred  men,  were  sent  back  to  Winchester. 
Thence  he  marched  on  Charlottesville,  destroying  effectually  the  railroad 
and  bridges  as  he  went,  which  place  he  reached  on  the  3d.  Here  he  re 
mained  two  days,  destroying  the  railroad  toward  Richmond  and  Lynchburg, 
including  the  large  iron  bridges  over  the  north  and  south  forks  of  the  Ri- 
vanna  River,  and  awaiting  the  arrival  of  his  trains.  This  necessary  delay 
caused  him  to  abandon  the  idea  of  capturing  Lynchburg.  On  the  morning 
of  the  6th,  dividing  his  force  into  two  columns,  he  sent  one  to  Scotsville, 
whence  it  marched  up  the  James  River  canal  to  New  Market,  destroying 
every  lock,  and  in  many  places  the  bank  of  the  canal.  From  here  a  force 
was  pushed  out  from  this  column  to  Duiguidsville,  to  obtain  possession  of 
the  bridge  across  the  James  River  at  that  place,  but  failed.  The  enemy 
burned  it  on  our  approach.  The  enemy  also  burned  the  bridge  across  the 
river  at  Hard wicksvi lie.  The  other  column  moved  down  the  railroad  toward 
Lynchburg,  destroying  it  as  far  as  Amherst  Court-House,  sixteen  miles  from 
Lynchburg;  thence  across  the  country,  uniting  with  the  column  at  New 
Market.  The  river  being  very  high  his  pontoons  would  not  reach  across  it ; 
and  the  enemy  having  destroyed  the  bridges  by  which  he  had  hoped  to  cross 
the  river  and  get  on  the  South-side  railroad  about  Farmville,  and  destroy  it 
to  Appomattox  Court-House,  the  only  thing  left  for  him  was  to  return  to 
Winchester  or  strike  a  base  at  the  White  House.  Fortunately  he  chose  the 
latter.  From  New  Market  he  took  up  his  line  of  march,  following  the  canal 
toward  Richmond,  destroying  every  lock  upon  it  and  cutting  the  banks 
wherever  practicable,  to  a  point  eight  miles  east  of  Goochland,  concentrating 
the  whole  force  at  Columbia  on  the  10th.  Here  he  rested  one  day,  and  sent 
through  by  scouts  information  of  his  whereabouts  and  purposes,  and  a  re 
quest  for  supplies  to  meet  him  at  White  House,  which  reached  me  on  the 
night  of  the  12th.  An  infantry  force  was  immediately  sent  to  get  posses 
sion  of  White  House",  and  supplies  were  forwarded.  Moving  from  Columbia 
in  a  direction  to  threaten  Richmond,  to  near  Ashland  Station,  he  crossed  the 
Annas,  and  after  having  destroyed  all  the  bridges  and  many  miles  of  the 
railroad,  proceeded  down  the  north  bank  of  the  Pamunkey  to  White  House, 
which  place  he  reached  on  the  19th. 

Previous  to  this  the  following  communication  was  sent  to  General 
Thomas : — 

CITY  POINT,  YA.,  March  7,  1865—9:30  A.  M. 

'GENERAL: — I  think  it  will  be  advisable  now  for  you  to  repair  the  railroad  in  East 


656  THE     SITUATION     IN     MARCH,     1865. 

Tennessee,  and  throw  a  good  force  up  to  Bull's  Gap  and  fortify  there.  Supplies  at  Knox- 
ville  could  always  be  got  forward  as  required.  With  Bull's  Gap  fortified,  you  can  occupy 
as  outposts  about  all  of  East  Tennessee,  and  be  prepared,  if  it  should  be  required  of  you  in 
the  Spring,  to  make  a  campaign  toward  Lynchburg,  or  into  North  Carolina.  I  do  not 
think  Stoneman  should  break  the  road  until  he  gets  into  Virginia,  unless  it  should  be  to 
cut  off  rolling  stock  that  may  be  caught  west  of  that. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General" 
Major  General  G.  II.  THOMAS. 

Tims  it  will  be  seen  that  in  March,  1865,  General  Canby  was  moving  an 
adequate  force  against  Mobile  and  the  army  defending  it  under  General  Dick 
Taylor;  Thomas  was  pushing  out  two  large  and  well-appointed  cavalry  ex 
peditions — one  from  Middle  Tennessee  under  Brevet  Major  General  Wilson 
against  the  enemy's  vital  points  in  Alabama,  the  other  from  East  Tennessee 
under  Major  General  Stoneman  toward  Lynchburg — and  assembling  the  re 
mainder  of  his  available  forces  preparatory  to  offensive  operations  from  East 
Tennessee ;  General  Sheridan's  cavalry  was  at  White  House ;  the  Armies  of 
the  Potomac  and  James  were  confronting  the  enemy  under  Lee  in  his  de 
fenses  of  Richmond  and  Petersburg;  General  Sherman  with  his  armies,  re 
inforced  by  that  of  General  Schofield,  was  at  Goldsboro' ;  General  Pope  was 
making  preparations  for  a  spring  campaign  against  the  enemy  under  Kirby 
Smith  and  Price,  west  of  the  Mississippi ;  and  General  Hancock  was  concen 
trating  a  force  in  the  vicinity  of  Winchester,  Va.,  to  guard  against  invasion 
or  to  operate  offensively,  ns  might  prove  necessary. 

After  the  long  march  by  General  Sheridan's  cavalry  over  winter  roads,  it 
was  necessary  to  rest  and  refit  at  White  House.  At  this  time  the  greatest 
source  of  uneasiness  to  me  was  the  fear  that  the  enemy  would  leave  his  strong 
lines  about  Petersburg  and  Richmond  for  the  purpose  of  uniting  with  John 
ston,  before  he  was  driven  from  them  by  battle,  or  I  was  prepared  to  make 
an  effectual  pursuit.  On  the  24th  of  March  General  Sheridan  moved  from 
White  House,  crossed  the  James  River  at  Jones'  Landing,  and  formed  a 
junction  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  in  front  of  Petersburg  on  the  27th. 
During  this  move  General  Ord  sent  forces  to  cover  the  crossings  of  the 
Chickahominy. 

On  the  24th  of  March  the  following  instructions  for  a  general  movement 
of  the  armies  operating  against  Richmond  were  issued : — 

CITY  POINT,  VA.,  March  24,  18G5. 

"  GENERAL  : — On  the  29th  instant  the  armies  operating  against  Richmond  will  be  moved 
by  our  left  for  the  double  purpose  of  turning  the  enemy  out  of  his  present  position  around 
Petersburg,  and  to  insure  the  success  of  the  cavalry  under  General  Sheridan,  which  will 
start  at  the  same  time,  in  its  efforts  to  reach  and  destroy  the  South-side  and  Danville  rail 
roads.  Two  corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  will  be  moved  at  first  in  two  columns, 
taking  the  two  roads  crossing  Hatcher's  Run  nearest  where  the  present  line  held  by  us 
strikes  that  stream,  both  moving  toward  Dinwiddie  Court-House. 

The  cavalry  under  General  Sheridan,  joined  by  the  division  now  under  General  Davies, 
will  move  at  the  same  time  by  the  Weldon  road  and  the  Jerusalem  plank  road,  turning 
west  from  the  latter  before  crossing  the  Nottowa}*,  and  west  with  the  whole  column  before 
reaching  Stony  Creek.  General  Sheridan  will  then  move  independently,  under  other  in 
structions  which  will  be  given  him.  All  dismounted  cavalry  belonging  to  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  and  the  dismounted  cavalry  from  the  Middle  Military  Division  not  required 
for  guarding  property  belonging  to  their  arm  of  service,  will  report  to  Brigadier  General 
Benham,  to  be  added  to  the  defenses  of  City  Point.  Major  General  Parko  will  be  left  in 
command  of  all  the  army  left  for  holding  the  lines  about  Petersburg  and  City  Point,  sub 
ject,  of  course,  to  orders  from  the  Commander  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  The  Ninth 
Army  Corps  will  be  left  intact  to  hold  the  present  line  of  works  so  long  as  the  whole  line 
now  occupied  by  us  is  held.  If,  however,  the  troops  to  the  left  of  the  Ninth  Corps  are 


ORDERS     BY     GRANT. 


657 


withdrawn,  then  the  left  of  the  corps  may  be  thrown  back  so  as  to  occupy  the  position 
held  by  the  army  prior  to  the  capture  of  the  Weldon  road.  All  troops  to  the  left  of  the 
Ninth  Corps  will  be  held  in  readiness  to  move  at  the  shortest  notice  by  such  route  as  may 
be  designated  when  the  order  is  given. 

General  Orel  will  detach  three  divisions,  two  white  and  one  colored,  or  so  much  of  them 
as  he  can,  and  hold  his  present  lines,  and  march  for  the  present  left  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  In  the  absence  of  further  orders,  or  until  further  orders  are  given,  the  white 
divisions  will  follow  the  left  column  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  the  colored  division 
the  right  column.  During  the  movement  Major  General  Weitzel  will  be  left  in  command 
of  all  the  forces  remaining  behind  from  the  Army  of  the  James. 

The  movement  of  troops  from  the  Army  of  the  James  will  commence  on  the  night  of  tho 
27th  instant.  General  Ord  will  leave  behind  the  minimum  number  of  cavalry  necessary 
for  picket  duty,  in  the  absence  of  the  main  army.  A  cavalry  expedition  from  General 
Ord"s  command  will  also  be  started  from  Suffolk,  to  leave  there  on  Saturday,  the  1st  of 
April,  under  Colonel  Sumner,  for  the  purpose  of  cutting  the  railroad  about  Hicksford. 
This,  if  accomplished,  will  have  to  be  a  surprise,  and  therefore  from  three  to  five  hundred 
men  will  be-  sufficient  They  should,  however,  be  supported  by  all  the  infantry  that  can 
be  spared  from  Norfolk  and  Portsmouth,  as  far  out  as  to  where  the  cavalry  crosses  the 
Blackwater.  The  crossing  should  probably  be  at  Uniten.  Should  Colonel  Sumner  suc 
ceed  in  reaching  the  Weldon  road,  he  will  be  instructed  to  do  all  the  damage  possible  to 
the  triangle  of  roads  between  Hicksford,  Weldon,  and  Gaston.  The  railroad  bridge  at 
Weldon  being  fitted  up  for  the  passage  of  carriages,  it  might  be  practicable  to  destroy  any 
accumulation  of  supplies  the  enemy  may  have  collected  south  of  the  Roanoke.  All  the 
troops  will  move  with  four  days'  rations  in  haversacks,  and  eight  days'  in  wagons.  To 
avoid  as  much  hauling  as  possible,  and  to  give  the  Army  of  the  James  the  same  number 
of  days'  supply  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  General  Ord  will  direct  his  commissary  and 
quarter- master  to  have  sufficient  supplies  delivered  at  the  terminus  of  the  road  to  fill  up  in 
passing.  Sixty  rounds  of  ammunition  per  man  will  be  taken  in  wagons,  and  as  much 
grain  as  the  transportation  on  hand  will  carry,  after  taking  the  specified  amount  of  other 
supplies.  The  densely-wooded  country  in  which  the  army  has  to  operate  making  the  use 
of  much  artillery  impracticable,  the  amount  taken  with  the  army  will  be  reduced  to  six  or 
eight  guns  to  each  division,  at  the  option  of  the  army  Commanders. 

All  necessary  preparations  for  carrying  these  directions  into  operation  may  be  com 
menced  at  once.  The  reserves  of  the  Ninth  Corps  should  be  massed  as  much  as  possible. 
Whilst  T  would  not  now  order  an  unconditional  attack  on  the  enemy's  line  by  them,  they 
should  be  ready,  and  should  make  the  attack  if  the  enemy  weakens  his  line  in  their  front, 
without  waiting  for  orders.  In  case  they  carry  the  line,  then  the  whole  of  the  Ninth  Corps 
could  follow  up,  so  as  to  join  or  cooperate  with  the  balance  of  the  army.  To  prepare  for 
this,  the  Ninth  Corps  will  have  rations  issued  to  them,  same  as  the  balance  of  the  army. 
General  Weitzel  will  keep  vigilant  watch  upon  his  front,  and  if  found  at  all  practicable  to 
break  through  at  any  point,  he  will  do  so.  A  success  north  of  the  James  should  be  fol 
lowed  up  with  great  promptness.  An  attack  will  not  be  feasible  unless  it  is  found  that 
the  enemy  has  detached  largely.  In  that  case  it  may  be  regarded  as  evident  that  the  en 
emy  are  relying  upon  their  local  reserves,  principally,  for  the  defense  of  Richmond.  Prep 
arations  may  be  made  for  abandoning  all  the  line  north  of  the  James,  except  inclosed 
works — only  to  be  abandoned,  however,  after  a  break  is  made  in  the  lines  of  the  enemv. 

By  these  instructions  a  large  part  of  the  armies  operating  against  Richmond  is  left  be 
hind.  The  enemy,  knowing  this,  may,  as  an  only  chance,  strip  their  lines  to  the  merest 
skeleton,  in  the  hope  of  advantage  not  being  taken  of  it,  whilst  they  hurl  every  thing 
against  the  moving  column,  and  return.  It  can  not  be  impressed  too  strongly  upon  com 
manders  of  troops  left  in  the  trenches  not  to  allow  this  to  occur  without  taking  advantage 
of  it.  Tho  very  fact  of  the  enemy  coming  out  to  attack,  if  he  does  so,  might  be  regarded 
as  almost  conclusive  evidence  of  such  a  weakening  of  his  lines.  I  would  have  it  particu 
larly  enjoined  upon  corps  commanders  that,  in  case  of  an  attack  from  the  enemy,  those  not 
attacked  are  not  to  wait  for  orders  from  the  commanding  officer  of  the  army  to  which 
they  belong,  but  that  they  will  move  promptly,  and  notify  the  commander  of  their  action. 
I  would  also  enjoin  the  same  action  on  the  part  of  division  commanders  when  other  parts 
of  their  corps  are  engaged.  In  like  manner,  I  would  urge  the  importance  of  following  up  a 
repulse,  of  the  enemy. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General" 

Major  Generals  MEADE,  ORD,  and  SHERIDAN. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  25th  the  enemy  assaulted  our  lines  in  front 
of  the  Ninth  Corps  (which  held  from  the  Appomattox  River  toward  our  left) 


658  BATTLE     OF    FORT    STEAD  MAN. 

and  carried  Fort  Steadman,  and  a  part  of  the  line  to  the  right  and  left  of  it, 
established  themselves  and  turned  the  guns  of  the  fort  against  us ;  but  our 
troops  on  either  flank  held  their  ground  until  the  reserves  were  brought  up, 
when  the  enemy  was  driven  back  with  a  heavy  loss  in  killed  and  wounded, 
and  one  thousand  nine  hundred  prisoners.  Our  loss  was  sixty-eight  killed, 
three  hundred  and  thirty-seven  wounded,  and  five  hundred  and  six  missing. 
General  Meade  at  once  ordered  the  other  corps  to  advance  and  feel  the  en 
emy  in  their  respective  fronts.  Pushing  forward,  they  captured  and  held  the 
enemy's  strongly  intrenched  picket  line  in  front  of  the  Second  and  Sixth 
Corps,  and  eight  hundred  and  thirty-four  prisoners.  The  enemy  made  des 
perate  attempts  to  retake  this  line,  but  without  success.  Our  loss  in  front 
of  these  was  fifty-two  killed,  eight  hundred  and  sixty-four  wounded,  and  two 
hundred  and  seven  missing.  The  enemy's  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  was 
far  greater. 

General  Sherman  having  got  his  troops  all  quietly  in  camp  about  Golds- 
boro,'  and  his  preparations  for  furnishing  supplies  to  them  perfected,  visited 
me  at  City  Point  on  the  27th  of  March,  and  stated  that  he  would  be  ready 
to  move,  as  he  had  previously  written  me,  by  the  10th  of  April,  fully  equip 
ped  and  rationed  for  twenty  days,  if  it  should  become  necessary  to  bring  his 
command  to  bear  against  Lee's  army,  in  cooperation  with  our  forces  in  front 
of  Richmond  and  Petersburg.  General  Sherman  proposed  in  this  movement 
to  threaten  Raleigh,  and  then,  by  turning  suddenly  to  the  right,  reach  the 
Roanoke  at  Gaston  or  thereabouts,  whence  he  could  move  on  to  the  Rich 
mond  and  Danville  railroad,  striking  it  in  the  vicinity  of  Burkesville,  or  join 
the  armies  operating  against  Richmond,  as  might  be  deemed  best.  This  plan 
he  was  directed  to  carry  into  execution  if  he  received  no  further  directions  in 
the  meantime.  I  explained  to  him  the  movement  I  had  ordered  to  com 
mence  on  the  29th  of  March.  That  if  it  should  not  prove  as  entirely  success 
ful  as  I  hoped,  I  would  cut  the  cavalry  loose  to  destroy  the  Danville  and 
South-side  railroads,  and  thus  deprive  the  enemy  of  further  supplies,  and  also 
prevent  the  rapid  concentration  of  Lee's  and  Johnston's  armies. 

I  had  spent  days  of  anxiety  lest  each  morning  should  bring  the  report  that 
the  enemy  had  retreated  the  night  before.  I  was  firmly  convinced  that 
Sherman's  crossing  the  Roanoke  would  be  the  signal  for  Lee  to  leave.  With 
Johnston  and  him  combined,  a  long,  tedious,  and  expensive  campaign,  con 
suming  most  of  the  Summer,  might  become  necessary.  By  moving  out  I 
would  put  the  army  in  better  condition  for  pursuit,  and  would  at  least,  by 
the  destruction  of  the  Danville  road,  retard  the  concentration  of  the  two  ar 
mies  of  Lee  and  Johnston,  and  cause  the  enemy  to  abandon  much  material 
that  he  might  otherwise  save.  I  therefore  determined  not  to  delay  the 
movement  ordered. 

On  the  night  of  the  27th  Major  General  Ord,  with  two  divisions  of  the 
Twenty-fourth  Corps,  Major  General  Gibbon  commanding,  and  one  division 
of  the  Twenty-fifth  Corps,  Brigadier  General  Birney  commanding,  and 
McKenzie's  cavalry,  took  up  his  line  of  march  in  pursuance  of  the  foregoing 
instructions,  and  reached  the  position  assigned  him  near  Hatcher's  Run  on 
the  morning  of  the  29th.  On  the  28th  the  following  instructions  were  given 
to  General  Sheridan : — 

CITY  POINT,  VA.,  March  28,  1865. 

"GENERAL: — The  Fifth  Army  Corps  will  move  by  the  Vaughn  road  at  3  A.  wr.  to 
morrow  morning.  The  Second  moves  at  about  9  A.  M.f  having  but  about  three  miles  to 
march  to  reach  the  point  designated  for  it  to  take  on  the  right  of  the  Fifth  Corps,  after  the 


THE     GRAND    MOVEMENT.  659 

latter  reaching  Dinwiddie  Court-House.  Move  jrour  cavalry  at  as  early  an  hour  as  you 
can,  and  without  being  confined  to  any  particular  road  or  roads.  You  may  go  out  by  the 
nearest  roads  in  rear  of  the  Fifth  Corps,  pass  by  its  left,  and,  passing  near  to  or  through 
Dinwiddie,  reach  the  right  and  rear  of  the  enemy  as  soon  as  you  can.  It  is  not  the  inten 
tion  to  attack  the  enemy  in  his  intrenched  position,  but  to  force  him  out  if  possible. 
Should  he  come  out  and  attack  us,  or  get  himself  where  he  can  be  attacked,  move  in  with 
your  entire  force  in  your  own  way,  and  with  the  full  reliance  that  the  army  will  engage 
or  follow,  as  circumstances  will  dictate.  I  shall  be  on  the  field,  and  will  probably  be  able 
to  communicate  with  you.  Should  I  not  do  so,  and  you  find  that  the  enemy  keeps  within 
his  main  intrenched  line,  you  may  cut  loose  and  push  for  the  Danville  road.  If  you  find 
it  practicable,  I  would  like  you  to  cross  the  South-side  road,  between  Petersburg  and 
Burkesville,  and  destroy  it  to  some  extent.  I  would  not  advise  much  detention,  however, 
until  you  reach  the  Danville  road,  which  I  would  like  you  to  strike  as  near  to  the  Appo- 
mattox  as  possible.  Make  your  destruction  on  that  road  as  complete  as  possible.  You  can 
then  pass  on  to  the  South-side  road,  west  of  Burkesville,  and  destroy  that  in  like  manner. 

After  having  accomplished  the  destruction  of  the  two  railroads,  which  are  now  the  only 
avenues  of  supply  to  Lee's  army,  you  may  return  to  this  army,  selecting  your  road  further 
south,  or  you  may  go  on  into  North  Carolina  and  join  General  Sherman.  Should  you  se 
lect  the  latter  course,  get  the  information  to  me  as  early  as  possible,  so  that  I  may  send 
orders  to  meet  you  at  Goldsboro'. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General" 

Major  General  P.  H.  SHERIDAN. 

On  the  morning  of  the  29th  the  movement  commenced.  At  night  the 
cavalry  was  at  Dinwiddie  Court-House,  and  the  left  of  our  infantry  line  ex 
tended  to  the  Quaker  road,  near  its  intersection  with  the  Boydtown  plank 
road.  The  position  of  the  troops,  from  left  to  right,  was  as  follows  : — Sheri 
dan,  Warren,  Humphreys,  Ord,  Wright,  Parke. 

Every  thing  looked  favorable  to  the  defeat  of  the  enemy  and  the  capture 
of  Petersburg  and  Richmond,  if  the  proper  effort  was  made.  I  therefore  ad 
dressed  the  following  communication  to  General  Sheridan,  having  previously 
informed  him  verbally  not  to  cut  loose  for  the  raid  contemplated  in  his  ox1' 
ders  until  he  received  notice  from  me  to  do  so : — 

GRAVELLY  CREEK,  March  29,  1865. 

"GENERAL: — Our  line  is  now  unbroken  from  the  Appomattox  to  Dinwiddie.  We  are 
all  ready,  however,  to  give  up  all,  from  the  Jerusalem  plank  road  to  Hatcher's  Run,  when 
ever  the  forces  can  be  used  advantageously.  After  getting  into  line  south  of  Hatcher's  we 
pushed  forward  to  find  the  enemy's  position.  General  Griffin  was  attacked  near  where  the 
Quaker  road  intersects  the  Boydtown  road,  but  repulsed  it  easily,  capturing  about  one  hun 
dred  men.  Humphreys  reached  Dabney's  Mill,  and  was  pushing  on  when  last  heard  from. 

I  now  feel  like  ending  the  matter,  if  it  .is  possible  to  do  so,  before  going  back.  I  do  not 
want  you,  therefore,  to  cut  loose  and  go  after  the  enemy's  roads  at  present.  In  the  morn 
ing  push  around  the  enemy,  if  you  can,  and  get  on  to  his  right  rear.  The  movements  of 
the  enemy's  cavalry  may,  of  course,  modify  your  action.  We  will  act  all  together  as  one 
army  here  until  it  is  seen  what  can  be  done  with  the  enemy.  The  signal  officer  at  Cobb's 
Hill  reported,  as  11:30  A.  M.,  that  a  cavalry  column  had  passed  that  point  from  Richmond 
toward  Petersburg,  taking  forty  minutes  to  pass. 

*  U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General." 

Major  General  P.  H.  SHERIDAN. 

From  the  night  of  the  29th  to  the  morning  of  the  31st  the  rain  fell  in  such 
torrents  as  to  make  it  impossible  to  move  a  wheeled  vehicle,  except  as  cor 
duroy  roads  were  laid  in  front  of  them.  During  the  30th  Sheridan  advanced 
from  Dinwiddie  Court-House  toward  Five  Forks,  where  he  found  the  enemy 
in  force.  General  Warren  advanced  and  extended  his  line  across  the  Boyd 
town  plank  road  to  near  the  White  Oak  road,  with  a  view  of  getting  across 
the  latter ;  but  finding  the  enemy  strong  in  his  front  and  extending  beyond 
his  left,  was  directed  to  hold  on  where  he  was  and  fortify.  General  Hum- 


660  BEGINNING    OF    THE     END. 

phreys  drove  the  enemy  from  his  front  into  his  main  line  on  the  Hatcher, 
near  Burgess'  Mills.  Generals  Ord,  Wright,  and  Parke  made  examinations 
in  their  fronts  to  determine  the  feasibility  of  an  assault  on  the  enemy's  lines. 
The  two  latter  reported  favorably.  The  enemy  confronting  us,  as  he  did,  at 
every  point  from  Richmond  to  our  extreme  left,  I  conceived  his  lines  must  be 
weakly  held,  and  could  be  penetrated  if  my  estimate  of  his  forces  were  cor 
rect.  I  determined,  therefore,  to  extend  my  line  no  further,  but  to  reinforce 
General  Sheridan  with  a  corps  of  infantry,  and  thus  enable  him  to  cut  loose 
and  turn  the  enemy's  right  flank,  and  with  the  other  corps  assault  the  ene 
my's  lines.  The  result  of  the  offensive  effort  of  the  enemy  the  week  before, 
when  he  assaulted  Fort  Stead  man,  particularly  favored  this.  The  enemy's 
intrenched  picket  line  captured  by  us  at  that  time  threw  the  lines  occupied 
by  the  belligerents  so  close  together  at  some  points  that  it  was  but  a  mo 
ment's  run  from  one  to  the  other.  Preparations  were  at  once  made  to  re 
lieve  General  Humphreys'  corps  to  report  to  General  Sheridan ;  but  the  con 
dition  of  the  roads  prevented  immediate  movement.  On  the  morning  of  the 
31st  General  Warren  reported  favorably  to  getting  possession  of  the  White 
Oak  road,  and  was  directed  to  do  so.  To  accomplish  this  he  moved  with 
one  division,  instead  of  his  whole  corps,  which  was  attacked  by  the  enemy 
in  superior  force  and  driven  back  on  the  second  division  before  it  had  time 
to  form,  and  it,  in  turn,  forced  back  upon  the  third  division,  when  the  enemy 
was  checked.  A  division  of  the  Second  Corps  was  immediately  sent  to  his 
support,  the  enemy  driven  back  with  heavy  loss,  and  possession  of  the  White 
Oak  road  gained.  Sheridan  advanced,  and  with  a  portion  of  his  cavalry  got 
possession  of  the  Five  Forks,  but  the  enemy,  after  the  affair  with  the  Fifth 
Corps,  reinforced  the  rebel  cavalry  defending  that  point  with  infantry,  and 
forced  him  back  toward  Dinwiddie  Court-House.  Here  General  Sheridan 
displayed  great  generalship.  Instead  of  retreating  with  his  whole  command 
on  the  main  army,  to  tell  the  story  of  superior  forces  encountered,  he  de 
ployed  his  cavalry  on  foot,  leaving  only  mounted  men  enough  to  take  charge 
of  the  horses.  This  compelled  the  enemy  to  deploy  over  a  vast  extent  of 
woods  and  broken  country,  and  made  his  progress  slow.  At  this  juncture 
he  dispatched  to  me  what  had  taken  place,  and  that  he  was  dropping  back 
slowly  on  Dinwiddie  Court-House.  General  McKcnzie's  cavalry  and  one 
division  of  the  Fifth  Corps  were  immediately  ordered  to  his  assistance.  Soon 
after,  receiving  a  report  from  General  Meade  that  Humphreys  could  hold  our 
position  on  the  Boydtown  road,  and  that  the  other  two  divisions  of  the  Fifth 
Corps  could  go  to  Sheridan,  they  were  so  ordered  at  once.  Thus  the  opera 
tions  of  the  day  necessitated  the  sending  of  Warren  because  of  his  accessi 
bility,  instead  of  Humphreys,  as  was  intended,  and  precipitated  intended 
movements.  On  the  morning  of  the  1st  of  April  General  Sheridan,  reinforced 
by  General  Warren,  drove  the  enemy  back  on  Five  Forks,  where,  late  in  the 
evening,  he  assaulted  and  carried  his  strongly  fortified  position,  capturing  all 
his  artillery  and  between  five  thousand  and  six  thousand  prisoners.  About 
the  close  of  this  battle  Brevet  Major  General  Charles  Griffin  relieved  Major 
General  Warren  in  command  of  the  Fifth  Corps.  The  report  of  this  reached 
me  after  nightfall.  Some  apprehensions  filled  my  mind  lest  the  enemy  might 
desert  his  lines  during  the  night,  and  by  falling  upon  General  Sheridan  before 
assistance  could  reach  him,  drive  him  from  his  position  and  open  the  way  for 
retreat.  To  guard  against  this  General  Miles1  division  of  Humphreys'  Corps 
was  sent  to  reinforce  him,  and  a  bombardment  was  commenced  and  kept  up 
until  4  o'clock  in  the  morning,  (April  2,)  when  an  assault  was  ordered  on  the 


THE     FLIGHT     OF    LEE.  661 

enemy's  lines.  General  Wright  penetrated  the  lines  with  his  whole  corps, 
sweeping  every  thing  before  him  and  to  his  left  toward  Hatcher's  Run,  cap 
turing  many  guns  and  several  thousand  prisoners.  He  was  closely  followed 
by  two  divisions  of  General  Ord's  command,  until  he  met  the  other  division 
of  General  Ord's  that  had  succeeded  in  forcing  the  enemy's  lines  near  Hatch 
er's  Run.  Generals  Wright  and  Ord  immediately  swung  to  the  right,  and 
closed  all  of  the  enemy  on  that  side  of  them  in  Petersburg,  while  General 
Humphreys  pushed  forward  with  two  divisions  and  joined  General  Wright 
on  the  left.  General  Parke  succeeded  in  carrying  the  enemy's  main  line, 
capturing  guns  and  prisoners,  but  was  unable  to  carry  his  inner  line.  Gen 
eral  Sheridan  being  advised  of  the  condition  of  affairs  returned  General  Miles 
to  his  proper  comfnand.  On  reaching  the  enemy's  lines  immediately  sur 
rounding  Petersburg,  a  portion  of  General  Gibbon's  Corps,  by  a  most  gallant 
charge,  captured  two  strong  inclosed  works — the  most  salient  and  command 
ing  south  of  Petersburg — thus  materially  shortening  the  line  of  investment 
necessary  for  taking  in  the  city.  The  enemy  south  of  Hatcher's  Run  re 
treated  westward  to  Sutherland's  Station,  where  they  were  overtaken  by 
Miles'  division.  A  severe  engagement  ensued  and  lasted  until  both  his  right 
and  left  flanks  were  threatened  by  the  approach  of  General  Sheridan,  who 
was  moving  from  Ford's  Station  toward  Petersburg,  and  a  division  sent  by 
General  Meade  from  the  front  of  Petersburg,  when  he  broke  in  the  utmost 
confusion,  leaving  in  our  hands  his  guns  and  many  prisoners.  This  force  re 
treated  by  the  main  road  along  the  Appomattox  River.  During  the  night  of 
the  2d  the  enemy  evacuated  Petersburg  and  Richmond,  and  retreated  toward 
Danville.  On  the  morning  of  the  3d  pursuit  was  commenced.  General 
Sheridan  pushed  for  the  Danville  road,  keeping  near  the  Appomattox,  fol 
lowed  by  General  Meade  with  the  Second  and  Sixth  Corps,  while  General 
Ord  moved  for  Burkesville  along  the  South-side  road;  the  Ninth  Corps 
stretched  along  that  road  behind  him.  On  the  4th  General  Sheridan  struck 
the  Danville  road  near  Jettersville,  where  he  learned  that  Lee  was  at  Amelia 
Court-House.  He  immediately  intrenched  himself  and  awaited  the  arrival 
of  General  Meade,  who  reached  there  the  next  day.  General  Ord  reached 
Burkesville  on  the  evening  of  the  5th. 

On  the  morning  of  the  5th  I  addressed  Major  General  Sherman  the  fol 
lowing  communication : — 

WILSON'S  STATION,  April  5,  1865. 

"GENERAL: — All  indications  now  are  that  Lee  will  attempt  to  reach  Danville  with  the 
remnant  of  his  force.  Sheridan,  who  was  up  with  him  last  night,  reports  all  that  is  left, 
horse,  foot,  and  dragoons,  at  twenty  thousand,  much  demoralized.  We  hope  to  reduce 
this  number  one-half.  I  shall  push  on  to  Burkesville,  and  if  a  stand  is  made  at  Danville, 
will  in  a  very  few  days  go  there.  If  you  can  possibly  do  so,  push  on  from  where  you  are, 
and  let  us  see  if  we  can  not  finish  the  job  with  Lee's  and  Johnston's  armies.  Whether  it 
will  be  better  for  you  to  strike  for  Greensboro',  or  nearer  to  Danville,  you  will  be  better 
able  to  judge  when  you  receive  this.  Rebel  armies  now  are  the  only  strategic  points  to 
strike  at. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General." 

Major  General  W.  T.  SHERMAN. 

On  the  morning  of  the  6th  it  was  found  that  General  Lee  was  moving 
west  of  Jettersville,  toward  Danville.  General  Sheridan  moved  with  his 
cavalry  (the  Fifth  Corps  having  been  returned  to  General  Meade  on  his 
reaching  Jettersville)  to  strike  his  flank,  followed  by  the  Sixth  Corps,  while 
the  Second  and  Fifth  Corps  pressed  hard  after,  forcing  him  to  abandon  sev 
eral  hundred  wagons  and  several  pieces  of  artillery.  General  Ord  advanced 


662         GRANT'S   NEGOTIATIONS   WITH   LEE. 

from  Bnrkesville  toward  Farmville,  sending  two  regiments  of  infantry  and  a 
squadron  of  cavalry,  under  Brevet  Brigadier  General  Theodore  Read,  to 
reach  and  destroy  the  bridges.  This  advance  met  the  head  of  Lee's  column 
near  Farmville,  which  it  heroically  attacked  and  detained  until  General  Read 
was  killed  and  his  small  force  overpowered.  This  caused  a  delay  in  the  en 
emy's  movements,  and  enabled  General  Ord  to  get  well  up  with  the  remain 
der  of  his  force,  on  meeting  which  the  enemy  immediately  intrenched  him 
self.  In  the  afternoon  General  Sheridan  struck  the  enemy  south  of  Sailor's 
Creek,  captured  sixteen  pieces  of  artillery,  and  about  four  hundred  wagons, 
and  detained  him  until  the  Sixth  Corps  got  up,  when  a  general  attack  of  in 
fantry  and  cavalry  was  made,  which  resulted  in  the  capture  of  six  thousand 
or  seven  thousand  prisoners,  among  whom  were  many  general  officers.  The 
movements  of  the  Second  Corps  and  General  Ord's  command  contributed 
greatly  to  the  day's  success. 

On  the  morning  of  the  7th  the  pursuit  was  renewed,  the  cavalry,  except 
one  division,  and  the  Fifth  Corps  moving  by  Prince  Edward's  Court-House ; 
the  Sixth  Corps,  General  Ord's  command,  and  one  division  of  cavalry,  on 
Farmville,  and  the  Second  Corps  by  the  High  Bridge  road.  It  was  soon 
found  that  the  enemy  had  crossed  to  the  north  side  of  the  Appomattox ;  but 
so  close  was  the  pursuit  that  the  Second  Corps  got  possession  of  the  common 
bridge  at  High  Bridge  before  the  enemy  could  destroy  it,  and  immediately 
crossed  over.  The  Sixth  Corps  and  a  division  of  cavalry  crossed  at  Farm 
ville  to  its  support. 

Feeling  now  that  General  Lee's  chance  of  escape  was  utterly  hopeless,  I 
addressed  him  the  following  communication  from  Farmville : — _ 

April  7,  1865. 

"GENERAL: — The  result  of  the  last  week  must  convince  you  of  the  hopelessness  of  fur 
ther  resistance  on  the  part  of  the  army  of  Northern  Virginia  in  this  struggle.  I  feel  that 
it  is  so,  and  regard  it  as  my  duty  to  shift  from  myself  the  responsibility  of  any  further  effu 
sion  of  blood  by  asking  of  you  the  surrender  of  that  portion  of  the  Confederate  States  array 
known  as  the  array  of  Northern  Virginia. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General11 

General  R.  E.  LEE. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  8th,  before  leaving,  I  received,  at  Farmville, 
the  following : — 

April  7,  1865. 

<;  GENERAL  : — I  have  received  your  note  of  this  date.  Though  not  entertaining  the  opin 
ion  you  express  on  the  hopelessness  of  further  resistance  on  the  part  of  the  army  of  North 
ern  Virginia,  I  reciprocate  your  desire  to  avoid  useless  effusion  of  blood,  and  therefore,  before 
considering  your  proposition,  ask  the  terms  you  will  offer  on  condition  of  its  surrender. 

R.  E.  LEE,  General 

Lieutenant  General  U.  S.  GRANT. 

To  this  I  immediately  replied  : — 

April  8,  1865. 

"GENERAL: — Your  note  of  last  evening,  in  reply  to  mine  of  same  date,  asking  the  con 
dition  on  which  I  will  accept  the  surrender  of  the  army  of  Northern  Virginia,  is  just  re 
ceived.  In  reply,  I  would  say  that  peace  being  my  great  desire,  there  is  but  one  condition 
I  would  insist  upon,  namel3r :  that  the  men  and  officers  surrendered  shall  be  disqualified  for 
taking  up  arms  again  against  the  Government  of  the  United  States  until  properly  exchanged. 
I  will  meet  you,  or  will  designate  officers  to  meet  any  officers  you  may  name  for  the  same 
purpose,  at  any  point  agreeable  to  you,  for  the  purpose  of  arranging  definitely  the  terms 
upon  which  the  surrender  of  the  array  of  Northern  Virginia  will  be  received. 

S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General." 

General  R.  E.  LEE. 


THE     PEN     AND     SWORD     UNITED. 


663 


Early  on  the  morning  of  the  8th  the  pursuit  was  resumed.  General  Meade 
followed  north  of  the  Appomattox,  and  General.  Sheridan,  with  all  the  cav 
alry,  pushed  straight  for  Appomattox  Station,  followed  by  General  Ord's 
command  and  the  Fifth  Corps.  During  the  day  General  Meadc's  advance 
had  considerable  fighting  with  the  enemy's  rear-guard,  but  was  unable  to 
bring  on  a  general  engagement.  Late  in  the  evening  General  Sheridan  struck 
the  railroad  at  Appomattox  Station,  drove  the  enemy  from  there,  and  cap 
tured  twenty-five  pieces  of  artillery,  a  hospital  train,  and  four  trains  of  cars 
loaded  with  supplies  for  Lee's  army.  During  this  day  I  accompanied  Gen 
eral  Meade's  column,  and  about  midnight  received  the  following  communica 
tion  from  General  Lee : — 

April  8,  1865. 

"  GENERAL  :— I  received  at  a  late  hour  your  note  of  to-day.  In  mine  of  yesterday  I  did 
not  intend  to  propose  the  surrender  of  the  array  of  Northern  Virginia,  but  to  ask  the  terms 
of  your  proposition.  To  be  frank,  I  do  not  think  the  emergency  has  arisen  to  call  for  the 
surrender  of  this  army,  but  as  the  restoration  of  peace  should  be  the  sole  object  of  all,  I 
desired  to  know  whether  your  proposals  would  lead  to  that  en^l.  I  can  not,  therefore, 
meetyou  with  a  view  to  surrender  the  army  of  Northern  Virginia,  but  as  far  as  your  pro 
posal  may  aS'ect  the  Confederate  States  forces  under  my  command,  and  tend  to  the  restora 
tion  of  peace,  I  should  be  pleased  to  meet  you  at  10  A.  M.  to-morrow,  on  the  old  stage  road 
to  Richmond,  between  the  picket  lines  of  the  two  armies. 

R.  E.  LEE,  General" 

Lieutenant  General  U.  S.  GRANT. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  9th  I  returned  him  an  answer  as  follows,  and 
immediately  started  to  join  the  column  south  of  the  Appomattox : — 

April  9,  1865. 

*'  GENERAL: — Your  note  of  yesterday  is  received.  I  have  no  authority  to  treat  on  the 
subject  of  peace;  the  meeting  proposed  for  10  A.  M.  could  lead  to  no  good.  I  will  state, 
however,  General,  that  I  am  equally  anxious  for  peace  with  yourself,  and  the  whole  North 
entertains  the  same  feeling.  The  terms  upon  which  peace  can  be  had  are  well  understood. 
By  the  South  laying  down  their  arms  they  will  hasten  that  most  desirable  event,  save 
thousands  of  human  lives,  and  hundreds  of  millions  of  property  not  yet  destroyed.  Seri 
ously  hoping  that  all  our  difficulties  may  be  settled  without  the  loss  of  another  life,  1  sub 
scribe  myself,  &c. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General." 

General  R.  E.  LEE. 

On  the  morning  of  the  9th  General  Ord's  command  and  the  Fifth  Corps 
reached  Appomattox  Station  just  as  the  enemy  was  making  a  desperate  effort 
to  break  through  our  cavalry.  The  infantry  was  at  once  thrown  in.  Soon 
after  a  white  flag  was  received  requesting  a  suspension  of  hostilities  pending 
negotiations  for  a  surrender. 

Before  reaching  General  Sheridan's  head-quarters  I  received  the  following 
from  General  Lee : — 

April  9,  1865. 

"GENERAL: — I  received  your  note  of  this  morning  on  the  picket  line,  whither  I  had 
come  to  meet  you,  and  ascertain  definitely  what  terms  were  embraced  in  your  proposal  of 
yesterday  with  reference  to  the  surrender  of  this  array.  I  now  ask  an  interview  in  ac 
cordance  with  the  oft'er  contained  in  your  letter  of  yesterday  for  that  purpose. 

R.  E.  LEE,  General 

Lieutenant  General  U.  S.  GRANT. 

The  interview  was  held  at  Appomattox  Court-House,  the  result  of  which 
is  set  forth  in  the  following  correspondence : — 
72 


£(54  LEE   S     SURRENDER. 

APPOMATTOX  COURT-HOUSE,  VA.,  April  9,  1865. 

"GENERAL: — In  accordance  with  the  substance  of  my  letter  to  you  of  the  8th  instant, 
I  propose  to  receive  the  surrender  of  the  army  of  Northern  Virginia  on  the  following 
terms,  to  wit: — Rolls  of  all  the  officers  and  men  to  be  made  in  duplicate,  one  copy  to  be 
given  to  an  officer  to  be  designated  by  me,  the  other  to  be  retained  by  such  officer  or 
officers  as  you  may  designate.  The  officers  to  give  their  individual  paroles  not  to  take  up 
arms  against  the  Government  of  the  United  States  until  properly  exchanged ;  and  each 
company  or  regimental  commander  sign  a  like  parole  for  the  men  of  their  commands.  They 
arms,  artillery,  arid  public  property  to  be  parked  and  stacked,  and  turned  over  to  the 
officers  appointed  by  me  to  receive  them.  This  will  not  embrace  the  side-arms  of  the 
officers  nor  their  private  horses  or  baggage.  This  done,  each  officer  and  man  will  be  al 
lowed  to  return  to  his  home,  not  to  be  disturbed  by  United  States  authority  so  long  as 
they  observe  their  paroles  and  the  laws  in  force  where  they  may  reside. 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General." 

General  R.  E.  LEE. 

HEAD-QUARTERS  ARMY  OF  NORTHERN  VIRGINIA,  April  9,  1865. 

"GENERAL: — I  received  your  letter  of  this  date  containing  the  terms  of  the  surrender 
of  the  army  of  Northern  Virginia  as  proposed  by  you.  As  they  are  substantially  the 
same  as  those  expressed  in  your  letter  of  the  8th  instant,  they  are  accepted.  I  will  pro 
ceed  to  designate  the  proper  officers  to  carry  the  stipulations  into  effect. 

R.  E.  LEE,  General. 

Lieutenant  General  U.  S.  GRANT. 

The  command  of  Major  General  Gibbon,  the  Fifth  Army  Corps  under 
Griffin,  and  McKenzie's  cavalry,  were  designated  to  remain  at  Appomattox 
Court-House  until  the  paroling  of  the  surrendered  army  was  completed,  and 
to  take  charge  of  the  public  property.  The  remainder  of  the  army  immedi 
ately  returned  to  the  vicinity  of  Burkesville. 

General  Lee's  great  influence  throughout  the  whole  South  caused  his  ex 
ample  to  be  followed,  and  to-day  the  result  is  that  the  armies  lately  under 
his  leadership  are  at  their  homes,  desiring  peace  and  quiet,  and  their  arms 
are  in  the  hands  of  our  ordnance  officers. 

On  the  receipt  of  my  letter  of  the  5th  General  Sherman  moved  directly 
against  Joe  Johnston,  who  retreated  rapidly  on  and  through  Raleigh,  which 
place  General  Sherman  occupied  on  the  morning  of  the  13th.  The  day  pre 
ceding,  news  of  the  surrender  of  General  Lee  reached  him  at  Smithfield. 

On  the  14th,  a  correspondence  was  opened  between  General  Sherman  and 
General  Johnston,  which  resulted,  on  the  18th,  in  an  agreement  for  a  sus 
pension  of  hostilities,  and  a  memorandum  or  basis  for  peace,  subject  to  the 
approval  of  the  President.  This  agreement  was  disapproved  by  the  President 
on  the  21st,  which  disapproval,  together  with  your  instructions,  was  commu 
nicated  to  General  Sherman  by  me  in  person  on  the  morning  of  the  24th,  at 
Raleigh,  N.  C.,  in  obedience  to  your  orders.  Notice  was  at  once  given  by 
him  to  General  Johnston  for  the  termination  of  the  truce  that  had  been  en 
tered  into.  On  the  25th  another  meeting  between  them  was  agreed  upon,  to 
take  place  on  the  26th,  which  terminated  in  the  surrender  and  disbandment 
of  Johnston's  army  upon  substantially  the  same  terms  as  were  given  to  Gen 
eral  Lee. 

The  expedition  under  General  Stoneman  from  East  Tennessee  got  off  on 
the  20th  of  March,  moving  by  way  of  Boone,  N.  C.,  and  •struck  the  railroad 
at  Wytheville,  Chambersburg,  and  Big  Lick.  The  force  striking  it  at  Big 
Lick  pushed  on  to  within  a  few  miles  of  Lynchburg,  destroying  the  import 
ant  bridges,  while  with  the  main  force  he  effectually  destroyed  it  between 
New  River  and  Big  Lick,  and  then  turned  for  Greensboro7  on  the  North  Car 
olina  railroad ;  struck  that  road  and  destroyed  the  bridges  between  Danville 


NEGOTIATIONS     WITH    JOHNSTON.  665 

and  Greensboro'  and  between  Greensboro'  and  the  Yadkin,  together  with  the 
depots  of  supplies  along  it,  and  captured  four  hundred  prisoners.  At  Salis 
bury  he  attacked  and  defeated  a  force  of  the  enemy  under  General  Gardiner, 
capturing  fourteen  pieces  of  artillery  and  one  thousand  three  hundred  and 
sixty-four  prisoners,  and  destroyed  large  amounts  of  army  stores.  At  this 
place  he  destroyed  fifteen  miles  of  railroad  and  the  bridges  toward  Charlotte. 
Thence  he  moved  to  Slatersville, 

General  Canby,  who  had  been  directed  in  January  to  make  preparations 
for  a  movement  from  Mobile  Bay  against  Mobile  and  the  interior  of  Alabama, 
commenced  his  movement  on  the  20th  of  March.  The  Sixteenth  Corps, 
Major  General  A.  J.  Smith  commanding,  moved  from  Fort  Gaines  by  water 
to  Fish  River ;  the  Thirteenth  Corps,  under  Major  General  Gordon  Granger, 
moved  from  Fort  Morgan  and  joined  the  Sixteenth  Corps  on  Fish  River,  both 
moving  thence  on  Spanish  Fort  and  investing  it  on  the  27th;  while  Major 
General  Steele's  command  moved  from  Pensacola,  cut  the  railroad  leading 
from  Tensas  to  Montgomery,  effected  a  junction  with  them,  and  partially  in 
vested  Fort  Blakely.  After  a  severe  bombardment  of  Spanish  Fort,  a  part  of 
its  line  was  carried  on  the^th  of  April,  During  the  night  the  enemy  evacu 
ated  the  fort.  Fort  Blakely  was  carried  by  assault  on  the  9th,  and  many 
prisoners  captured ;  our  loss  was  considerable.  These  successes  practically 
opened  to  us  the  Alabama  River,  and  enabled  us  to  approach  Mobile  from 
the  north.  On  the  night  of  the  llth  the  city  was  evacuated,  and  was  taken 
possession  of  by  our  forces  on  the  morning  of  the  12th, 

The  expedition  under  command  of  Brevet  Major  General  Wilson,  consist 
ing  of  twelve  thousand  five  hundred  mounted  men,  was  delayed  by  rains  until 
March  22d,  when  it  moved  from  Chickasaw,  Ala.  On  the  1st  of  April  Gen 
eral  Wilson  encountered  the  enemy  in  force  under  Forrest  near  Ebenezer 
Church,  drove  him  in  confusion,  captured  three  hundred  prisoners  and  three 
guns,  and  destroyed  the  central  bridge  over  the  Cahawba  River.  On  the  2d 
he  attacked  and  captured  the  fortified  city  of  Selma,  defended  by  Forrest  with 
seven  thousand  men  and  thirty-two  guns,  destroyed  the  arsenal,  armory,  naval 
foundery,  machine  shops,  vast  quantities  of  stores,  and  captured  three  thousand 
prisoners.  On  the  4th  he  captured  and  destroyed  Tuscaloosa.  On  the  10th. 
he  crossed  the  Alabama  River,  and  after  sending  information  of  his  operations 
to  General  Canby  marched  on  Mongomery,  which  place  he  occupied  on  the 
14th,  the  enemy  having  abandoned  it.  At  this  place  many  stores  and  five 
steamboats  feil  into  our  hands.  Thence  a  force  marched  direct  on  Columbus, 
and  another  on  West  Point,  both  of  which  places  were  assaulted  and  captured 
on  the  16th.  At  the  former  place  we  got  fifteen  hundred  prisoners  and  fifty- 
two  field-guns,  destroyed  two  gunboats,  the  navy-yard,  founderies,  arsenal, 
many  factories,  and  much  other  public  property.  At  the  latter  place  we  got 
three  hundred  prisoners,  four  guns,  and  destroyed  nineteen  locomotives  and 
three  hundred  cars.  On  the  20th  he  took  possession  of  Macon,  Ga.,  with 
sixty  field-guns,  twelve  hundred  militia,  and  five  Generals,  surrendered  by 
General  Howell  Cobb.  General  Wilson  hearing  that  Jeff.  Davis  was  trying 
to  make  his  escape,  sent  forces  in  pursuit,  and  succeeded  in  capturing  him  on 
the  morning  of  May  llth. 

On  the  4th  day  of  May  General  Dick  Taylor  surrendered  to  General  Canby 
all  the  remaining  rebel  forces  east  'of  the  Mississippi. 

A  force  sufficient  to  insure  an  easy  triumph  over  the  enemy  under  Kirby 
Smith,  west  of  the  Mississippi,  was  immediately  put  in  motion  for  Texas,  and 
Major  General  Sheridan  designated  for  its  immediate  command  ;  but  on  the 


666  VALOR     OF    OUR    ARMIES. 

26th  day  of  May,  and  before  they  reached  their  destination,  General  Kirby 
Smith  surren  flered  his  entire  command  to  Major  General  Canby.  This  sur 
render  did  not  take  place,  however,  until  after  the  capture  of  the  rebel  Presi 
dent  and  Vice-President;  and  the  bad  faith  Avas  exhibited  of  first  disband 
ing  most  of  his  army  and  permitting  an  indiscriminate  plunder  of  public 
property. 

Owing  to  the  report  that  many  of  those  lately  in  arms  against  the  Govern 
ment  had  taken  refuge  upon  the  soil  of  Mexico,  carrying  with  them  arms 
rightfully  belonging  to  the  United  States,  which  had  been  surrendered  to  us 
by  agreement — among  them  some  of  the  leaders  who  had  surrendered  in  per 
son — and  the  disturbed  condition  of  affairs  on  the  Rio  Grande,  the  orders  for 
troops  to  proceed  to  Texas  were  not  changed. 

There  have  been  severe  combats,  raids,  expeditions,  and  movements  to  de 
feat  the  designs  and  purposes  of  the  enemy,  most  of  them  reflecting  great 
credit  on  our  arms,  and  which  contributed  greatly  to  our  final  triumph,  that 
I  have  not  mentioned.  Many  of  these  will  be  found  clearly  set  forth  in  the 
reports  herewith  submitted ;  some  in  the  telegrams  and  brief  dispatches  an 
nouncing  them,  and  others,  I  regret  to  say,  have  not  as  yet  been  officially 
reported. 

For  information  touching  our  Indian  difficulties,  I  would  respectfully  refer 
to  the  reports  of  the  Commanders  of-  Departments  in  which  they  have 
occurred. 

It  has  been  my  fortune  to  see  the  armies  of  both  the  West  and  the  East 
fight  battles,  and  from  what  I  have  seen  I  know  there  is  no  difference  in 
their  fighting  qualities.  All  that  it  was  possible  for  men  to  do  in  battle  they 
have  done.  The  Western  armies  commenced  their  battles  in  the  Mississippi 
Valley,  and  received  the  final  surrender  of  the  remnant  of  the  principal  army 
opposed  to  them  in  North  Carolina.  The  armies  of  the  East  commenced  their 
battles  on  the  river  from  which  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  derived  its  name, 
and  received  the'final  surrender  of  their  old  antagonist  at  Appomattox  Court- 
House,  Va.  The  splendid  achievements  of  each  have  nationalized  our  victo 
ries,  removed  all  sectional  jealousies,  (of  which  we  have  unfortunately  expe 
rienced  too  much,)  and  the  cause  of  crimination  and  recrimination  that  might 
have  followed,  had  either  section  failed  in  its  duty.  All  have  a  proud  record, 
and  all  sections  can  well  congratulate  themselves  and  each  other  for  having 
done  their  full  share  in  restoring  the  supremacy  of  law  over  every  foot  of 
territory  belonging  to  the  United  States.  Let  them  hope  for  perpetual  peace 
and  harmony  with  that  enemy,  whose  manhood,  however  mistaken  the  cause, 
drew  forth  such  herculean  deeds  of  valor. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

U.  S.  GRANT, 

Lieutenant  General. 
Hon.  E.  M.  STANTON, 

Secretary  of  War. 

ADJUTANT  GENERAL'S  OFFICE, 

November  18,  1865. 
[Official  copy.] 

E.  D.  TOWNSEND, 

Assistant  Adjutant  General. 


OFFICIAL  REPORTS 

OF 

MAJOR  GENERAL  W.  T.  SHERMAN. 


I 

THE  GEORGIA  CAMPAIGN. 

HEAD-QUARTERS  OP  THE  MILITARY  DIVISION  OP  THE  MISSISSIPPI,  ) 
IN  THE  FIELD,  SAVANNAH,  GEORGIA,  January  1,  1865.         ) 

Major  General  H.  W.  Halleck,  Chief  of  Staff,  Washington,  D.  C.: 

GENERAL  : — I  have  the  honor  to  offer  my  report  of  the  operations  of  the 
armies  under  my  command,  since  the  occupation  of  Atlanta  in  the  early  part 
of  September  last,  up  to  the  present  date. 

As  heretofore  reported,  in  the  month  of  September  the  Array  of  the 
Cumberland,  Major  General  Thomas  commanding,  held  the  city  of  Atlanta; 
the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  Major  General  Howard  commanding,  was  grouped 
about  East  Point;  and  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  Major  General  Schofield  com 
manding,  held  Decatur.  Many  changes  occurred  in  the  composition  of  these 
armies,  in  consequence  of  the  expiration  of  the  time  of  service  of  many  of 
the  regiments.  The  opportunity  was  given  to  us  to  consolidate  the  frag 
ments,  re-clothe  and  equip  the  men,  and  make  preparations  for  the  future 
campaign.  I  also  availed  myself  of  the  occasion  to  strengthen  the  garrisons 
to  our  rear,  to  make  our  communications  more  secure,  and  sent  Wagner's 
division  of  the  Fourth  Corps,  and  Morgan's  division  of  the  Fourteenth 
Corps  back  to  Chattanooga,  and  Corse's  division  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps  to 
Rome.  Also  a  thorough  reconnoissance  was  made  of  Atlanta,  and  a  new 
line  of  works  begun,  which  required  a  smaller  garrison  to  hold. 

During  this  month,  the  enemy,  whom  we  had  left  at  Lovejoy's  Station, 
moved  westward  toward  the  Chattahoochce,  taking  position  facing  us,  and 
covering  the  West  Point  railroad  about  Palmetto  Station.  He  also  threw  a 
pontoon  bridge  across  the  Chattahoochee,  and  sent  cavalry  detachments  to 
the  west,  in  the  direction  of  Carrolton  and  Powder  Springs.  About  the 
same  time  President  Davis  visited  Macon  and  his  army  at  Palmetto,  and 
made  harangues  referring  to  an  active  campaign  against  us.  Hood  still 
remained  in  command  of  the  Confederate  forces,  with  Cheatham,  S.  D.  Lee, 
and  Stewart  commanding  his  three  corps,  and  Wheeler  in  command  of  his 
cavalry,  which  had  been  largely  reinforced. 

My  cavalry  consisted  of  two  divisions ;  one  was  stationed  at  Decatur,  under 
command  of  Brigadier  General  Garrard;  the  other,  commanded  by  Briga 
dier  General  Kilpatrick,  was  posted  near  Sandtown,  with  a  pontoon  bridge 
over  the  Chattahoochee,  from  which  he  could  watch  any  movement  of  the 
enemy  toward  the  west. 

As  soon  as  I  became  convinced  that  the  enemy  intended  to  assume  the 
offensive,  namely,  September  28th,  I  sent  Major  General  Thomas,  second  in 
command,  to  Nashville,  to  organize  the  new  troops  expected  to  arrive,  and  to 
make  preliminary  preparations  to  meet  such  an  event. 

About  the    1st  of  October,   some   of  the   enemy's   cavalry   made   their 


668  DEFENSE      OF     ALLATOONA.  / 

appearance  on  the  west  of  the  Chattahoochee ;  and  one  of  his  infantry  corps 
was  reported  near  Powder  Springs;  and  I  received  authentic  intelligence 
that  the  rest  of  his  infantry  was  crossing  to  the  west  of  the  Chattahoochee. 
I  at  once  made  my  orders  that  Atlanta  and  the  Chattahoochee  railroad 
bridge  should  be  held  by  the  Twentieth  Corps,  Major  General  Slocum,  and 
on  the  4th  of  October  put  in  motion  the  Fifteenth  and  Seventeenth  Corps, 
and  the  Fourth,  Fourteenth,  and  Twenty-third  Corps,  to  Smyrna  camp 
ground  ;  and  on  the  5th  moved  to  the  strong  position  about  Kenesaw.  The 
enemy's  cavalry  had,  by  a  rapid  movement,  got  upon  our  railroad  at  Big 
Shanty,  and  broken  the  line  of  telegraph  and  railroad ;  and  with  a  division 
of  infantry  (French's)  had  moved  against  Allatoona,  where  were  stored  about 
a  million  of  rations.  Its  redoubts  were  garrisoned  by  three  small  regiments 
under  Colonel  Tourtellotte,  Fourth  Minnesota. 

I  had  anticipated  this  movement,  and  had,  by  signal  and  telegraph,  ordered 
General  Corse  to  reinforce  that  post  from  Rome. 

General  Corse  had  reached  Allatoona  with  a  brigade  during  the  night  of 
the  4th,  just  in  time  to  meet  the  attack  by  French's  division  on  the  morning 
of  the  5th.  In  person  I  reached  Kenesaw  Mountain  about  ten  A.  M.  of  the 
5th,  and  could  see  the  smoke  of  battle  and  hear  the  faint  sounds  of  artillery. 
The  distance,  eighteen  miles,  was  too  great  for  me  to  make  in  time  to  share 
in  the  battle,  but  I  directed  the  Twenty-third  Corps,  Brigadier  General  Cox 
commanding,  to  move  rapidly  from  the  base  of  Kenesaw  due  west,  aiming 
to  reach  the  road  from  Allatoona  to  Dallas,  threatening  the  rear  of  the  forces 
attacking  Allatoona.  I  succeeded  in  getting  a  signal  message  to  General 
Corse  during  his  fight,  notifying  him  of  my  presence.  The  defense  of  Alla 
toona  by  General  Corse  was  admirably  conducted,  and  the  enemy  repulsed 
with  heavy  slaughter.  His  description  of  the  defense  is  so  graphic,  that  it 
leaves  nothing  for  me  to  add  ;  and  the  movement  of  General  Cox  had  the 
desired  effect  of  causing  the  withdrawal  of  French's  division  rapidly  in  the 
direction  of  Dallas. 

On  the  6th  and  7th  I  pushed  my  cavalry  well  toward  Burnt  Hickory  and 
Dallas,  and  discovered  that  the  enemy  had  moved  westward,  and  inferred 
that  he  would  attempt  to  break  our  railroad  again  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Kingston.  ,  Accordingly,  on  the  morning  of  the  8th,  I  put  the  army  in 
motion  through  Allatoona  Pass  to  Kingston,  reaching  that  point  on  the  10th. 
There  I  learned  that  the  enemy  had  feigned  on  Rome,  and  was  passing  the 
Coosa  River  on  a  pontoon  bridge  about  eleven  miles  below  Rome.  I  there 
fore,  on  the  llth,  moved  to  Rome,  and  pushed  Garrard's  cavalry  and  the 
Twenty-third  Corps,  under  General  Cox,  across  the  Oostenaula,  to  threaten  the 
flanks  of  the  enemy  passing  north.  Garrard's  cavalry  drove  a  cavalry 
brigade  of  the  enemy  to  and  beyond  the  Narrows,  leading  into  the  valley  of 
the  Chattooga,  capturing  two  field-pieces  and  taking  some  prisoners.  The 
enemy  had  moved  with  great  rapidity,  and  made  his  appearance  at  Resaca, 
and  Hood  had  in  person  demanded  its  surrender.  I  had  from  Kingston  rein 
forced  Resaca  by  two  regiments  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  I  at  first 
intended  to  move  the  army  into  the  Chattooga  Valley,  to  interpose  between 
the  enemy  and  his  line  of  retreat  down  the  Coosa,  but  feared  that  General 
Hood  would,  in  that  event,  turn  eastward  by  Spring  Place,  and  down  the 
Federal  road,  and  therefore  moved  against  him  at  Resaca.  Colonel  Weaver 
at  Resaca,  afterward  reinforced  by  General  Raum's  brigade,  had  repulsed  the 
enemy  from  Resaca,  but  he  had  succeeded  in  breaking  the  railroad  from 
Tilton  to  Dalton,  and  as  far  north  as  the  Tunnel. 


SHERMAN     ATTACKS     HOOD.  669 

Arriving  at  Resaca  on  the  evening  of  the  14th,  I  determined  to  strike 
Hood  in  flank,  or  force  him  to  battle,  and  directed  the  Army  of  the  Ten 
nessee,  General  Howard,  to  move  to  Snake  Creek  Gap,  which  was  held  by 
the  enemy,  while  General  Stanley,  with  the  Fourth  and  Fourteenth  Corps, 
moved  by  Tilton  across  the  mountains  to  the  rear  of  Snake  Creek  Gap,  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Villanow. 

The  Army  of  the  Tennessee  found  the  enemy  occupying  our  old  lines  in 
the  Snake  Creek  Gap,  and  on  the  15th  skirmished  for  the  purpose  of  holding 
him  there  until  Stanley  could  get  to  his  rear.  But  the  enemy  gave  way 
about  noon,  and  was  followed  through  the  Gap,  escaping  before  General 
Stanley  had  reached  the  farther  end  of  the  Pass.  The  next  day,  the  16th, 
the  armies  moved  directly  toward  La  Fayette,  with  a  view  to  cut  off  Hood's 
retreat.  We  found  him  intrenched  in  Ship's  Gap,  but  the  leading  division 
(Wood's)  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps  rapidly  carried  the  advanced  posts  held  by 
two  companies  of  a  South  Carolina  regiment,  making  them  prisoners.  The 
remaining  eight  companies  escaped  to  the  main  body  near  La  Fayette.  The 
next  morning  we  passed  over  into  the  valley  of  the  Chattooga,  the  Army  of 
the  Tennessee  moving  in  pursuit  by  La  Fayette  and  Alpine  toward  Blue 
Pond ;  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  by  Summerville  and  Melville  Post-office 
to  Gaylesville ;  and  the  Army  of  the  Ohio  and  Garrard's  cavalry  from  Villa 
now,  Dirttown  Valley,  and  Goover's  Gap  to  Gaylesville.  Hood,  however, 
was  little  encumbered  with  trains,  and  marched  with  great  rapidity,  and  had 
succeeded  in  getting  into  the  narrow  gorge  formed  by  the  Lookout  Range 
abutting  against  the  Coosa  River  in  the  neighborhood  of  Gadsden.  He 
evidently  wanted  to  avoid  a  fight. 

On  the  19th  all  the  armies  were  grouped  about  Gaylesville,  in  the  rich 
valley  of  the  Chattooga,  abounding  in  corn  and  meat,  and  I  determined  to 
pause  in  my  pursuit  of  the  enemy,  to  watch  his  movements,  and  live  on  the 
country.  I  hoped  that  Hood  would  turn  toward  Guntersville  and  Bridge 
port.  The  Army  of  the  Tennessee  was  posted  near  Little  River,  with  instruc 
tions  to  feel  forward  in  support  of  the  cavalry,  which  was  ordered  to  watch 
Hood  in  the  neighborhood  of  Will's  Valley,  and  to  give  me  the  earliest 
notice  possible  of  his  turning  northward.  The  Army  of  the  Ohio  was 
posted  at  Cedar  Bluff,  with  orders  to  lay  a  pontoon  across  the  Coosa,  and  to 
feel  forward  to  center,  and  down  in  the  direction  of  Blue  Mountain.  The 
Army  of  the  Cumberland  was  held  in  reserve  at  Gaylesville,  and  all  the 
troops  were  instructed  to  draw  heavily  for  supplies  from  the  surrounding 
country.  In  the  meantime  communications  were  opened  to  Rome,  and  a 
heavy  force  set  to  work  in  repairing  the  damages  done  to  our  railroads. 
Atlanta  was  abundantly  supplied  with  provisions,  but  forage  was  scarce ; 
and  General  Slocum  was  instructed  to  send  strong  foraging  parties  out  in  the 
direction  of  South  River  and  collect  all  the  corn  and  fodder  possible,  and  to 
put  his  own  trains  in  good  condition  for  farther  service. 

Hood's  movements  and  strategy  had  demonstrated  that  he  had  an  army 
capable  of  endangering  at  all  times  my  communications,  but  unable  to  meet 
me  in  open  fight.  To  follow  him  would  simply  amount  to  being  decoyed 
away  from  Georgia,  with  little  prospect  of  overtaking  and  overwhelming  him. 
To  remain  on  the  defensive,  would  have  been  bad  policy  for  an  army  of  so 
great  value  as  the  one  I  then  commanded ;  and  I  was  forced  to  adopt  a 
course  more  fruitful  in  results  than  the  naked  one  of  following  him  to  the 
southwest.  I  had  previously  submitted  to  the  Commander-in-Chief  a  gen- 


670   PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  GREAT  MARCH. 

eral  plan,  which  amounted  substantially  to  the  destruction  of  Atlanta  and 
the  railroad  back  to  Chattanooga,  -  and  sallying  forth  from  Atlanta  through 
the  heart  of  Georgia,  to  capture  one  or  more  of  the  great  Atlantic  sea-ports. 
This  I  renewed  from  Gaylesville,  modified  somewhat  by  the  change  of  events. 

On  the  26th  of  October,  satisfied  that  Hood  had  moved  westward  from 
Gadsden  across  Sand  Mountain,  I  detached  the  Fourth  Corps,  Major  General 
Stanley,  and  ordered  him  to  proceed  to  Chattanooga  and  report  to  Major 
General  Thomas  at  Nashville. 

Subsequently,  on  the  30th  of  October,  I  also  detached  the  Twenty-third 
Corps,  Major  General  Schofield,  with  the  same  destination,  and  delegated  to 
Major  General  Thomas  full  power  over  all  the  troops  subject  to  my  com 
mand,  except  the  four  corps  with  which.  I  designed  to  move  into  Georgia. 
This  gave  him  the  two  divisions  under  A.SJ.  Smith,  then  in  Missouri,  but  en 
route  for  Tennessee,  the  two  corps  named,  and  all  the  garrisons  in  Tennessee, 
as  also  all  the  cavalry  of  my  military  division,  except  one  division  under 
Brigadier  General  Kilpatrick,  which  was  ordered  to  rendezvous  at  Marietta. 

Brevet  Major  General  Wilson  had  arrived  from  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
to  assume  command  of  the  cavalry  of  my  army,  and  I  dispatched  him  back 
to  Nashville  with  all  dismounted  detachments,  and  orders  as  rapidly  as  pos 
sible  to  collect  the  cavalry  serving  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  to  mount, 
organize  and  equip  them,  and  report  to  Major  General  Thomas  for  duty. 
These  forces  I  judged  would  enable  General  Thomas  to  defend  the  railroad 
from  Chattanooga  back,  including  Nashville  and  Decatur,  and  give  him  an 
army  with  which  lie  could  successfully  cope  with  Hood,  should  the  latter 
cross  the  Tennessee  northward. 

By  the  1st  of  November  Hood's  army  had  moved  from  Gadsden,  and 
made  its  appearance  in  the  neighborhood  of  Decatur,  where  a  feint  was  made ; 
he  then  passed  on  to  Tuscumbia,  and  laid  a  pontoon  bridge  opposite  Flor 
ence.  I  then  began  my  preparations  for  the  march  through  Georgia,  having 
received  the  sanction  of  theCommander-in-Chief  for  carrying  into  effect  my 
plan,  the  details  of  which  were  explained  to  all  my  corps  commanders  and 
heads  of  staff  departments,  with  strict  injunctions  of  secrecy.  I  had  also 
communicated  full  details  to  General  Thomas,  and  had  informed  him  I  would 
not  leave  the  neighborhood  of  Kingston  until  he  felt  perfectly  confident  that 
he  was  entirely  prepared  to  cope  with  Hood,  should  he  carry  into  effect  his 
threatened  invasion  of  Tennessee  and  Kentucky.  I  estimated  Hood's  force 
at  thirty-five  thousand  infantry  and  ten  thousand  cavalry. 

I  moved  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  by  slow  and  easy  marches  on  the 
south  of  the  Coosa  back  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  Smyrna  camp-ground, 
and  the  Fourteenth  Corps,  Gen.  Jeff.  C.  Davis,  to  Kingston,  whither  I 
repaired  in  person  on  the  2d  of  November.  From  that  point  I  directed  all 
surplus  artillery,  all  baggage  not  needed  for  my  contemplated  march,  all  the 
sick  and  wounded,  refugees,  etc.,  to  be  sent  back  to  Chattanooga;  and  the 
Fourteenth  Corps  above  mentioned,  with  Kilpatrick's  cavalry,  were  put  in 
the  most  efficient  condition  possible  for  a  long  and  difficult  march.  This 
operation  consumed  the  time  until  the  llth  of  November,  when,  every  thing 
being  ready,  I  ordered  General  Corse,  who  still  remained  at  Rome,  to  destroy 
the  bridges  there,  all  founderies,  nulls,  shops,  warehouses,  or  other  property 
that  could  be  useful  to  an  enemy,  and  to  move  to  Kingston. 

At  the  same  time  the  railroad  in  and  about  Atlanta,  and  between  the 
Etowah  and  the  Chattahoochee,  was  ordered  to  be  utterly  destroyed.  The 


STRENGTH     OF     SHERMAN'S     ARMY.  671 

garrisons  from  Kingston  northward  were  also  ordered  to  draw  back  to  Chat 
tanooga,  taking  with  them  all  public  property  and  all  railroad  stock,  and  to 
take  up  the  rails  from  Resaca  back,  saving  them,  ready  to  be  replaced  when 
ever  future  interests  should  demand. 

The  railroad  between  the  Etowah  and  the  Oostenaula  was  left  untouched, 
because  I  thought  it  more  than  probable  that  we  would  find  it  necessary  to 
reoccupy  the  country  as  far  forward  as  the  line  of  the  Etowah. 

Atlanta  itself  is  only  of  strategic  value  as  long  as  it  is  a  railroad  center; 
and  as  all  the  railroads  leading  to  it  are  destroyed,  as  well  as  all  its  founder- 
ies,  machine-shops,  warehouses,  depots,  etc.,  etc.,  it  is  of  no  more  value 
than  any  other  point  in  Northern  Georgia ;  whereas  the  line  of  the  Etowah, 
by  reason  of  Its  rivers  and  natural  features,  possesses  an  importance  which 
will  always  continue.  From  it  all  parts  of  Georgia  and  Alabama  can  be 
reached  by  armies  marching  with  trains  down  the  Coosa  or  the  Chattahoo- 
chee  Valleys. 

On  the  12th  of  November  my  army  stood  detached  and  cut  off  from  all 
communication  from  the  rear.  It  was  composed  of  four  corps :  the  Fif 
teenth  and  Seventeenth,  constituting  the  right  wing,  under  Major  General  O. 
O.  Howard;  the  Fourteenth  and  Twentieth  Corps,  constituting  the  left  wing, 
under  Major  General  II.  W.  Slocum,  of  an  aggregate  strength  of  sixty  thousand 
infantry,  one  cavalry  division,  in  aggregate  strength  five  thousand  five  hun 
dred,  under  Brigadier  Judson  Kilpatrick,  and  the  artillery  reduced  to  the 
minimum,  one  gun  per  one  thousand  men. 

The  whole  force  was  moved  rapidly,  and  grouped  about  Atlanta  on  the 
14th  November. 

In  the  meantime,  Captain  O.  M.  Poe  had  thoroughly  destroyed  Atlanta, 
save  its  mere  dwelling-houses  and  churches,  and  the  right  wing,  with  General 
Kilpatrick's  cavalry,  was  put  in  motion  in  the  direction  of  Jonesboro'  and 
McDonough,  with  orders  to  make  a  strong  feint  on  Macon,  to  cross  the  Oc- 
mulgee  about  Planters'  Mills,  and  rendezvous  in  the  neighborhood  of  Gordon 
in  seven  days,  exclusive  of  the  day  of  march.  On,  the  same  day  General 
Slocum  moved  with  the  Twentieth  Corps  by  Decatur  and  Stone  Mountain, 
with  orders  to  tear  up  the  railroad  from  Social  Circle  to  Madison,  to  burn 
the  large  and  important  railroad  bridge  across  the  Oconee,  east  of  Madison, 
and  turn  south  and  reach  Milledgeville,  on  the  seventh  day,  exclusive  of  the 
day  of  march.  In  person  I  left  Atlanta  on  the  16th,  in  company  with  the 
Fourteenth  Corps,  Brevet  Major  General  Jeft.  C.  Davis,  by  Lithonia,  Coving- 
ton,  and  Shady  Dale,  directly  on  Milledgeville.  All  the  troops  were  provided 
with  good  wagon  trains,  loaded  with  ammunition  and  supplies,  approxima 
ting  twenty  days'  bread,  forty  days'  sugar  and  coffee,  a  double  allowance  of 
salt  for  forty  days,  And  beef  cattle  equal  to  forty  days'  supplies.  The  wagons 
were  also  supplied  with  about  three  days'  forage  in  grain.  All  were  in 
structed,  by  a  judicious  system  of  foraging,  to  maintain  this  order  of  things 
as  long  as  possible,  living  chiefly  if  not  solely  upon  the  country,  which  I 
knew  to  abound  in  corn,  sweet  potatoes,  and  meats. 

My  first  object  was  of  course  to  place  my  army  in  the  very  heart  of  Geor 
gia,  interposing  between  Macon  and  Augusta,  and  obliging  the  enemy  to 
divide  his  forces  to  defend  not  only  those  points,  but  Millen,  Savannah,  and 
Charleston.  All  my  calculations  were  fully  realized.  During  the  22d,  Gen 
eral  Kilpatrick  made  a  good  feint  on  Macon,  driving  the  enemy  within  his 
intrenchments,  and  then  drew  back  to  Griswoldville,  where  Walcott's  brig- 


672  INSTRUCTIONS     TO     GENERALS. 

ade  of  infantry  joined  him  to  cover  that  flank,  while  Howard's  trains  were 
closing  up,  and  his  men  scattered,  breaking  up  railroads.  The  enemy  came 
out  of  Macon  and  attacked  Walcott  in  position,  but  was  so  roughly  handled 
that  he  never  repeated  the  experiment.  On  the  eighth  day  after  leaving  At 
lanta,  namely,  on  the  23d,  General  Slocum  occupied  Milledgeville  and  the 
important  bridge  across  the  Oconee  there,  and  Generals  Howard  and  Kilpat- 
rick.were  in  and  about  Gordon. 

General  Howard  was  then  ordered  to  move  eastward,  destroying  the  rail 
road  thoroughly  in  his  progress,  as  far  as  Tennille  Station,  opposite  Sanders- 
ville,  and  General  Slocum  to  move  to  Sandersville  by  two  roads.  General 
Kilpatrick  was  ordered  to  Milledgeville  and  thence  move  rapidly  eastward,  to 
break  the  railroad  which  leads  from  Millen  to  Augusta,  then  to  turn  upon 
Millen  and  rescue  our  prisoners  of  war  supposed  to  be  confined  at  that  place. 

I  accompanied  the  Twentieth  Corps  from  Milledgeville  to  Sandersville, 
approaching  which  place  on  the  25th,  we  found  the  bridges  across  Buffalo 
Creek  burned,  which  delayed  us  three  hours.  The  next  day  we  entered 
Sandersville,  skirmishing  with  Wheeler's  cavalry,  which  offered  little  opposi 
tion  to  the  advance  of  the  Twentieth  and  Fourteenth  Corps,  entering  the 
place  almost  at  the  same  moment. 

General  Slocum  was  then  ordered  to  tear  up  and  destroy  the  Georgia  Cen 
tral  railroad  from  Station  Thirteen  (Tennille)  to  Station  Ten,  near  the  cross 
ing  of  the  Ogeechee,  one  of  his  corps  substantially  following  the  railroad,  the 
other  by  way  of  Louisville,  in  support  of  Kilpatrick's  cavalry.  In  person  I 
shifted  to  the  right  wing,  and  accompanied  the  Seventeenth  Corps,  General 
Blair,  on  the  south  of  the  railroad  till  abreast  of  Station  ISTine-and-a:half 
(Barton) — General  Howard  in  person,  with  the  Fifteenth  Corps,  keeping 
farther  to  the  right  and  about  one  day's  march  ahead,  ready  to  turn  against 
the  flank  of  any  enemy  who  should  oppose  our  progress.  At  Barton  I 
learned  that  Kilpatrick's  cavalry  had  reached  the  Augusta  railroad  about 
Waynesboro',  where  he  ascertained  that  our  prisoners  had  been  removed 
from  Millen,  and  therefore  the  purpose  of  rescuing  them,  upon  which  we  had 
set  our  hearts,  was  an  impossibility.  But  as  Wheeler's  cavalry  had  hung 
around  him,  and  as  he  had  retired  to  Louisville  to  meet  our  infantry,  in  pur 
suance  of  my  instructions,  not  to  risk  battle  unless  at  great  advantage,  I 
ordered  him  to  leave  his  wagons  and  all  encumbrances  with  the  left  wing,  and 
moving  in  the  direction  of  Augusta,  if  Wheeler  gave  him  the  opportunity,  to 
indulge  him  with  all  the  fighting  he  wanted.  General  Kilpatrick,  supported 
by  Baird's  division  of  infantry  of  the  Fourteenth  Corps,  again  moved  in  the 
direction  of  Waynesboro',  and  encountering  Wheeler  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Thomas'  Station,  attacked  him  in  position,  driving  him  from  three  suc 
cessive  lines  of  barricades  handsomely  through  Waynesboro'  and  across 
Briar  Creek,  the  bridges  over  which  he  burned,  and  then,  with  Baird's  divi 
sion,  rejoined  the  left  wing,  which  in  the  meantime  had  been  marching  by 
easy  stages  of  ten  miles  a  day  in  the  direction  of  Lumpkiii's  Station  and 
Jacksonboro'. 

The  Seventeenth  Corps  took  up  the  destruction  of  the  railroad  at  the 
Ogeechee  near  Station  Ten,  and  continued  it  to  Millen,  the  enemy  offering 
little  or  no  opposition,  although  preparations  had  seemingly  been  made  at 
Millen. 

On  the  3d  of  December,  the  Seventeenth  Corps,  which  I  accompanied, 
was  at  Millen ;  the  Fifteenth  Corps,  General  Howard,  was  south  of  the  Ogee- 


INVESTMENT  OF   SAVANNAH.      *   673 

dice,  opposite  Station  Seven  (Scarboro';)  the  Twentieth  Corps,  General 
Slocum,  on  the  Augusta  railroad,  about  four  miles  north  of  Millen,  near 
Buckhcad  Church ;  and  the  Fourteenth  Corps,  General  Jeff.  C.  Davis,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Lumpkin's  Station,  on  the  Augusta  railroad. 

All  were  ordered  to  march  in  the  direction  of  Savannah,  the  Fifteenth 
Corps  to  continue  south  of  the  Ogeechee,  the  Seventeenth  to  destroy  the 
railroad  as  far  as  Ogeechee  Church,  and  four  days  were  allowed  to  reach  the 
line  from  Ogeechee  Church  to  the  neighborhood  of  Halley's  Ferry  on  the 
Savannah  River.  All  the  columns  reached  their  destination  on  time,  and 
continued  to  march  on  their  several  roads — General  Davis  following  the  Sa 
vannah  River  road,  General  Slocum  the  middle  road  by  way  of  Springfield, 
General  Blair  the  railroad,  and  General  Howard  still  south  and  west  of  the 
Ogeechee,  with  orders  to  cross  to  the  east  bank  opposite  "  Eden  Station," 
or  Station  No,  2. 

As  we  approached  Savannah,  the  country  became  more  marshy  and  diffi 
cult,  and  more  obstructions  were  met  in  the  way  of  felled  trees  where  the 
roads  crossed  the  creek-swamps  on  narrow  causeways.  13nt  our  pioneer 
companies  were  well  organized,  and  removed  these  obstructions  in  an  incred 
ibly  short  time.  No  opposition  from  the  enemy  worth  speaking  of  was  en 
countered  until  the  heads  of  the  columns  were  within  fifteen  miles  of  Savan 
nah,  where  all  the  roads  leading  to  the  city  were  obstructed  more  or  less  by 
felled  timber,  with  earth-works  and  artillery.  But  these  were  easily  turned 
and  the  enemy  driven  away,  so  that  by  the  10th  of  December  the  enemy 
was  driven  within  his  lines  at  Savannah.  These  followed  substantially  a 
swampy  creek  which  empties  into  the  Savannah  River  about  three  miles 
above  the  city,  across  to  the  head  of  a  corresponding  stream  which  empties 
into  the  Little  Ogeechee.  These  streams  were  singularly  favorable  to  the 
enemy  as  a  cover,  being  very  marshy,  and  bordered  by  rice-fields,  which 
were  flooded  either  by  the  tide-water  or  by  inland  ponds,  the  gates  to  which 
were  controlled  and  covered  by  his  heavy  artillery.  The  only  approaches  to 
the  city  were  by  five  narrow  causeways,  namely,  the  two  railroads,  and  the 
Augusta,  the  Louisville,  and  the  Ogeechee  dirt  roads,  all  of  which  were  com 
manded  by  heavy  ordnance,  too  strong  for  us  to  fight  with  our  light  field- 
guns.  To  assault  an  enemy  of  unknown  strength  at  such  a  disadvantage 
appeared  to  me  unwise,  especially  as  I  had  so  successfully  brought  my  army, 
almost  unscathed,  so  great  a  distance,  and  could  surely  attain  the  same 
result  by  the  operation  of  time. 

I  therefore  instructed  my  army  commanders  to  closely  invest  the  city  from 
the  north  and  west,  and  to  reconnoiter  well  the  ground  in  their  fronts  respect 
ively,  while  I  gave  my  personal  attention  to  opening  communication  with 
our  fleet,  which  I  knew  was  waiting  for  us  in  Tybee,  Wassaw,  and  Ossabaw 
Sounds. 

In  approaching  Savannah,  General  Slocum  struck  the  Charleston  railroad 
near  the  bridge,  and  occupied  the  river  bank  as  his  left  flank,  where  he  had 
captured  two  of  the  enemy's  river  boats,  and  had  prevented  two  others 
(gunboats)  from  coming  down  the  river  to  communicate  with  the  city; 
while  General  Howard,  by  his  right  flank,  had  broken  the  Gulf  railroad  at 
Fleming's  and  Way  Station,  and  occupied  the  railroad  itself  down  to  the 
Little  Ogeechee  near  Station  One,  so  that  no  supplies  could  reach  Savannah 
by  any  of  its  accustomed  channels. 

We,  on  the  contrary,  possessed  large  herds  of  cattle,  which  we  had  brought 


674  CAPTURE    OF    FORT    MCALLISTER. 

along  or  gathered  in  the  country,  and  our  wagons  still  contained  a  reasonable 
amount  of  breadstuff's  and  other  necessaries,  and  the  fine  rice-crops  of  the  Sa 
vannah  and  Ogeechee  Rivers  furnished  to  our  men  and  animals  a  large  amount 
of  rice  and  rice-straw. 

We  also  held  the  country  to  the  south  and  west  of  the  Ogeechee  as  for 
aging  ground. 

Still,  communication  with  the  fleet  was  of  vital  importance,  and  I  di 
rected  General  Kilpatrick  to  cross  the  Ogeechee  by  a  pontoon  bridge,  to 
reconnoiter  Fort  McAllister,  and  to  proceed  to  St.  Catharine's  Sound  in  the 
direction  of  Sunbury  or  Kilkenny  Bluff',  and  open  communication  with  the 
fleet.  General  Howard  had  previously,  by  my  direction,  sent  one  of  his 
best  scouts  down  the  Ogeechee  in  a  canoe  for  a  like  purpose.  But  more 
than  this  was  necessary.  We  wanted  the  vessels  and  their  contents,  and  the 
Ogeechee  River,  a  navigable  stream  close  tp  the  rear  of  our  camps,  was  the 
proper  avenue  of  supply. 

The  enemy  had  burned  the  road-bridge  across  the  Ogeechee,  just  below 
the  mouth  of  the  Camochee,  known  as  *4  King's  Bridge."  This  was  recon 
structed  in  an  incredibly  short  time  in  the  most  substantial  manner  by  the 
Fifty-eighth  Indiana,  Colonel  Buel,  under  the  direction  of  Captain  Reese,  of 
the  Engineer  Corps,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  13th  December,  the  second 
division  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps,  under  command  of  Brigadier  General  Hazen, 
crossed  the  bridge  to  the  west  bank  of  the  Ogeechee,  and  marched  down 
with  orders  to  carry  by  assault  Fort  McAllister,  a  strong  inclosed  redoubt, 
manned  by  two  companies  of  artillery  and  three  of  infantry ;  in  all,  about 
two  hundred  men,  and  mounting  twenty-three  guns  en  barbette,  and  one 
mortar. 

General  Hazen  reached  the  vicinity  of  Fort  McAllister  about  one  p.  M., 
deployed  his  division  about  the  place,  with  both  flanks  resting  upon  the 
river,  posted  his  skirmishers  judiciously  behind  the  trunks  of  trees  whose 
branches  had  been  used  for  abattis,  and  about  five  p.  M.  assaulted  the  place 
with  nine  regiments  at  three  points,  all  of  them  successfully.  I  witnessed 
the  assault  from  a  rice-mill  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river,  and  can  bear 
testimony  lo  the  handsome  manner  in  which  it  was  accomplished. 

Up  to  this  time  \ve  had  not  communicated  with  our  fleet.  From  the 
signal-station  at  the  rice-mill  our  officers  had  looked  for  two  days  over  the 
rice-fields  and  salt  marsh  in  the  direction  of  Ossabaw  Sound,  but  could  see 
nothing  of  it.  But  while  watching  the  preparations  for  the  assault  on  Fort 
McAllister,  we  discovered  in  the  distance  what  seemed  to  be  the  smoke-stack 
of  a  steamer,  which  became  more  and  more  distinct,  until  about  the  very 
moment  of  the  assault  she  was  plainly  visible  below  the  fort,  and  our  signal 
was  answered.  As  soon  as  I  saw  our  colors  fairly  planted  upon  the  walls  of 
McAllister,  in  company  with  General  Howard,  I  went  in  a  small  bout  down 
to  the  fort,  and  met  General  Hazen,  who  had  not  yet  communicated  with  the 
gunboat  below,  as  it  was  shut  out  to  him  by  a  point  of  timber.  Determined 
to  communicate  that  night,  I  got  another  small  boat  and  a  crew,  and  pulled 
down  the  river  till  I  found  the  tug  Dandelion,  Captain  Williamson,  U.  S.  N., 
who  informed  me  that  Captain  Duncan,  who  had  been  sent  by  General  How 
ard,  had  succeeded  in  reaching  Admiral  Dahlgren  and  General  Foster,  and 
that  he  was  expecting  them  hourly  in  Ossabaw  Sound.  After  making  com 
munications  to  those  officers,  and  a  short  communication  to  the  War  Depart 
ment,  I  returned  to  Fort  McAllister  that  night,  and  before  daylight  was  over- 


SURRENDER    OF     SAVANNAH     DEMANDED.         675 

taken  by  Major  Strong,  of  General  Foster's  Staff,  advising  me  that  General 
Foster  had  arrived  in  the  Ogeechee,  near  Fort  McAllister,  and  was  very  anx 
ious  to  meet  me  on  board  his  boat.  I  accordingly  returned  with  him,  and 
met  General  Foster  on  board  the  steamer  Nemaha,  and,  after  consultation, 
determined  to  proceed  with  him  down  the  sound,  in  hopes  to  meet  Admiral 
Dahlgren.  But  we  did  not  meet  him  until  we  reached  Wassaw  Sound, 
about  noon.  I  there  went  on  board  the  Admiral's  flagship,  the  Harvest 
Moon,  after  having  arranged  with  General  Foster  to  send  us  from  Hilton 
Head  some  siege  ordnance,  and  some  boats  suitable  for  navigating  the  Ogee 
chee  River.  Admiral  Dahlgren  very  kindly  furnished  me  with  all  the  data 
concerning  his  fleet  and  the  numerous  forts  that  guarded  the  inland  channels 
between  the  sea  and  Savannah.  I  explained  to  him  how  completely  Savan 
nah  was  invested  at  all  points  save  only  the  plank-road  on  the  South  Caro 
lina  shore,  known  as  the  "Union  Causeway,"  which  I  thought  I  could 
reach  from  my  left  flank  across  the  Savannah  River.  I  explained  to  him  that 
if  he  would  simply  engage  the  attention  of  the  forts  along  Wilmington 
Channel  at  Beaulieu  and  Rosedew,  I  thought  I  could  carry  the  defenses  of 
Savannah  by  assault  as  soon  as  the  heavy  ordnance  arrived  from  Hilton 
Head. 

On  the  15th  the  Admiral  carried  me  back  to  Fort  McAllister,  whence  I 
returned  to  our  lines  in  the  rear  of  Savannah. 

Having  received  and  carefully  considered  all  the  reports  of  division  com 
manders,  I  determined  to  assault  the  lines  of  the  enemy  as  soon  as  my  heavy 
ordnance  came  from  Port  Royal,  first  making  a  formal  demand  for  surrender. 
On  the  17th,  a  number  of  thirty-pounder  Parrott  guns  having  reached  King's 
Bridge,  I  proceeded  in  person  to  the  head-quarters  of  Major  General  Slocum 
on  the  Augusta  Road,  and  dispatched  thence  into  Savannah,  by  flag  of  truce, 
a  formal  demand  for  the  surrender  of  the  place,  and  on  the  following  day 
received  an  answer  from  General  Hardee,  refusing  to  surrender. 

In  the  meantime,  farther  reconnoissances  from  our  left  flank  had  demon 
strated  that  it  was  impracticable  or  unwise  to  push  any  considerable  force 
across  the  Savannah  River,  for  the  enemy  held  the  river  opposite  the  city 
with  iron-clad  gunboats,  and  could  destroy  any  pontoons  laid  down  by  us 
between  Hutchinson's  Island  and  the  South  Carolina  shore,  which  would 
isolate  any  force  sent  over  from  that  flank.  I  therefore  ordered  General  Slo 
cum  to  get  into  position  the  siege  guns  and  make  all  the  preparations  neces 
sary  to  assault,  and  to  report  to  me  the  earliest  moment  when  he  could  be 
ready,  while  I  should  proceed  rapidly  round  by  the  right  and  make  arrange 
ments  to  occupy  the  Union  Causeway  from  the  direction  of  Port  Royal. 
General  Foster  had  already  established  a  division  of  troops  on  the  peninsula 
or  neck  between  the  Coosawhatchie  and  Tullifinney  Rivers,  at  the  head  of 
Broad  River,  from  which  position  he  could  reach  the  railroad  with  his 
artillery. 

I  went  to  Port  Royal  in  person,  and  made  arrangements  to  reinforce  that 
command  by  one  or  more  divisions  under  a  proper  officer,  to  assault  and 
carry  the  railroad,  and  thence  turn  toward  Savannah  until  it  occupied  the 
causeway  in  question.  I  went  on  board  the  Admiral's  flagship,  the  Harvest 
Moon,  which  put  to  sea  the  night  of  the  20th.  But  the  wind  was  high,  and 
increased  during  the  night,  so  that  the  pilot  judged  Ossabaw  Bar  impassa 
ble,  and  ran  into  Tybee,  whence  we  proceeded  through  the  inland  channels 
into  Wassaw  Sound,  and  thence  through  Romney  Marsh.  But  the  ebb  tide 


676  POSSESSION    OF    SAVANNAH. 

caught  the  Harvest  Moon,  and  she  was  unable  to  make  the  passage.  Admiral 
Dahlgren  took  me  in  his  barge,  and  pulling  in  the  direction  of  Vernon  River, 
we  met  the  army  tug  Red  Legs,  bearing  a  message  from  my  adjutant,  Cap 
tain  Dayton,  of  that  morning,  the  21st,  to  the  effect  that  our  troops  were  in 
possession  of  the  enemy's  lines,  and  were  advancing  without  opposition  into 
Savannah,  the  enemy  having  evacuated  the  place  during  the  previous  night. 

Admiral  Dahlgren  proceeded  up  the  Vernon  River  in  his  barge,  while  I 
transferred  to  the  tug,  in  which  I  proceeded  to  Fort  McAllister,  and  thence 
to  the  rice-mill ;  and  on  the  morning  of  the  22d  rode  into  the  city  of  Savan 
nah,  already  occupied  by  our  troops. 

I  was  very  much  disappointed  that  Hardee  had  escaped  with  his  garrison, 
and  had  to  content  myself  with  the  material  fruits  of  victory  without  the 
cost  of  life  which  would  have  attended  a  general  assault.  The  substantial 
results  will  be  more  clearly  set  forth  in  the  tabular  statements  of  heavy  ord 
nance  and  other  public  property  acquired,  and  it  will,  suffice  here  to  state, 
that  the  important  city  of  Savannah,  with  its  valuable  harbor  and  river,  was 
the  chief  object  of  the  campaign. 

With  it  we  acquired  all  the  forts  and  heavy  ordnance  in  its  vicinity,  with 
large  stores  of  ammunition,  shot  and  shells,  cotton,  rice,  and  other  valuable 
products  of  the  country.  We  also  gained  locomotives  and  cars,  which, 
though  of  little  use  to  us  in  the  present  condition  of  the  railroads,  are  a  seri 
ous  loss  to  the  enemy,  as  well  as  four  steamboats  gained,  and  the  loss  to  the 
enemy  of  the  iron-clad  Savannah,  one  ram,  and  three  transports  blown  up  or 
burned  by  them  the  night  before. 

Formal  demand  having  been  made  for  the  surrender,  and  having  been 
refused,  I  contend  that  every  thing  within  the  line  of  intrenchments  belongs 
to  the  United  States,  and  I  shall  not  hesitate  to  use  it,  if  necessary,  for  public 
purposes.  But,  inasmuch  as  the  inhabitants  generally  have  manifested  a 
friendly  disposition,  I  shall  disturb  them  as  little  as  possible  consistently 
with  the  military  rights  of  present  and  future  military  Commanders,  without 
remitting  in  the  least  our  just  rights  as  captors. 

After  having  made  the  necessary  orders  for  the  disposition  of  the  troops 
in  and  about  Savannah,  I  ordered  Captain  O.  M.  Poe,  chief  engineer,  to 
make  a  thorough  examination  of  the  enemy's  works  in  and  about  Savannah, 
with  a  view  to  making  it  conform  to  our  future  uses.  New  lines  of  defenses 
will  be  built,  embracing  the  city  proper,  Forts  Jackson,  Thunderbolt,  and 
Pulaski  retained,  with  slight  modifications  in  their  armament  and  rear  de 
fenses.  All  the  rest  of  the  enemy's  forts  will  be  dismantled  and  destroyed, 
and  their  heavy  ordnance  transferred  to  Hilton  Head,  where  it  can  be  more 
easily  guarded. 

Our  base  of  supplies  will  be  established  in  Savannah  as  soon  as  the  very 
difficult  obstructions  placed  in  the  river  can  be  partially  removed.  These 
obstructions  at  present  offer  a  very  serious  impediment  to  the  commerce  of 
Savannah,  consisting  of  crib-work  of  logs  and  timber  heavily  bolted  together, 
and  filled  with  the  cobble-stones  which  formerly  paved  the  streets  of  Savan 
nah.  All  the  channels  below  the  city  were  found  more  or  less  filled  with 
torpedoes,  which  have  been  removed  by  order  of  Admiral  Dahlgren,  so  that 
Savannah  already  fulfills  the  important  part  it  was  designed  in  our  plans  for 
the  future. 

In  thus  sketching  the  course  of  events  connected  with  this  campaign,  I 
have  purposely  passed  lightly  over  the  march  from  Atlanta  to  the  sea-shore, 


SUMMARY    OF    THE     CAMPAIGN.  677 

because  it  was  made  in  four  or  more  columns,  sometimes  at  a  distance  of 
fifteen  or  twenty  miles  from  each  other,  and  it  was  impossible  for  me  to 
attend  but  one.  Therefore  have  I  left  it  to  the  army  and  corps  commanders 
to  describe  in  their  own  language  the  events  which  attended  the  march  of 
their  respective  columns.  These  reports  are  herewith  submitted,  and  I  beg 
to  refer  to  them  for  farther  details.  I  would  merely  sum  up  the  advantages 
which  I  conceive  have  accrued  to  us  by  this  march. 

Our  former  labors  in  North  Georgia  had  demonstrated  the  truth  that  no 
large  army,  carrying  with  it  the  necessary  stores  and  baggage,  can  overtake 
and  capture  an  inferior  force  of  the  enemy  in  his  own  country ;  therefore  no 
alternative  was  left  me  but  the  one  I  adopted,  namely,  to  divide  my  forces, 
and  with  the  one  part  act  offensively  against  the  enemy's  resources,  while 
with  the  other  I  should  act  defensively,  and  invite  the  enemy  to  attack,  risk 
ing  the  chances  of  battle. 

In  this  conclusion  I  have  been  singularly  sustained  by  the  results.  General 
Hood,  who,  as  I  have  heretofore  described,  had  moved  to  the  westward,  near 
Tuscumbia,  with  a  view  to  decoy  me  away  from  Georgia,  finding  himself 
mistaken,  was  forced  to  choose  either  to  pursue  me,  or  to  act  offensively 
against  the  other  part,  left  in  Tennessee.  He  adopted  the  latter  course,  and 
General  Thomas  has  wisely  and  well  fulfilled  his  part  of  the  grand  scheme, 
in  drawing  Hood  well  up  into  Tennessee  until  he  could  concentrate  all  his 
own  troops,  and  then  turn  upon  Hood,  as  he  has  done,  and  destroy  or  fatally 
cripple  his  army.  That  part  of  my  army  is  so  far  removed  from  me,  that  I 
leave,  with  perfect  confidence,  its  management  and  history  to  General  Thomas. 

I  was  thereby  left  with  a  well-appointed  army  to  sever  the  enemy's  only 
remaining  railroad  communication  eastward  and  westward,  for  over  one  hun 
dred  miles,  namely,  the  Georgia  State  railroad,  which  is  broken  up  from 
Fairburn  Station  to  Madison  and  the  Oconee,  and  the  Central  railroad  from 
Gordon  clear  to  Savannah,  with  numerous  breaks  on  the  latter  road  from  Gor 
don  to  Eatonton,  and  from  Millen  to  Augusta,  and  the  Savannah  and  Gulf  rail 
road.  We  have  also  consumed  the  corn  and  fodder  in  the  region  of  country 
thirty  miles  on  either  side  of  a  line  from  Atlanta  to  Savannah,  as  also  the 
sweet  potatoes,  cattle,  hogs,  sheep,  and  poultry,  and  have  carried  away  more 
than  ten  thousand  horses  and  mules,  as  well  as  a  countless  number  of  their 
slaves.  I  estimate  the  damage  done  to  the  State  of  Georgia  and  its  military 
resources  at  one  hundred  millions  of  dollars ;  at  least  twenty  millions  of 
which  has  inured  to  our  advantage,  and  the  remainder  is  simple  waste  and 
destruction.  This  may  seem  a  hard  species  of  warfare,  but  it  brings  the  sad 
realities  of  war  home  to  those  who  have  been  directly  or  indirectly  instru 
mental  in  involving  us  in  its  attendant  calamities. 

The  campaign  has  also  placed  this  branch  of  my  army  in  a  position  from 
which  other  great  military  results  may  be  attempted,  besides  leaving  in  Ten 
nessee  and  North  Alabama  a  force  which  is  amply  sufficient  to  meet  all  the 
chances  of  war  in  that  region  of  our  country. 

Since  the  capture  of  Atlanta  my  Staff'  is  unchanged,  save  that  General 
Barry,  chief  of  artillery,  has  been  absent,  sick,  since  our  leaving  Kingston. 
Surgeon  Moore,  United  States  Army,  is  chief  medical  director,  in  place  of 
Surgeon  -Kittoe,  relieved  to  resume  his  proper  duties  as  a  medical  inspector. 

Major  Hitchcock,  A.A.G.,  h&  also  been  added  to  my  Staff*  and  has  been 
of  great  assistance  in  the  field  and  office. 

Captain  Dayton  still  remains  as  my  Adjutant  General.  All  have,  as  form 
erly,  fulfilled  their  parts  to  my  entire  satisfaction. 


678  TRIBUTES    TO    OFFICERS    AND    ARMY. 

In  the  body  of  my  army  I  feel  a  just  pride.  Generals  Howard  and  Slo- 
cum  are  gentlemen  of  singular  capacity  and  intelligence,  thorough  soldiers 
and  patriots,  working  day  and  night  not  for  themselves,  but  for  their  country 
and  their  men. 

General  Kilpatrick,  who  commanded  the  cavalry  of  this  army,  has  handled 
it  with  spirit  and  dash  to  my  entire  satisfaction,  and  kept  a  superior  force  of 
the  enemy's  cavalry  from  even  approaching  our  infantry  columns  or  wagon 
trains.  His  report  is  full  and  graphic.  All  the  division  and  brigade  com 
manders  merit  my  personal  and  ofi'cial  thanks,  and  I  shall  spare  no  efforts  to 
secure  them  commissions  equal  to  the  rank  they  have  exercised  so  well. 
As  to  the  rank  and  file,  they  seem  so  full  of  confidence  in  themselves,  that  I 
doubt  if  th^y  want  a  compliment  from  me ;  but  I  must  do  them  the  justice 
to  say  that,  whether  called  on  to  fight,  to  march,  to  wade  streams,  to  make 
roads,  clear  out  obstructions,  build  bridges,  make  "  corduroy,"  or  tear  up 
railroads,  they  have  done  it  with  alacrity  and  a  degree  of  cheerfulness  unsur 
passed.  A  little  loose  in  foraging,  they  "  did  some  things  they  ought  not  to 
have  done ;"  yet,  on  the  whole,  they  have  supplied  the  wants  of  the  army 
with  as  little  violence  as  could  be  expected,  and  as  little  loss  as  I  calculated. 
Some  of  these  foraging  parties  had  encounters  with  the  enemy  which  would 
in  ordinary  times  rank  as  respectable  battles. 

The  behavior  of  our  troops  in  Savannah  has  been  so  manly,  so  quiet,  so 
perfect,  that  I  take  it  as  the  best  evidence  of  discipline  and  true  courage. 
Never  was  a  hostile  city,  filled  with  women  and  children,  occupied  by  a  large 
army  with  less  disorder,  or  more  system,  order,  and  good  government.  The 
same  general  and  generous  spirit  of  confidence  and  good  feeling  pervades  the 
army  which  it  has  ever  afforded  me  especial  pleasure  to  report  on  former 
occasions. 

I  avail  myself  of  this  occasion  to  express  my  heartfelt  thanks  to  Admiral 
Dahlgren  and  the  officers  and  men  of  his  fleet,  as  also  to  General  Foster  and 
his  command,  for  the  hearty  welcome  given  us  on  our  arrival  at  the  coast, 
and  for  their  ready  and  prompt  cooperation  in  all  measures  tending  to  the 
result  accomplished. 

I  send  herewith  a  map  of  the  country  through  which  we  have  passed; 
reports  from  General  Howard,  General  Slocum,  and  General  Kilpatrick,  and 
their  subordinates  respectively,  with  the  usual  lists  of  captured  property, 
killed,  wounded,  and  missing,  prisoners  of  war  taken  and  rescued,  as  also 
copies  of  all  papers  illustrating  the  campaign,  all  of  which  are  respectfully 
submitted  by  Your  obedient  servant, 

W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Major  General. 


II. 

CAMPAIGN  OF  THE  CAROLINAS. 

HEAD-QUARTERS  OF  THE  MILITARY  DIVISION  OP  THE  MISSISSIPPI,  ) 
GOLDSUORO',  N.  C.,  April  4,  1865.  [ 

GENERAL  : — I  must  now  endeavor  to  group  the  events  of  the  past  three 
months  connected  with  the  armies  under  my  command,  in  order  that  you 
may  have  as  clear  an  understanding  of  the  late  campaign  as  the  case  admits 


SHERMAN'S   PLAN.  679 

of.  The  reports  of  the  subordinate  commanders  will  enable  you  to  fill  up 
the  picture. 

I  have  heretofore  explained  how,  in  the  progress  of  our  arms,  I  was  enabled 
to  leave  in  the  West  an  army  under  Major  General  George  II.  Thomas  of 
sufficient  strength  to  meet  emergencies  in  that  quarter,  while  in  person  I 
conducted  another  army,  composed  of  the  Fourteenth,  Fifteenth,  Seventeenth, 
and  Twentieth  Corps,  and  Kilpatrick'  s  division  of  cavalry,  to  the  Atlantic 
slope,  aiming  to  approach  the  grand  theater  of  war  in  Virginia  by  the  time 
the  season  would  admit  of  military  operations  in  that  latitude.  The  first 
lodgment  on  the  coast  was  made  at  Savannah,  strongly  fortified  and  armed, 
and  valuable  to  us  as  a  good  sea-port,  with  its  navigable  stream  inland. 
Near  a  month  was  consumed  there  in  refitting  the  army,  and  in  making  the 
proper  disposition  of  captured  property,  and  other  local  matters;  but  by  the 
15th  of  January  I  was  all  ready  to  resume  the  march.  Preliminary  to  this, 
General  Howard,  commanding  the  right  wing,  was  ordered  to  embark  his 
command  at*Thundcrbolt,  transport  it  to  Beaufort,  S.  C.,  and  thence  by  the 
15th  of  January  make  a  lodgment  on  the  Charleston  railroad  at  or  near  Po- 
cotaligo.  This  was  accomplished  punctually,  at  little  cost,  by  the  Seven 
teenth  Corps,  Major  General  Blair,  and  a  depot  for  supplies  was  established 
near  the  mouth  of  Pocotaligo  Creek,  with  easy  water  communication  back 
to  Hilton  Head. 

The  left  wing,  Major  General  Slocum,  and  the  cavalry,  Major  General  Kil 
patrick,  were  ordered  to  rendezvous  about  the  same  time  near  Robertsville 
and  Coosawhatchie,  S.  C.,  with  a  depot  of  supplies  at  Pureysburg  or  State's 
Ferry,  on  the  Savannah  River.  General  Slocum  had  a  good  pontoon  bridge 
constructed  opposite  the  city,  and  the  "  Union  Causeway,"  leading  through 
the  low  rice-fields  opposite  Savannah,  was  repaired  and  "  corduroyed ;"  but 
before  the  time  appointed  to  start,  the  heavy  rains  of  January  had  swelled 
the  river,  broken  the  pontoon  bridge,  overflowed  the  whole  "  bottom,"  so 
that  the  causeway  was  four  feet  under  water,  and  General  Slocum  was  com 
pelled  to  look  higher  up  for  a  passage  over  the  Savannah  River.  lie  moved 
up  to  Sister's  Ferry,  but  even  there  the  river,  with  its  overflowed  bottoms, 
was  near  three  miles  wide,  and  he  did  not  succeed  in  getting  his  whole  wing 
across  until  during  the  first  week  of  February. 

In  the  meantime  General  Grant  had  sent  me  Grovcr's  division  of  the 
Nineteenth  Corps  to  garrison  Savannah,  and  drawn  the  Twenty-third  Corps, 
Major  General  Schofield,  from  Tennessee,  and  sent  it  to  reinforce  the  com 
mands  of  Major  Generals  Terry  and  Palmer,  operating  on  the  coast  of  North 
Carolina,  to  prepare  the  way  for  my  coming. 

On  the  18th  of  January  I  transferred  the  forts  and  city  of  Savannah  to 
Major  General  Foster,  commanding  the  Department  of  the  South,  imparted 
to  him  my  plans  of  operation,  and  instructed  him  how  to  follow  my  move 
ments  inland  by  occupying  in  succession  the  city  of  Charleston  and  such 
other  points  along  the  sea-coast  as  would  be  of  any  military  value  to  us. 
The  combined  naval  and  land  forces  under  Admiral  Porter  and  General  Terry 
had,  on  the  15th  of  January,  captured  Fort  Fisher  and  the  Rebel  forts  at  the 
jriouth  of  Cape  Fear  River,  giving  me  an  additional  point  of  security  on  the 
sea-coast.  But  I  had  already  resolved  in  my  own  mind,  and  had  so  advised 
General  Grant,  that  I  would  undertake  at  one  stride  to  make  Goldsboro\  and 
open  communication  with  the  sea  by  the  Newborn  railroad,  and  had  ordered 
Colonel  W.  W.  Wright,  superintendent  of  military  railroads,  to  proceed,  in 
73 


GSD  MYSTIFYING     THE     ENEMY. 

advance  to  Newbern,  and  to  be. prepared  to  extend  the  railroad  out  fram 
Newbern  to  Goldsboro'  by  the  15th  of  March. 

On  the  19th  of  January  all  preparations  were  complete,  and  the  orders  of 
inarch  were  given.  My  chief  quarter-master  and  Commissary  General  Easton 
and  Beekwith  were  ordered  to  complete  the  supplies  at  Sister's  Ferry  and 
Pocotaligo,  and  then  to  follow  our  movements  coastwise,  looking  for  my 
arrival  at  Goldsboro',  N.  C.,  about  March  15th,  and  opening  communication 
with  me  from  Morehead  City. 

On  the  22dof  January  I  embarked  from  Savannah  for  Hilton  Head,  where 
I  held  a  conference  with  Admiral  Dahlgren,  United  States  Navy,  arid  Major 
General  Foster,  commanding  the  Department  of  the  South,  and  next  pro 
ceeded  to  Beaufort,  riding  out  thence  on  the  24th  to  Pocotaligo,  where  the 
Seventeenth  Corps,  Major  General  Blair,  was  encamped.  The  Fifteenth 
Corps  was  somewhat  scattered — Wood's  and  Hazen's  divisions  at  Beaufort, 
John  E.  Smith  marching  from  Savannah  by  the  coast  road,  and  Corse  still  at 
Savannah,  cut  off  by  the  storms  and  freshet  in  the  river.  On  th§  25th  a  dem 
onstration  was  made  against  the  Combahee  ferry  and  railroad  bridge 
across  the  Salkehatchie,  merely  to  amuse  the  enemy,  who  had  evidently 
adopted  that  river  as  his  defensive  line  against  our  supposed  objective,  the  city 
of  Charleston.  I  reconnoitred  the  line  in  person,  and  saw  that  the  heavy 
rains  had  swollen  the  river,  so  that  water  stood  in  the  swamps  for  a  breadth 
of  more  than  a  mile  at  a  depth  of  from  one  to  twenty  feet.  Not  having  the 
remotest  intention  of  approaching  Charleston,  a  comparatively  small  force 
was  able,  by  seeming  preparations  to  cross  over,  to  keep  in  their  front  a  con 
siderable  force  of  the  enemy  disposed  to  contest  our  advance  on  Charleston. 
On  the  2Yth  I  rode  to  the  camp  of  General  Hatch's  division  of  Foster's  com 
mand,  on  the  Tullifinney  and  Coosawhatchie  Rivers,  and  directed  those 
places  to  be  evacuted,  as  no  longer  of  any  use  to  us.  That  division  was  then 
moved  to  Pocotaligo  to  keep  up  the  feints  already  begun,  until  we  should, 
with  the  rio-ht  wino*.  move  higher  up  and  cross  the  Salkehatchie  about  Riv- 

O  O»  &  JL 

er's  or  Broxton's  Bridge. 

On  the  29th  I  learned  that  the  roads  back  of  Savannah  had  at  last  be 
come  sufficiently  free  of  the  flood  to  admit  of  General  Slocnm  putting  his 
wing  in  motion,  and  that  he  was  already  approaching  Sister's  Ferry,  whither 
a  gunboat,  the  Pontiac,  Captain  Luce,  kindly  furnished  by  Admiral  Dahl 
gren,  had  preceded  him  to  cover  the  crossing.  In  the  meantime  three  divis 
ions  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps  had  closed  up  at  Pocataligo,  and  the  right  wing 
had  loaded  its  wagons  and  was  ready  to  start.  I  therefore  directed  General 
Howard  to  move  one  corps,  the  Seventeenth,  along  the  Salkehatchie,  as  high 
up  as  River's  Bridge,  and  the  other,  the  Fifteenth,  by  Hickory  Hill,  Loper's 
Cross-roads,  Anglesey  Post-office,  and  Beaufort's  Bridge.  Hatch's  division 
was  ordered  to  "remain  at  Pocotaligo,  feigning  at  the  Salkehatchie  railroad 
bridge  and  ferry,  until  our  movement  turned  the  enemy's  position  and 
forced  him  to  fall  behind  the  Edisto. 

The  Seventeenth  and  Fifteenth  Corps  drew  out  of  camp  on  the  31  st  of 
January,  but  the  real  march  began  on  the  1st  of  February.  All  the  roads 
northward  had  for  weeks  been  held  by  Wheeler's  cavalry,  who  had,  by  de 
tails  of  negro  laborers,  felled  trees,  burned  bridges,  and  made  obstructions  to 
impede  our  march.  But  so  well  organized  were  our  pioneer  battalions,  and 
so  strong  and  intelligent  our  men,  that  obstructions  seemed  only  to  quicken 
their  progress.  Felled  trees  were  removed  and  bridges  rebuilt  by  the  heads 


THE     MARCH     COMMENCED.  681 

of  columns  before  the  rear  could  close  up.  On  the  2d  of  February  the  Fif 
teenth  Corps  reached  Loper's  Cross-roads,  and  the  Seventeenth  was  at  River's 
Bridge.  From  Loper's  Cross-roads  I  communicated  with  General  Slociim, 
still  struggling  with  the  floods  of  the  Savannah  River  at  Sister's  Ferry.  He 
had  two  divisions  of  the  Twentieth  Corps,  General  Williams',  on  the  east 
bank,  and  was  enabled  to  cross  over  on  his  pontoons  the  cavalry  of  Kilpat- 
rick.  General  Williams  was  ordered  to  Beaufort's  Bridge  by  way  of  Law- 
tonville  and  Allandale,  Kilpatrick  to  Blackville  via  Barn  we  11,  and  General 
Slocum  to  hurry  the  crossing  at  Sister's  Ferry  as  much  as  possible,  and  over 
take  the  right  wing  on  the  South  Carolina  railroad.  General  Howard,  with 
the  right  wino-,  was  directed  to  cross  the  Salkehatchie  and  push  rapidly  for 
the  South  Carolina  railroad  at  or  near  Midway.  The  enemy  held  the  line  of 
the  Salkehatchie  in  force,  having  infantry  and  artillery  intrenched  at  River's 
and  Beaufort's  Bridges.  The  Seventeenth  Corps  was  ordered  to  carry  River's 
Bridge,  and  the  Fifteenth  Corps  Beaufort's  Bridge.  The  former  position 
was  carried  promptly  and  skillfully  by  Mower's  and  Giles  A.  Smith's  divis 
ions  of  the  Seventeenth  Corps,  on  the  3d  of  February,  by  crossing  the 
swamp,  nearly  three  miles  wide,  with  water  varying  from  knee  to  shoulder 
deep.  The  weather  was  bitter  cold,  and  Generals  Mower  and  Smith  led  their 
divisions  in  person  on  foot,  waded  the  swamp,  made  a  lodgment  below  the 
bridge,  and  turned  on  the  rebel  brigade  which  guarded  it,  driving  it  in  con 
fusion  and  disorder  toward  Branchville.  Our  casualties  were  one  officer  and 
seventeen  men  killed,  and  seventy  men  wounded,  who  were  sent  to  Poco- 
taligo.  The  line  of  the  Salkehatchie  being  thus  broken,  the  enemy  retreated 
at  once  behind  the  Edisto  at  Branchville,  and  the  whole  army  was  pushed 
rapidly  to  the  South  Carolina  railroad  at  Midway,  Bamberg  (or  Lowry's 
Station,)  and  Graham's  Station.  The  Seventeenth  Corps,  by  threatening 
Branchville,  forced  the  enemy  to  burn  the  railroad  bridge,  and  WTalker's 
Bridge  below,  across  the  Edisto.  All  hands  were  at  once  set  to  work  to  de 
stroy  railroad  track.  From  the  7th  to  the  10th  of  February  this  work  was 
thoroughly  prosecuted  by  the  Seventeenth  Corps  from  the  Edisto  up  to  Bam 
berg,  and  by  the  Fifteenth  Corps  from  Bamberg  up  to  Blackville.  In  the 
meantime  General  Kilpatrick  had  brought  his  cavalry  rapidly  by  Barnwell  to 
Blackville,  and  had  turned  toward  Aiken,  with  orders  to  threaten  Augusta, 
but  not  to  be  drawn  needlessly  into  a  serious  battle.  This  he  skillfully  ac 
complished,  skirmishing  heavily  with  Wheeler's  cavalry,  first  at  Blackville 
and  afterward  at  Williston  and  Aiken.  General  Williams,  with  two  divis 
ions  of  the  Twentieth  Corps,  marched  to  the  South  Carolina  railroad  at  Gra 
ham's  Station  on  the  8th,  and  General  Slocum  reached  Blackville  on  the 
10th.  The  destruction  of  the  railroad  was  continued  by  the  left  wing  from 
Blackville  up  to  Windsor.  By  the  1 1th  of  February  all  the  army  was  on  the 
railroad  all  the  way  from  Midway  to  Johnson's  Station,  thereby  dividing  the 
enemy's  forces,  which  still  remained  at  Branchville  and  Charleston  on  the  one 
hand,  Aiken  and  Augusta  on  the  other. 

We  then  began  the  movement  on  Orangeburg.  The  Seventeenth  Corps 
crossed  the  South  fork  of  Edisto  River  at  Binnaker's  Bridge  and  moved 
straight  for  Orangeburg,  while  the  Fifteenth  Corps  crossed  at  Holman's 
Bridge  and  moved  to  Poplar  Springs  in  support.  The  left  wing  and  cavalry 
were  still  at  work  on  the  railroad,  with  orders  to  cross  the  South  Edisto  at 
New  and  Guignard's  Bridges,  move  to  the  Orangeburg  and  Edgefield  road, 
and  there  await  the  result  of  the  attack  on  Orangeburg.  On  the  12th  the 


682  MARCH     UPON     COLUMBIA. 

Seventeenth  Corps  found  the  enemy  intrenched  in  front  of  the  Orangeburg 
Bridge,  but  swept  him  away  by  a  dash,  and  followed  him,  forcing  him  across 
the  bridge,  which  was  partially  burned.  Behind  the  bridge  was  a  battery  in 
position,  covered  by  a  cotton  and  earth  parapet,  with  wings  as  far  as  could 
be  seen.  General  Blair  held  one  division  (Giles  A.  Smith's)  close  up  to  the 
Edisto,  and  moved  the  other  two  to  a  point  about  two  miles  below,  where  he 
crossed  Force's  division  by  a  pontoon  bridge,  holding  Mower's  in  support. 
As  soon  as  Force  emerged  from  the  swamp  the  enemy  gave  ground,  and 
Giles  Smith's  division  gained  the  bridge,  crossed  over,  and  occupied  the 
enemy's  parapet.  He  soon  repaired  the  bridge,  and  by  four  p.  M.  the  whole 
corps  was  in  Orangeburg,  and  had  begun  the  work  of  destruction  on  the  rail 
road.  Blair  was  ordered  to  destroy  this  railroad  effectually  up  to  Lewisville, 
and  to  push  the  enemy  across  the  Congaree  and  force  him  to  burn  the  bridges, 
which  he  did  on  the  14th;  and  without  wasting  time  or  labor  on  Branchville 
or  Charleston,  which  I  knew  the  enemy  could  no  longer  hold,  I  turned  all 
the  columns  straight  on  Columbia. 

The  Seventeenth  Corps  followed  the  State  road,  and  the  Fifteenth  crossed 
the  North  Edisto  from  Poplar  Springs  at  Schilling's  Bridge,  above  the  mouth 
of  "  Cawcaw  Swamp"  Creek,  and  took  a  country  road  which  came  into  the 
State  road  at  Zeigler's.  On  the  15th,  the  Fifteenth  Corps  found  the  enemy 
in  a  strong  position  at  Little  Congaree  Bridge  (across  Congaree  Creek,)  with 
a  tete-de-pont  on  the  south  side,  and  a  well  constructed  fort  on  the  north  side, 
commanding  the  bridge  with  artillery.  The  ground  in  front  was  very  bad, 
level,  and  clear,  with  a  fresh  deposit  of  mud  from  a  recent  overflow.  Gen 
eral  Charles  R.  Wood,  who  commanded  the  leading  division,  succeeded, 
however,  in  turning  the  flank  of  the  tete-de-pont  by  sending  Stone's  brigade 
through  a  cypress  swamp  to  the  left ;  and  following  up  the  retreating  enemy 
promptly,  he  got  possession  of  the  bridge  and  the  fort  beyond.  The  bridge 
had  been  partially  damaged  by  fire,  and  had  to  be  repaired  for  the  passage 
of  artillery,  so  that  night  closed  in  before  the  head  of  the  column  could  reach 
the  bridge  across  Congaree  River  in  front  of  Columbia.  That  night  the 
enemy  shelled  our  camps  from  a  battery  on  the  east  side  of  the  Congaree 
above  Granby.  Early  next  morning  (February  16th)  the  head  of  column 
reached  the  bank  of  the  Congaree  opposite  Columbia,  but  too  late  to  save  the 
fine  bridge  which  spanned  the  river  at  that  point.  It  was  burned  by  the 
enemy.  While  waiting  for  the  pontoons  to  come  to  the  front,  we  could  see 
people  running  about  the  streets  of  Columbia,  and  occasionally  small  bodies 
of  cavalry,  but  no  masses.  A  single  gun  of  Captain  De  Grass'  battery  was 
firing  at  their  cavalry  squads,  but  I  checked  his  firing,  limiting  him  to  a  few 
shots  at  the  unfinished  State-house  walls,  and  a  few  shells  at  the  railroad 
depot,  to  scatter  the  people  who  were  seen  carrying  away  sacks  of  corn  and 
meal  that  we  needed.  There  was  no  white  flag  or  manifestation  of  surrender. 
I  directed  General  Howard  not  to  cross  directly  in  front  of  Columbia,  but  to 
cross  the  Saluda  at  the  factory,  three  miles  above,  and  afterward  Broad 
River,  so  as  to  approach  Columbia  from  the  north.  Within  an  hour  of  the 
arrival  of  General  Howard's  head  of  column  at  the  river  opposite  Columbia, 
the  head  of  column  of  the  left  wing  also  appeared,  and  I  directed  General 
Slocum  to  cross  the  Saluda  at  Zion  Church,  and  thence  to  take  roads  direct 
for  Winnsboro',  breaking  up  en  route  the  railroads  and  bridges  about  Alston. 

General  Howard  effected  a  crossing  of  the  Saluda  near  the  factory  on  the 
16th,  skirmishing  with  cavalry,  and  the  same  night  made  a  flying  bridge 


BURNING     OF     COLUMBIA.  683 

across  Broad  River,  about  three  miles  above  Columbia,  by  winch  he  crossed 
over  Stone's  brigade  of  Wood's  division,  Fifteenth  Corps.  Under  cover  of 
this  brigade  a  pontoon  bridge  was  laid  on  the  morning  of  the  17th.  I  was 
in  person  at  this  bridge,  and  at  11  A.  M.  learned  that  the  Mayor  of  Columbia 
had  come  out  in  a  carriage  and  made  formal  surrender  of  the  city  to  Colonel 
Stone,  Twenty-fifth  Iowa  Infantry,  commanding  third  brigade,  first  division, 
Fifteenth  Corps.  About  the  same  time,  a  small  party  of  the  Seventeenth 
Corps  had  crossed  the  Congaree  in  a  skiff,  and  entered  Columbia  from  a  point 
immediately  west.  In  anticipation  of  the  occupation  of  the  city,  I  had 
made  written  orders  to  General  Howard  touching  the  conduct  of  the  troops. 
These  were  to  destroy  absolutely  all  arsenals  and  public  property  not  needed 
for  our  own  use,  as  well  as  all  railroads,  depots,  and  machinery  useful  in  war 
to  an  enemy,  but  to  spare  all  dwellings,  colleges,  schools,  asylums,  and  harm 
less  private  property.  I  was  the  first  to  cross  the  pontoon  bridge,  and  in 
company  with  General  Howard  rode  into  the  city.  The  day  was  clear,  but 
a  perfect  tempest  of  wind  was  raging.  The  brigade  of  Colonel  Stone  was 
already  in  the  city,  and  was  properly  posted.  Citizens  and  soldiers  were  on 
the  streets,  and  general  good  order  prevailed.  General  Wade  Hampton,  who 
commanded  the  Confederate  rear-guard  of  cavalry,  had,  in  anticipation  of  our 
capture  of  Columbia,  ordered  that  all  cotton,  public  and  private,  should  be 
moved  into  the  streets  and  fired,  to  prevent  our  making  use  of  it.  Bales 
were  piled  every  where,  the  rope  and  bagging  cut,  and  tufts  of  cotton  were 
blown  about  in  the  wind,  lodged  in  the  trees  and  against  houses,  so  as  to 
resemble  a  snow-storm.  Some  of  these  piles  of  cotton  were  burning,  espe 
cially  one  in  the  very  heart  of  the  city  near  the  Court-house,  but  the  fire  was 
partially  subdued  by  the  labor  of  our  soldiers.  During  the  day,  the  Fif 
teenth  Corps  passed  through  Columbia  and  out  on  the  Camden  Road.  The 
Seventeenth  did  not  enter  the  town  at  all;  and,  as  I  have  before  stated,  the 
left  wing  and  cavalry  did  not  come  within  two  miles  of  the  town. 

Before  one  single  public  building  had  been  fired  by  order,  the  smouldering 
fires  set  by  Hampton's  order  were  rekindled  by  the  wind,  and  communicated 
to  the  buildings  around.  About  dark  they  began  to  spread,  arid  got  beyond 
the  control  of  the  brigade  on  duty  within  the  city.  The  whc  le  of  Wood's 
division  was  brought  in,  but  it  was  found  impossible  to  check  the  flames, 
which  by  midnight  had  become  unmanageable,  and  raged  until  about  four  A. 
M.,  when,  the  wind  subsiding,  they  were  got  under  control.  I  was  up  nearly 
all  night,  and  saw  Generals  Howard,  Logan,  Wood,  and  others  laboring  to 
save  houses,  and  to  protect  families  thus  suddenly  deprived  of  shelter  and  of 
bedding  and  wearing  apparel.  I  disclaim  on  the  part  of  my  army  any 
agency  in  this  fire,  but,  on  the  contrary,  claim  that  we  saved  what  of  Colum 
bia  remains  unconsumed.  And,  without  hesitation,  I  charge  General  Wade 
Hampton  with  having  burned  his  own  city  of  Columbia,  not  with  a  malicious 
intent,  or  as  the  manifestation  of  a  silly  "  Roman  stoicism,"  but  from  folly 
and  want  of  sense,  in  filling  it  with  lint,  cotton,  and  tinder.  Our  officers  and 
men  on  duty  worked  well  to  extinguish  the  flames ;  but  others  not  on  duty, 
including  the  officers  who  had  long  been  imprisoned  there,  rescued  by  us, 
may  have  assisted  in  spreading  the  fire  after  it  had  once  begun,  and  may 
have  indulged  in  unconcealed  joy  to  see  the  ruin  of  the  Capital  of  South 
Carolina.  During  the  18th  and  19th,  the  arsenal,  railroad  depots,  machine- 
shops,  founderies,  and  other  buildings  were  properly  destroyed  by  detailed 
working  parties,  and  the  railroad  track  torn  up  and  destroyed  to  Kingsville 
and  the  Wateree  Bridge,  and  up  in  the  direction  of  Winnsboro'. 


684  FEINT    UPON    CHARLOTTE. 

At  the  same  time,  tlie  left  wing  and  cavalry  had  crossed  the  Saluda  and 
Broad  Rivers,  breaking  up  railroad  about  Alston,  and  as  high  up  as  the  bridge 
across  Broad  River  on  the  Spartanburg  Road,  the  main  body  moving  straight 
for  Winnsboro',  which  General  Slocum  reached  on  the  21st  of  February.  He 
caused  the  railroad  to  be  destroyed  up  to  Blackstakes  Depot,  and  then  turned 
to  Rocky  Mount,  on  the  Catawba  River.  The  Twentieth  Corps  reached 
Rocky  Mount  on  the  22d,  laid  a  pontoon  bridge,  and  crossed  over  during  the 
23d.  Kilpatrick's  cavalry  followed,  and  crossed  over  in  a  heavy  rain  during 
the  night  of  the  23d,  and  moved  up  to  Lancaster,  with  orders  to  keep  up  the 
delusion  of  a  general  movement  on  Charlotte,  N.  C.,  to  which  General  Beau- 
regard  and  all  the  cavalry  of  the  enemy  had  retreated  from  Columbia.  I 
was  also  aware  that  Cheatham's  Corps,  of  Hood's  old  army  was  aiming  to 
make  a  junction  with  Beauregard  at  Charlotte,  having  been  cut  off  by  our 
rapid  movement  on  Columbia  and  Winnsboro'.  From  the  23d  to  the  26th 
we  had  heavy  rains,  swelling  the  rivers  and  making  the  roads  almost  impas 
sable.  The  Twentieth  Corps  reached  Hanging  Rock  on  the  26th,  and  waited 
there  for  the  Fourteenth  Corps  to  get  across  the  Catawba.  The  heavy  rains 
had  so  swollen  the  river  that  the  pontoon  bridge  broke,  and  General  Davis 
had  very  hard  work  to  restore  it  and  get  his  command  across.  At  last  he 
succeeded,  and  the  left  wing  was  all  put  in  motion  for  Cheraw. 

In  the  meantime,  the  right  wing  had  broken  up  the  railroad  to  Winnsboro', 
and  thence  turned  for  Pea's  Ferry,  where  it  was  crossed  over  the  Catawba 
before  the  heavy  rains  set  in,  the  Seventeenth  Corps  moving  straight  on 
Cheraw  via  Young's  Bridge,  and  the  Fifteenth  Corps  by  Tiller's  and  Kelly's 
Bridges.  From  this  latter  corps  detachments  were  sent  into  Camden  to  burn 
the  bridge  over  the  Wateree,  with  the  railroad  depot,  stores,  etc.  A  small 
force  of  mounted  men  under  Captain  Duncan  was  also  dispatched  to  make  a 
dash  and  interrupt  the  railroad  from  Charleston  to  Florence,  but  it  met  But 
ler's  division  of  cavalry,  and,  after  a  sharp  night  skirmish  on  Mount  Elon, 
was  compelled  to  return  unsuccessful.  Much  bad  road  was  encountered  at 
Lynch's  Creek,  which  delayed  the  right  wing  about  the  same  length  of  time 
as  the  left  wing  had  been  at  the  Catawba. 

On  the  2d  of  March,  the  leading  division  of  the  Twentieth  Corps  entered 
Chesterfield,  skirmishing  with  Butler's  division  of  cavalry,  and  the  next  day 
about  noon  the  Seventeenth  Corps  entered  Cheraw,  the  enemy  retreating 
across  the  Pedee  and  burning  the  bridge  at  that  point.  At  Cheraw  we  found 
much  ammunition  and  many  guns,  which  had  been  brought  from  Charleston 
on  the  evacuation  of  that  city.  These  were  destroyed,  as  also  the  railroad 
trestles  and  bridges  down  as  far  as  Darlington.  An  expedition  of  mounted 
infantry  was  also  sent  down  to  Florence,  but  it  encountered  both  cavalry  and 
infantry,  and  returned,  having  only  broken  up  in  part  the  branch  road  from 
Florence  to  Cheraw. 

Without  unnecessary  delay  the  columns  were  again  put  in  motion,  directed 
on  Fayetteville,  N.  C.,  the  right  wing  crossing  the  Pedee  at  Cheraw  and  the 
left  wing  and  cavalry  at  Sneedsboro'.  General  Kilpatrick  was  ordered  to 
keep  well  on  the  left  flank,  and  the  Fourteenth  Corps,  moving  by  Love's 
Bridge,  was  given  the  right  to  enter  and  occupy  Fayetteville  first.  The 
weather  continued  unfavorable  and  the  roads  bad,  but  the  Fourteenth  and 
Seventeenth  Corps  reached  Fayetteville  on  the  llth  of  March,  skirmishing 
with  Wade  Hampton's  cavalry,  that  covered,  the  rear  of  Hardee's  retreating 
army,  which,  as  usual,  had  crossed  Cape  Fear  River,  burning  the  bridge. 


SHERMAN'S  STRATEGY.         G35 

During  the  march  from  the  Peclce,  General  Kilpatrick  had  kept  his  cavalry 
well  on  the  left  and  exposed  flank.  During  the  night  of  the  9th  March  his 
three  brigades  were  divided  to  picket  the  roads.  General  Hampton,  detect 
ing  this,  dashed  in  at  daylight  and  gained  possession  of  the  camp  of  Colonel 
Spencer's  brigade,  and  the  house  in  which  General  Kilpatrick  and  Colonel 
Spencer  had  their  quarters.  The  surprise  was  complete,  but  General  Kilpat 
rick  quickly  succeeded  in  rallying  his  men  on  foot  in  a  swamp  near  by,  and, 
by  a  prompt  attack,  well  followed  up,  regained  his  artillery,  horses,  camp, 
and  every  thing,  save  some  prisoners  whom  the  enemy  carried  off,  leaving 
their  dead  on  the  ground. 

The  12th,  13th,  and  14th  were  passed  at  Fayetteville,  destroying  abso 
lutely  the  United  States  Arsenal  and  the  vast  amount  of  machinery  which 
had  formerly  belonged  to  the  old  Harper's  Ferry  United  States  Arsenal. 
Every  building  was  knocked  down  and  burned,  and  every  piece  of  machinery 
utterly  broken  up  and  ruined,  by  the  First  regiment  Michigan  engineers, 
under  the  immediate  supervision  of  Colonel  O.  M.  Poc,  chief  engineer. 
Much  valuable  property  of  great  use  to  an  enemy  was  here  destroyed  or  cast 
into  the  river. 

Up  to  this  period,  I  had  perfectly  succeeded  in  interposing  my  superior 
army  between  the  scattered  parts  of  my  enemy.  But  I  was  then  aware  that 
the  fragments  that  had  left  Columbia  under  Beauregard  had  been  reinforced 
by  Cheatham's  Corps  from  the  West  and  the  garrison  of  Augusta,  and  that 
ample  time  had  been  given  to  move  them  to  my  front  and  flank  about  Ra 
leigh.  Hardee  had  also  succeeded  in  getting  across  Cape  Fear  River  ahead  of 
me,  and  could  therefore  complete  the  junction  with  the  other  armies  of 
Johnston  and  Hoke  in  North  Carolina.  And  the  whole,  under  the  command 
of  the  skillful  and  experienced  Joe  Johnston,  made  up  an  army  superior  to 
me  in  cavalry,  and  formidable  enough  in  artillery  and  infantry  to  justify  me 
in  extreme  caution  in  making  the  last  step  necessary  to  complete  the  march 
I  had  undertaken.  Previous  to  reaching  Fayetteville,  I  had  dispatched 
to  Wilmington  from  Laurel  Hill  Church  two  of  our  best  scouts  with  intelli 
gence  of  our  position  and  my  general  plans.  Both  of  these  messengers 
reached  Wilmington,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  12th  of  March  the  army  tug 
Davidson,  Captain  Ainsworth,  reached  Fayetteville  from  Wilmington,  bring 
ing  me  full  intelligence  of  events  from  the  outer  world.  On  the  same  day, 
this  tug  carried  back  to  General  Terry,  at  Wilmington,  and  General  Schofield, 
at  Newborn,  my  dispatches  to  the  effect  that  on  Wednesday,  the  15th,  we 
would  move  for  Goldsboro',  feigning  on  Raleigh,  and  ordering  them  to  march 
straight  for  Goldsboro',  which  I  expected  to  reach  about  the  20th.  The 
same  day,  the  gunboat  Eolus,  Captain  Young,  United  States  Navy,  also 
reached  Fayetteville,  and  through  her  I  continued  to  have  communication 
with  Wilmington  until  the  day  of  our  actual  departure.  While  the  work  of 
destruction  was  going  on  at  Fayetteville,  two  pontoon  bridges  were  laid 
across  Cape  Fear  River,  one  opposite  the  town,  the  other  three  miles  below. 

General  Kilpatrick  was  ordered  to  move  up  the  plank  road  to  and  beyond 
Averysboro'.  He  was  to  be  followed  by  four  divisions  of  the  left  wing,  with 
as  few  wagons  as  possible ;  the  rest  of  the  train,  under  escort  of  the  two 
remaining  divisions  of  that  wing,  to  take  a  shorter  and  more  direct  road  to 
Goldsboro'.  In  like  manner,  General  Howard  was  ordered  to  send  his  trains, 
under  good  escort,  well  to  the  right,  toward  Faison's  Depot  and  Goldsboro', 
and  to  hold  four  divisions  light,  ready  to  go  to  the  aid  of  the  left  wing  if 


686  BATTLE     OF     AVERYSBORO*. 

attacked  while  in  motion.  The  weather  continued  very  bad,  and  the  roads 
had  become  mere  quagmire.  Almost  every  foot  of  them  had  to  be  corduroyed 
to  admit  the  passage  of  wheels.  Still,  time  was  so  important  that  punctu 
ally,  according  to  order,  the  columns  moved  out  from  Cape  Fear  River  on 
Wednesday,  the  15th  of  March.  I  accompanied  General  Slocum,  who,  pre 
ceded  by  Kilpatrick's  cavalry,  moved  up  the  river  or  plank  road  that  day  to 
Kyle's  Landing,  Kilpatrick  skirmishing  heavily  with  the  enemy's  rear-guard 
about  three  miles  beyond,  near  Taylor's  Hole  Creek.  At  General  Kilpat 
rick's  request,  General  Slocum  sent  forward  a  brigade  of  infantry  to  hold  a 
line  of  barricades.  Next  morning,  the  column  advanced  in  the  same  order, 
and  developed  the  enemy,  with  artillery,  infantry,  and  cavalry,  in  an  in 
trenched  position  in  front  of  the  point  where  the  road  branches  off  toward 
Goldsboro'  through  Bentonville.  On  an  inspection  of  the  map,  it  was  man 
ifest  that  Hardee,  in  retreating  from  Fayetteville,  had  halted  in  the  narrow, 
swampy  neck  between  Cape  Fear  and  South  Rivers,  in  hopes  to  hold  me  to 
save  time  for  the  concentration  of  Johnston's  armies  at  some  point  to  his 
rear,  namely,  Raleigh,  Smithfield,  or  Goldsboro'.  Hardee's  force  was  esti 
mated  at  20,000  men.  It  was  necessary  to  dislodge  him,  that  we  might  have 
the  use  of  the  Goldsboro'  road,  as  also  to  keep  up  the  feint  on  Raleigh  as 
long  as  possible.  General  Slocum  was  therefore  ordered  to  press  and  carry 
the  position,  only  difficult  by  reason  of  the  nature  of  the  ground,  which  was 
so  soft  that  horses  would  sink  every  where,  and  even  men  could  hardly  make 
their  way  over  the  common  pine  barren. 

The  Twentieth  Corps,  General  AVilliams,  had  the  lead,  and  Ward's  divis 
ion  the  advance.  This  was  deployed,  and  the  skirmish  line  developed  the 
position  of  a  brigade  of  Charleston  heavy  artillery  armed  as  infantry 
(Rhett's)  posted  across  the  road  behind  a  light  parapet,  with  a  battery  of 
guns  enfilading  the  approach  across  a  cleared  field.  General  Williams  sent 
a  brigade  (Casey's)  by  a  circuit  to  his  left  that  turned  this  line,  and  by  a 
quick  charge  broke  the  brigade,  which  rapidly  retreated  back  to  a  second  line, 
better  built  and  more  strongly  held.  A  battery  of  artillery  (Winnager's) 
well  posted,  under  the  immediate  direction  of  Major  Reynolds,  chief  of  artil 
lery,  of  Twentieth  Corps,  did  good  execution  on  the  retreating  brigade,  and, 
on  advancing  Ward's  division  over  this  ground,  General  Williams  captured 
three  guns  and  two  hundred  and  seventeen  prisoners,  of  which  sixty-eight 
were  wounded,  and  left  in  a  house  nearby  with  a  rebel  officer,  four  men,  and 
five  days'  rations.  One  hundred  and  eight  rebel  dead  were  buried  by  us.  As 
Ward's  division  advanced,  he  developed  a  second  and  stronger  line,  when 
Jackson's  division  was  deployed  forward  on  the  right  of  Ward,  and  the  two 
divisions  of  Jeff.  C.  Davis,  (Fourteenth)  Corps  on  the  left  well  toward  the 
Cape  Fear.  At  the  same  time,  Kilpatrick,  who  was  acting  in  concert  with 
General  Williams,  was  ordered  to  draw  back  his  cavalry  and  mass  it  on  the 
extreme  right,  and,  in  concert  with  Jackson's  right,  to  feel  forward  for  the 
Goldsboro'  road.  He  got  a  brigade  on  the  road,  but  it  was  attacked  by 
McLaw's  rebel  division  furiously,  and  though  it  fought  well  and  hard,  tho- 
brigade  drew  back  to  the  flank  of  the  infantry.  The  whole  line  advanced  late 
in  the  afternoon,  drove  the  enemy  well  within  his  intrenched  line,  and  pressed 
him  so  hard  that  next  morning  he  was  gone,  having  retreated  in  a  miserable 
stormy  night  over  the  worst  of  roads.  Ward's  division  of  infantry  followed 
to  and  through  Averysboro',  developing  the  fact  that  Hardee  had  retreated, 
not  on  Raleigh,  but  on  Smithfield,  I  had  the  night  before  directed  Kilpat* 


COMMUNICATION    WITH     SCOFIELD.  687 

rick  to  cross  South  River  at  a  milldam  to  our  right  rear  and  move  up  on  the 
east  side  toward  Elevation.  General  Slocum  reports  his  aggregate  loss  in 
this  affair,  known  as  that  of  Averysboro',  at  twelve  officers  and  sixty-live  men 
killed,  and  four  hundred  and  seventy-seven  wounded.  We  lost  no  prisoners. 
The  enemy's  loss  can  be  inferred  from  his  dead  (one  hundred  and  eight)  left 
for  us  to  bury.  Leaving  Ward's  division  to  keep  up  a  show  of  pursuit,  Slo- 
cum's  column  was  turned  to  the  right,  built  a  bridge  across  the  swollen  South 
River,  and  took  the  Goldsboro'  road,  Kilpatrick  crossing  to  the  north  in  the 
direction  of  Elevation,  with  orders  to  move  eastward,  watching  that  flank. 
In  the  meantime,  the  wagon  trains  and  guards,  as  also  Howard's  column, 
were  wallowing  along  the  miry  roads  toward  Bentonville  and  Goldsboro'. 
The  enemy's  infantry,  as  before  stated,  had  retreated  on  Smithfield,  and  his 
cavalry  retreated  across  our  front  in  the  same  direction,  burning  the  bridges 
across  Mill  Creek.  I  continued  with  the  head  of  Slocurn's  column,  and 
camped  the  night  of  the  18th  with  him  on  the  Goldsboro'  road,  twenty-seven 
miles  from  Goldsboro',  about  five  miles  from  Bentonville,  and  where  the 
road  from  Clinton  to  Smithfield  crosses  the  Goldsboro'  road.  Howard  was 
at  Lee's  Store,  only  two  miles  south,  and  both  columns  had  pickets  three 
miles  forward,  to  where  the  two  roads  came  together  and  became  common  to 
Goldsboro'.  » 

All  the  signs  induced  me  to  believe  that  the  enemy  would  make  no  farther 
opposition  to  our  progress,  and  would  not  attempt  to  strike  us  in  flank  while 
in  motion.  I  therefore  directed  Howard  to  move  his  right  wing  by  the  new 
Goldsboro'  road,  which  goes  by  way  of  Falling  Creek  Church.  I  also  left 
Slocum  and  joined  Howard's  column,  with  a  view  to  open  communications 
with  General  Schofield,  coming  up  from  Newbern,  and  Terry  from  Wilming 
ton.  I  found  General  Howard's  column  well  strung  out,  owing  to  the  very 
bad  roads,  and  did  not  overtake  him  in  person  until  he  had  reached  Falling 
Creek  Church,  with  one  regiment  forward  to  the  cross-roads  near  Cox's 
Bridge  across  the  Neuse.  I  had  gone  from  General  Slocum  about  six  miles, 
when  I  heard  artillery  in  his  direction',  but  was  soon  made  easy  by  one  of 
his  staff  officers  overtaking  me,  explaining  that  his  leading  division  (Carlin's) 
had  encountered  a  division  of  rebel  cavalry  (Dibbrell's),  which  he  was  driving 
easily.  But  soon  other  staff  officers  came  up,  reporting  that  he  had  devel 
oped  near  Bentonville  the  whole  of  the  rebel  army,  under  General  Johnston 
himself.  I  sent  him  orders  to  call  up  the  two  divisions  guarding  his  wagon 
trains,  and  Ilazen's  division  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps,  still  back  near  Lee's 
Store,  to  fight  defensively  until  I  could  draw  up  Blair's  Corps,  then  near 
Mount  Olive  Station,  and,  with  the  three  remaining  divisions  of  the  Fifteenth 
Corps,  come  up  on  Johnston's  left  rear  from  the  direction  of  Cox's  Bridge. 
In  the  meantime,  while  on  the  road,  I  received  couriers  from  both  Generals 
Schofield  and  Terry.  The  former  reported  himself  in  possession  of  Kins- 
ston,  delayed  somewhat  by  want  of  provisions,  but  able  to  march  so  as  to 
make  Goldsboro'  on  the  21st;  and  Terry  was  at  or  near  Faison's  Depot. 
Orders  were  at  onco  dispatched  to  Schofield  to  push  for  Goldsboro',  and  to 
make  dispositions  to  cross  Little  River  in  the  direction  of  Smithfield  as  far 
as  Millard ;  to  General  Terry  to  move  to  Cox's  Bridge,  lay  a  pontoon  bridge, 
and  establish  a  crossing;  and  to  General  Blair  to  make  a  night  inarch  to 
Falling  Creek  Church ;  and  at  daylight,  the  right  wing,  General  Howard, 
less  the  necessary  wagon  guards,  was  put  in  rapid  motion  on  Bentonville. 
By  subsequent  reports,  I  learned  that  General  Slocum's  head  of  column  had 


633  BATTLE    OP     BENTONVILLE. 

advanced  from  its  camp  of  March  18th,  and  first  encountered  Dibbrell's  cav 
alry,  but  soon  found  his  progress  impeded  by  infantry  and  artillery.  The 
enemy  attacked  his  head  of  column,  gaining  a  temporary  advantage,  and  took 
three  guns  and  caissons  of  General  Carlin's  division,  driving  the  two  leading 
brigades  back  on  the  main  body.  As  soon  as  General  Slocum  realized  that 
he  had  in  his  front  the  whole  Confederate  army,  he  promptly  deployed  the 
two  divisions  of  the  Fourteenth  Corps,  General  Davis,  and  rapidly  brought 
up  on  their  left  the  two  divisions  of  the  Twentieth  Corps,  General  Williams. 
These  he  arranged  on  the  defensive,  and  hastily  prepared  a  line  of  barricades. 
General  Kilpatrick  ahso  came  up  at  the  sound  of  artillery,  and  massed  on  the 
left.  In  this  position,  the  left  wing  received  six  distinct  assaults  by  the  com 
bined  forces  of  Hoke,  Hardee  and  Cheatham,  under  the  immediate  command 
of  General  Johnston  himself,  without  giving  an  inch  of  ground,  and  doing 
good  execution  on  the  enemy's  ranks,  especially  with  our  artillery,  the  enemy 
having  little  or  none. 

Johnston  had  moved  by  night  from  Smithfield  with  great  rapidity  and 
without  unnecessary  wheels,  intending  to  overwhelm  my  left  flank  before  it 
could  be  relieved  by  its  cooperating  columns.  But  he  "  reckoned  without 
his  host."  I  had  expected  just  such  a  movement  all  the  way  from  Fayette- 
ville,  and  was  prepared  for  it.  During  the  night  of  the  19th,  General  Slo 
cum  got  up  his  wagon  train  with  its  guard  of  two  divisions,  and  Hazen's 
division  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps,  which  reinforcement  enabled  him  to  make 
his  position  impregnable.  The  right  wing  found  rebel  cavalry  watching  its 
approach,  but  unable  to  offer  any  serious  opposition,  until  our  head  of  col 
umn  encountered  a  considerable  body  behind  a  barricade  at  the  forks  of  the 
road  near  Bentonville,  about  three  miles  east  of  the  battle-field  of  the  day 
before.  This  body  of  cavalry  was,  however,  quickly  dislodged,  and  the  in 
tersection  of  the  roads  secured.  On  moving  forward  the  Fifteenth  Corps, 
General  Logan  found  that  the  enemy  had  thrown  back  his  left  flank,  and  had 
constructed  a  line  of  parapet  connecting  with  that  toward  General  Slocum, 
in  the  form  of  a  bastion,  its  salient  on  the  main  Goldsboro'  road,  interposing 
between  General  Slocum  on  the  west  and  General  Howard  on  the  east,  while 
the  flanks  rested  on  Mill  Creek,  covering  the  road  back  to  Smithfield.  Gen 
eral  Howard  was  instructed  to  proceed  with  due  caution  until  he  had  made 
strong  connection  on  his  left  with  General  Slocum.  This  he  soon  accom 
plished,  and  by  four  p.  M.  of  the  20th,  a  complete  and  strong  line  of  battle 
confronted  the  enemy  in  his  intrenched  position,  and  General  Johnston,  in 
stead  of  catching  us  in  detail,  was  on  the  defensive,  with  Mill  Creek  and  a 
single  bridge  to  his  rear.  Nevertheless,  we  had  no  object  to  accomplish  by 
a  battle,  unless  at  an  advantage,  and  therefore  my  general  instructions  were 
to  press  steadily  with  skirmishers  alone,  to  use  artillery  pretty  freely  on  the 
wooded  space  held  by  the  enemy,  and  to  feel  pretty  strongly  the  flanks  of  his 
position,  which  were,  as  usual,  covered  by  the  endless  swamps  of  this  region  of 
country.  I  also  ordered  all  empty  wagons  to  be  sent  at  once  to  Kinston  for 
supplies,  and  all  other  impediments  to  be  grouped  near  the  Neuse,  south 
of  Goldsboro',  holding  the  real  army  in  close  contact  with  the  enemy,  ready 
to  fight  him  if  he  ventured  outside  his  parapets  and  swampy  obstructions. 

Thus  matters  stood  about  Bentonville  on  the  21st  of  March.  On  the  same 
day  General  Schofield  entered  Goldsboro'  with  little  or  no  opposition,  and 
General  Terry  had  got  possession  of  the  Neuse  River  at  Cox's  Bridge,  ten 
miles  above,  with  a  pontoon  bridge  laid  and  a  brigade  across ;  so  that  the 


JOHNSTON     RUNS.  689 

three  armies  were  in  actual  connection,  and  the  great  object  of  the  campaign 
was  accomplished. 

On  the  21st  a  steady  rain  prevailed,  during  which  General  Mower's'divis- 
ion  of  the  Seventeenth  Corps,  on  the  extreme  right,  had  worked  well  to  the 
ris^ht  around  the  enemy's  flank,  and  had  nearly  reached  the  bridge  across 
Mill  Creek,  the  only  line  of  retreat  open  to  the  enemy.  Of  course,  there 
was  extreme  danger  that  the  enemy  would  turn  on  him  all  his  reserves,  and, 
it  might  be,  let  go  his  parapets  to  overwhelm  Mower.  Accordingly,  I  ordered 
at  once  a  general  attack  by  our  skirmish  line  from  left  to  right.  Quite  a 
noisy  battle  ensued,  during  which  General  Mower  was  enabled  to  regain  his 
connection  with  his  own  corps  by  moving  to  his  left  rear.  Still,  he  had  de 
veloped  a  weakness  in  the  enemy's  position  of  which  advantage  might  have 
been  taken ;  but  that  night  the  enemy  retreated  on  Smithfield,  leaving  his 
pickets  to  fall  into  our  hands,  with  many  dead  unburied,  and  wounded  in 
his  field  hospitals.  At  daybreak  of  the  22d,  pursuit  was  made  two  miles 
beyond  Mill  Creek,  but  checked  by  my  order.  General  Johnston  had  utterly 
failed  in  his  attempt,  and  we  remained  in  full  possession  of  the  field  of  battle. 

General  Slocum  reports  the  losses  of  the  left  wing  about  Bentonville  at 
nine  officers  and  one  hundred  and  forty-five  men  killed,  fifty-one  officers  and 
eight  hundred  and  sixteen  men  wounded,  and  three  officers  and  two  hun 
dred  and  twenty -three  men  missing,  taken  prisoners  by  the  enemy ;  total, 
one  thousand  two  hundred  and  forty-seven.  He  buried  on  the  field  one 
hundred  and  sixty-seven  rebel  dead,  and  took  338  prisoners. 

General  Howard  reports  the  losses  of  the  right  wing  at  two  officers  and 
thirty-five  men  killed,  twelve  officers  and  two  hundred  and  eighty-nine  men 
wounded,  and  one  officer  and  gixty  men  missing ;  total,  three  hundred  and 
ninety-nine.  He  also  buried  one  hundred  rebel  dead  and  took  twelve  hun 
dred  and  eighty-seven  prisoners. 

The  cavalry  of  Kilpatrick  was  held  in  reserve,  and  lost  but  few,  if  any,  of 
which  I  have  no  report  as  yet.  Our  aggregate  loss  at  Bentonville  was  six 
teen  hundred  and  forty-six.  "» 

I  am  well  satisfied  that  the  enemy  lost  heavily,  especially  during  his 
assaults  on  the  left  wing  during  the  afternoon  of  the  19th;  but  as  I  have  no 
data  save  his  dead  and  wounded  left  in  our  hands,  I  prefer  to  make  no  com 
parisons. 

Thus,  as  I  have  endeavored  to  explain,  we  had  completed  our  march  on 
the  21st,  and  had  full  possession  of  Goldsboro',  the  real  "objective,"  with 
its  two  railroads  back  to  the  sea-ports  of  Wilmington  and  Beaufort,  N.  C. 
These  were  being  rapidly  repaired  by  strong,  working  parties,  directed  by 
Colonel  W.  W.  Wright,  of  the  railroad  department.  A  large  number  of 
supplies  had  already  been  brought  forward  to  Kinston,  to  which  place  our 
wagons  had  been  sent  to  receive  them.  I  therefore  directed  General  How 
ard  and  the  cavalry  to  remain  at  Bentonville  during  the  22d,  to  bury  the  dead 
and  remove  the  wounded,  and  on  the  following  day,  all  the  armies  to  the 
camps  assigned  them  about  Goldsboro',  there  to  rest  and  receive  the  cloth 
ing  and  supplies  of  which  they  stood  in  need.  In  person  I  went,  on  the  22d, 
to  Cox's  Bridge,  to  meet  General  Terry,  whom  I  met  for  the  first  time,  and 
on  the  following  clay  rode  into  Goldsboro',  where  I  found  General  Schofield 
and  his  army.  The  left  wing  came  in  during  the  same  day  and  next  morn 
ing,  and  the  right  wing  followed  on  the  24th,  on  which  day  the  cavalry 
moved  to  Mount  Olive  Station  and  General  Terry  back  to  Faison's,  On  tho 


690  SUMMARY     OF    CAMPAIGN. 

25th  the  Newbern  raihoad  was  finished,  and  the  first  train  of  cars  came  in, 
thus  giving  us  the  means  of  bringing  from  the  depot  at  Morehead  City  full 
supplies  to  the  army. 

It  was  all-important  that  I  should  have  an  interview  with  the  General-in- 
Chief;  and,  presuming  that  he  could  not  at  this  time  leave  City  Point,  I  left 
General  Schofield  in  chief  command,  and  proceeded  with  all  expedition  by 
rail  to  Morehead  City,  and  thence  by  steamer  to  City  Point,  reaching  Gen 
eral  Grant's  head-quarters  on  the  evening  of  the  27th  of  March.  I  had  the 
good  fortune  to  meet  General  Grant,  the  President,  Generals  Meade,  Ord, 
and  others  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  soon  learned  the  general  state 
of  the  military  world,  from  which  I  had  been  in  a  great  measure  cut  off'  since 
January.  Having  completed  all  necessary  business,  I  re-embarked  on  the 
navy  steamer  Bat,  Captain  Barnes,  which  Admiral  Porter  placed  at  my  com 
mand,  and  returned  via  Hatteras  Inlet  and  Newbern,  reaching  my  own  head 
quarters  in  Goldsboro'  during  the  night  of  the  30th.  During  my  absence, 
full  supplies  of  clothing  and  food  had  been  brought  to  camp,  and  all  things 
were  working  well. 

I  have  thus  rapidly  sketched  the  progress  of  our  columns  from  Savannah 
to  Goldsboro',  but  for  more  minute  details  must  refer  to  the  reports  of  subor 
dinate  commanders  and  of  staff-officers,  which  are  not  yet  ready,  but  will  in 
due  season  be  forwarded  and  filed  with  this  report.  I  can  not  even  with  anv 
degree  of  precision  recapitulate  the  vast  amount  of  injury  done  the  enemy,  or 
the  quantity  of  guns  and  materials  of  war  captured  and  destroyed.  In  gen 
eral  terms,  we  have  traversed  the  country  from  Savannah  to  Goldsboro',  with 
an  average  breadth  of  forty  miles,  consuming  all  the  forage,  cattle,  hogs,  sheep, 
poultry,  cured  meats,  corn  meal,  etc.  The  public  enemy,  instead  of  drawing 
supplies  from  that  region  to  feed  his  armies,  will  be  compelled  to  send  pro 
visions  from  other  quarters  to  feed  the  inhabitants.  A  map  herewith,  pre 
pared  by  my  chief  engineer,  Colonel  Poe,  with  the  routes  of  the  four  corps 
and  cavalry,  will  show  at  a  glance  the  country  traversed.  Of  course,  the 
abandonment  to  us  by  the  enemy  of  the  whole  sea-coast,  from  Savannah  to 
Newbern,  N.  C.,  with  its  forts,  dock-yards,  gunboats,  etc.,  was  a  necessary 
incident  to  our  occupation  and  destruction  of  the  inland  routes  of  travel  and 
supply;  but  the  real  object  of  this  march  was  to  place  this  army  in  a  posi 
tion  easy  of  supply,  whence  it  could  take  an  appropriate  part  in  the  spring 
and  summer  campaign  of  1865.  This  was  completely  accomplished  on  the 
21st  of  March,  by  the  junction  of  the  three  armies  and  occupation  of 
Goldsboro'. 

In  conclusion,  I  beg  to  express  in  the  most  emphatic  manner  my  entire 
satisfaction  with  the  tone  and  temper  of  the  whole  army.  Nothing  seems 
to  dampen  their  energy,  zeal,  or  cheerfulness.  It  is  impossible  to  conceive  a 
march  involving  more  labor  and  exposure,  yet  I  can  not  recall  an  instance  of 
bad  temper  by  the  way,  or  hearing  an  expression  of  doubt  as  to  our  perfect 
success  in  the  end.  I  believe  that  this  cheerfulness  and  harmony  of  action 
reflects  upon  all  concerned  quite  as  much  real  honor  and  fame  as  "  battles 
gained"  or  "  cities  won,'  and  I  therefore  commend  all — Generals,  Staff,  offi 
cers,  and  men,  for  these  high  qualities,  in  addition  to  the  more  soldierly  ones 
of  obedience  to  orders,  and  the  alacrity  they  have  always  manifested  when 
danger  summoned  them  "  to  the  front."  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  obe 
dient  servant, 

W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Major  General  Commanding. 
Mpjor  General  H.  TV.  HALLECK,  Chief  of  Staff,  Washington  City,  P.  C.  4, 


THE     SITUATION.  691 


III. 

OPERATIONS  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA,  AND  SURRENDER  OF 
JOHNSTON'S  ARMY. 

HEAD-QUARTERS  OF  THE  MILITARY  DIVISION  OP  THE  MISSISSIPPI,  ) 
IN  THE  FIELD,  CITY  POINT.  VIRGINIA,  May  9,  1865.  ) 

GENERAL  : — My  last  official  report  brought  the  history  of  events,  as  con 
nected  with  the  armies  in  the  field  subject  to  my  immediate  command,  clown 
to  the  1st  of  April,  when  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  Major  General  J.  M.  Scho- 
field  commanding,  lay  at  Goldsboro',  with  detachments  distributed  so  as  to 
secure  and  cover  our  routes  of  communication  and  supply  back  to  the  sea 
at  Wilmington  and  Morehead  City ;  Major  General  A.  II.  Terry,  with  the 
Tenth  Corps,  being  at  Faison's  Depot;  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  Major 
General  0.  0.  Howard  commanding,  was  encamped  to  the  right  and  front 
of  Goldsboro';  and  the  Army  of  Georgia,  Major  General  II.  W.  Slocum 
commanding,  to  its  left  and  front ;  the  cavalry,  Brevet  Major  General  J.  Kil- 
patrick  commanding,  at  Mount  Olive.  All  were  busy  in  repairing  the  wear 
and  tear  of  our  then  recent  and  hard  inarch  from  Savannah,  and  in  replen 
ishing  clothing  and  stores  necessary  for  a  farther  progress. 

I  had  previously,  by  letter  and  in  person,  notified  the  Lieutenant  General 
commanding  the  armies  of  the  United  States,  that  the  10th  of  April  would 
be  the  earliest  possible  moment  at  which  I  could  hope  to  have  all  things  in 
readiness,  and  we  were  compelled  to  use  our  railroads  to  the  very  highest 
possible  limit  in  order  to  fulfill  that  promise.  Owing  to  a  mistake  in  the 
railroad  department  in  sending  locomotives  and  cars  of  the  five-foot  gnage, 
we  were  limited  to  the  use  of  the  few  locomotives  and  cars  of  the  four-foot 
eight  and  a  half  inch  guage  already  in  North  Carolina,  with  such  of  the  old 
stock  as  was  captured  by  Major  General  Terry  at  Wilmington  and  on  his 
way  up  to  Goldsboro'.  Yet  such  judicious  use  was  made  of  these,  and  such 
industry  displayed  in  the  railroad  management,  by  Generals  Easton  and 
Beckwith,  and  Colonel  Wright  and  Mr.  Van  Dyne,  that  by  the  10th  of  April 
our  men  were  all  reclad,  the  wagons  reloaded,  and  a  fair  amount  of  forage 
accumulated  ahead. 

In  the  meantime,  Major  General  George  Stoneman,  in  command  of  a  di 
vision  of  cavalry  operating  from  East  Tennessee  in  connection  with  Major 
General  George  II.  Thomas,  in  pursuance  of  my  orders  of  January  21st,  1865, 
had  reached  the  railroad  about  Greensboro',  N.  C.,  and  had  made  sad  havoc 
with  it,  and  had  pushed  along  it  to  Salisbury,  destroying  en  route  bridges, 
culverts,  depots,  and  all  kinds  of  rebel  supplies,  and  had  extended  the  break 
in  the  railroad  down  to  the  Catawba  Bridge. 

This  was  fatal  to  the  hostile  armies  of  Lee  and  Johnston,  who  depended 
on  that  road  for  supplies,  and  as  their  ultimate  line  of  retreat.  Major  Gen 
eral  J.  H.  Wilson,  also  in  command  of  the  cavalry  corps  organized  by  him 
self  under  special  field  orders  No.  — ,  of  October  24th,  1864,  at  Gaylesville, 
Ala.,  had  started  from  the  neighborhood  of  Decatur  and  Florence,  Ala.,  and 
moved  straight  into  the  heart  of  Alabama,  on  a  route  prescribed  for  General 
Thomas  after  he  had  defeated  General  Hood  at  Nashville,  Tenn. ;  but  the 
roads  being  too  heavy  for  infantry,  General  Thomas  had  devolved  that  duty 


692  MARCH     AGAINST    JOHNSTON. 

on  that  most  energetic  young  cavalry  officer,  General  Wilson,  who,  imbued 
with  the  proper  spirit,  has  struck  one  of  the  best  blows  of  the  war  at  the 
waning  strength  of  the  Confederacy.  His  route  was  one  never  before  touched 
by  our  troops,  and  afforded  him  abundance  of  supplies  as  long  as  he  was  in 
motion,  namely,  by  Tuscaloosa,  Selma,  Montgomery,  Columbus,  and  Macon. 
Though  in  communication  with  him,  I  have  not  been  able  to  receive,  as  yet, 
his  full  and  detailed  reports,  which  will  in  due  time  be  published  and  appre 
ciated.  Lieutenant  General  Grant,  also  in  immediate  command  of  the  armies 
about  Richmond,  had  taken  the  initiative  in  that  magnificent  campaign  which, 
in  less  than  ten  days,  compelled  the  evacuation  of  Richmond,  and  resulted  in 
the  destruction  and  surrender  of  the  entire  rebel  army  of  Virginia  under 
command  of  General  Lee. 

The  news  of  the  battles  about  Petersburg  reached  me  at  Goldsboro'  on  the 
6th  of  April.  Up  to  that  time  my  purpose  was  to  move  rapidly  northward, 
feigning  on  Raleigh  and  striking  straight  for  Burkesville,  thereby  interposing 
between  Johnston  and  Lee.  But  the  auspicious  events  in  Virginia  had 
changed  the  whole  military  problem,  and,  in  the  expressive  language  of  Lieu 
tenant  General  Grant,  "the  Confederate  armies  of  Lee  and  Johnston"  became 
the  "  strategic  points."  General  Grant  was  fully  able  to  take  care  of  the 
former,  and  my  task  was  to  capture  or  destroy  the  latter.  Johnston  at  that 
time,  April  6th,  had  his  army  well  in  hand  about  Smithfield,  interposing  be 
tween  me  and  Raleigh.  I  estimated  his  infantry  and  artillery  at  thirty-five 
thousand,  and  his  cavalry  from  six  thousand  to  ten  thousand.  He  was  supe 
rior  to  me  in  cavalry,  so  that  I  held  General  Kilpatrick  in  reserve  at  Mount 
Olive,  with  orders  to  recruit  his  horses  arid  be  ready  to  make  a  sudden  and 
rapid  march  on  the  10th  of  April. 

At  daybreak  of  the  day  appointed,  all  the  heads  of  columns  wTere  in  motion 
straight  against  the  enemy — Major  General  II.  W.  Slocum  taking  the  two  di 
rect  roads  for  Smithfield  ;  Major  General  O.  O.  Howard  making  a  circuit  by 
the  right,  and  feigning  up  the  Weldon  road  to  disconcert  the  enemy's  cav 
alry  ;  Generals  Terry  and  Kilpatrick  moving  on  the  west  side  of  the  Neuse 
River,  and  aiming  to  reach  the  rear  of  the  enemy  between  Smithfield  and 
Raleigh.  General  Schofield  followed  General  Slocum  in  support. 

All  the  columns  met,  within  six  miles  of  Goldsboro',  more  or  less  cavalry, 
with  the  usual  rail  barricades,  which  were  swept  before  us  as  chaff,  and  by 
10  A.  M.  of  the  llth  the  Fourteenth  Corps  entered  Smithfield,  the  Twentieth 
Corps  close  at  hand.  Johnston  had  rapidly  retreated  across  the  Neuse  River, 
and,  having  his  railroad  to  lighten  up  his  trains,  could  retreat  faster  than  we 
could  pursue.  The  rains  had  also  set  in,  making  the  resort  to  corduroy  ab 
solutely  necessary  to  pass  even  ambulances,  x  The. enemy  had  burned  the 
bridge  at  Smithfield,  and  as  soon  as  possible  Major  General  Slocum  got  up 
his  pontoons  and  crossed  over  a  division  of  the  Fourteenth  Corps.  We  there 
heard  of  the  surrender  of  Lee's  army  at  Appomattox  Court-House,  Va.,  which 
was  announced  to  the  armies  in  orders,  and  created  universal  joy.  Not  an 
officer  or  soldier  of  my  armies  but  expressed  a  pride  and  satisfaction  that  it 
fell  to  the  lot  of  the  armies  of  the  Potomac  and  James  so  gloriously  to  over 
whelm  and  capture  the  entire  army  that  had  held  them  so  long  in  check,  and 
their  success  gave  new  impulse  to  finish  up  our  task.  Without  a  moment's 
hesitation  we  dropped  our  trains  and  marched  rapidly  in  pursuit  to  and 
through  Raleigh,  reaching  that  place  at  7:30  A.  M.  of  the  13th,  in  a  heavy 
rain.  The  next  day  the  cavalry  pushed  on  through  the  rain  to  Durham's 


THE     PURSUIT.  693 

Station,  the  Fifteenth  Corps  following  as  far  as  Morrisville  Station,  and  the 
Seventeenth  Corps  to  Jones'  Station.  On  the  supposition  that  Johnston  was 
tied  to  his  railroad  as  a  line  of  retreat  by  Hillsboro',  Greensboro',  Salisbury, 
Charlotte,  etc.,  I  had  turned  the  other  columns  across  the  bend  of  that  road 
toward  Ashboro'.  (See  Special  Field  Orders,  No.  55.)  The  cavalry,  Brevet 
Major  General  J.  Kilpatrick  commanding,  was  ordered  to  keep  up  a  show  of 
pursuit  toward  the  "  Company's  Shops,"  in  Alarnance  County ;  Major  Gen 
eral  O.  O.  Howard  to  turn  to  the  left  by  Hackney's  Cross-roads,  Pittsboro', 
St.  Lawrence,  and  Ashboro' ;  Major  General  II.  W.  Slocum  to  cross  Cape 
Fear  River  at  Avon's  Ferry,  and  move  rapidly  by  Carthage,  Caledonia,  and 
Cox's  Mills;  Major  General  J.  M.  Schofield  wras  to  hold  Raleigh  and  the  road 
back,  and  with  his  spare  force  to  follow  by  an  intermediate  route. 

By  the  15th,  though  the  rains  were  incessant  and  the  roads  almost  im 
practicable,  Major  General  Slocum  had  the  Fourteenth  Corps,  Brevet  Major 
General  Davis  commanding,  near  Martha's  Vineyard,  with  a  pontoon  bridge 
laid  across  Cape  Fear  River  at  Aven's  Ferry,  with  the  Twentieth  Corps,  Ma 
jor  General  Mower  commanding,  in  support,  and  Major  General  Howard  had 
the  Fifteenth  and  Seventeenth  Corps  stretched  out  on  the  roads  toward  Pitts 
boro1,  while  General  Kilpatrick  held  Durham's  Station  and  Chapel  Hill 
University. 

Johnston's  army  was  retreating  rapidly  on  the  roads  from  Hillsboro'  to 
Greensboro',  he  himself  at  Greensboro'.  Although  out  of  place  as  to  time,  I 
here  invite  all  military  critics  who  study  the  problems  of  war  to  take  their 
maps  and  compare  the  position  of  my  army  on  the  15th  and  16th  of  April 
with  that  of  General  Halleck  about  Burkesville  and  Petersburg,  Va.,  on  the 
26th  of  April,  when,  according  to  his  telegram  to  Secretary  Stanton,  he 
offered  to  relieve  me  of  the  task  of  "  cutting  off  Johnston's  retreat."  Major 
General  Stoneman  at  the  time  was  at  Statesville,  and  Johnston's  only  line  of 
retreat  was  by  Salisbury  and  Charlotte.  It  may  be  that  General  Halleck's 
troops  can  outmarch  mine,  but  there  is  nothing  in  their  past  history  to  show 
it;  or  it  may  be  that  General  Halleck  can  inspire  his  troops  with  more  en 
ergy  of  action.  I  doubt  that  also,  save  and  except  in  this  single  instance, 
when  he  knew  the  enemy  was  ready  to  surrender  or  disperse,  as  advised  by 
my  letter  of  April  18th,  addressed  to  him  when  Chief  of  Staff  at  Washington 
City,  and  delivered  at  Washington  on  the  21st  instant  by  Major  Hitchcock 
of  my  Staff. 

Thus  matters  stood  at  the  time  I  received  General  Johnston's  first  letter 
and  made  my  answer  of  April  14th,  copies  of  which  were  sent  with  all  expe 
dition  to  Lieutenant  General  Grant  and  the  Secretary  of  W"ar,  with  my  letter 
of  April  15th.  I  agreed  to  meet  General  Johnston  in  person  at  a  point  in 
termediate  between  our  pickets  on  the  lYth  at  noon,  provided  the  position 
of  the  troops  remained  statu  quo.  I  was  both  willing  and  anxious  thus  to 
consume  a  few  days,  as  it  would  enable  Colonel  Wright  to  finish  our  railroad 
to  Raleigh. 

Two  bridges  had  to  be  built  and  twelve  miles  of  new  road  made.  We  had 
no  iron  except  by  taking  up  that  on  the  branch  from  Goldsboro'  to  Weldon. 
Instead  of  losing  by  time,  I  gained  in  every  way;  for  every  hour  of  delay 
possible  was  required  to  reconstruct  the  railroad  to  our  rear  and  improve  the 
condition  of  our  wagon  roads  to  the  front,  so  desirable  in  case  the  negotia 
tions  failed  and  we  be  forced  to  make  the  race  of  near  two  hundred  miles  to 
head  off  or  catch  Johnston's  army,  then  retreating  toward  Charlotte. 


694  NEGOTIATIONS    WITH    JOHNSTON.  v 

At  noon  of  the  day  appointed  I  met  General  Johnston  for  the  first  time  in 
my  life,  though  we  had  been  interchanging  shots  constantly  since  May, 
1863. 

Our  interview  was  frank  and  soldier-like,  and  he  gave  me  to  understand 
that  farther  war  on  the  part  of  the  Confederate  troops  was  folly,  that  the 
cause  was  lost,  and  that  every  life  sacrificed  after  the  surrender  of  Lee's  army 
was  the  "  highest  possible  crime."  He  admitted  that  the  terms  conceded  to 
General  Lee  were  magnanimous,  and  all  he  could  ask ;  but  he  did  want  some 
general  concessions  that  would  enable  him  to  allay  the  natural  fears  and 
anxieties  of  his  followers,  and  enable  him  to  maintain  his  control  over  them 
until  they  could  be  got  back  to  the  neighborhood  of  their  homes,  thereby 
saving  the  State  of  North  Carolina  the  devastations  inevitably  to  result  from 
turning  his  men  loose  and  unprovided  on  the  spot,  and  our  pursuit  across 
the  State. 

He  also  wanted  to  embrace  in  the  same  general  proposition  the  fate  of  all 
the  Confederate  armies  that  remained  in  existence.  I  never  made  any  con 
cession  as  to  his  own  army,  or  assumed  to  deal  finally  and  authoritatively  in 
regard  to  any  other,  but  it  did  seem  to  me  that  there  was  presented  a  chance 
for  peace  that  might  be  deemed  valuable  to  the  Government  of  the  United 
States,  and  was  at  least  worth  the  few  days  that  would  be  consumed  in 
reference. 

To  push  an  army  whose  Commander  had  so  frankly  and  honestly  confessed 
his  inability  to  cope  with  me  were  cowardly,  and  unworthy  the  brave  men  I 
led. 

Inasmuch  as  General  Johnston  did  not  feel  authorized  to  pledge  his  power 
over  the  armies  in  Texas,  we  adjourned  to  meet  the  next  day  at  noon.  I  re 
turned  to  Raleigh,  and  conferred  freely  with  all  my  general  officer^  every  one 
of  whom  urged  me  to  conclude  terms  that  might  accomplish  so  complete  and 
desirable  an  end.  All  dreaded  the  weary  and  laborious  march  after  a  fugitive 
and  dissolving  army  back  toward  Geogia,  almost  over  the  very  country  where 
we  had  toiled  so  long.  There  was  but  one  opinion  expressed ;  and,  if  con 
trary  ones  were  entertained,  they  were  withheld,  or  indulged  in  only  by  that 
class  who  shun  the  fight  and  the  march,  but  are  loudest,  bravest,  and  fiercest 
when  danger  is  past.  I  again  met  General  Johnston  on  the  18th,  and  we  re 
newed  the  conversation.  He  satisfied  me  then  of  his  power  to  disband  the 
rebel  armies  in  Alabama,  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  and  Texas,  as  well  as  those 
in  his  immediate  command,  namely,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  Florida, 
and  Georgia. 

The  points  on  which  he  expressed  especial  solicitude  were,  lest  their  States 
were  to  be  dismembered  and  denied  representation  in  Congress,  or  any  sepa 
rate  political  existence  whatever,  and  that  the  absolute  disarming  his  men 
would  leave  the  South  powerless,  and  exposed  to  depredations  by  wicked 
bands  of  assassins  and  robbers. 

President  Lincoln's  Message  of  1864  ;  his  Amnesty  Proclamation ;  General 
Grant's  terms  to  General  Lee,  substantially  extending  the  benefits  of  that 
proclamation  to  all  officers  above  the  rank  of  colonel ;  the  invitation  to  the 
Virginia  Legislature  to  reassemble  in  Richmond  by  General  Weitzel,  with 
the  approval  of  Mr.  Lincoln  and  General  Grant,  then  on  the  spot ;  a  firm  be 
lief  that  I  had  been  fighting  to  reestablish  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States ;  and  last,  and  not  least,  the  general  and  universal  desire  to  close  a  war 
any  longer  without  organized  resistance,  were  the  leading  facts  that  induced 


OF     SHERMAN   S     "MEMORANDUM."  695 

me  to  pen  the  "  memorandum  "  of  April  18th,  signed  by  myself  and  General 
Johnston. 

It  was  designed  to  be,  and  so  expressed  on  its  face,  as  a  mere  "  basis  "  for 
reference  to  the  President  of  the  United  States  and  constitutional  Commander- 
in-Chief,  to  enable  him,  if  he  chose,  at  one  blow  to  dissipate  the  military 
power  of  the  Confederacy  which  had  threatened  the  national  safety  for  years. 
It  admitted  of  modification,  alteration,  and  change.  It  had  no  appearance 
of  an  ultimatum,  and  by  no  false  reasoning  can  it  be  construed  into  an  usurp 
ation  of  power  on  my  part.  I  have  my  opinions  on  the  questions  involved, 
and  will  stand  by  the  memorandum ;  but  this  forms  no  part  of  a  military  re 
port.  Immediately  on  my  return  to  Raleigh  I  dispatched  one  of  my  Staff, 
Major  Hitchcock,  to  Washington,  enjoining  him  to  be  most  prudent  and  care 
ful  to  avoid  the  spies  and  informers  that  would  be  sure  to  infest  him  by  the 
way,  and  to  say  nothing  to  any  body  until  the  President  could  make  known 
to  me  his  wishes  and  policy  in  the  matter. 

The  news  of  President  Lincoln's  assassination  on  the  14th  of  April  (wrongly 
reported  to  me  by  telegraph  as  having  occurred  on  the  llth)  reached  me  on 
the  17th,  and  was  announced  to  my  command  on  the  same  day  in  Special 
Field  Orders,  No.  56.  I  was  duly  impressed  with  its  horrible  atrocity  and 
probable  effect  upon  the  country ;  but  when  the  property  and  interests  of 
millions  still  living  were  involved,  I  saw  no  good  reason  to  change  my  course, 
but  thought  rather  to  manifest  real  respect  for  his  memory  by  following  after 
his  death  that  policy  which,  if  living,  I  feel  certain  he  would  have  approved, 
or,  at  least,  not  rejected  with  disdain.  Up  to  that  hour  I  had  never  received 
one  word  of  instruction,  advice,  or  counsel  as  to  the  "plan  or  policy"  of  the 
Government,  looking  to  a  restoration  of  peace  on  the  part  of  the  rebel  States 
of  the  South.  Whenever  asked  for  an  opinion  on  the  points  involved,  I  had 
always  evaded  the  subject.  My  letter  to  the  Mayor  of  Atlanta  has  been  pub 
lished  to  the  world,  and  I  was  not  rebuked  by  the  War  Department  for  it. 

My  letter  to  Mr.  N. W. ,  at  Savannah,  was  shown  by  me  to  Mr. 

Stanton  before  its  publication,  and  all  that  my  memory  retains  of  his  answer 
is  that  he  said,  like  my  letters  generally,  it  was  sufficiently  "  emphatic,  and 
could  not  be  misunderstood." 

But  these  letters  asserted  my  belief  that,  according  to  Mr.  Lincoln's  proc 
lamations  and  messages,  when  the  people  of  the  South  had  laid  down  their 
arms  and  submitted  to  the  lawful  power  of  the  United  States,  ipso  facto  the 
war  was  over  as  to  them ;  and,  farthermore,  that  if  any  State  in  rebellion  would 
conform  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, "  cease  war,"  elect  Senators 
and  Representatives  to  Congress,  if  admitted  (of  which  each  House  of  Con 
gress  alone  is  the  judge)  that  State  became  instanter  as  much  in  the  Union 
as  New  York  or  Ohio.  Nor  was  I  rebuked  for  this  expression,  though  it  was 
universally  known  and  commented  on  at  the  time.  And  again,  Mr.  Stanton 
in  person,  at  Savannah,  speaking  of  the  terrific  expenses  of  the  war  and  diffi 
culty  of  realizing  the  money  necessary  for  the  daily  wants  of  Government, 
impressed  me  most  forcibly  with  the  necessity  of  bringing  the  war  to  a  close 
as  soon  as  possible  for  financial  reasons. 

On  the  evening  of  April  23d  Major  Hitchcock  reported  his  return  to 
Morehead  City  with  dispatches,  of  which  fact  General  Johnston,  at  Hillsboro', 
was  notified,  so  as  to  be  ready  in  the  morning  for  an  answer.  At  6  o'clock 
A.  M.  on  the  24th,  Major  Hitchcock  arrived,  accompanied  by  General  Grant 
and  members  of  his  Staff,  who  had  not  telegraphed  the  fact  of  his  eoming 
over  our  exposed  roads  for  prudential  reasons. 
74 


696  JOHNSTON'S   SURRENDER. 

I  soon  learned  that  the  memorandum  was  disapproved,  without  reasons 
assigned,  and  I  was  ordered  to  give  the  forty-eight  hours'  notice,  and  resume 
hostilities  at  the  close  of  that  time,  governing  myself  by  the  substance  of  a 
dispatch  then  inclosed,  dated  March  3d,  12  noon,  at  Washington,  D.  C., 
from  Secretary  Stanton  to  General  Grant,  at  City  Point,  but  not  accompanied 
by  any  part  of  the  voluminous  matter  so  liberally  lavished  on  the  public  in 
the  New  York  journals  of  the  24th  of  April.  That  was  the  first  and  only 
time  I  ever  saw  the  telegram,  or  had  one  word  of  instruction  on  the  import 
ant  matter  involved  in  it ;  and  it  does  seem  strange  to  me  that  every  bar-room 
loafer  in  New  York  can  read  in  the  morning  journals  "official"  matter  that  is 
withheld  from  a  General  whose  command  extends  from  Kentucky  to  North 
Carolina. 

Within  an  hour  a  courier  was  riding  from  Durham's  Station  toward  Hills- 
boro'  with  notice  to  General  Johnston  of  the  suspension  of  the  truce,  and 
renewing  my  demand  for  the  surrender  of  the  armies  under  his  immediate 
command  (see  two  letters,  April  24th,  6  A.  M.,)  and  at  12  noon  I  had  the 
receipt  of  his  picket  officer.  I  therefore  published  my  Orders,  No.  62,  to 
the  troops,  terminating  the  truce  at  12  M.  on  the  26th,  and  ordered  all  to  be 
in  readiness  to  march  at  that  hour  on  the  routes  prescribed  in  Special  Field 
Order,  No.  55,  April  14th,  from  the  positions  held  April  18th. 

General  Grant  had  orders  from  the  President,  through  the  Secretary  of 
War,  to  direct  military  movements,  and  I  explained  to  him  the  exact  posi 
tion  of  the  troops,  and  he  approved  of  it  most  emphatically;  but  he  did  not 
relieve  me,  or  express  a  wish  to  assume  command.  All  things  were  in 
readiness,  when,  on  the  evening  of  the  25th,  I  received  another  letter  from 
General  Johnston,  asking  another  interview  to  renew  negotiations. 

General  Grant  not  only  approved,  but  urged  me  to  accept,  and  I  appointed 
a  meeting  at  our  former  place  at  noon  of  the  26th,  the  very  hour  fixed  for 
the  renewal  of  hostilities.  General  Johnston  was  delayed  by  an  accident  to 
his  train,  but  at  2  p.  M.  arrived.  We  then  consulted,  concluded,  and  signed 
the  final  terms  of  capitulation. 

These  were  taken  by  me  back  to  Raleigh,  submitted  to  General  Grant,  and 
met  his  immediate  approval  and  signature.  General  Johnston  was  not  even 
aware  of  the  presence  of  General  Grant  at  Raleigh  at  the  time. 

Thus  was  surrendered  to  us  the  second  great  army  of  the  so-called  Con 
federacy  ;  and  though  undue  importance  has  been  given  to  the  so-called 
negotiations  which  preceded  it,  and  a  rebuke  and  public  disfavor  cast  on  me 
wholly  unwarranted  by  the  facts,  I  rejoice  in  saying  it  was  accomplished 
without  farther  ruin  and  devastation  to  the  country,  without  the  loss  of  a 
single  life  to  those  gallant  men  who  had  followed  me  from  the  Mississippi  to 
the  Atlantic,  and  without  subjecting  brave  men  to  the  ungracious  task  of 
pursuing  a  fleeing  foe  that  did  not  want  to  fight,  As  for  myself,  I  know  my 
motives,  and  challenge  the  instance  during  the  past  four  years  where  an 
armed  and  defiant  foe  stood  before  me  that  I  did  not  go  in  for  a  fight,  and  I 
would  blush  for  shame  if  I  had  ever  insulted  or  struck  a  fallen  foe.  The  in 
stant  the  terms  of  surrender  were  approved  by  General  Grant,  I  made  my 
Orders,  No.  65,  assigning  to  each  of  my  subordinate  commanders  his  share 
of  the  work,  and,  with  General  Grant's  approval,  made  Special  Field  Orders, 
No.  66,  putting  in  motion  my  old  army,  (no  longer  required  in  Carolina) 
northward  for  Richmond.  General  Grant  left  Raleigh  at  9  A.  M.  of  the  27th, 
and  I  glory  in  the  fact  that  during  his  three-days'  stay  with  me,  I  did  not 
detect  in  his  language  or  manner  one  particle  of  abatement  in  the  confidence, 


OCCUPATION     OF    AUGUSTA.  69 


respect,  and  affection  that  have  existed  between  us  throughout  all  the  varied 
events  of  the  past  war  ;  and,  though  we  have  honestly  differed  in  opinion  in 
other  cases  as  well  as  this,  still  we  respected  each  other's  honest  convictions. 

I  still  adhere  to  my  then  opinions,  that  by  a  few  general  concessions, 
"  glittering  generalities,"  all  of  which  in  the  end  must  and  will  be  conceded 
to  the  organized  States  of  the  South,  that  this  day  there  would  not  be  an 
armed  battalion  opposed  to  us  within  the  broad  area  of  the  dominions  of  the 
United  States.  Robbers  and  assassins  must,  in  any  event,  result  from  the 
disbandmcnt  of  large  armies,  but  even  these  should  be  and  could  be  taken 
care  of  by  the  local  civil  authorities  without  being  made  a  charge  on  the 
national  treasury. 

On  the  evening  of  the  28th,  having  concluded  all  business  requiring  my 
personal  attention  at  Raleigh,  and  having  conferred  with  every  army  com 
mander  and  delegated  to  him  the  authority  necessary  for  his  future  action,  I 
dispatched  my  head-quarter  wagons  by  land  along  with  the  Seventeenth 
Corps,  the  office  in  charge  of  General  Webster  from  Newbern,  to  Alexandria, 
Va.,  by  sea,  and  in  person,  accompanied  only  by  my  personal  staff,  hastened 
to  Savannah  to  direct  matters  in  the  interior  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia. 
I  had  received  across  the  rebel  telegraph  wires  cipher  dispatches  from  Gen 
eral  Wilson  at  Macon  to  the  effect  that  he  was  in  receipt  of  my  orders,  No. 
65,  and  would  send  General  Upton's  division  to  Augusta,  and  General  Mc- 
Cook's  division  to  Tallahassee,  to  receive  the  surrender  of  those  garrisons, 
take  charge  of  the  public  property,  and  execute  the  paroles  required  by  the 
terms  of  surrender.  He  reported  a  sufficiency  of  forage  for  his  horses  in 
Southwest  Georgia,  but  asked  me  to  send  him  a  supply  of  clothing,  sugar, 
coffee,  etc.,  by  way  of  Augusta,  Ga.,  whence  he  could  get  it  by  rail.  I 
therefore  went  rapidly  to  Goldsboro'  and  Wilmington,  reaching  the  latter  city 
at  10  A.  M.  of  the  29th,  and  the  same  day  embarked  for  Hilton  Head  in  the 
blockade  runner  "  Russia,"  Captain  A.  M.  Smith.  I  found  General  Q.  A. 
Gillmore,  commanding  Department  of  the  South,  at  Hilton  Head,  on  the 
evening  of  April  30th,  and  ordered  him  to  send  to  Augusta  at  once  what 
clothing  and  small  stores  he  could  spare  for  General  WTilson,  and  to  open  up 
a  line  af  certain  communication  and  supply  with  him  at  Macon.  Within  an 
hour  the  captured  steamboats  "  Jeff.  Davis"  and  "  Amazon,"  both  adapted 
to  the  shallow  and  crooked  navigation  of  the  Savannah  River,  were  being 
loaded,  the  one  at  Savannah  and  the  other  at  Hilton  Head.  •  The  former 
started  up  the  river  on  the  1st  of  May,  in  charge  of  a  very  intelligent  officer 
(whose  name  I  can  not  recall)  and  forty-eight  men,  all  the  boat  could  carry, 
with  orders  to  occupy  temporarily  the  United  States  Arsenal  at  Augusta  and 
open  up  communication  with  General  Wilson  at  Macon,  in  the  event  that 
General  McCook's  division  of  cavalry  was  not  already  there.  The  "Ama 
zon"  followed  next  day,  and  General  Gillmore  had  made  the  necessary  orders 
for  a  brigade  of  infantry,  to  be  commanded  by  General  Molyneux,  to  follow 
by  a  land  march  to  Augusta  as  its  permanent  garrison.  Another  brigade  of 
infantry  was  ordered  to  occupy  Orangeburg,  S.  C.,  the  point  farthest  in  the 
interior  that  can  at  present  be  reached  by  rail  from  the  sea-coast  (Charleston.) 

On  the  1st  of  May  I  went  on  to  Savannah,  where  General  Gillmore  also 
joined  me,  and  the  arrangements  ordered  for  the  occupation  of  Augusta  were 
consummated. 

At  Savannah  I  found  the  city  in  the  most  admirable  police,  under  direc 
tion  of  Brevet  Major  General  Grover,  and  the  citizens  manifested  the  most 
unqualified  joy  to  hear  that,  so  far  as  they  were  concerned,  the  war  was 


698  SHERMAN    ON    STANTON. 

over.  All  classes,  Union  men  as  well  as  former  rebels,  did  not  conceal,  how 
ever,  the  apprehensions  naturally  arising  from  a  total  ignorance  of  the  polit 
ical  conditions  to  be  attached  to  their  future  state.  Any  thing  at  all  would 
be  preferable  to  this  dread  uncertainty. 

On  the  evening  of  the  2d  of  May,  I  returned  to  Hilton  Head,  and  there, 
for  the  first  time,  received  the  New  York  papers  of  April  28th,  containing 
Secretary  Stanton's  dispatch  of  9  A.  M.  of  the  27th  of  April  to  General  Dix, 
including  General  Halleck's,  from  Richmond,  of  9  p.  M.  of  the  night  before, 
which  seems  to  have  been  rushed  with  extreme  haste  before  an  excited  pub 
lic,  namely,  morning  of  the  28th.  You  will  observe  from  the  dates  that 
these  dispatches  were  running  back  and  forth  from  Richmond  and  Washing 
ton  to  New  York,  and  there  published,  while  General  Grant  and  I  were  to 
gether  in  Raleigh,  N,  C.,  adjusting,  to  the  best  of  our  ability,  the  terms  of 
surrender  of  the  only  remaining  formidable  rebel  army  in  existence  at  the 
time  east  of  the  Mississippi  River.  Not  one  word  of  intimation  had  been 
sent  to  me  of  the  displeasure  of  the  Government  with  my  official  conduct, 
but  only  the  naked  disapproval  of  a  skeleton  memorandum  sent  properly  for 
the  action  of  the  President  of  the  United  States. 

The  most  objectionable  features  of  my  memorandum  had  already  (April 
24th)  been  published  to  the  world  in  violation  of  official  usage,  and  the  con 
tents  of  my  accompanying  letters  to  General  Halleck,  General  Grant,  and 
Mr.  Stanton,  of  even  date,  though  at  hand,  were  suppressed. 

In  all  these  letters  I  had  stated  clearly  and  distinctly  that  Johnston's  army 
would  not  fight,  but,  if  pushed,  would  "  disband"  and  "  scatter"  into  small 
and  dangerous  guerrilla  parties,  as  injurious  to  the  interests  of  the  United 
States  as  to  the  rebels  themselves;  that  all  parties  admitted  that  the  rebel 
cause  of  the  South  was  abandoned,  that  the  negro  was  free,  and  that  the 
temper  of  all  was  most  favorable  to  a  lasting  peace.  I  say  all  these 
opinions  of  mine  were  withheld  from  the  public  with  a  seeming  purpose ; 
and  I  do  contend  that  my  official  experience  and  former  services,  as  well  as 
my  past  life  and  familiarity  with  the  people  and  geography  of  the  South, 
entitled  my  opinions  to  at  least  a  decent  respect. 

Although  this  dispatch  (Mr.  Stanton's  of  April  27th)  was  printed  "offi 
cial,"  it  had  come  to  me  only  in  the  questionable  newspaper  paragraph 
headed  "  Sherman's  Truce  Disregarded." 

I  had  already  done  what  General  Wilson  wanted  me  to  do,  namely,  had 
sent  him  supplies  of  clothing  and  food,  with  clear  and  distinct  orders  and  in 
structions  how  to  carry  out  in  Western  Georgia  the  terms  for  the  surrender 
of  arms  and  paroling  of  prisoners  made  by  General  Johnston's  capitulation 
of  April  26th,  and  had  properly  and  most  opportunely  ordered  General  Gill- 
more  to  occupy  Orangeburg  and  Augusta,  strategic  points  of  great  value  at 
all  times,  in  peace  or  war;  but,  as  the  Secretary  had  taken  upon  himself  to 
order  my  subordinate  Generals  to  disobey  my  "  orders,"  I  explained  to  Gen 
eral  Gillmore  that  I  would  no  longer  confuse  him  or  General  Wilson  with 
"  orders"  that  might  conflict  with  those  of  the  Secretary,  which,  as  reported, 
were  sent,  not  through  me,  but  in  open  disregard  of  me  and  of  my  lawful 
authority. 

It  now  becomes  my  duty  to  paint  in  justly  severe  character  the  still  more 
offensive  and  dangerous  matter  of  General  Halleck's  dispatch  of  April  26th 
to  the  Secretary  of  War,  embodied  in  his  to  General  Dix  of  April  27th. 

General  Halleck  had  been  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  army  at  Washington,  in 
which  capacity  he  must  have  received  my  official  letter  of  April  18th,  wherein 


SHERMAN    ON     HALLECK.  CT99 

I  wrote  clearly  that  if  Johnston's  army  about  Greensboro'  were  "  pushed"  it 
would  "  disperse,"  an  event  I  wished  to  prevent.  About  that  time  he  seems 
to  have  been  sent  from  Washington  to  Richmond  to  command  the  new  Mil 
itary  Division  of  the  James,  in  assuming  charge  of  which,  on  the  22d,  he 
defines  the  limits  of  his  authority  to  be  the  "  Department  of  Virginia,  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  such  part  of  North  Carelina  as  may  not  be  occu 
pied  by  the  command  of  Major  General  Sherman.'11  (See  his  General  Orders, 
No.  1.)  Four  days  later,  April  26th,  he  reports  to  the  Secretary  that  he 
has  ordered  Generals  Meade,  Sheridan,  and  Wright  to  invade  that  part  of 
North  Carolina  which  was  occupied  by  my  command,  and  pay  "  no  regard 
to  any  truce  or  orders  of"  mine.  They  were  ordered  to  "push  forward,  re 
gardless  of  any  orders  save  those  of  Lieutenant  General  Grant,  and  cut  off 
Johnston's  retreat."  He  knew  at  the  time  he  penned  that  dispatch  and 
made  those  orders,  that  Johnston  was  not  retreating,  but  was  halted  under  a 
forty-eight  hours'  truce  with  me,  and  was  laboring  to  surrender  his  command 
and  prevent  its  dispersion  into  guerrilla  bands,  and  that  I  had  on  the  spot  a 
magnificent  army  at  my  command,  amply  sufficient  for  all  purposes  required 
by  the  occasion. 

The  plan  for  cutting  off  a  retreat  from  the  direction  of  Bnrkesville  and 
Danville  is  hardly  worthy  one  of  his  military  education  and  genius.  When 
he  contemplated  an  act  so  questionable  as  the  violation  of  a  **  truce"  made 
by  competent  authority  within  his  sphere  of  command,  he  should  have  gone 
himself  and  not  have  sent  subordinates,  for  he  knew  I  was  bound  in  honor 
to  defend  and  maintain  my  own  truce  and  pledge  of  faith,  even  at  the  cost  of 
many  lives. 

WThen  an  officer  pledges  the  faith  of  his  Government,  he  is  bound  to  de 
fend  it,  and  he  is  no  soldier  who  would  violate  it  knowingly. 

As  to  Davis  and  his  stolen  treasure,  did  General  Halleck,  as  Chief  of  Staff 
or  commanding  officer  of  the  neighboring  military  division,  notify  me  of  the 
facts  contained  in  his  dispatch  to  the  Secretary  ?  No,  he  did  not.  If  the 
Secretary  of  War  wanted  Davis  caught,  why  not  order  it,  instead  of,  by  pub 
lishing  in  the  newspapers,  putting  him  on  his  guard  to  hide  away  and  escape  ? 
No  orders  or  instructions  to  catch  Davis  or  his  stolen  treasure  ever  came  to 
me ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  I  was  led  to  believe  that  the  Secretary  of  War 
rather  preferred  he  should  effect  an  escape  from  the  country,  if  made  "  un 
known"  to  him.  But  even  on  this  point  I  inclose  a  copy  of  my  letter  to 
Admiral  Dahlgren,  at  Charleston,  sent  him  by  a  fleet  steamer  from  Wilming 
ton  on  the  26th  of  April,  two  days  before  the  bankers  of  Richmond  had  im 
parted  to  General  Halleck  the  important  secret  as  to  Davis's  movement,  de 
signed  doubtless  to  stimulate  his  troops  to  march  their  legs  off  to  catch  their 
treasure  for  their  own  use. 

I  know  now  that  Admiral  Dahlgren  did  receive  my  letter  on  the  26th,  and 
had  acted  on  it  before  General  Halleck  had  even  thought  of  the  matter ;  but  I 
do  not  believe  a  word  of  the  treasure  story — it  is  absurd  on  its  face — and  Gen 
eral  Halleck  or  any  body  has  my  full  permission  to  chase  Jeff.  Davis  and 
Cabinet  with  their  stolen  treasure  through  any  part  of  the  country  occupied 
by  my  command. 

The  last  and  most  obnoxious  feature  of  General  Halleck's  dispatch  is 
wherein  he  goes  out  of  his  way  and  advises  that  my  subordinates,  Generals 
Thomas,  Stoneman,  and  Wilson,  should  be  instructed  not  to  obey  "  Sher 
man's"  commands. 

This  is  too  much ;  and  I  turn  from  the  subject  with  feelings  too  strong  for 


700   HALLECK'S  ORDER  COUNTERMANDED. 

words,  and  merely  record  my  belief  that  so  much  mischief  was  never  before 
embraced  in  so  small  a  space  as  in  the  newspaper  paragraph  headed  "  Sher 
man's  Truce  Disregarded,"  authenticated  as  "  official"  by  Mr.  Secretary 
Stanton,  and  published  in  the  New  York  papers  of  April  28th. 

During  the  night  of  May  2d,  at  Hilton  Head,  having  concluded  my  busi 
ness  in  the  Department  of  the  South,  I  began  my  return  to  meet  my  troops 
then  marching  toward  Richmond  from  Raleigh.  On  the  morning  of  the  3d 
we  ran  into  Charleston  Harbor,  where  I  had  the  pleasure  to  meet  Admiral 
Dahlgren,  who  had,  in  all  my  previous  operations  from  Savannah  northward, 
aided  me  with  a  courtesy  and  manliness  that  commanded  my  entire  respect 
and  deep  affection ;  also  General  Hatch,  who,  from  our  first  interview  at  his 
Tullifinney  camp,  had  caught  the  spirit  of  the  move  from  Pocotaligo  north 
ward,  and  had  largely  contributed  to  our  joint  success  in  taking  Charleston 
and  the  Carolina  coast.  Any  one  who  is  not  satisfied  with  war  should  go 
and  see  Charleston,  and  he  will  pray  louder  and  deeper  than  ever  that  the 
country  may  in  the  long  future  be  spared  any  more  war.  Charleston  and 
secession  being  synonymous  terms,  the  city  should  be  left  as  a  sample,  so 
that  centuries  may  pass  away  before  that  false  doctrine  is  again  preached  in 
our  Union. 

We  left  Charleston  on  the  evening  of  the  3d  of  May,  and  hastened  with 
all  possible  speed  back  to  Morehead  City,  which  we  reached  at  night  of  the 
4th.  I  immediately  communicated  by  telegraph  with  General  Schoficld  at 
Raleigh,  and  learned  from  him  the  pleasing  fact  that  the  Lieutenant  General 
commanding  the  armies  of  the  United  States  had  reached  the  Chesapeake  in 
time  to  countermand  General  Halleck's  orders,  and  prevent  his  violating  my 
truce,  invading  the  area  of  my  command,  and  driving  Johnston's  surrender 
ing  army  into  fragments.  General  Johnston  had  fulfilled  his  agreement  to 
the  very  best  of  his  ability ;  and  the  officers  charged  with  issuing  the  paroles 
at  Greensboro7  reported  about  thirty  thousand  already  made,  and  that  the 
greater  part  of  the  North  Carolina  troops  had  gone  home  without  waiting  for 
their  papers,  but  that  all  of  them  would  doubtless  come  into  some  one  of  the 
military  posts,  the  commanders  of  which  are  authorized  to  grant  them. 
About  eight  hundred  of  the  rebel  cavalry  had  gone  South,  refusing  to  abide 
the  terms  of  the  surrender,  and  it  was  supposed  they  would  make  for  Mexico. 
I  would  sincerely  advise  that  they  be  encouraged  to  go  and  stay  ;  they  would 
be  a  nuisance  to  any  civilized  Government,  whether  loose  or  in  prison. 

With  the  exception  of  some  plundering  on  the  part  of  Lee's  and  John 
ston's  disbanded  men,  all  else  in  North  Carolina  was  "  quiet."  When  to  the 
number  of  men  surrendered  at  Greensboro'  are  added  those  at  Tallahassee,  Au 
gusta,  and  Macon,  with  the  scattered  squads  who  will  come  in  at  other  military 
posts,  I  have  no  doubt  fifty  thousand  armed  men  will  be  disarmed  and  restored 
to  civil  pursuits  by  the  capitulation  made  near  Durham's  Station,  N.  C.,  on 
the  2Gth  of  April,  and  that,  too,  without  the  loss  of  a  single  life  to  us. 

On  the  5th  of  May  I  received  and  here  subjoin  a  farther  dispatch  from 
General  Schofield,  which  contains  inquiries  I  have  been  unable  to  satisfy, 
similar  to  those  made  by  nearly  every  officer  in  my  command  whose  duty 
brings  him  in  contact  with  citizens.  I  leave  you  to  do  what  you  think  expe 
dient  to  provide  the  military  remedy. 

BT  TELEGRAPH  FROM  RALEIGH,  N.  C.,  May  5,  18G5. 
To  Major  General  W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Morehead  City : 
-    "When  General  Grant  was  here,  as  you  doubtless  recollect,  he  said  the  lines  had  been 


CLOSE     OF    THE    CAMPAIGN.  701 

extended  to  embrace  this  and  other  states  south.  The  order,  it  seems,  has  been  modified 
so  as  to  include  only  Virginia  and  Tennessee.  I  think  it  would  be  an  act  of  wisdom  to 
open  this  State  to  trade  at  once.  I  hope  the  Government  will  make  known  its  policy  as 
the  organ  of  State  Governments  without  delay.  Affairs  must  necessarily  be  in  a  very 
unsettled  state  until  that  is  done;  the  people  are  now  in  a  mood  to  accept  almost  any 
thing  which  promises  a  definite  settlement. 

What  is  to  be  dons  with  the  freedmen,  is  the  question  of  all,  and  is  the  all-important 
question.  It  requires  prompt  and  wise  action  to  prevent  the  negro  from  becoming  a  huge 
elephant  on  our  hands.  If  I  am  to  govern  this  State,  it  is  important  for  me  to  know  it  at 
once.  If  another  is  to  be  sent  here,  it  can  not  be  done  too  soon;  for  he  will  probably 
undo  the  most  that  I  shall  have  done.  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  from  you  freely  when  you 
have  time  to  write.  I  will  send  your  message  to  Wilson  at  once. 

J.  M.  SCHOFIELD,  Major  General." 

I  give  this  dispatch  entire,  to  demonstrate  how  intermingled  have  become 
civil  matters  with  the  military,  and  how  almost  impossible  it  has  become  for 
an  officer  in  authority  to  act  a  pure  military  part. 

There  are  no  longer  armed  enemies  in  North  Carolina,  and  a  soldier  can 
deal  with  no  other  sort.  The  marshals  and  sheriffs  with  their  posses  (of  which 
the  military  may  become  a  part)  are  the  only  proper  officers  to  deal  with 
civil  criminals  and  marauders.  But  I  will  not  be  drawn  out  in  a  discussion 
of  this  subject,  but  instance  the  case  to  show  how  difficult  is  the  task  become 
to  military  officers,  when  men  of  the  rank,  education,  experience,  nerve,  and 
good  sense  of  General  Schofield  feel  embarrassed  by  them. 

General  Schofield,  at  Raleigh,  has  a  well-appointed  and  well-disciplined 
command,  is  in  telegraphic  communication  with  the  controlling  parts  of  his 
department,  and  remote  ones  in  the  direction  of  Georgia,  as  well  as  with 
Washington,  and  has  military  possession  of  all  strategic  points. 

In  like  manner.  General  Gillmore  is  well  situated  in  all  respects,  except  as 
to  rapid  communication  with  the  seat  of  the  General  Government.  I  leave 
him  also  with  every  man  he  ever  asked  for,  and  in  full  and  quiet  possession 
of  every  strategic  point  in  his  department;  and  General  Wilson  has  in  the 
very  heart  of  Georgia  the  strongest,  best  appointed,  and  best  equipped  cav 
alry  corps  that  ever  fell  under  my  command;  and  he  has  now,  by  my  recent 
action,  opened  to  him  a  source  and  route  of  supply  by  way  of  Savannah 
River  that  simplifies  his  military  problem,  so  that  I  think  I  may  with  a  clear 
conscience  leave  them  and  turn  my  attention  once  more  to  my  special  com 
mand,  the  army  with  which  I  have  been  associated  through  some  of  the  most 
eventful  scenes  of  this  or  any  war. 

I  hope  and  believe  none  of  these  Commanders  will  ever  have  reason  to 
reproack  me  for  any  "  orders"  they  may  have  received  from  me ;  and  the 
President  of  the  United  States  may  be  assured  that  all  of  them  are  in  posi 
tion,  ready  and  willing  to  execute  to  the  letter  and  in  spirit  any  orders  he 
may  give.  I  shall  henceforth  cease  to  give  them  any  orders  at  all,  for  the 
occasion  that  made  them  subordinate  to  me  is  past ;  and  I  shall  confine  my 
attention  to  the  army  composed  of  the  Fifteenth  and  Seventeenth,  and  Four 
teenth  and  Twentieth  Corps,  unless  the  commanding  General  of  the  armies 
of  the  United  States  orders  otherwise. 

At  four  p.  M.  of  May  9th  I  reached  Manchester,  on  the  James  River,  oppo 
site  Richmond,  and  found  that  all  the  four  corps  had  arrived  from  Raleigh, 
and  were  engaged  in  replenishing  their  wagons  for  the  resumption  of  the 
march  toward  Alexandria.  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  obedient  servant, 

W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Major  General  Commanding. 
General  JOHN  A.  RAWLINS,  Chief  of  Staff,  Washington,  D.  C. 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
BERKELEY 

Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


DEC     231947 


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hC 


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tile   61961 


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3  mi 


REC'D  LD 

APR  1 6  US 


JSB 

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LD  21-100m-9,' 


LIBRARY  USE 

TORN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 


LOAN  DEPT. 


IIS 


EGEtVED 


LD  62A-50m-7,'65 
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